Jesus is the Bread of Life

Introduction

Pilot training - to give my wife a perspective - Drone - I have new perspective

Perspective matters - How you see Jesus will determine how you live for Jesus and what you expect from Jesus. If your perspective is that Jesus is simply the Big Man upstairs or Genie in the Bottle - you will ignore Him or call on Him only when you need Him. If you see Him as Lord of all Creation who chooses to love you, you’ll give your life to Him in full surrender.

Looking at the last public miracle of Jesus in Galilee before He makes His way to Jerusalem for His final crucifixion. A familiar miracle (in all 4 Gospels.) that communicates a tremendous truth about Jesus: He is the bread of life. However, the people want a completely different kind of bread than what Jesus offers. They have the wrong perspective - temporal rather than eternal.

The last public miracle of Jesus in Galilee before He makes His way to Jerusalem to be crucified. A familiar miracle (in all 4 Gospels) that communicates a tremendous truth about Jesus: He is the bread of life. Your perspective of Jesus as Bread of Life will radically shape how you live for Jesus.

We often have wrong perspective of Jesus because our eyes are on the temporal and not the eternal.

This morning, I want you to have the right perspective of Jesus. I want you to see Him as the eternal bread of life so you might enjoy Him for who He is. I want show you three ways that Jesus changes your life when you see Him as the eternal bread of life.

Story

Matt.’s Gospel - Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist - grieving - disciples return - weary - go to desolate place. Ministry good but need to recharge.

Get into boat and head to Bethsaida (Luke) - 4 miles from Capernaum by water and 8 miles by foot. Crowd follows boat by land - 8 miles - to be with Jesus.

Crowds so desperate to hear and see Jesus they run to get ahead of Him. Jesus can’t find a place to rest.

Massive crowd awaits - 5,000 men plus women and children.

Desperate for hope - someone who would lead them. Jesus had compassion on the crowd. In Gospels, word compassion only used by Jesus or to describe Jesus. In Greek root = gut or bowels. Jesus looked and had gut-wrenching pity. He saw need; not greed.

Sheep without a shepherd. Jewish people without a great spiritual leader. In past, Moses, Joshua, David - revolutionaries. Moses prayed, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as a sheep that have no shepherd.” () - “sheep without a shepherd” common phrase for a military leader - looking for a shepherd who would lead a revolution.

Jewish people had great spiritual leaders in past, but not now. In past, Moses. Moses prayed, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as a sheep that have no shepherd.” () - “sheep without a shepherd” common phrase for a military leader - looking for a shepherd who would lead a revolution.

Now, no shepherd. The religious leaders were not shepherds - not revolutionaries.

But, the Great Shepherd is present - greater than Moses, Joshua, and David. Doesn’t send people away. Rather, even though exhausted, He begins to teach. Compassion moves Jesus to minister to needy people who need a leader.

Teaches for long time - people hungry. Disciples concerned. “Send them away.” Jesus, “You give them something to eat.” Disciples, “How? Go buy 200 denarii (a year’s wage) of bread? Where do we get the money? Will it even feed the crowd?”

Disciples focus on what they lack - Jesus focuses on what they possess. You’ve been there too - From eternal perspective, we have all we need to accomplish whatever God wants to accomplish through us. Lack of faith in God to use us right where we are at will always stifle our growth.

- a little boy with five small loaves and two fish - only one kid stops by Captain D’s on the way to see Jesus!

People broken up into groups of hundreds and fifties. Organizing -easier to serve. People move around - hungry and confused. “Did someone order delivery? No food but getting us ready for a banquet.”

Notice - desolate - like the wilderness - dividing people into groups - , “Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and tens.” - like the wilderness.

In the wilderness people complained because of lack of food - “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day...” () - Remember the wilderness - remember God’s provision through His shepherd Moses

Now, Jesus - in the wilderness - takes a boy’s lunch, blesses it, and breaks it - Common Jewish blessing: “Praise be to you, O Lord our God, king of the world, who makes bread to come forth from the earth, and who provides for all that you have created.”

Miracle - food starts to multiply. Breaks a piece of bread (Wonderbread), reaches down into the boy’s lunch box, picks up another piece - the lunchbox doesn’t run out of bread or fish. Everyone full - 12 baskets left over -

In the wilderness God fed the people by providing manna from heaven. Now, the God of all creation was present among His people in the flesh feeding people from His own hand.

A greater Shepherd than Moses, Joshua, or David was present - God Himself.

John gives more detail - - People amazed! Want to make Him king by force! Their perspective: our military leader is here to lead a revolution against Rome. Eternal perspective: Jesus came to lead a revolution against sin and death. To give an eternal victory; not temporary.

Jesus withdraws, walks on water, but then people seek again. Jesus says in (Read) Moving attention to eternal not temporal. People: “How do we get bread that never perishes? Believe… “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall not thirst.”

Jesus is the GREAT SHEPHERD who invites us to FEAST around His table as we partake of His life, death, and resurrection; the Bread of Life. If Jesus is the Great Shepherd who is also the Bread of Life:

You can be content

From our perspective the kind of Jesus we want: take away our problems, give us an easy life, let me live how I want and bless me regardless of my life choices, make my life easy, etc.

From eternal perspective: Jesus has better bread than bread that fills you temporarily. - you shall not want.

Every season of need is an opportunity to learn to trust the One who is the Bread of Life to provide you with exactly what you need to know Him and serve Him. - “…For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” ()

Every season of need is an opportunity to learn to trust the One who is the Bread of Life to provide you with exactly what you need to know Him and serve Him. - “…For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” ()

How can I be content?

Thank God for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have. - Some of us need to repent of ungrateful hearts and an attitude that says, “I deserve more.”

Enjoy what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have. Some of us have greedy hearts - “I want more...” You have Jesus, a church family, family, friends, health, etc. Even if you have little, if you know Christ, you are blessed!

Share what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have - Some of us have selfish hearts - we’re not givers but takers. God has blessed you to be a blessing - to share your life with others for the sake of the Gospel - Paul - “I am poured out as a drink offering...” (Ill. Hudson in Lowe’s wanting the Nascar cart - his lack of contentment gave me a lack of contentment.)

You can be restored

Bread a staple in the diet in the first century. Not just extra calories or an appetizer - but restored.

Notice - Jesus blessed and broke the bread. Early church saw this as reference to the Lord’s Supper - where Jesus blessed and broke bread again and said this is my body.

You find restoration through the broken body of Christ. He was torn to pieces so you could be made whole. He was broken so you could be put back together. People wanted a new Moses - a new Joshua - who would restore the greatest of Israel. Jesus is the ultimate New Moses - New Joshua - who does something even greater than restoring a nation to global prominence. He restores our souls () - because our greatest problem is separation from God.

You’re here and you need restoration. Unbeliever: You need to experience for the first time the Bread of Life - the One who will restore you to the Father by His broken body that hung on a cross for you, and His blood that was shed for you as He took the punishment for your sin. If you believe He died and rose again, and if you give your life to Him, you can be restored.

Believers: You might need restoration this morning. You’ve strayed from the One who satisfies. You’ve been making a mess of your life lately. You have not been content with God - you’ve been searching elsewhere. Be renewed in your walk with the Lord. Repent and come back to Him.

You can be comforted

We all like comfort food. (Pizza in JFK when I return from Russia) Jesus is the ultimate comfort food. - Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus is present to comfort you.

Comfort = alleviation from pain, distress, and grief

- The great invitation to comfort. How much time, energy, and resources do you waste pursuing things that will never comfort your weary soul?

This passage challenges me to a waste analysis:

Where am I wasting time/efforts on pursuing my comforts that could be spent pursuing the ultimate comfort? (Social Media, endless entertainment, hobbies, etc.; yet we struggle with prayer and Scripture reading) - We have more money than any generation, more entertainment options, more opportunities for hobbies and travel than any generation before us, but we’re all stressed out! We all say, “I don’t have time for...” You will make time for what matters to you. Be honest in your pursuit of God and His calling on your life

can’t… You won’t…

Where am I wasting my money on pursuing my comforts that could be spent helping others find the ultimate comfort? (eating out, an expensive hobby or exuberant travel, a luxury car, etc. - What’s the best use of what God has given me for His Kingdom?)

Where am I wasting my efforts on pursuing my comfort that could be directed towards giving my best efforts to the One who gives ultimate comfort? (

Will you get rid of the waste? “I can’t...” It’s not that you can’t, you wont...

Jesus says come to me and experience comfort. You don’t have to look anywhere else for ultimate comfort - Jesus is the Bread of Life that comforts you. You don’t have to labor for it. Jesus has labored for you. You’re simply invited to enjoy the Bread of Life and to center your life around the One who really matters.