51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh [incarnate body],
The bread that Jesus would give was His physical death on the cross so that those who believe will have everlasting life. Jesus as the Word became “flesh” as a human being (Jn 1:14). Jesus could give Himself physically because He was incarnate.
which I shall give
The sacrifice of the physical body of Jesus was to pay for the sins of the world. By that death eternal life was a possibility for anyone who would believe in that sacrifice for them. Jesus voluntarily laid down His life.
for the life of the world.”
Jesus gave Himself for everyone without exception, both elect and non-elect. He gave Himself for the world of sinners. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for each and every person.
The word “for” connotes sacrifice in the place of another or for the sake of another. Literally “for” means on behalf of. Jesus’ death was on behalf of the world (Jn 1:29; Ga 1:4). His sacrifice was vicarious.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus took our hell that we might have His heaven.
APPLICATION:
Jesus’ death for the world was vicarious. By all rights, we should personally die for our sins, but Jesus took our eternal death for us. He did this on our behalf. He took our hell that we might have His heaven. He paid for every last sin that we have ever committed or will commit. There is no sin that He did not pay for by His death on the cross. This is the central issue of believing on Him.
If we believe on Jesus’ person and His work on the cross, God gives us eternal life in His presence. The death of Christ on the cross placated the holy and just demands of God as a payment for our sins.
