Let Them Eat [Bread]!

Great French Princess: “Let them eat cake!” An uncaring, unaware statement in response to the plight of the commoner. The princess did not care or know that cake was more expensive than bread. A completely ignorant statement by the young ruler. It’s like someone telling you, “I can’t buy a Kia,” and you respond, “Well, go buy a Lexus!”

When the Jews say, “What must we do,” and compare Jesus to Moses, they show their own sense of self-sufficiency, superiority, and ignore their own impoverished plight.

The Jews think they can do what must be done. Jesus tells them that they are not capable, but that the thing they need is standing right in front of them.

In this case, the role between the royalty and the poor is reversed. The King of Kings, Jesus, tells them how they can be provided for for all time, and the impoverished refuse to accept what they most desperately need.

Have you ever thought you needed one thing, but actually needed something completely different?

What You Need, You Have!

God is the focus. Jesus (even though God Himself) wants us to focus not on the provision, but on the Provider. Another example of God being glorified through Jesus. The Jews put much emphasis on Moses over the Provider. (v. 22-33)

There are two types of people in the world. The first is the person who trusts the provisions. They look in the storeroom, see that there is enough to last X amount of days, and they begin planning on how they can go out and get what they need to face tomorrow.

Then there are those who trust the Provider. Those who trust the Provider are those who know that God will care for them in all things. They do not fear tomorrow, because they know God will make a way.

Is it easier for you to trust the Provisions or the Provider?

Translate this over to the spiritual: Do you trust Jesus with your eternity? Or do you seek to earn your place with God? To do enough good so that when you get to the end, you feel comfortable standing in judgment? Well, by what standard do you hope to get in? This is not an attitude of holiness, this is an attitude of control.

Vv. 34-36

Jesus is telling the people that He is the Bread of Life, and if they will simply get on board with Him, they will have eternal life!

Vv. 34-36 - What are you tempted to consider your bread of life over Jesus?

Vv. 41-46

Notice something in these verses… The people are looking to Jesus and saying, “Hey, we know this guy… who does He think He is?” This goes back into that provider-provision dynamic. These folks are looking for the provision, and losing sight of the fact that this Provider is the Provision!

They look for eternal life as the known quantity, something to be gained by what they can do, but they leave behind the trust in the Provider!

See, I think some of us are like that, too. We trust ourselves, we trust what we can see. We’ve been programmed not to trust people, due to our pasts. We’ve all been let down by people. We’ve all been disappointed. We’ve all disappointed somebody. It goes with being a human. Some of us have been more than disappointed. Some have been taken advantage of. Abandoned. Abused. It gives you trust issues with others. It gets in the way of your relationship with Jesus. Jesus says, “give me a chance. I’ll never let you down.”

Live For Tomorrow

The Jews request the bread for the rest of their lives, but they ask from a worldly perspective. (v. 34) Much of our requests from God operate at a worldly level, without consideration or care for eternal reward. We have forgotten that suffering in this life is a good thing.

Rod Dreher’s interviews with USSR survivors

Vv. 47-51

Notice how the people are asking for material sustenance. Jesus is offering eternal sustenance.

This is why the disciples could experience great suffering

This is why Christians endure great persecution

This is why you can sacrifice for the Kingdom

Vv. 47-51 - The disciples could face great suffering because they knew their eternity was cared for. What about you? Have you considered if Jesus is worth your life?

Because we do not live for our best lives now. We do not seek to make our lives better. We seek to share with the world the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Here’s a question for you: What are you willing to give your life for? What eternal truth is worth your very life? The problem with the world’s messaging today is that it leaves no room for truths worth dying for. There are people who claim the name of Jesus who would not die for Jesus.

There is a coming day when our faith will be more marginalized than it is right now, and the people of the church will have to decide how much of the livelihood they’re willing to give up to follow Jesus. The next generation of Christians will lose career opportunities because they live according to their beliefs in what the Bible teaches on hot-button issues.

I suspect at some point in my life, I may have to pick up a second job because churches won’t be able to afford full-time staff due to reduced tithes, taxation of the church, et. al. These are SMALL prices to pay in light of eternity.

I don’t think we’ll see people lose their lives in this generation, but we will see a loss of livelihoods. And the question is, what are you willing to give up to remain faithful to Jesus?

It’s possible we will see a time where we have to compromise our faith, or sacrifice some of our dreams. Are you prepared to give up employment opportunities in light of being consistent with Scripture?

When we talk about living for tomorrow, it means this: That this life is passing. This life will not satisfy your soul. The truth of the matter, and you know this, is that happiness in this life is fleeting. This is what Jesus is telling them. Not to reduce it down to mere happiness, but just as an example: What Jesus is telling these people is that the sustenance their forefathers received in the wilderness was for a time. The sustenance He offers is eternal.

When we focus on the here and now instead of eternity, we tend to get caught up in the drama of the day. The only way to escape that is to keep an eternal perspective. Not to get caught up in the troubles of this life, but to know and trust that Tomorrow is coming.

There will be a Day when Christ returns, calls His people back to the Father, and we will live forever with Him in Heaven.

Trust God, Not Yourself

How do we KNOW that? My goodness, look at the text!

Vv. 37-40

Jesus can be trusted so much that even you cannot get in the way of His plan!

If you are saved, you will never be unsaved. Christ does not lose those whom the Father has given Him. If you’ve trusted in Jesus, trust HIM for your salvation.

And that’s what it comes down to. When you wonder, “Am I really saved,” here’s my question for you… Who do you trust for that salvation? Jesus? Have you submitted to Him as Savior and Lord?

Don’t look to how good of a person you think you are… Look to Jesus. There’s no one that can get you right with God but Him.

INVITATION