Jesus is the Bread of Life
Notes
Transcript
Handout
If we could have any dish every day, what would it be? Mine would be chicken wings.
I’m sure I would get tired of chicken wings eventually but I would be one happy and fat pastor if I was provided all I can eat chicken wings without any effort on my part.
I love good food. When we consider a good meal, it’s an experience. From cooking the meal, which takes time, serving the meal, and then enjoying the meal as a family or a group of friends. Life is good with good food.
But, food is also a necessity. Back in Jesus day but also today, the one who controlled the food, has the power. The Romans controlled everything, including the food.
When Jesus miraculously fed the 5000 with a few loaves and fishes they wanted to make Jesus their king but Jesus, knowing their intentions withdrew to the mountains by himself.
Meanwhile the 12 disciples hopped on a boat and headed across the sea of Galilee to Capernaum but the weather started getting rough. They were tossed around by a storm but then Jesus came walking on the water to their boat. That kinda freaked them out until Jesus said, “no need to freak out, it’s only me” so they let him in the boat and they landed on the shore.
The next day the crowd showed up looking for Jesus but they eventually realized that Jesus was on the other side of the sea.
We are going to pick up where we left off last week where Jesus addressed the crowd in John 6.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 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.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
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. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 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.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—
46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
PRAY
All they wanted was to have a constant food supply, was that too much to ask? NO, not for Jesus… They witnessed this incredible miracle. Jesus was able to control the food supply but Jesus wanted to give them so much more then just bread in the moment. Jesus didn’t just want to provide for their immediate physical need but HE wanted to take care of their deeper spiritual need.
Jesus was the only one who could fulfill this need. Jesus quickly addressed the deeper issue with the crowd. Jesus said the work was already done. We don’t have to work for what Jesus was offering, they had to believe.
Are we working for the wrong bread?
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.”
Since Jesus already did the work we must learn to relax in HIM.
Since Jesus already did the work we must learn to relax in HIM.
The question the crowd asks about work… “What works must we do?”
Jesus was the answer to their question.
God did all the work. Our job is to believe in what Jesus already done.
Accepting Jesus means giving Jesus control of every area of life. To believe means to yield our wills, our desires, our plans, our strengths and weaknesses to Christ. It means moment-by-moment obedience. Believing is a relationship with the one who promises to live within, trusting HIM to guide and direct us to do HIS will.
Jesus already did the work, we must live everyday with the belief that Jesus is Lord over every part of my life.
Jesus isn’t saying that we don’t have to work anymore. Life requires work, it requires effort, it requires our attention and our focus.
We must do our very best in the responsibilities and areas God’s called us to… our family, our jobs, our ministries, our relationships… do everything as unto the Lord.
Our work is worship not our worship is work.
Be a good provider for your family, a good mother, father, employee, manager, give it your very best but when it’s all said and done, we must learn to relax in Jesus because Jesus already did the work.
We must remember that Jesus wants to nourish us daily.
We must remember that Jesus wants to nourish us daily.
Jesus said “I am the bread of life” this was a huge claim. The Israelites were provided bread from heaven for 40 years as long as they were in the wilderness until they came to the Promised Land.
The crowd wanted Jesus to make their lives easier by providing an unlimited supply of bread for them like God provided manna through Moses.
The crowd was focused on the bread but Jesus was inviting them to feast on HIMSELF.
Jesus said that HE is the bread of life and if they would consume Jesus, they will never be hungry anymore. Jesus will satisfy any hunger.
Jesus told them directly, “I am the bread of life.”
By using the words, “I AM” Jesus was giving HIMSELF divine identity.
For Jesus to say HE is the Bread of Life is for him to say, “I am the sustenance of your life.”
Jesus offers the ultimate spiritual satisfaction: If we believe in him, we will never hunger or thirst.
Jesus’ offer is not an escape from life and its problems.
The truth is that thousands of Christians are still facing physical hunger, and millions face crushing difficulties all around the world.
The truth also is that the gospel frees us to face life. In the middle of the world’s pessimism and despair, the gospel unapologetically claims that Jesus offers infinitely more than this life can give.
We will be greatly disappointed if we expect the presence of Jesus in us to somehow make us immune to sin, struggles, and failures.
One of Jesus’ last statements before HE suffered by facing the cross was…
33 In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus wants us to feast on HIM every day. When we do that, even in a our very messy world we have the assurance that Jesus overcame the world. When we feast on Jesus every day, we have resurrection life flowing through our veins.
When we abide in Jesus we are tapping into HIS love so that we can truly love in a way that this world cannot love. We can bare fruit that will last forever, and we can have the power to endure any suffering we face because Jesus overcame the world.
We must remember that Jesus wants to nourish us daily.
If rejection was a part of the life of Jesus then we must learn to be okay with rejection too.
If rejection was a part of the life of Jesus then we must learn to be okay with rejection too.
Nobody likes rejection. Jesus isn’t saying that as followers of Jesus, we should seek out rejection. I’m not saying that if we aren’t being constantly rejected then we are somehow a bad Christian.
However, as followers of Jesus, our aim isn’t to please people.
We see here that the crowd didn’t agree with Jesus’ message. The crowd rejected Jesus’ invitation.
Jesus presented an invitation to the crowd to enjoy the fullness of life that can only come when they consume from Jesus, the bread of life.
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.
Jesus makes a huge promise…
If we consume from Jesus we will never hunger or thirst for anything else. Jesus will completely satisfy every other craving that we have.
The craving for more… more attention, fame, fortune, even more food but Jesus wants to fill us so that we can be completely satisfied in HIM.
We get so distracted by our cravings. Finding the quick fix to satisfy us in the moment but Jesus came to give us life in this world and beyond. Jesus did the work, we must simply believe.
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.”
Then the crowd began to grumble and complain because Jesus said “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
The crowd saw the miracles Jesus did but discredited Jesus because they knew who HIS family was. They were offended because of the things that Jesus claimed.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jesus knew HIS identity and didn’t seek the approval of others because HIS Father approved and that’s all that mattered to Jesus.
Jesus still wanted us to be part of HIS family as well and was willing to be rejected by the crowd to get HIS message out.
Jesus took an already offended crowd of Jews and set them over the edge after this statement.
53 “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.”
These people who were now offended at what Jesus was saying. Even though yesterday they wanted Jesus to be their king after filling their stomachs with bread and fish.
Jesus wanted to be so much more then their earthly king. Jesus wanted give them the real source of eternal life by consuming HIS body and drink HIS blood.
When Jesus was speaking this as a human, I’m sure it sounded very strange to the crowd but Jesus was talking about the cross. How HE gave everything so we can consume Jesus every single day. Our hunger and thirst are only satisfied in Jesus.
Communion is what we do to remember this promise that Jesus made. John 6:56 “56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”
The crowd and even some of HIS disciples rejected Jesus’ invitation but Jesus didn’t try to sway the people by watering down HIS message. He just let them leave.
Following Jesus is a choice and HE will never force anyone to make that choice. I’m sure some of them eventually became followers of Jesus but at this point they were not ready.
Speaking the truth isn’t always popular but it’s necessary if we are going to make an eternal difference. Our job isn’t to be liked by anyone but we must love people enough to speak the truth in love.
The crowd left because they weren’t ready to follow Jesus…
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
Jesus was giving the 12 an opportunity to leave. Jesus never manipulates anyone to follow HIM, Jesus respects our free will because HE wants us to choose to apprentice under HIM.
The same Jesus who said “come, and follow me,” said “do you want to go as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Peter knew Jesus and knew that Jesus is the bread of life. Peter was completely satisfied with Jesus.
Take Away:
Since Jesus did the work are we relaxing in HIM?
Are we feeding from the bread of life or are we craving other things?
Are we withholding the truth because we are afraid of being rejected?
Have we found that place of being completely content in knowing and following Jesus?
