John 6:22-71

The Bread Of Life

The day following.....Right after the storm on the sea, the disciples immediately ended up where they were going. So they were at Capernaum and the people were back at the place where they ate a Heavenly meal, created and prepared by Jesus.

These folks had saw many miracles and then ate miraculously and they wanted more. Their curiosity was spiked and they were wanting to find Jesus and see Him do some more or just give them that power.

They basically figured out that Jesus was gone with the disciples and so they set sail for Capernaum.

When they found Jesus they asked Him “When did you get here?”

Jesus rebukes them in His response: “They followed Him because they were motivated by a superficial desire for food rather than any understanding of the true Spiritual of Jesus’ person and mission!”

This is the heart of the rest of this chapter: folks seeking after physical food and not willing to embrace the Spiritual life that Jesus provides.

Verse 27 Jesus rebukes them for regarding the Messianic Kingdom in an earthly, physical way.

It will be one day, but the only way to that Day is Spiritual! 2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

So, Jesus tells them not labor (work) for the food that dies. You can probably say it this way: “Do not labor for the food that you eat, because essentially you are going to die” It has no eternal value at all!

Labor for what endures to eternal life, which is only found in the Son of man.

In Jesus Christ alone is the way to a forever life, He is the only sustenance of a quality of life, matter of fact He alone is the source to life (spiritual).

Again the multitude asked what works can they do to do the things that Jesus was doing!

Some has this saying: “what works does God require?”

Satisfying God does not come from the work that we do, but from Whom we believe in! (Vs. 29)\

The people’s spiritual blindness is revealed in their response to Jesus’ response (Vs. 30)......basically “What do you do then for a sign, so that we may see and believe.”

Still stuck on the feeding of the 20,000! Wanting more, that is all that was. They were not satisfied with what Jesus said they had to do. They wanted more signs!

In verse 31 the people seemed to imply that compared with the manna from Heaven in Moses time was a greater miracle than what Jesus did..........

Evidently, in light of Jesus’ response in verse 32, the people was saying that Moses gave them that bread or it was implied.

These folks were so enamored with getting their bellies fed! They were caught up with signs, the next miracle! They were looking for the ultimate welfare state!

A preacher said this: “I remember talking to someone in our church who had rejoiced on the phone with me and said, ‘I just had the privilege of leading my neighbor to Christ.’ And in a few days, the neighbor came back and said, ‘Jesus didn’t work,’ because this neighbor had asked for several things, and they weren’t delivered. There’s a very simple pattern to these people. They’re drawn by the crowd, fascinated by the supernatural, think only of earthly things, have no real desire for worship, seek personal prosperity and make demands on God. And when they’re not delivered, they’re gone.”

Jesus tells them that Moses did not give them that bread, it was not made with human hands, nor delivered by human means.

Jesus turns this conversation away from the fleshly again and spoke of the “True Bread” from Heaven!

This is the Person and Work of Jesus Christ! Just like He did with the woman in ch 4, He describes Himself as a life giving substance......Water and now Bread......except that this does not profit the flesh but the Spirit!

Gives “Life” to the world, that life is so much more than fleshly life! James 4:14 “whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Verse 34 reveals that the stubbornness of the people....”gives us this bread” they have not heard a word Jesus said, they just want to do something supernatural!

Jesus’ response again reveals what they really was asking for......He says that He is the Bread of Life!

Anyone that comes to Jesus on His terms, will hunger spiritually no more and will never thirst spiritually no more!!!!

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Desires to be right with God, back in the family of God!

Jesus is just revealing in verse 36 that they had no interest in a personal relationship with the living Messiah. They weren’t interested in believing in Him, they wanted their bellies fed!

Now, Jesus says something that is of much discussion. It used in the discussion of “election”......“All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me”........

Election verses freewill! Well, they are both expressed in this chapter (passage)........I think we get into places that we do not belong when we discuss this. Why??

Because the main most major folks can’t explain it. They can’t reconcile election verses freewill.

Spurgeon couldn’t do it, none today can do it. You will ask why or how, and they will say they don’t know.

J. Vernon McGee said that when first got out of seminary, that he could reconcile election and freewill. He said that at that time he had all the answers. He said it was a marvellous explanation and if he could remember it then he would share it.....but he continued and said if you ask me it was pretty silly. Nobody has sufficiently revealed it.

Let’s look at what Jesus said: All that the Father gives Him, He will in no wise cast out.........This speaks of election. The reason we have this discussion and disagreement is that we must work out the sovereignty of God. This is why Calvin wrote about it and established a doctrine on it. If God is sovereign then He must have those picked out that He will save.

Then on the other hand in the same verse Jesus says: “him that comes to Me....”, Mcgee stated that this is freewill. Whosoever will......

How do you reconcile these 2, you can’t! It is not for us to figure out!

Spurgeon said: “If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn’t I must preach “whosoever will” and when “whosoever” believes I know that he is one of the elect.”

Let’s get back to what Jesus said here: it is almost like Jesus rested in God’s sovereignty by stating that He knew that the Father will send the folks that are real or sincere.........those that are truly sincere He will not cast out!!!

This is why Jesus came to do the will of the Father, He does what He hears and sees, when learned that in chapter 5.

The Father’s will is that He lose none of the ones that He sends........Here we go with election and freewill......all which He has given Jesus in verse 39 and verse 40 that everyone that sees the Son and believes on Him may have everlasting life!!!!

I do not want to lose you here, just remember what God’s will is........This takes care of a lot of questions and should hush any fleshly talk!

They murmured against Jesus, mocking Him. Is not this Jesus who come from Joseph and Mary. They knew about Nazareth and Joseph and Mary and knew there was nothing special that come out of the town nor the family.

How is it that this man comes from Heaven?

Here is another election quote and as it continues you will hear another freewill quote.....

Jesus quotes Isaiah 54:13 “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; And great shall be the peace of thy children.”

I read this about this quote: “When the Father chooses, the Father teaches. And when the Father teaches, they learn. And when they learn, they’re drawn. And when they’re drawn, they come. And when they come, I receive them. And when I receive them, I keep them. And when I keep them, I raise them. And the Father’s purpose will unfold. This is the great truth of the doctrine of election.”

Eating His Body and Drinking His Blood................. “You have to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, personally appropriate the reality of His righteous life and His substitutionary death, accepting His perfect sinless life and accepting His shed blood as a sacrifice for sin.”

“He was calling them to recognize that they had a hungry heart that needed food, a thirsty heart that needed to be satisfied. “If you’ll accept Me as God in human flesh” – that’s the flesh – “and if You’ll accept My death, My blood, the atoning sacrifice for sin, if you will believe in your heart that this is the Son of the living God who lived a perfect life and died a substitutionary death and rose again, you have taken in Jesus Christ.” This is a call to receive Christ.”

“But once a person is broken over sin, awakened to his lost condition, his purposelessness; once he senses the void and the gnawing hunger of his soul for God, then he cries out to be fed, and He takes Christ and confesses Him as Lord and Savior and says, “He’s my life; He’s my bread.’”