John 6:22–40 Sermon
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22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 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.”
OUTLINE
OUTLINE
1. The Setting (v.22-24)
1. The Setting (v.22-24)
2. The Blind Seeking Jesus (v.25-34)
2. The Blind Seeking Jesus (v.25-34)
3. The Answer (v.35-40)
3. The Answer (v.35-40)
1. The Setting (v.22-24)
1. The Setting (v.22-24)
Verse 22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
Verse 22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
Verse 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
Verse 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
Verse 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Verse 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Prior to our passage, we read about Jesus miraculously feeding the crowds and Him walking on water.
Jesus and His disciples had already crossed the sea to the other side. And they did so at around 3:00AM to 6:00AM when the walking on water took place.
They did this at this time most likely to get away from the crowds so that they wouldn’t be followed.
The crowds, on the next day, looked for Jesus and saw that there had only been one boat there.
The NASB said it correctly saying that “that there was no other small boat there, except one.”
Capernaum was north from Tiberias. About 7 miles.
The crowd was where Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding them and from there they decided to look for Jesus in Capernaum.
Capernaum was north from Tiberias. About 7 miles.
Capernaum was a city on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Capernaum
CAPERNAUM (Καφαρναουμ, Kapharnaoum). A city on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Gospel writers refer to it as Jesus’ “own city” (Matt 9:1) because after leaving Nazareth, He went to live in Capernaum, for at least a time (Matt 4:13).
Matthew’s account called Capernaum Jesus’ own city in and in it was reported to be His home.
We know that when Jesus left Nazareth He went to live in Galilee.
Capernaum was already familiar to Christ and most likely the crowd knew it was His home.
So, the crowds go to Galilee to seek Him and it begs the question why.
Question: Why did they seek Jesus?
The following verses tell us which brings us to the second part of our passage.
2. The Blind Seeking Jesus (v.25-34)
2. The Blind Seeking Jesus (v.25-34)
Verse 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
Verse 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
Notice them calling Him Rabbi in verse 25.
Rabbi which means teacher, was a title of respect given by the Jews to their teachers.
Rabʹbi [teacher], a title of respect given by the Jews to their teachers, and often addressed to our Lord (Matt. 23:7, 8; 26:25, 49; Mark 9:5; 11:21; 14:45; John 1:38, 49; 3:2, 26: 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8). Another form of the title was rabboni (Mark 10:51; John 20:16). The title rabbi is not known to have been used before the reign of Herod the Great, and is thought to have taken its rise about the time of the disputes between the rival schools of Hillel and Shammai.
They would have carefully called Him Rabbi for a reason.
I think it was because of what they sought Him for rather than for respect.
We know that the crowds here were not looking for Jesus for who He was.
Jesus clearly reveals this in verse 26.
Read Verse 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.
Read Verse 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.
This is a good example of how one does not seek God.
Seeking God from those who only have a desire for this world, prove that they are not seeking God.
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
This issue was brought up with the seeker friendly movement that sought to make the church relevant at the cost of its identity.
These movements birthed, as an example, people like Rob Bell and Bill Hybels, who wanted to change the church at its core so that unbelievers would want to come to church.
Instead of looking to the Scriptures to see who and what we are as a church, they looked to the culture and conformed to it, making it tolerable and palatable to the world.
This is the same type of people here in our passage.
This is the same type of people here in our passage.
They want Jesus to give them what He had not offered.
The miracle of the loaves and fish was not to fill hungry stomachs. It was was to reveal Jesus as the Bread from heaven.
Even after the miracle Jesus did and their profession of Him, which we can read in , they sought Him not because they saw signs, but because they ate their fill of the loaves.
They said in ,
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
This is a clear example of profession of faith without possession of faith.
Which is in a nutshell what we have been seeing in the gospel of John and it is one that we should take heed to.
This is what James addressed in ,
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
They had the right information about God and they professed it but they never had possession of it.
They had the knowledge that even demons had which is not a belief in Jesus.
Question: What does it mean then for someone to not only profess faith but possess faith?
I believe the following verses answer this.
Read Verse 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.”
Read Verse 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.”
Read Verse 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
Read Verse 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
Read Verse 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Read Verse 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
The main difference is that the one who possesses faith understands and believes that they cannot do the work of God.
They are what Jesus spoke of in
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
Jesus said in verse 26,“Truly, truly, I say to you.
Which meant that He wanted them to pay close attention to what He was about to say.
He then addressed their reason as to why they were seeking Him while professing correctly that He was the prophet promised.
The instruction that followed was the answer to their problem. Which is that they have a profession of faith with no possession of it.
Let’s look at verses 27-29.
Couple of points to look at in verses 27-29.
Couple of points to look at in verses 27-29.
you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
First, Do not work for the food that perishes.
First, Do not work for the food that perishes.
Question: What is the food that perishes?
Answer: It was the food they were looking for. Which was loaves and fish. Which proves that they only sought to satisfy their natural, earthly hunger.
Second, Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life.
Second, Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life.
Question: What is the food that endures to eternal life?
Answer: We find this in verse 35 of our text. To us it is no surprise that Jesus was speaking of Himself.
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.
The food that endures to eternal life meaning the food that will remain unto eternal life, food that will not perish is Jesus Christ and faith in Him.
Third, Jesus spoke of 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.
Third, Jesus spoke of 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.
Seals were used throughout history as stamps of approval and authority where one could identify the sender which was one who had authority. Like a king or a ruler of a region.
Seals were impressed upon with wet clay or hot wax and the images on each seal were unique and reflective of the one sending a message or a command.
The seal would serve to identify the sender’s property and safeguard the message from fraudulent transactions and it would ratify official documentation and rulings that were made from the sender.
, and approval. The earliest known seals date from the fourth millennium BC. They often took the form of necklaces or rings and were closely guarded. The seals were impressed upon wet clay or hot wax. The images on each seal were unique to their owners and served to identify property, safeguard against fraudulent transactions, and ratify official documents and rulings
In our text, the sender was the Father and Jesus was the message. And the Father has set His seal on Him.
Jesus Himself was the message and the Father approved Him as the food that would endure to eternal life!
So the question of “What does it mean then for someone to not only profess faith but possess faith?” is answered with this:
One who professes faith without the possession of faith works for the food that does not endure to eternal life. Meaning that they are not seeking Christ for who He is. Which is actually proving that they are not seeking Jesus at all.
They seek only to fulfill their carnal needs
They do not seek Him for eternal life
But one who possesses faith has come to believe in who Jesus is, which is proof of the work of God in their hearts.
They see Jesus as the bread of life and have become satisfied and they will never hunger again
They see Jesus as eternal life which is the work of God and the work of God is that they believe
They
They do not ask the question that was asked in verse 28, they see and believe
which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Read Verse 28 Then they (the crowds) said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
Read Verse 28 Then they (the crowds) said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
This is a similar response that the woman at the well had in John chapter 4.
After Jesus spoke of living water the woman said,
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
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She wasn’t looking for the living water Jesus was speaking of.
The disciples also responded the same way.
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.
They didn’t see or have the food that Jesus spoke of.
The crowds in verse 28 were still wanting food that perished and Jesus said, do not work for that food.
Their response was then “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
In other words, “give us what we want and not what.”
Which proved that they did not see their need to believe what Jesus said about Himself.
They were still led by their stomachs. And this is the problem inherently with everyone apart from saving faith.
They were not seeking Christ for the food that endures to eternal life. In fact, none of us seek God for that.
Instead we want to fill our own needs. In fact, that is only what we can see. That is why we are all blind apart from grace.
Apart from saving faith, we can only see our natural desires.
We are no different than the crowds here.
Jesus masterfully deals with this inherent problem by telling them that this food cannot be worked for by man.
He says this in verse 29.
Read Verse 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Read Verse 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
The work of God is how someone gets the food that endures to eternal life!
The work of God being belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Which is only a work of God.
It is very clear that what man seeks is not salvation which is clearly the case here, but what we seek apart from Christ is the satisfaction of our own carnal appetites.
The work of God gives man the belief to see Christ as the food that endures to eternal life!
“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?
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
Question: So what does carnal man do with this truth?
Verse 30,
Read Verse 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
Read Verse 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
Instead of believing, they asked for a sign which has shown to be a bad sign for those asking for it.
Question: What sign were they asking for?
Answer: The next verse answers this and it shows again how carnal they were.
They were still with the idea that Jesus was speaking of food for the stomach.
They brought to remembrance what God had done in the wilderness in verse 31.
Read Verse 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
Read Verse 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
The sign they wanted was for bread to come from heaven.
They did see how Jesus miraculously multiplied the fish and the loaves.
Essentially, they were asking for Him to do it again so that they could eat.
They refused to
Then in verse 32, Jesus tells them:
Read Verse 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.
Read Verse 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.
Notice Jesus wants them to place close attention again to what He was about to say.
He said, that it wasn’t Moses who gave them bread from heaven. In other words, it wasn’t man. He said that it was a work done by His Father.
:
The true bread from heaven. Making the bread that perishes as of no comparison to it.
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.
The true bread from heaven. Making the bread that perishes as of no comparison to it.
The true bread from heaven. Making the bread that perishes as of no comparison to it.
From calling it the bread from heaven, Jesus would go even further in verse 33.
Read Verse 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
Read Verse 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
Jesus is the bread of God. And this bread will give life to the world.
Meaning to anyone who believes which is the work of God, done only by grace through faith.
Jesus was speaking of Himself and still, because they could only think of their carnal, earthly hunger, they could not see who Jesus was.
They responded in verse 34.
Read Verse 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Read Verse 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
From these verses we can conclude that apart from the work of God, one is left with only a carnal, earthly desire that cannot understand Jesus as who He is.
From all the examples noted, not just from this chapter but even in the preceding chapter, man cannot by Himself work to believe in Jesus Christ.
They only want the bread that perishes. And they want this always.
They can ascent to right information about God and Jesus but by themselves they cannot come to saving, genuine faith.
They will remain with pursuing and not possessing what God can only satisfy because one without grace only believes in satisfying themselves in this life only.
“Give us this bread always.” Meaning give us food, not the food that endures to eternal life, but food that will never run out so that we can never be hungry here again.
They remained with an earthly, sinful desire to stuff themselves with food that perishes while not knowing that they themselves would perish.
In other words, they didn’t believe.
Because if they did believe they would have life in His name.
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Life in His name means that one has believed in Him and now lives eternally full and will never thirst again! Which is the answer and the hope for everyone in need of salvation!
Which is the answer and hope for everyone who is hungry (without belief in Christ).
3. The Answer (v.35-40)
3. The Answer (v.35-40)
Read Verse 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.
Read Verse 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.
They asked for bread always. And Jesus gives them, not what they wanted, but what they needed.
Let’s look at His response in verse 35:
Let’s look at His response in verse 35:
First, Jesus is the bread of life.
First, Jesus is the bread of life.
Notice He is not multiplying bread. Nor is He feeding them to satisfy their hunger.
What the Father is doing through Christ is giving them bread from heaven. Bread from God which is Christ who gives eternal life to all who believe!
The work of the Father was sending His Son and setting His seal on Him and bringing His elect to His Son.
Second, Whoever comes to Him will not hunger and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.
Second, Whoever comes to Him will not hunger and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Notice two things here.
Whoever comes and whoever believes.
Question: Who is it that comes and how do they come to Christ?
Answer: Verse 37.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Those that come to Christ are those who the Father gives to Christ.
So coming to Christ depends on the Father giving not the person coming to Christ which is the work of the Father.
The giving precedes the coming to.
This explains the how. How one comes to Christ is found in the Father giving Christ those who have been granted belief.
No one seeks for God.
We only come to Christ because we have been drawn by the Father.
Question: Who is it that believes and how do they believe?
Answer: We know who it is that doesn’t believe.
“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.
whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
People led by earthly hunger and refuse Christ as the bread of life do not believe.
People who come to Christ to fill only their earthly appetites show that they do not believe.
Question: So, who is it that believes?
Answer: Verse 40.
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.”
Those who believe are those who have looked on the Son and have believed in Him.
This is what the crowds didn’t do. And again this is what Jesus said in verse 36,
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Notice what verse 40 doesn’t say.
everyone who looks to the miracle worker
everyone who looks on the Son
everyone who looks on the multiplier of bread and fish
everyone who looks on the healer
everyone who looks on the Rabbi
Though all these things are true about Jesus, the one thing about Jesus that they didn’t see and believe is that He was the Son sent by the Father!
If they didn’t believe Jesus as the Son then they did not see God as His Father. Which means that they did not have God as their Father.
This is exactly why one is left hungry and thirsty. They have not believed and they have not found life in His name!
But for those who have looked on the Son and have believed there is a profound truth and reminder for us today!
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Found in verse 37,
Read Verse 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Read Verse 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Once someone has believed and looked to the Son as the One sent by the Father, those whom the Father has given to Christ, Jesus said He will never cast them out!
Jesus would repeat this truth in
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Once you have eaten the bread of life you are given eternal life! Which means that you can be sure that God will finish the work that He started!
Your preservation is God’s will!
Read Verse 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Read Verse 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Read Verse 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.
Read Verse 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.
Question: What is it exactly that Jesus will not lose?
Answer: Those who the Father has given to Him. Which are those who have looked to the Son and believed!
This is the will of God!
Read Verse 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.”
Read Verse 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.”
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.”
Jesus says that He will raise someone up on the last day.
If we combined the two verses together we see:
This is the will of Father who sent Jesus, that He should lose nothing of all that he has given His Son (which is everyone who looks to the Son and believes) but He will raise them up on the last day and they will have eternal life!
This is the will of Father who sent Jesus, that He should lose nothing of all that he has given His Son (which is everyone who looks to the Son and believes) but He will raise them up on the last day and they will have eternal life!
The Father has set His Seal on His Son. Marking the work of the Son as done and complete which no one can thwart and undo.
Verse 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.”
Verse 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.”
Which means that our salvation cannot be undone! It has been sealed in the Son and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit!
We see that the work also extends to us!
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
We possess it now through faith by grace.
And when raised up on the last day we will see with our very eyes, Christ!
Who is our guaranteed inheritance!