I Am the Bread of Life
Notes
Transcript
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of agriculture, and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture.
Bread may be leavened by naturally occurring microbes (e.g. sourdough), chemicals (e.g. baking soda), industrially produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration, which creates the gas bubbles that fluff up bread. In many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production.
Introduction: Verses 26-46 What it’s about.
52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.
54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.
58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
Transitional Sentence: So, Jesus is saying that whoever eats plain old bread will die, but whoever eats the true Bread which came down from heaven will live forever.
Eat and Die
They ate manna and died - if we eat manna we die. (What is manna then, and manna now?) John 6:49-50
49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50 “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
You see the fathers of the Jews wandering in the desert had manna to eat to sustain them as they waited to enter the promised land. It sustained them but, they died anyway. The manna only fed the body, not the spirit. It did nothing to help them with their sin problem.
Just as with now if you only feed your body bread and do nothing about your sin problem you will die. This bread will only keep your body alive for so long and then comes the judgement. But God has made a way for you to deal with your sin problem. He gave you bread from heaven which will provide eternal life if you eat of it.
b. Actually He is saying that He is living bread. And once again He makes a bold statement. John 6:51
51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
He tells the crowd that He is the bread that came down from heaven. He is the Son of God incarnate. The most preposterous thing about it tis that He actually wants them to eat Him, if you take this literally anyway. So what happens next?
c. Well the Jews begin to argue, again. How can He give us His flesh to eat?
Once again they don’t understand. They are thinking literally - they are thinking He actually wants them to eat Him. This idea would most likely be very revolting to the Jews, especially those that followed the law closely because human flesh is not on the approved foods list of the Levitical law.
But He is speaking spiritually. He wants them to believe in Him and accept Him for who and what He is; the Son of God who came down from heaven to free them from their sins.
2. So Jesus tries to explain what He means. Eat and Live...
Eat His flesh and drink His blood John 6:53-54
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.
54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
You have no life in yourself. But, you might say I’m alive, my body is functioning - well sort of - and everything is just fine. Even though you seem to be alive you are not, you are still dead on the inside. So, unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood you will remain dead. The big question is why? Why are you dead and why will you die? Eph 2:1
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
That’s the short answer. It’s because of your trespasses and sins that you do not have life in yourself and will not have eternal life. But…Aren’t buts great?
b. But, Jesus is the True food and true drink John 6:55-56
55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Wow, what an idea, but the point of His words are wrapped up in one word in verse 56 - Abide. There are many Hebrew words and a couple Greek words that are translated into Abide. Many of those words refer to the act of dwelling with. One of the Hebrew words even means to be enthroned. However, the Greek word used in this case is meno, meaning to remain, stay or reside in. In other words if you eat His flesh and drink His blood you will reside, or live in Him and He in you. But how can you reside in Him and He in you?
c. The great thing is that He left an example for us to follow. - Uncover the bread and drink. Communion, a time to gather around the table and partake of His body and blood, which is the new covenant that He instituted the night He was betrayed. Matt 26:26-28
26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Bread - Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth.
Wine - Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe who creates the fruit of the vine.
The table is set, you may come forward and partake of the elements when you are ready. Feel free to linger at the alter and pray if you would like or go back to your seats and partake. If you can’t come forward, raise your hand and I’ll have an elder bring you the elements.
3. So, you eat His body and drink His blood.
You take Him into yourself when you eat the bread and drink from the cup.
Example of eating and it becoming a part of the body - Use the bread.
But it isn’t literal - it’s spiritual. By faith He becomes a part of you, and by faith you believe in Him as the Son of God.
b. You see the bread represents His body and the drink represents His blood. Do this in remembrance of Him. Do this as often as you come together until He returns. Do this so that you may be a part of Him and He a part of you. His body was broken so that yours may be healed and His blood was spilled that your sins might be forgiven. This is the great gift of God, but you have to open the gift and you have to make Him a part of you. You have to turn your life over to Him.
c. Ultimately with this whole idea the Holy Spirit is doing the work John 6:63
63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
With all this talk about eating His body and drinking His blood He was speaking Spiritually. We don’t literally eat Him, but we have to do the spiritual work of the Father for all of this to take place. When you do the spiritual work of the Father you will believe in Him whom God has sent, you will never hunger or thirst again. Believing in Him and having faith allows Him to come into your life, forgive your sins, and give you eternal life.
Exit: Speaking of eternal life...
How can you have eternal life? How can you have Jesus abide in you? It’s as simple as A-B-C.
A - Admit - Admit that you, like everyone, are a sinner. You have not lived up to God’s standard of perfect holiness. Romans 3:23 says: “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
B - Believe - To believe is to trust only in Jesus and His work on the cross for your salvation. As the best known verse in the whole Bible says: John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
C - Confess - Confess Jesus as you Lord. Romans 10:9 says: “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” This means allowing the One who created you to be in control of your life.
This is eating His body and Drinking His blood. This allows the Holy Spirit to work in your life and give you eternal life.
Anyone who wants to know Christ Jesus personally pray with me the prayer of faith.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Mighty Name. Amen.
If anyone prayed along with me raise your hands so we can help connect you with myself or someone else to begin your new Spiritual journey as a child of God.
Pray!