The Eternal Mindset
Recommended Reading: John 6 | Colossians 3:1-17
Jesus was more than clear that his goals were eternally minded and not temporary. He came for us to be free forever, liberated, and redeemed. Jesus wasn’t interested in short-term life insurance, he was interested in eternal life insurance. In John 17:16 Jesus says, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” He was speaking about you and me. This temporary struggle of life is not our eternal destiny. We were meant to live for more.
Think of it this way — If you were starving and locked in a prison cell, and I brought you the two following options, which would you choose?
Option A - Free food gifted to you for life, but you'll die imprisoned, chained, and never to escape.
Option B - Freedom from your chains and bondage, but you have to work hard to find food for yourself in a barren land.
A well-fed prisoner or a hungry, yet free man? The answer is too easy. I want to be a hungry, yet FREE man.
What we fail to realize is that most people choose to be walking slaves every day. They wish to be well fed spiritual prisoners. They would rather have fleshly security over spiritual security. This is why Jesus reminded people over, and over again, not to pursue the things of the flesh over the things of the Spirit. He taught not to fear the things that could kill the flesh over the things that could kill the spirit (Matthew 10:28). An incredibly hard truth for many is that JESUS CAME TO FREE THE SPIRIT, not the body.
Let’s look at the tragedy in John, chapter 6.
The people of Israel began to follow Jesus because of the miracles and signs he was performing. He fed all 5000 of them in a miraculous way. They were so excited about his power, they missed his purpose. They wanted to make him king over Israel to overthrow Rome, and bring back the powerful nation of Israel, like during King David's reign. They were excited that this could be the Messiah! He performed miracles and more! Unfortunately, their view of what the Messiah would do and how he would act were far from the reality.
Jesus fled and hid on the mountainside in response to their calls for him. He had no interest in ruling in the flesh of the world, striking down human empires and reigning from his foot stool. Jesus rules from the heavenly throne at the right hand of the Father, not in a palace made by human architects and builders.
The Lord doesn’t need thrones made by man in order to be King.
Once he returned, the crowds were curious as to where he had been. His reply was, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (John 6:26-27)
They were drawn by the miracles but stayed because their stomachs were filled. They were now more enticed by the physical gifts they could get, rather than the spiritual healing they could receive by knowing Jesus. They had completely missed the whole point of Jesus's miracles and providing their food. They saw it as an attempt by Jesus to reveal himself as their earthly king, when in reality, that title meant nothing to him. In fact, Jesus's own words were that he "came to serve, not to be served" (Mark 10:45). He wanted to be an example of servanthood so that his people would serve each other in love, but many Jews were not on board.
They were more interested in an earthly revolution than a Spiritual Awakening.
Jesus would go on to repeat this idea four more times in the remainder of John chapter 6, explaining that belief in him should be their main focus. If they had it, they would "never be hungry" and "never be thirsty". (John 6:35)
Stop to Ponder: “Am I guilty of desiring victory in my flesh so badly that I’m missing a spiritual awakening God has for me?”
It’s a heavy question, but one I am willing to ask myself.
Back to our story!
As the real intentions of Jesus became clear, their disappointment grew, even unto rejecting his message altogether. He wasn't going to free them from Rome or their physical situation. Their view of the Messiah was sadly corrupted. Surely the Messiah would free their oppression, right? That wasn't Jesus's highest priority.
Isn't that a lot like how I function when in my fleshly desires?? I like to follow the Jesus I create in my head, but if when he speaks in a way that challenges me or shifts my personal beliefs, I can become obstinate and reject the words he writes upon my heart. When I have had to pay the consequences for my actions, I have even blamed him for not guiding me, but in reality, I just didn't like where or how he did it. I sought my own desires.
In the story, sadly, it says that the people listening to Jesus grumbled and objected to his teaching, saying "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" (John 6:60)
Brother, correction and redirection will always be hard, but it doesn't matter how hard it is to accept what Jesus says, we have to trust that he actually knows what’s best for us. His love for us requires him to speak things we won't want to hear.
In verse 63, Jesus says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
The response of the people in John 6 is heartbreaking to read.
"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." (John 6:66)
DAGGER TO THE HEART. Turned back??? No longer followed him???? If I was with Jesus in the flesh I would NEVER walk away! Well, my pride and arrogance say this, but would I follow the crowd and leave him if the scenario was a modern equivalent? That’s food for thought.
They were SO focused on physical freedom and becoming free as an earthly nation that they missed the most beautiful thing of all; God wanted them free forever, not just for a lifetime. They wanted the food in prison instead of the freedom with a short time of suffering. They saw it the other way around.
All throughout the scriptures we see that the spiritual world is more real than the physical, and that the temporary struggles are far outweighed by the glory that awaits us. (Romans 8:18-31) It says to keep our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2), to look to the sky for his second coming (Matthew 24:30), to eagerly await his glorious return (Hebrews 9:28), to keep our lamps burning with the oil of his presence (Matthew 25:1-13), and so, so much more.
Judas’ belief that Jesus would free the Jews from Rome and sit on the throne as another King David was one of the reasons he betrayed Jesus. If you’re following the Jesus you create in your head, you’ll always be let down. Follow Jesus, not the version you like best.
Challenge: Set your mind on things above this week. The things of the flesh will entice you, and even deceive your expectations, but the things of the Spirit will save you. Life on earth will end and your legacy may disappear, but God has prepared a place for you that far exceeds the current struggle. Decide that it is not for this life that you live, it is for the next.
Ask yourself, “Do my actions and beliefs reflect the reality that this world is not my home?”
Jesus loves you more than to just heal and bless you in this life alone. He wants to heal your Spirit forever and set you free for eternity. God often blesses us in the physical, but He doesn’t focus on this life over the next.
Prayer: “Lord, if there is any part of me that only wants you for what you can do for me ("filling my stomach") over who you are for me, reveal it. I want to love you because you love me. I don't want to choose you based upon my misconceptions that you'll make everything in my life easy. I want to choose you in the good, the bad, and the in-between. Make me more like you and help me to see things through your eyes and not my own. Amen.”
Today, choose not to walk away from Jesus based upon your expectations of how things should happen. Don’t have an earthly mindset, have an eternal one.
Live for eternity, not for today.