DAILY TEXT, Thursday, April 2, 2026. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father wants to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

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Thursday, April 2, 2026

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father wants to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus offered his apostles unleavened bread and told them it represented his body. Then he gave them the wine and told them it represented “the blood of the covenant” (Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:24). The new covenant is made with “the house of Israel,” that is, with the spiritual Israelites, who will rule with Christ “in the Kingdom of God” (Hebrews 8:6, 10; 9:15).

During the Lord’s Supper, Jesus focused on the “little flock.” This small group was initially made up of the faithful apostles who accompanied him at that supper. They will receive a place in heaven with Jesus. w24.12 11 pars. 9, 10

What is another difference between what Jesus said in Galilee and what he said during the Lord's Supper?

It is important to note that, during the Lord's Supper, Jesus focused on the "little flock." This small group initially consisted of the faithful apostles who accompanied him at that meal (Luke 12:32). Both they and others who would be part of the same group would eat the bread and drink the wine. All of them will receive a place in heaven with Jesus. What he said to his apostles on this occasion is very different from what he said to the crowd in Galilee. There, Jesus had a much larger group in mind, so his words apply to many more people.

How do we know that the blessing Jesus spoke of in Galilee was not for a limited group of people?

When Jesus was in Galilee in 32 CE, he was speaking primarily to Jews who wanted him to give them bread. But he spoke to them of something far more beneficial than literal food: something that would enable them to have eternal life. He also indicated that those who died could be resurrected on the last day and live forever. He was not speaking of a blessing for a select few, for a limited group, as in the case of the Lord’s Supper. Rather, in Galilee he focused on a blessing that would be available to all people. In fact, he said: “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. [...] The bread that I am going to give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51).

What is needed to receive the eternal life that Jesus spoke of in Galilee?

In Galilee, Jesus did not tell the Jews that everyone—both those who had lived in the past and those who would be born later—would automatically receive this blessing. Only those who eat the bread, that is, those who demonstrate faith, will receive it. Many who claim to be Christians think that to be saved, it is enough to “believe” in Jesus and see him as their personal Savior (John 6:29, New International Version). But the truth is that some in the crowd initially believed in Jesus and then abandoned him. Why did this happen?

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