Bread of Life

INTRODUCTION

OPENING SLIDE

Every person is looking for something.

Some people spend their lives looking for success.

They believe that if they can just reach the next goal, earn a little more money, or achieve a little more recognition, they will finally be satisfied.

Others look for fulfillment in relationships.

They convince themselves that if they can just find the right person, have the perfect family, or gain the approval of others, then the emptiness inside will disappear.

Some look for security.

Others look for pleasure.

Still others look for purpose.

But regardless of where we look, we all have something in common.

There is a hunger within every human heart.

The problem is not that we are hungry.

The problem is that we often try to satisfy that hunger with things that were never meant to satisfy it.

We keep returning to the same places, the same pursuits, the same promises, hoping this time they will finally fill the void.

Yet when the excitement fades, the promotion comes, the purchase is made, or the achievement is reached, we find ourselves still hungry.

That is precisely why this series is called Check the Source.

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus makes a series of remarkable statements about Himself.

He doesn’t simply tell us what He can do.

He tells us who He is.

Jesus described himself with powerful “I am” statements throughout the book of John.

Each statement reveals Him as the source of true fulfillment for every human heart.

Each of the “I Am” statements points us to the same truth: Jesus is the source of what every human heart is truly searching for.

Today we begin with perhaps the most basic need of all.

Bread.

The crowd had just witnessed one of the greatest miracles of Jesus’ ministry.

Five thousand men, plus women and children, had been fed with five loaves and two fish.

The next day they came looking for Jesus.

At first glance, it looks like a spiritual search.

It looks like revival.

It looks like people hungry for God.

After feeding thousands of people with a few loaves and fish, Jesus is surrounded by a crowd looking for more.

They had full stomachs but empty hearts.

They wanted another meal, but Jesus wanted to give them something far greater.

In this conversation, Jesus exposes a truth that is still relevant today:

What we want is often not what we need, and what we need is exactly what Jesus provides.

Let’s begin by turning to John 6; we will begin in verses 26-27.

John 6:26–27 NET 2nd ed.

26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 27 Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”

SERMON

MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE

I. What They Wanted

On the surface, this situation is positive; the crowd appears to be seeking Jesus!

They crossed the lake looking for Him.

They searched for Him.

They found Him.

If we didn’t know better, we might think this was a spiritual revival.

But Jesus immediately exposes their motives.

The crowd was pursuing Jesus, but they were not pursuing Him for the right reasons.

Many wanted what Jesus could do for them, but fewer wanted Jesus Himself.

They were not seeking Him because they had understood the sign.

They were seeking Him because they liked the bread.

The day before, Jesus had taken five loaves and two fish and fed thousands of people.

Their stomachs were full.

Their needs had been met.

And now they wanted more.

The miracle was intended to point them to the Messiah.

Instead, they became fixated on the meal.

They were more interested in what Jesus could provide than in who Jesus actually was.

The Sign Versus The Source

Throughout John’s Gospel, miracles are called “signs.”

A sign is never the destination.

A sign points to something greater.

When you see a sign that says “Tucson - 70 Miles,” you don’t stop and admire the sign.

You follow it to the destination.

The feeding of the five thousand was a sign.

The bread was not the point.

Jesus was the point.

The miracle was intended to reveal His identity.

Instead of asking, “Who is this man?" they were asking, “When is lunch?”

They saw the gift but missed the Giver.

We are more like the crowd than we think.

Before we’re too hard on the crowd, we should ask ourselves a difficult question:

Why do we seek Jesus?

Sometimes we seek Jesus because we want Him to solve a problem.

We want Him to fix our finances.

We want Him to heal our sickness.

We want Him to remove our pain.

We want Him to restore a relationship.

We want Him to bless our plans.

None of those things are wrong.

God cares about every need we have.

But there is a danger.

Sometimes we become so focused on what Jesus can do for us that we lose sight of Jesus Himself.

We can begin to love His gifts more than His presence.

We can become consumers instead of disciples.

A Better Hunger

That is why Jesus says in verse 27: “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.”

Jesus isn’t saying physical needs don’t matter.

He’s saying they aren’t our greatest need.

Every loaf of bread eventually runs out.

Every meal eventually leaves us hungry again.

Every earthly satisfaction eventually fades.

There is a hunger in the human soul that physical bread can never satisfy.

There is a longing for meaning, purpose, forgiveness, peace, and eternal life.

And that hunger can only be satisfied by Christ.

The crowd came looking for bread.

Jesus wanted them to find life.

The question for us today is simple: Am I seeking Jesus because of what He can give me, or am I seeking Jesus because He is worthy of being sought?

Because sooner or later, every gift fades.

But Jesus never does.

The crowd thought they needed more bread.

Jesus knew they needed something much deeper.

John 6:28–34 NET 2nd ed.

28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires—to believe in the one whom he sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!”

MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE

The crowd thought their problem was hunger.

Jesus knew their problem was unbelief.

II. What They Needed

Notice how quickly the conversation moves from bread to works.

They are still thinking about what they can do rather than who Jesus is.

Jesus has just challenged them to seek food that endures to eternal life.

Immediately the crowd asks, "What shall we do?”

At first, that sounds like a good question.

In fact, it sounds like a spiritual question.

But beneath the question is a misunderstanding.

The crowd assumes eternal life can be earned.

They want a list.

They want requirements.

They want a formula.

Tell us what to do.

Tell us what boxes to check.

Tell us how to qualify.

Tell us how to earn what God offers.

They Were Looking for a Formula

Human nature hasn’t changed much.

Most people would rather be given a list than enter into a relationship.

Give me rules.

Give me steps.

Give me a program.

Give me something I can accomplish.

Because if I can accomplish it, then I can control it.

The crowd were still focused on themselves.

What can WE do?

What can WE accomplish?

What can WE earn?

They were looking for a formula when Jesus was offering Himself.

The Work God Requires

Jesus answers, "This is the deed God requires, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Notice that Jesus doesn’t give them a list.

He points them to a person.

The issue was never primarily bread.

The issue was never primarily works.

The issue was whether they would trust the One standing before them.

Their greatest need was faith.

Not mere acknowledgment.

Not simply agreeing with facts.

But placing their trust in the One God had sent.

The very One they were questioning was the answer to their deepest need.

Jesus is telling the crowd to keep on believing is the habit of life which God is looking for.

Such constant obedience (faithfulness) is what God requires of us sinners who are seeking salvation.

Missing What Was Right In Front Of Them

What happens next is astonishing.

Even after witnessing the feeding of the five thousand, they ask for another sign.

John 6:30 NET 2nd ed.

30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Think about that.

Yesterday Jesus fed thousands with a boy’s lunch.

Today they ask for proof.

They immediately bring up Moses.

“Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness.”

In essence, they are saying:

“Moses gave bread every day. What are You going to do?”

They completely missed the significance of the miracle.

They were comparing Jesus to Moses when they should have been recognizing that Jesus was greater than Moses.

Moses was a servant.

Jesus is the Son.

Moses pointed people toward God.

Jesus is God in the flesh.

The Deeper Problem

The crowd thought they needed more bread.

Jesus knew they needed belief.

The crowd thought they needed another miracle.

Jesus knew they needed another heart.

The crowd thought they needed information.

Jesus knew they needed transformation.

The deepest problem in every human life is not physical hunger.

It is spiritual separation from God.

And no amount of earthly bread can fix that problem.

We often misdiagnose our greatest need.

We think:

“If I had more money…”

“If my health improved…”

“If my family situation changed…”

“If my circumstances were different…”

Then everything would be fine.

Those things matter.

But they are not our deepest need.

Our deepest need is reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

The crowd wanted bread.

What they truly needed was faith in the One standing before them.

“The crowd thought they needed more bread. Jesus knew they needed belief in Jesus.”

John 6:35 NET 2nd ed.

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.

MAIN POINT 3

III. What Jesus Provided

The crowd wanted bread.

Jesus offered Himself.

Notice what Jesus did not say.

He did not say...

“I have bread.”

He did not say:

“I can make bread.”

He did not say:

“I will give you bread.”

He said, "I am the Bread of Life.”

The answer to their hunger was standing right in front of them.

Every person in this room is hungry for something.

We hunger for peace.

We hunger for purpose.

We hunger for forgiveness.

We hunger for acceptance.

We hunger for hope.

Many spend their lives trying to satisfy those longings with things that can never truly satisfy.

Success leaves us wanting more.

Money leaves us wanting more.

Pleasure leaves us wanting more.

Even the best things of this world eventually leave us hungry again.

But Jesus says, “He who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human soul.

CONCLUSION

CLOSING SLIDE

The question is not whether you are hungry.

The question is, "What are you feeding your soul?"

If you are looking anywhere other than Jesus to satisfy the deepest needs of your life, you are eating bread that will perish.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Jesus satisfies.

Jesus saves.

The crowd came looking for bread.

Jesus pointed them to the Source.

The same choice stands before us today.

Will we keep chasing things that never satisfy, or will we come to the Bread of Life?