True Food and True Drink

This theme is all throughout the book of John. Beginning at Jesus’ first miracle. Water into wine.

Hunger and thirst exist to remind us that we need to eat and drink in order to live. Hunger and thirst are discomfort that is a gift from God.

Tastebuds exist to make us enjoy eating and drinking so that we get excited about doing it! Tastebuds are a comfort that is a gift from God.

Sometimes, tastebuds are manipulated in order to make us crave things that don’t actually promote life.

Every type of desire for food, drink, relationship, sex, entertainment, a thrill, all are gifts of God given to us for our good and His glory. But, obviously, something is terribly wrong.

Jeremiah 2:13 ESV

13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

We tend to forget what our physical needs and cravings were designed to point us to!

Our Creator

So, we have a problem.

Step in Jesus…

Jesus came to redirect our cravings back to the source of life.

Jesus came to reveal to us the True Food and the True Drink

The book of John has so much to show us about this.

In John, Jesus both modeled what its like to eat true food and true drink, and also taught how we eat true food and true drink.

Now, it is important for me to tell you right away that the way Jesus did this was with stories and parables. So, at times, its confusing. But Jesus did this because these are truths that are meant to be pondered and (forgive the pun) digested.

First, let me ask and answer a the foundational question that will be the main thrust of this sermon…

What is the True Food and the True Drink?

Based on several scriptures in John. Such as when Jesus says this…

John 4:34 ESV

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

and when Jesus said this after people came to him upon seeing him feed a multitude.

John 6:27 ESV

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

John 6:55 ESV

55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

What is the True Food and the True Drink?

The answer is two-fold…

The work and worker of the Father

This answer is based on two parties that eat and drink…

The first is Jesus…

The second is us…

The true food and true drink are the work and Worker of the father.

Know this…

The work and worker are meant to accomplish the will of the Father.

**Go to next slide and underline “OF”

The work and worker of the Father

Jesus’ food and drink are different from our food and drink…

What nourishes our soul is different than what nourishes Jesus’ soul.

So.. remember, as we move forward…

Food and Drink = Work and Worker

All for the purpose of accomplishing the will of the Father

What was the will and work of The Father for Jesus?

John 4:31–34 ESV

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

John 5:17 ESV

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 5:19–21 ESV

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 6:38–40 ESV

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 18:11 ESV

So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

These verses show all the ways Jesus alluded to this idea that He was to eat and drink the work of the Father to accomplish His will.

Jesus’ work and the father’s will for him was that of performing and accomplishing.

Based on what you know from all of the gospels, I need your help to answer this,

What types of things did Jesus perform?

What did Jesus accomplish?

For Jesus, the work was living righteously, keeping the Law, preaching the gospel, speaking and revealing the mysteries of God, speaking justice, speaking accountability, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, suffering for sin, dying on a cross, suffering the wrath of God for sin, resurrecting from the dead.

Jesus’ existence was giving in performance of the law, giving in healing, giving in feeding, giving in suffering, giving in dying, giving the Father.

Jesus’ existence was in speaking the mysteries of God, speaking the gospel, speaking the will of the Father, speaking forgiveness, speaking for relationship with the Father.

Matthew 20:28 ESV

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 1:38 ESV

38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

What is the will and work of The Father for us?

John 6:27–29 ESV

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:35 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:53–58 ESV

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 you. 54 Whoever feeds on 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 Whoever feeds on 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 whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Skip ahead

John 7:37–39 ESV

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Not in the fill in the blank…

Jesus’ food and drink is to speak and give

Our food and drink is to believe and receive

Jesus’ work is performing

Our work is abiding

Abide and abode

Abiding is resting in. Sinking into. Coming in and dwelling. To make your home. “Rest in me!”

We come home to Jesus. We rest in Him.

It is in Him that we find our Father.

John 14:9–11 ESV

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Does Your Father Love You?

John 4:34 ESV

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Beloved, all that Jesus did for you originated in the heart and mind of Your Father!

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

“My Father loves me!”

Everyone close your eyes.

Picture Jesus here with you.

Here Him say this to you…

“Your Father Loves you”

“All He asks of you is to believe me and receive me and everything I have for you!”

“You don’t have to be perfect”

“Because I am perfect”

“You don’t need to impress anyone”

“I work”

“You believe and receive”

“Let me perform and you abide, you rest in me”

[Verse 1] Boldly I come Into His arms With nothing to bring But all of my heart How could this be? The way He looks in my eyes All broken and crimson sin He sees only white [Pre-Chorus] And I can’t do anything To gain what He’s done [Chorus] He just loves me ‘Cause He loves me ‘Cause He loves me Just because He does [Verse 2] Tired and afraid Forgotten what’s paid So I’ll hide in my shame Like an orphan in chains I ran from my promise But it’s never enough 'Cause my walls and my mountains Always ran out of luck

[Pre-Chorus] I can’t do anything To deserve what He’s done [Chorus] He just loves me ‘Cause He loves me ‘Cause He loves me Just because He does [Bridge] I’m His beloved I am His friend His love has no limit From beginning to end No angel or demon will ever separate Me from His goodness and His wonderful gaze So let me remind you Of all that He’s done [Chorus] He just loves you ‘Cause He loves you ‘Cause He loves you Just because He does

Beloved…

Your Father loves you