In searching of... bread? (Bread of Life Part I)
Notes
Transcript
Acknowledging the truth of Christ
Acknowledging the truth of Christ
For the last 40 years Burger King’s motto has been “Have it your way”! This slogan expresses the idea of being able to customize your burger any way you want. According to an article published by CNBC Business news and Finance.... In January 2020 a new advertisement was released promoting Burger King’s new slogan… “Be your way”. “Burger King says that the new motto is intended to remind people that “they can and should live how they want anytime. It’s OK not to be perfect… Self expression is most important and it’s our differences that make us individuals instead of robots.” (https://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/19/burger-king-scrapping-have-it-your-way-slogan.html)
Our world has moved from a position of “let’s make our own decisions”.... to “let’s make our own destinies”. It’s not enough just to be able to “have it your way”.... we need to change reality so that everything will literally “be your own way”.
The mindset of people is not so different than it was 2000 years ago. People have their own ideas and opinions that bias their point of view. As we open our Bibles today to the Gospel of John chapter 6, we are going to see a group of people who are searching for a fulfillment that they think they want.... while completely missing the satisfying truth staring them in the face. These people will put much effort into their search for … bread?
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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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. 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.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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. 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.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 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’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 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— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “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. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 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.
Introduction
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As we continue our study through the Gospel of John will be studying an event that is recorded in .
The entire event is recorded from vs. 22-71.... There is so much content here that we are going to study this passage in two sections. Today we will be primarily looking at verses 25-51… and then next week we will finish up chapter 6 by studying the responses to Jesus’ claims in verses 52-71.
There is so much content here that we are going to study this passage in several sections. Today we will be primarily looking at verses 25-51… and then next week we will plan on finishing up chapter 6 by studying the responses to Jesus’ claims in verses 52-71.
As you find your place in John chapter 6, let’s remind ourselves of the context of our study.
Over the last few weeks we have seen that Jesus has become very popular with many people. So popular in fact that there is a huge crowd that is now following Jesus and his disciples… and it is wearing them out. Jesus sent his disciples across the lake to a city called Bethsaida, in order to help them rest. But… the crowds followed them.
As we saw last week, Jesus saw the crowds and ministered to them all day which led to the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. While this miracle greatly benefited the crowd, the purpose behind the miracle was to help the disciples believe.... to help the disciples realize who Jesus is and the divine resource that they had in Him. Jesus wanted the disciples to trust Him to provide for any situation… physical or spiritual.
As we saw last week that while the miracle greatly benefited the crowd, the purpose behind the miracle was to help the disciples believe.... to help the disciples realize who Jesus is and the divine resource that they had in Him. Jesus wanted the disciples to trust Him to provide in any situation… physical or spiritual.
After the bread is collected, the exhausted disciples are sent away in a boat across the lake towards Capernaum. That night there was a huge storm and we were told that Jesus walked on the water, further proving that He is God… but also further exposing the disciples lack of faith.
When the disciples arrived on the other side of the lake… you think that finally they will have some time to spend with Jesus and rest. But.... the thing is… that big crowd.... some of them had boats too!
We are told in verses 22-24 of chaper 6 that “the next day… the crowds themselves got into boats and went to Capernaum… seeking Jesus.”
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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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. 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.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
As we look at our text for today we will be shown that while the people are beginning to believe that Jesus may very well be the Messiah.... they had a pretty skewed understanding of what that meant.... and how the truth was to be applied to their lives. Jesus will express the truth that… ‘ truly following the will of God… means that there must first be the right belief in the Son of God.’ (Main idea/ Proposition)
As Jesus speaks, He will correct the error in the people’s understanding while at the same time giving clarity to the truth of who He is. Jesus will show us today that first, there are No Substitutions in God’s Work”… and Secondly, Jesus will teach us that trusting in the Bread of Life is so much more than just receiving some bread from heaven..... Jesus is definitely More than Manna!.
Let’s begin by reading the event recorded for us in the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel starting in verse 25
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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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.
Main Idea/ Proposition — Following the will of God means believing in the Son of God. (25-51)
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 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. 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.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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. 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.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 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’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 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— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.”
So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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. 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.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 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’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 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— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.”
John 6:25-51
J
As we think through the text we just read, in verses 25-34 Jesus corrects a traditional assumption and misunderstanding by confirming the truth that there are ‘No substitutions in God’s Work’.
I. No substitutes in God’s Work … (25-34)
.....
Our world has moved from a position of “let’s make our own decisions”.... to “let’s make our own destinies”. It’s not enough just to be able to “have it your way”.... we need to change reality so that everything will literally “be your way”.
On some small level the religions leaders of the day and the crowds following Jesus had fallen into the same trap that our culture has… wanting everything their own way.
They knew Messiah would come… .they knew what He would do.... and Jesus is here standing in front of them confirming and fulfilling the biblical expectations of what the Messiah would do. In theory… the people knew that Jesus is the Messiah and they wanted him…
But, as we will see the people’s desires for Jesus are based on spiritual blindness and false assumptions about the Christ.
Notice that when the people ask Jesus… “Rabbi when did you get here” in verse 26, that Jesus doesn’t get side tracked by their question, but speaks directly to the heart issue.
But, the people failed to go one step further and realize that a man who could miraculously supply bread was also the One who could meed their deep spiritual needs.
Notice that when the people ask Jesus… “Rabbi when did you get here” in verse 26, that Jesus doesn’t get side tracked by their question, but speaks directly to the heart issue.
Jesus says… “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 mass of people are pursuing Jesus because he had supplied them with the material things of life. They liked the idea of a fish maker and bread baker as their king.... someone who could give them the material things that they wanted.
But, the people failed to go one step further and realize that a man who could miraculously supply bread was also the One who could meet their deep spiritual needs.
But, the people failed to go one step further and realize that a man who could miraculously supply bread was also the One who could meed their deep spiritual needs.
Jesus continues in verse 27 by saying “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”.
Jesus basically tells the people.... ‘why are you working so hard to get something that won’t last?’
Why are you working so hard to get something that won’t last????
Jesus reveals the spiritual realities that he wants the people to understand. Jesus is saying that there are two kinds of food… two aspects to life… material things that will perish… and spiritual things that will last forever.
Jesus is trying to help the people understand that while we may earn perishable physical food by the sweat of our brow.... Spiritual food is eternal life and that life does not come by work… but only comes through Christ.
Because the people are still spiritually blind and only interested in their physical needs and wants… they ask Jesus.... “What must we do, to be doing the works of God”. .... ‘Jesus tell us what list of things we must do in order to be in the will of God.... to receive God’s blessings.... to earn eternal life’?
Jesus answers the crowd by simply saying.... “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” .... Here is the secret to being in the will of God.... here is the secret to eternal life.... the secret is that there is no physical work that you can do..... the “work” of God… is simply to believe.
Believing in Christ is the key.... belief is the spiritual food Jesus is talking about and that belief… that work of God can only come through faith.
There is no substitute.... no amount of work… or desire can replace the fact that people are saved and reconciled to God through faith.
The true work of God is belief! You want to work your way to heaven????? Then do this work.... Believe in who Jesus is through faith!
The true work of God is belief!
Preaching the Word: John—That You May Believe Receiving Christ’s Truth (vv. 26–35)
Suppose you invited another family over for a Sunday afternoon dinner. It is a great meal. You really put on the spread for them. You fix their favorite meat, cooked just the way they like it. There is a big, tossed green salad, steaming baked potatoes with cheese sauce, a refreshing beverage, and then apple pie à la mode (just about everybody’s favorite dessert). What a dinner! Soon everyone is sitting back, patting full tummies. And suppose, when it comes time for your guests to leave, they take out their wallets and ask, “How much do we owe you for this?” You would probably say, “You don’t owe me anything!” But what if your guests respond, “We most certainly do! We are not freeloaders! How much do we owe you?” They even throw you a couple of twenty-dollar bills. Just a mention of payment in such a setting would be a grievous insult. Yet, we find ourselves going through life trying to pay for a free meal and in the process insulting our Lord. As Jesus says in verse 29, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” In other words, the bread that endures unto eternal life is the bread that is freely given and that we freely receive. It comes through belief. We do not pay for it ourselves.
Unfortunately, the crowd isn’t getting what Jesus is saying. They are still spiritually blind… and instead of really taking what Jesus is saying to heart… the crowd tries to redirect the conversation in order to make things the way that they want them....
In verses 30-31 the crowd asks Jesus what sign he would do… and what work he would perform...
Then, they begin comparing
It is almost as if the crowd says, ‘Jesus… we’re not really interested in all of that… You did a great sign yesterday when you fed all of us. Now, we want you to do a miracle on par with Moses’ miracle. I mean… he fed all of Israel six days a week for 40 years with bread from heaven.’
To understand what the people were talking about… we need to remember back to the events recorded in (1-4 & 11-15).
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “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, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
Exodus 16:
These were the thoughts running through the back of the peoples’ minds as they were confronting Jesus.
The Jews even had a fable that Jeremiah, at the destruction of the temple, had taken some of the manna and hidden it, and when the Messiah came, he would provide manna.
So, these people are saying to Jesus.... “yes, you did a great miracle yesterday… but now we want a really big miracle… bread from heaven every day!”
There had just been a miracle yesterday… but that wasn’t enough… The people wanted more!
Aren’t we sometimes the same? We say, ‘God, if we can just have another miracle, if you would just do something else for me today… then I”ll believe.. or then I’ll do this or do that...’
We quickly forget to rejoice in what He has already done in our lives!
Seeing that the people need some correction, in verses 32 Jesus says… this bread that your asking for… this bread from heaven didn’t come from Moses… It came form God.
The people had made a bad habit of Idolizing Moses… and had actually elevated Moses to a position higher than God… when in reality, all that Moses did… especially the Manna from heaven was done in God’s power and for His purposes.
Jesus adds even more clarity in verse 33 when he says “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Unfortunately, the people… still blind to the truth… don’t fully understand what Jesus is saying and reveal their lack of understanding by saying… “Sir, give us this bread always”.
… After what Jesus has told them.... are these people still just searching for bread!?!?
The people following Jesus are struggling with belief and understanding. They are following Jesus for what they can get from Jesus .... for what Jesus can do for them…
… there are a lot of people today that are doing the same.... following Jesus for what they can get from Him.... because that is what life is all about.... Getting what I want.... because it’s a “have it your way” kind of world! No, that is just a sad and incorrect conclusion that the people of the world have whole heartedly embraced.
Jesus is presenting the crowd with the truth that there are no substitutions for true belief.... when it comes to matters of salvation.... you can’t have it your way.... the only way is God’s way… by grace through faith in Christ!
He is the spiritual food.... the true manna from heaven that will lead to life eternal... but, sadly the people are still blinded to the truth and intent on seeking what they want.... and they want to have it their way....
So far, Jesus has shared that there are No Substitutions for true belief...., now He continues the conversation in verse 35 and reveals to the crowd that He is something that is so much More than Manna!
b. Looking for a handout… (30-34)
II. More than Manna!… (35-51) (I am the bread of life)
Look at verse 35 with me…
“I am the bread of life!”... What a statement! Did you know that it is no mere coincidence that Jesus was born in Bethlehem?
It’s interesting that it was prophesied in that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem and be part of the tribe of Judah. — There is an interesting word play here that the accusers of Jesus may or may not have picked up on.
In Hebrew, the word Bethlehem is a compound word … Bet (house).... Lachem (bread).... You put the compound word together and you have Bethlehem.... or the “house of bread”. .. today we might call this town… bakeryville!
Where was Jesus born....? In Bethlehem! Isn’t it cool that here in chapter 6 of John’s gospel we have Jesus standing before a crowd, pronouncing that He is the Bread of Life!
Literally this is Jesus, who says He is the bread of life and he was born in Bakeryville.... the house of Bread!
That is so cool! Jesus makes this statement… I am the bread of life… Let’s look at what it means.
That is so cool!
a. What does it mean?
This is the first of 7 specific “I AM” statements recorded for us in John’s gospel. Each of these statements was made at a critical point in Jesus’ earthly ministry with a specific truth that needed to be revealed.
The people Jesus is speaking to here are so focused on the Messiah coming to fulfill their every physical want, that they are completely blind to their desperate spiritual need. They are looking to Jesus to provide bread for their bellies… Jesus says… I am the bread..... but not for the filling of your bellies.... but the only bread that can truly satisfy of your souls…
With this I Am Statement.... Jesus is telling his listeners that He is our sustenance and our provision. In verse 35, Jesus says … “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Apart from Christ.... nothing satisfies.
Think about it.... When you go to the Chinese buffet… you leave so stuffed that you can’t hardly look at another wanton. Then… 2 hours later… you’re hungry again.
Everything we do (concert, basketball game, victory, one more drink… one more smoke....one more broken relationship… ) that satisfies us for today is followed by a deep longing for more.... and we have to seek something else.
Jesus, the bread of life.... A relationship with Him is the only thing that will ever completely satisfy. People will let you down.... the church will fail you.... your job will some day end.... But… the Eternal Bread of Life.... Jesus Christ… will always satisfy and will never cease.
In God says:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy. Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the riches of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy. Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the riches of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy. Listen, listen to me and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the riches of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
Listen, listen to me and eat what is good
and your soul will delight in the riches of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.”
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Preaching the Word: John—That You May Believe Receiving Christ’s Truth (vv. 26–35)
Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
Jesus, the bread of life.... is the source of life… He is calling people everywhere to come to Him… that your soul may life!
Now that we have a small idea of what it means that Jesus is the Bread of life… let’s look at how Jesus applies this truth...
b. How is it applied?
In verse 35 Jesus says, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
The two words come and believe are two simple verbs that define man’s part in the process of salvation.
To come to Christ is to forsake the old life of sin and rebellion and submit to Him as Lord.
While John does not use the word “repentance” (this 180 degree turn away from sin and to God), the concept is clearly implied in the idea of coming to Christ.
John does not use the word “repentance” (this 180 degree turn away from sin and to God), the concept is clearly implied in the idea of coming to Christ.
Spurgeon said, “You and your sins must separate, or you and your God will never come together”.
To believe in Christ is to trust completely in Him as the Messiah and Son of God… and to acknowledge that salvation comes solely through faith in Him (; ).
Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. To repent means to turn from sin… and to believe is to turn to the Savior. You cannot separate them.
Having made this truth revealing “I AM” statement… Jesus then goes onto rebuke those who are listening to him for their unbelief when he says… “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.”
Just like their forefathers in the wilderness, these people had experienced the miracles of God… and they did not believe. Even more, these people had seen Jesus in the flesh… and they still were not willing to truly respond in faith and believe.
Here in verses 36-46 Jesus gives a discourse on the mysteries of His grace.
Unshaken by the fact that those He is speaking with don’t believe, Jesus goes on in verses 37-46 to give a discourse on the mysteries of His grace.
Look at what Jesus says in verse 37… “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me. 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. 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.”
Now look down to verse 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. 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 — not that anyone has seen the Father except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
There is a lot here for us unpack and study. We’ll go into the truths brought out in this passage in more depth next week.
For now, we need to understand that Jesus is sharing that His confidence in the success of His mission was not dependent on convincing people to respond… but was firmly rooted in the all powerful sovereignty of God.
Jesus unashamedly states that all those whom the Father gives to Him… will come to Him. “All” means all those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world whom God gives to Jesus as a collective body (Paul tells us about this in ).
“The Son views every soul given by the Father to Him as an expression of the Father’s irresistible love, so that all whom He gives will come to Christ.” (Mac)
In verse 35, Jesus shares with us that there is an element of man’s responsibility in salvation. All mankind is given an opportunity to respond in faith to Christ. Every person alive on the planet has an opportunity to respond to Christ… to come and believe. …
But, Jesus is also sharing with us that salvation does not depend on the human will. John shared with us back in chapter 1:13 that the redeemed are those “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Every person alive on the planet has an opportunity to respond to Christ… to come and believe. … But, Jesus is also sharing with us that salvation does not depend on the human will. John shared with us back in chapter 1:13 that the redeemed are those “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Salvation does not depend on “the will of man… but on God who has mercy” ().
God’s absolute sovereignty in salvation is foundational to the Christian faith. Both repentance and faith are granted by God… if they weren’t then no one would ever come to Him. tells us that “no one understands; no one seeks for God.” That concept is repeated in ; ; ; and .
Jesus reveals the sovereignty of God in salvation.... salvation is not dependent on any work that man does…but purely on the grace of God.
Jesus reveals the sovereignty of God in salvation.... salvation is not dependent on any work that man does…but purely on the grace of God.
Several times in this section Jesus says things like… “I will never cast out”,… “that I should lose nothing”… and then Jesus repeats the phrase “raise it or him up on the last day”.
What is Jesus communicating?
Because salvation is dependent on God’s power and God’s grace and God’s mercy and rooted in His Eternal character.... it is also kept by His power, His grace and His mercy.
True life is given by God alone and can never be taken away… it’s imperishable! This is confirmed by Jesus repeating this guarantee 4 times in this passage (vs. 39, 40, 44, 54).
Jesus gives us a 4 fold guarantee of eternal salvation for all those who are true believers.... (who respond in faith to Christ).... Jesus will reinforce this later in ....
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Jesus has just pronounced this profound truth.... Everyone who believes in me… everyone who looks to me by faith… everyone who accepts the fact that they are a sinner hopelessly unable to redeem themselves and repents of their sin… coming to God by faith… will receive eternal life.... and that eternal life can never be lost!
It’s interesting that it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem and be a descendant of David… who was also from Bethlehem. — There is an interesting word play here that the accusers of Jesus would have possibly picked up on. In Hebrew, the word Bethlehem is a compound word … Bet (house).... Lachem (bread).... You put the compound word together and you have Bethlehem.... or the “house of bread”. .. today you might call this town… bakeryville!
Where was Jesus born....? In Bethlehem! Isn’t it cool that here in chapter 6 of John’s gospel we have Jesus standing before a crowd, pronouncing that He is the Bread of Life! Then, the crowd begins to argue.... hey we know where this guy comes from..... He is Jesus from Bethlehem....
Literally this is Jesus, who is claiming to be the bread of life and he was born in bakeryville!
That is so cool!
Isn’t it cool that here in chapter 6 of John’s gospel we have Jesus
Then, the crowd begins to argue.... hey we know where this guy comes from..... He is Jesus from Bethlehem....
It is amazing that Jesus does not let the details of their unbelief side track the the truth that he is trying to help them understand. Jesus does not get distracted by “rabbit trail” questions....
As Jesus closes this part of the conversation, in verse 47 He again tells the people ...
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.”
Here, Jesus emphasizes that it is not enough to just know information about Jesus.... it is not enough to simply know who Jesus is…
Verse 49..... Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness… and they died.... —> remember that the Manna provided in the wilderness was temporary food given by God to help the Israelites learn to depend 100% on God to provide....
No, Jesus tells us that there has to be a partaking of Him as the bread of life. There has to be a faith-filled… God driven.... deeply internalized embracing of Christ.
This is reinforced by Jesus’ words in verse 51… “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever....”
Conclusion/ Application:
What
In today’s world of “have it your way”… “be your way”…and “I’ll do it my way”… It is un popular to promote any truth, but especially a truth that is exclusive.
Jesus said… I am the bread of life! I am the only One who satisfies eternally. Nothing else compares. There are no substitutes… even sweet bread from heaven pales in comparison to the living bread found only in Jesus.
What are some of the truths that Jesu shared with us today?
- following the will of God… means that there must first be the right belief in the Son of God.’
There are no substitutions for true belief...
Apart from Christ.... nothing satisfies
Jesus calls us to come… and believe.... repenting completely of our sins and responding to Him by faith.
Those who come to Jesus through faith… will receive Eternal life.
True life is given by God alone and can never be taken away… it’s imperishable!
With all of those truths to think about… how are we to respond? What are we to do with these facts?
Intended response:
Put away all of your own opinions about who you think Christ is and truly believe what God has said about Jesus, in who He is…
Repent… turn 180 degrees from your sin… and embrace Jesus by faith. Trust in Jesus for who He is… the Son of God.... who paid the penalty for your sins on the cross… so that you could be forgiven and reconciled with God.
Perhaps you have already trusted in Christ alone for salvation.... Praise the Lord! Now, trust Him to keep that salvation as He has promised. Remember, that our salvation is rooted in the character of an Eternal and all powerful God… That means that our salvation is also eternal… Trusting in the bread of life… grants the repentant sinner eternal life.
Beloved, as we leave today I want to challenge you today.... what are you seeking?
If someone were to ask you today.... what do you want? What will truly satisfy you? What are you searching for???? How would you answer?
(eyes closed and head bowed)… ask for a show of hands…
Maybe you are here today and you are not a Christian. We are glad you are here. Thank you for coming. You have just sat through an hour long worship service… and maybe you just don’t follow… maybe there is something that you just aren’t getting… that’s ok.
Many of the people that were talking with Jesus that day in Capernaum didn’t get it. They were in the presence of the only One who could truly satisfy their soul… yet because of a lack of faith… they rejected the truth.
You have been presented truth today from God’s Word. Jesus is calling you to come and believe....
Jesus is calling us to come and believe.... Respond to faith in Christ.... Repentance and Belief… this is a simultaneous act when we turn from our sin and to God… not because of our own desire… or inner goodness… but because God is drawing us to Himself…
Respond to faith in Christ.... Repentance and Belief… this is a simultaneous act when we turn from our sin and to God… not because of our own desire… or inner goodness… but because God is drawing us to Himself…
God gives the faith needed to come to Him in repentance and believe.
— We are going to sing a song in a moment. If you would like to talk with someone today please either come forward while we are singing and we can talk or see me after the service. I would love to talk with you about the need that God has laid on your heart....
Perhaps you are a born again believer today.... You have responded in faith to Christ…
As you think about the truths you have been presented today from God’s Word...
Think about how the truths presented today will help you to make disciples who make disciples? In what practical ways can these truths be applied to your life?
When asked the question… what is the key to true fulfillment? If you were searching for something.... what would truly satisfy????
I hope the words on your lips will be.... “Give me Jesus....”
...prayer…
.
Jesus is calling us to come and believe.... Respond to faith in Christ.... Repentance and Belief… this is a simultaneous act when we turn from our sin and to God… not because of our own desire… or inner goodness… but because God is drawing us to Himself…
God gives the faith needed to come to Him in repentance and believe.
Give me Jesus....
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(Separate message?… The Bread of Life: Part II Responding to the Bread… 52-71?)
II. Embracing the satisfaction of Christ… the true bread of life. (51-59)