Bread of Life

Intro

John 6:22–51

Main Idea: Satisfaction only comes through Jesus

Just finished feeding the 5000.

Truth #1: Don’t search for the wrong things

Exp. Verses 22-25. Same crowd who ate the food. Coming for Jesus. Verse 26. Truly, truly is Hebrew for “hush up and listen.” You aren’t seeking me because of signs. Signs = point to something.

Ill. Signs to Disney World.

Exp. Jesus’ miracles were signs, pointing to something. Messianic Secret. They wouldn’t understand. He said you didn’t come for that. You came because you were physically nourished. You ate your fill. It wasn’t the miracle that pointed to something. It was the food. Imagine finding the savior of the world wanting more bread.

Arg. We see human beings searching for the wrong things. Grasping for the wrong thing.

Christ - Why would you have approached Jesus? Better question, why do you approach him now?

Get something out of him.

Ease your conscience. You want to continue sinning, so keeping him close is easier.

Because you feel like you’re supposed to.

App. Verse 27. Don’t work toward anything that keeps you from me. Human beings love to swing on monkey bars. Looking and chasing something to satisfy.

Relationships.

Affirmation.

Community.

App. This “food” perishes. If you seek it, you will be empty.

Truth #2: Jesus satisfies your greatest longing

Exp. Verse 28-29. You need to believe in who he has sent. They still don’t get it. Verse 30-31. What sign? He just fed 5000 people. This is the sign. You missed the sign.

Ill. Let’s say we are going to Disney World, and I see a New York sign. I’m going the wrong way.

Exp. Jesus gives them a history lesson. Verses 32-33. God gave bread to the Israelites to sustain them. That was for a specific people at a specific time. Then, the bread of God gives life to the world. Verse 34. Their command is, give us this manna forever. Jesus corrects their thinking. Verse 35.

Arg. Manna would leave you hungry again. I will not. You came to me wanting me to give you more bread, but that’s not why I came. I came to earth, God in flesh, so that you could have me. And if you seek me and believe in me, you’ll never hunger or thirst again. Verses 36. They still didn’t understand, so he elaborates. Verses 37-40.

Christ - Jesus satisfies your greatest longing. These things we grab onto, they may be good, but they don’t last.

Relationships - good thing. Intimacy that will run out. Intimacy with Jesus will never run out.

Affirmation - praise from others will run out. Jesus named you and claimed you. That’s the affirmation.

Community - friend group changes. May even change churches. Jesus brought you into a family where you will always belong.

We need all of these. They are good things, but when we search for them apart from Jesus, you will not be satisfied. Verse 49. You want the same manna, but it wasn’t meant to last. I am. I am the bread of life. I will nourish all your needs.

App. You may be thinking that you’ve tried to search for Jesus, but you don’t feel what I’m talking about. It might just be that you haven’t offered your entire self to him. Jesus didn’t say, give most of yourself to your boyfriend, and let me have what’s left. Or, you can hang out with these friends who take you away from me, and then you can have me on Sundays.

Romans 12:1–2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Get out a sheet of paper, take a few minutes. Write down what you need to sacrifice in order to have community with Jesus.