The Substance of the Season - Jesus is the Bread of Life - John 6- 22-59

Jesus The Bread of Life- The Substance of Christmas.

Jesus says a lot of controversial statements in the course of his ministry. I think when we look at this season, we can easily be reminded of the reason we celebrate it. I think most people know this is a time we celebrate the birth of Christ. Even those that know nothing about Jesus know what the season is about, even if they fail to acknowledge it.

I am going to look at the season of advent as we look to prepare our hearts for the coming king. As we prepare our hearts for what this season should really mean. I am going to do this by looking at the themes of advent, hope, joy, love, and peace, but using these themes from the book of John discussing the I am statements from John.

The first week we are going to discuss the theme of hope and explain how bread is a great illustration of the hope we seek during this season.

We look to get hope from this season. Rather if it in getting things at the end of the year that we have been wanting, wanting to give to others and be generous, or just hoping this year is over. Hope drives a lot of our emotions during this holiday. Hope is what fuels us to get through to the next thing hoping something might be better. We can live without hope for a while, but not for long, kind of the same way we could live without bread. We would need something to substitute for it, to make it, but we would not make it well especially in the context Jesus uses bread to explain hope in the book of John. So as seekers of hope this is where our journey will take us as we ask.

What does it mean as seekers of hope for Jesus to be all we need?

Let’s Pray

Point 1

We want Jesus because of what He provides.

John 6:22–28 (NLT)

John 6:22–28 NLT

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. 25 They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

Before Jesus makes this outlandish statement, he feeds 5000 people using two loaves of bread and two fish. He takes child’s school lunch and feeds more than 5000 people with food left over. He then says that this miracle proves that He is all you need.

This statement excited the crowd, confused his disciples, and then confused the crowd.

Jesus says to the crowd, you want me because of what I can do for you, not because of what it will take to get it. Jesus said, you want me because of what you can get, not what you will give.

They replied, yep. Also I would like to be able to do those cool tricks.

The reason Jesus intrigues us, is because we want power. We want something more than just us, because even at our most powerful, we are pretty powerless. Jesus gives us all we think we need, until we understand what He is giving us. Then we think we need more because we crave power more than Jesus.

Point 2

We don’t understand the true gift Christ gives us.

John 6:29–34 (NLT)

John 6:29–34 NLT

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Point 3

Jesus being the substance of life causes us to be more than just a gift taker.

John 6:35–59 NLT

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” 41 Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) 47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Three take ways:

Jesus says I am the bread of Life

What does it mean as seekers of hope for Jesus to be all we need?

Three Take-Aways

We can’t want the bread because we like what it gives us.

To understand our need for the bread makes us see our need to change our lives.

To accept Christ as all we need takes sacrifice.