Proper 14 LCMS B 2021

Proper 14 LCMS B 2021

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Sullivan

John 6:35-58

Eat my Sarx

As you will have ascertained from Gerald’s announcement this morning, I will be at the end of this month departing rather than staying. And so, having ended my vicarage/internship, this will be my last sermon here. But before we begin this last sermon, this last parting Word of God through me at this pulpit, (though we will of course exchange words personally before I physically depart) – I want to say a few things of my own – and the rest I will leave to God. Firstly, I just want to thank you all for welcoming me into your midst and for giving me not only a time to grow and to learn before I take on the vocation of the pastoral office, but for being a community that I am happy to have grown together with deeper into Christ. For being a community that I am happy to be able to have gotten to know, even just a little bit. For being able to say that the majority of my sermons were preached here from this very pulpit, and be glad that I can say that. For while to you I may be a small part of your lives, only 6 months living here among you, and about 5 or 6 pulpit visits the year before. But to me and to my family, you have been and always will be a community of great significance. It was here that our first son was born. It was here that he was baptized. It was here that I first administered the Holy Supper. And it will be here that I am ordained. And For Soren, at least at this moment, you have encompassed his whole life. So while we may physically leave this place - neither this place, nor yourselves along with it, will ever leave our hearts.

*Let us pray*

Then, Jesus said to them – I am the bread of life. Whoa, hold it right there Jesus. You’re the what? You’re bread? Oh no-no. He said He’s “THE bread” – this must be some kind of poetry thing, or some kind of metaphor, like a kind of vague spiritualized bread. Kind of like, I am the one who spiritually strengthens you, or, I am necessary, or something like that. Right? That is what He’s saying,right? Listen again.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Perhaps you say here again, this is just some more vague spiritualized bread poetry. Really? Do you drink bread? If not, then why does Jesus say you will never thirst?There is some “unvoiced” notion of drinking here, its presence is ever-felt, but it is not explicitly stated until next weeks readings, but don’t think I’ll let that slide until next week, we will get there today. So what is Jesus saying? As you will see, the better question is, in saying this; what is Jesus doing?

We begin here. Those the Father gives to the Son will come to Him and Jesus will never drive them away. And they will not be lost, but will remain in Christ, and be raised in Him on the last day. Jesus says this not once but 5 times. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. This is the doctrine of “election” this is the “choosing” that God does. This is the giving of them to the Son, and the sending of the Son for them. Those who the Father gives to the Son will be saved on that last day, but see, the Father has already given the Son all nations as His inheritance and the whole earth for His possession (Ps. 2:8). Jesus, the heir of ALL THINGS (Heb 1:2), has had all things put under His feet (1 Cor 15:27). So, I ask you today, just who has the Father not given to the Son? Is it not the truth, that as Jesus says, He Himself has even chosen Judas – who He knew would betray Him (yes it is true, John 6:70)? Yet that did not stop God the Son from taking what was His, from choosing (electing) Judas. Perhaps you say, well, Connor, surely you know that not all are saved and many die in unbelief. Sure I do. But before you suggest that Jesus is saying that those drawn by the Father, those given to the Son, are a small population and that it is only the majority who turn away let me remind you of how this story ends.

Next week you will read the end Chapter 6. I hope I won’t be spoiling the ending for you if I said that the entire crowd turns away from Jesus, even His disciples, all but the 12 who also abandon him to be crucified by the end of the Gospel story.Is this because Jesus is a failure of a preacher? Is this because God doesn’t want to save all, and hasn't given them ears to hear? Is it because the bread of life given only to some? No, I tell you. But rather this IS the very way that Jesus is the bread for them. Itis through the people rejecting Him andtheir handing Him over to be crucified, that this bread from heaven becomes the body that was “given” for them and the wine becomes the blood “shed” for them and for all, for the forgiveness of their sins. So in the "hardening of their hearts" so to speak, in their not having ears to hear, at that moment, in their abandonment of Jesus, they are actually savedthrough the cross that they will put Himon. Almost nobody is given ears to hear in the NT, but not so that God can damn people to hell, butso thatin preaching a totallyunconvincing absurdist flop of a sermon that everyone either rejects or doesn’t understand, He will be rejected, handed over, crucified and on the third day rise so that the bread we eat can be participation in the body broken for us, and that the wine we drink can be our communion in the blood shed for us for the forgiveness of oursins. And that has nothing whatsoever to do with withholdinggrace. But rather, in His NOT giving them ears to hear, He was electing the wholeworld. In His saying, my sheep will come to me, my sheep will never fall away, and in the people hearing this, rejecting it, falling away, as every last one of Christ’s disciples had done, the Father so gave the Son to the whole world. And in giving the Son the whole world, the whole world, was put to death, and risen through Christ’s flesh. In so doing the preacher is rejected and crucified, and on the third day He rose, and every Sunday after that He has been offered, received, and eaten. Do you want to find your election? It’s in the bread – It’s name is Jesus. Take and eat and you will never hunger. No longer ever wonder, has the Father drawn this one or that, Has the Father chosen me, has He chosen my unbelieving husband? No longer wonder if He has passed over you or any one else. But look affirmatively to what is objectively true and revealed about Christ's work for us, for every man, woman, and child on the cross which cannot and will never be taken back. It is THERE that we find election. For as Jesus says, in John 12:32, when I am lifted up (that is on the cross) I will draw all people to myself. I ask again, who has the Father drawn? Wait for the cross. It’s there, at the unchangeable, constant, absolute of Christ’s finished work in life, death, and resurrection for you and for your salvation, that God’s will, His giving, His choosing, His drawing, is found. In short; Christ preaches that He is the bread of life in order to be rejected that He might become the bread of life. Christ preaches that the Father will draw those that He has given to Son, so that the Son might be raised up, that the Father might draw all people. Christ preaches that those who believe in Him might have eternal life, so that in the people rejecting Him and crucifying Him, we might have a resurrection to believe. Earlier we asked the question, what is Christ saying. Well here is the answer... it is not so much what He is saying, but what He is doing by saying these things. And the answer to that question, will always and forever be saving you.

For thoughwe are faithless, though we so often have hard hearts, have no ears to hear, and no eyes to see,He remains faithful FOR HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF (2 Tim 2:13) and He wills that NONE perish but that ALL come to eternal life through Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:9) alleluia and amen. And that Word is forever true. And that IS the testimony of God concerning us, that Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christwill come again and all of this for us and for our salvation, and anyone who says or believesotherwise accuses God of lying, because this is all true FOR THEM TOO (1 John 5:9-11).

And Jesus wraps it up here, very simply in a phrase that is so familiar you could pull it out of your brains back pocket at a moments notice; 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me has eternal life. So you say, who then has the Father drawn, who has the Father given? Those who believe. And who believes? Those who receive. And who can receive? Those to whom Christ is freely given (that is, to all people). So I grant you now in the stead of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit; your eternal salvation, freely given, forever offered, and always true. Do not call God a liar, for His testimony is sure. Thebread that you ate last week, is truly the body given for you, and the wine you drank last week, is truly the blood shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins, for as sure as Christ was nailed to that cross, even more surely have your sins been buried with Him. And just as surely as Christ has risen from the grave, even more surely are you now seated with Him in heavenly places, clothed in righteousness, a co-heir of all things in, with, and through your savior and Lord, Jesus Christ – believe this, and you will have eternal life. For Christ is the bread of Life.

Come to Him and never hunger, believe in Him and never be thirsty. I hear you say to me, how do I come to Jesus, how do I know that I’ve done that? Come, take, come, eat. I hear you say to me, How do I believe in Jesus? Come, take, come, drink. What does that mean? Come, take, come, drink. Eat what? Drink what? Pay attention, and listen carefully – the Words of Jesus;

53“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them

May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given for you, shed for you, lifted for you; draw you, give you, keep you, strengthen and preserve you;through the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation – only believe this (and how?!) take – and eat. Amen.