(Read Judges 14:12-1812And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 13But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 14And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? 16And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 17And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Judges 14:12‑18); John 6:26-5826Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:26‑58).)
IF you still have any doubt as to the meaning of Samson’s riddle turn to John 6, and you will get it explained there. What has Christ brought up out of death? Life, peace, and pardon. Who will have those divine blessings? Samson brought his gathered honey to his father and mother, and “they did eat.” Many a sinner today is saying to Jesus, “No, thank you.” Suppose they had said that, they would have missed sharing the spoils of Samson’s victory. If you decline to eat that which Christ in His love presents to you, what have you for eternity? Do you not see the gravity of your refusal?
Someone says, “I have read John 6, and been checked by verse 44, ‘No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.’” There is nothing to hinder you in these words if you really desire to come to Jesus. You must understand that this chapter presents what has been well called, “A FULL CHRIST FOR EMPTY SINNERS.” The Lord Jesus is there seen dealing with a lot of cavilers; He is talking to a company of Jews that do not want Him, and would not have Him; but at the same time He unfolds most precious truth for hungry souls.
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (vs. 26). He says, as it were, I know what you are after, you would like to be relieved of your daily trouble and toil, you would like to be supported without working. Then He adds, “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (vs. 27). What you eat for the body here is good enough, it may sustain the life you have got, but that is forfeited; but Jesus speaks of everlasting life. He says “labor,” and yet the Son of man will give it to you. Observe that you have not to earn it, at the same time there is an earnestness that marks every soul when God works in a man’s heart.
He becomes in earnest then, and if you are set on getting God’s blessing you will understand His injunction: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)). You buy, yet it is without money and price; you go to the source of supply, where it is to be had. Have you ever gone to the Person who can give everlasting life? Have you ever come into contact with Jesus, the Son of God? You have gone to church—that is not Christ. You have gone to meetings—that is not Christ. You have read your Bible and prayed—that is not Christ. It is. Christ you must come to, if you would have pardon, peace, and life eternal.
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God?” (vs. 28). You often find people in this state think they have yet something to do. I often get hold of people and ask if they are saved. The answer is, “Not yet; but I am doing my best.” Is that true? No. Could you not have done better? Of course you could, and then you will try to excuse yourself. “What shall we do?” said the Jews. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (vs. 29). God has sent His Son, and what is He bidding you do? “Believe on him whom he has sent.” I wonder whether you do believe on Him? It is a real thing, not mere profession.
The Jews rejoin: “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven” (vers. 31, 32). Who will eat this bread is the point. Truly this chapter shows a full Christ, not for full sinners, but for empty sinners—sinners that know they need peace and forgiveness, that know they have got into the grip of the devil and will very soon be in the lake of fire; men and women that are anxious, that know they are all wrong. There is nothing deceives people today like religion without Christ. You must get the “true bread,” that which satisfies, which meets the dearth in the soul, and “the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (vs. 33).
One great charm of John’s gospel is the immensity and intensity of it. The manna in the wilderness was angels’ food for a little company in the desert. The gospel today is the bread of God for the whole world. Christ died for all. Look at the breadth of it. Are you in the world and of the world? Why do you not get it? “Out of the eater has come forth meat.” It is not enough that Christ came from heaven to live down here, but He died that we might get life by feeding on this bread.
“Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread” (vs. 34). They were not really in earnest, they were playing with divine things. Have you been playing with divine things? Give up this sad work. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (vs. 35). All turns on coming to Him. Alas! they would not have Christ. You would like to go to heaven, and you do not mind being religious, but what about Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you love Him? Is He yours? Have you trusted Him? If you want that bread, says Christ, you must come to Me. Christ becomes the touch-stone of the soul. The soul that comes to Him will never hunger, and he that believeth on Him shall never thirst. Is there a need in your soul? Listen to His words: “And Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” The hunger and the thirst will be divinely met by the knowledge of the blessed Son of God.
“But He is not here to come to,” you may say. True; but you can believe in Him. Do you want Him? I do not think you would believe on Him a bit more if you saw Him. Need will bring you to Christ, downright soul need, and if there is not the need you do not want Him, and will not come to Him. If there be need, and a sense of sin and judgment to come, what a wonderful thing to know that He has annulled death, and broken the power of Satan. Out of the eater comes forth meat, and you come to Him and get it. You draw near to the present Saviour, and you are made welcome. Your hunger is met, your thirst is quenched. You drop your works and rest on Him, and eternal life is yours.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (vs. 37). If you were to come to Jesus I am positively sure of one thing, He would not cast you out. You say, “But you do not know what a sinner I have been.” True; but He knows. “You do not know my heart’s history.” No; but He knows, and says, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” The devil will say to a careless sinner, “You are too bad.” He says to the young, “You are too young, and if you get converted you will be altogether changed and your life will be miserable. You ought to see the world and enjoy life.” He does not tell you that, before the year is out, you may be in your coffin. To the middle-aged he says, “You are too busy, you have not time to attend to these things;” and then, when your hair is gray, he says, “It is too late.” He was “a liar from the beginning,” why do you listen to him? Listen to Jesus. “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
The Lord knows your life, and on the cross He died to blot out the sins of that dark and evil life. What love! “I have had such an evil heart of unbelief,” you may say. Come to Me, says Christ, and I will not cast you out. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (vers. 38-40). You say, “I believe He is the Son of God.” Thank God, you have everlasting life the moment the eye of your soul rests on Him.
The Jews might murmur, and they did. Jesus replies, “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (vs. 47), and then He passes on to say: “I am that bread of life. This is the bread which corn eth down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (vers. 48, 50, 51).
How often the word “down” occurs in this chapter. His was the downward path. He came down that you and I might go up. I shall go up because He has come down. He came down to die my death and bear my judgment. He went down into death to annul it, and bring men to God. It is His work on the cross that secures all this.
“The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (vers. 52, 53). Eating the flesh of the Son of man is appropriating the death of Christ. It is not the Lord’s Supper, You may take it every Sunday and spend eternity in hell, because that is not conversion, that is not salvation, and that is not eating His flesh and drinking His blood. If you are resting for salvation on the fact that you are a communicant, you are resting on a rotten foundation.
I beg your earnest heed to the Lord’s words:— “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (vers. 54-57). This is the enjoyment that the soul gets into by the knowledge of Christ—the possession of eternal life—for you are sustained by the Lord, and your heart feeds on Him. Truly, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” Jesus went into death, and life comes out of it for all who trust Him. Whoever comes to Him, He will not cast out, and if you have never yet made up your mind for Him do so now, and you will go all your days, saying with a joyful heart, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.”
Christ is the solution of Samson’s riddle. Get to know Him then without delay.
W. T. P. W.