Living on Christ

CONTEXT

For the last several Sundays, all lessons from one sermon by Jesus.

Having multiplied bread to feed to crowd, Jesus describes himself as the Bread of life that has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats his flesh and drinks his blood will live forever.

Last Sunday, we learned that by these words Jesus meant that he really and truly comes into our lives when we place our faith and trust in him.

This Sunday, our theme is that only Jesus gives us eternal life.

John 6:56–69 ESV

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 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. 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.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

INTRODUCTION

Business man, if you aren’t growing, your dying.

Spiritual maxim…moving toward Christ or falling away.

ANCIENT PROBLEM - Many disciples turn away

Eat my flesh, drink my blood.

We have benefit of hindsight = sacrament and indwelling of HS.

But his words confused the crowd. Caused the leaders to debate.

Also impacted Jesus disciples.

More disciples than just the 12 apostles. Could have been several hundred (when Jesus appeared after his resurrection he did so to more than 500 at one time).

This is a hard saying, who can listen to it?

Specifically about the flesh and the blood. But also about the whole content of Jesus’ discourse: He has come down from heaven?! He offers eternal life?!

Jesus perceives that their reaction.

He asks, Do you take offense at this?(displeasing, insulting)Do you resent that I have come to this point...

Could have softened his position. No, please you are misunderstanding…

But that is not what he does. He presses forward.

Well, what If you were to see me go back to where I came from,

What if I had not told you!!

Then you would really be offended!

There is nothing else that he could say — for that will indeed happen, Ascension Sunday — but even that makes the situation worse, disciples start turning their backs, walking away...

Jesus reiterates his previous statement: no one comes to me...unless God the Father draw him/her.

The fleshly mind profits nothing.

He does not change his teaching.

He wonders though whether he will have to go it alone.

he and his disciples had been through so much together.

Peter and James and John were called from their fishing nets.

Andrew and Philip, directed by John the Baptism.

Matthew called from the tax booth

Are you too going to go away as well. What a brave and heartfelt question. Do you want to go away as well?

Have you spiritual ears to hear? Are you called by the father. I have called you and are you really called?

CURRENT PROBLEM - Many turn away from the one source of life

Jesus gives hard teachings.

Turn the other cheek; love your enemies; Do not be angry, do not lust, do not covet.

But these rules are not the ones that offend us.

There is only one teaching that offends us: That Jesus is who he says he is -- the unique Son of God, the one who came down from heaven:

That he is the way, the truth and the life (jn 14)

That he alone is the one who came down from heaven, even to a cross, for us.

That we must receive him, only him into our lives.

There is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved

Our culture is about many ways: All paths lead to the top of the mountain. Many colors will lead into one. All religious teachers are equally true and equally false…so choose among them. Sounds nice. But it is not what Jesus teaches.

Jesus says that he alone is the bread of heaven that gives life. if one does not believe in him and come to him, they are in danger of resisting the call of God.

Not a popular message in Jesus’ day. Not a popular message today. It is too real. To solid. Requires response with everything riding on that choice.

People don’t like that kind of pressure, it is offensive that God should reveal himself and by doing that force from us a choice.

Jesus wants to know whether we really believe, whether we are going to draw life from him alone.

When the going get tough, Jesus asks: are you sticking with me...or do you want to turn back...

HINGE - Peter speaks up for the 12

Crisis: a time of choice: danger and opportunity.

Peter speaks up for the 12, the inner circle.

a clarion response to a question that triggered deep question.

ANCIENT SOLUTION - We believe and know

Lord, to whom shall we go? Not please tell us where else to go. Rather, where else could we go? (implied answer: no where)

Is there someone else like you? If you are not the Messiah and the Son of God, then who is?

They had seen the healing of the woman with bleeding.

The raising of the synagogue officials daughter back to life

The driving out of demons

his compassion for the crowds, like a shepherd for the sheep.

Not just witness: but participated: We have believed (faith) and have come to know (experience).

Peter - walking on water

Matthew - from collecting taxes, to distributing food to the hungry

Philip and Nathanael - from “can anything good come out of Nazareth”, to going on mission to prepare towns for Jesus’ arrival.

Peter says, YOU ARE: The Holy One - the Messiah and Son of God.

Like Moses: was told at the burning bush: you are standing on Holy Ground; for I have come to rescue my people.

Peter affirms he is on holy ground, for Jesus is God come down to rescue his people.

Jesus does not correct him. In fact he will bless him later for this insight.

Later, blessed are you for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you.

The chapter began with over 5,000 disciples. It ends with 11. (Judas falls away)

These 12 do not go back to where they come from. They become world changers. They join in Jesus’ rescuing life giving work.

11 receive the life and the spirit on Pentecost. After they see Jesus rise from the dead and then go back to where he came from.

Personal: This meant so much to Jesus. He was glad in the moment of Peter’s affirmation. I chose you and you are choosing me.

CURRENT SOLUTION - We believe and know

A gut check to our faith. When it is hard to put Jesus’ teaching into practice, when it is hard to believe in him or follow him.

Do we want to turn away?

In our heart of hearts, no. We need and want to know him as the Holy One of God.

We do this in community.

We all have a tentative faith. Example of going off a high dive. But more seriously Bonhoeffer. Another’s faith is stronger than our own.

We must share our faith— with the world, yes — even more with each other.

We are each of, another, an outside voice, to one another.

Talk to each other about Jesus in strong affirmation.

We believe this and know it.

based on experience.

forgiveness, healing, help, faithfulness

Jesus has never turned back from us. We will not turn back from him

he is the top of the mountain. He is a pathway and a destination.

I am the way, the truth and the life. He is not the way to something else, he is both path and destination!

Grace from God: to be settle on Christ.

To not be dithering this way or that...

To no longer worry: will something cause me to fall away...

What a divine thing, to be able to be settle on Christ. To day, there is no one else that I am looking for. No one else has the words of life.

A deeper relationship is established. by commitment. Jesus is committed to us. We are committed to him. Gut check. Right. That is what you really want.

I love you and am committed to you….and you to me.

I won’t fail you or forsake you, and you won’t me either.

Then let us press forward, upward and higher, to where I came from!

CONCLUSION

Let us not turn away but follow him now to the table.

Let’s stop dying, and get busy living