John (14)

Introduction: In 1859 Charles Darwin published his well known book, “On the Origin of Species”. Darwin was a biologist who had studied the adaptive changes that occured in birds and presented a theory of evolution that attempted to explain the origin of life. His writings was a part of the flowing river of naturalism which was rapidly moving during the late 1800’s. The religion of naturalism teaches that life started as a result of natural processes. , that meaning in life is found in surviving as the fittest, morality is determined by whomever is strongest, and the end of life is when you die your natural death.

It doesn't take much effort to see, how this theory has influenced our culture today. Since the rebellion of Adam and Eve against their Creator, humanity have always sinfully attempted to define, and determine life independent of God. The implications of this are horrific. For example, If I’m not created, but simply originated from natural processes, then I only answer to myself. I am my own final authority. Do we not see blatant disregard for authority? If I am in control and get to determine what is right and wrong, then morality is a mishmash of whatever is right in our own eyes. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? If my life is finished after physical death, then I should be trying my hardest to live my best life now, take all I can get, and only look out for me and mine. We don’t have to look very hard to see the effects of the religion of naturalism on our culture… and sadly even on the church.

Now, don’t think that a theory about biology is our main problem. No, there are many theories that people have suggested throughout history, but every one of them are symptoms of a deeper problem. Because of our sinful rebellion against our Creator, each and every human being is guilty of turning our own way. Thankfully, according to Is. 53:6 , God has not abandon those created in His image. No, rather He planned to responded to our sinful attempts of life without Him, by sending His Son.. to give His perfect life.. so that our sin might be forgiven.. and we would come to Him and find true life.

Transition: Today, we are focusing our attention on John 6:60-71, where we are going to discover answers about how we can actually enjoy the life that God the Father arranged, that God the Son accomplished, and the God the Spirit applies. (read)

Transition: The gospel of John is a book about life. Eternal life. The purpose of the gospel is to persuade us to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in believing, that we would have life in His name. Contained in these few verses is an explanation from Jesus about how a person can have eternal life. Notice three observations.....

Life is Arranged by God the Father

In verse 65 Jesus says, this is why I I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. The words of life that Jesus has been speaking fall on deaf ears unless God the Father grants them the ability to hear. Jesus has already told them this back in verse 44, when he says no one comes to me unless the Father draws him. Jesus was not surprised by this. He knew from the beginning those who did not believe him. He knew those would would retreat from Him. He knew the one who would betray Him. How did He know these things? Because of passages like Isaiah 6:9-10

Isaiah 6:9–10 ESV

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jesus is fully aware that Life is arranged by God. Jesus has already taught us that he has come to do the will and work of His father. God initiated life when He spoke everything into existence and set His eternal plan in motion to save and redeem people from their sins. God the Father has made all the necessary arrangements for eternal life. He has set the table of His heavenly wedding feast and there will not be one sinner for whom His Son died for that will miss that banquet. God wrote the book. He made the promises. He sustained His people. He sent His Son. He is the one who draws sinners to His Son, and grants sinners the gift of faith.

In order for a person to come to Christ in faith and have eternal life...we must be drawn by God.

Transition: Life is arranged by God the Father, and secondly… to God the

Life is Accomplished by God the Son

In chapter 5:36 Jesus says, For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

God the Son came to earth to accomplish the will and works of God the Father. As we have already discovered the primary work of Jesus was to be the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was to die as the perfect sacrifice for sin, and raise from the dead on the third day. Jesus already alluded to 2:19, when He was leaving the Temple and said “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The very words of spirit and life that he has been speaking to the Jews in the crowd concerning His body as the bread being given for the the “life of the world”. The last half of the gospel of John focuses on Jesus’ final week leading up to the cross. The death of Christ on the cross was Jesus accomplishing God’s plan for eternal life.

Transition: Life is arranged by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and...

Life is Applied by God the Spirit

Notice what Jesus says in 6:63. We have already discovered from the testimony of John the Baptist in 1:33 That the Messiah will be on the one “on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” Also, From Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:6, where Jesus said… “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”

The eternal life that God planned for, and Jesus purchased through His blood, is applied by the Holy Spirit. This is explained for us in Titus 3:3-7

Titus 3:3–7 ESV

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

John will go on in the rest of his gospel to give further insight into the person and work of God the Holy Spirit. Chapter 14-16 are full of Holy Spirit truths. At this point Jesus is revealing the unbelief of many grumbling disciples by telling them they don’t understand His words because they have not been give life by the Spirit. They remain dead in their trespasses and sins.

Transition: We discover from this passage the beauty and majesty of our Triune God. He is one God revealed in three distinct person; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.We see how they all are in perfect unison Arranging, accomplishing, and applying eternal life. Now, what difference does this make? How should we be changed and transformed? Four applications.

1. Jesus is teaching about true confession.

True confession is the result of the Father arranging, the Son accomplishing, and the Spirit applying eternal life.

a. John 6:68-70, Romans 10:9-11

Romans 10:9–11 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

b. Point: The reason we confess is because God is saving. We cannot take credit or boast in our confession. We can only boast in Christ.

2. Jesus is rebuking our false notions of faith.

a. Eternal life cannot be accomplished by the will of our flesh. We cannot have eternal life on our own terms. Salvation is not and cannot be accomplished by works of the flesh. Faith then, is a gift from God when He draws us away from our sin to turn to Christ. We believe because the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life. We trust in Christ alone, not our ability to trust. In perfect harmony, in unison, the triune God awakens us to our sinful condition, convicts and convinces us that left to our own we are condemned before Him, but the words of life about Jesus death, burial, and Resurrection ignites faith in us. He awakens our will to believe in Christ and when we do we are forever saved from the wrath of His judgment. Our condemnation is removed and we are give life. And we continue to walk in a reconciled relationship with God through faith n Christ. When we are born again, we begin a new life of growing and maturing in the grace of God.

3. Jesus is correcting our misunderstanding of Himself.

a. Notice the different reasons people in this crowd were seeking Jesus. Crowd= Jesus is a bread boy. Jews= Jesus must fit our interpretation of who we have determined Messiah to be. Disciples= Speak easy Jesus. The 12=Chosen.

b. Not everyone who claims to be seeking Jesus actually belong to Him. We cannot follow the version of Jesus that we think we want or need, and then expect that we will inherit the eternal life that is for those whom God has given the right to be called His children.

4. Jesus is training us to follow Him.

a. The first part of Peter’s confession really stuck out to me. “To whom shall we go?” meaning there isn’t another person who has words of eternal life. there isn’t another Holy One of God.

b. This is very encouraging for those who belong to Jesus, because often we can drift into a kind of religious type of life that is void of actually following Jesus. We can become guilty of what jesus already told the Jews back in John 5:39-40.

John 5:39–40 ESV

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

c. Church family, we must never loose sight of Jesus. Certainly we keep our minds renewed by His word contained in Scripture, but we must follow Jesus. He is the true Son of Man, God in the flesh, Messiah, Savior of the world. We do not gather to lift our voices and prayers as a performance. We don't preach and fellowship for entertainment. We don't baptize and take communion of ritual. We don't seek to raise our children up in the teachings of Scripture and tell our friends and neighbors about Christ because it’s hip and cool. No, these are all means for us to relish Christ. To enjoy Christ. Where we gather in His name He is in the midst of us. He is the greatest pearl of most costly price. When we have Christ we have everything we need. We don't need to set our minds and hearts on filling our lives with things that will perish. No , let us follow Christ and set fill our minds and hearts with Him. He is our great and eternal reward. To Him be the glory and honor and Praise.

Close: According to Romans 3:23 We each are guilty of attempting to define life, live life, discover purpose in life, determine the direction of our lives apart from God. (Romans 1:24- 25) The good news for each of us, is that in Christ, we have everything we need. We have the Holy One of God.

Romans 1:24–25 ESV

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.