John 6:35-51 - Bread of Life

Bread of Life

About a year ago, Rachel and I drove out from Washington State with my parents to move into our apartment on the Seminary campus. Of course, as many of you St. Louis people know, that, moving in St. Louis, in August is one of the worst possible things that you can do. It’s super-hot, and super humid. And on the day we were supposed to move in, the delivery drivers of our POD with all of our stuff decided to go on strike. So, the only way that we could get our stuff was by renting a U-Haul, driving out to the container place where it was sitting, unload it, load it back up into the U-Haul, drive back to the Seminary campus, and unload it again. In the dead heat and humidity of an August day in St. Louis.

By the time we had finished unloading everything and getting it into our apartment, it was probably around 7:30, maybe 8:00pm. We were tired, and starving – we probably hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. So, we first decided to go to Red Robin because it was nearby. But when we pulled up, there was a sign on the door that said they were closed. So, we went to go try this other place that we heard was really good – Seamus McDaniel’s – but of course they too were closed. At this point, my Dad was getting very hangry, and my mom started getting frustrated with him for being grumpy, and so, they started feeding off of each other as it goes. But we continued driving around and we found this place that had a nice patio and people were eating outside. So my Dad got out and asked if they could seat us. Well, of course, given our luck, they weren’t seating anymore people. Well, my dad at this point was fuming. And this poor waiter clearly saw he was fuming because he directed us to this Italian restaurant down the road. And by the grace of God, they were open, and the sat us. And I really mean by the grace of God butting heads. It would not have been good…

I share this story because I think being hangry is something that we all deal with one way or another. Some deal with it better, and some deal with it worse, and in the case of my family, we were probably more on the worse side. But being hangry causes you to say and do things that you probably wouldn’t normally say. So, if you’ve found yourself in a situation where you have made a poor decision or said something you regret, you are not alone – we’ve all been there. In fact, in OT lesson for today, the Israelites were dealing with that same issue of being “hangry”

The Israelites, when they were traveling through the wilderness and were starving, and had no convenient way to fix that issue. And on the journey to the promised land, the Israelites who had been graciously saved from slavery by God complained about how they had it better in Egypt. They wanted to return to their captivity because they had all the food that they needed. It didn’t matter about all the other terrible things the faced, they just wanted food. Maybe they were just a bit hangry, but in that moment they certainly didn’t care about what God did for them because they continuously rebelled and sinned against God. But God heard their complaints. He saw their rebellion. And He heard their grumblings about how they wished they could have been back in Egypt so they could eat “bread to the full.”

In a moment like that, it makes me so glad that we have such a gracious and loving God. Because if I was God, and I heard the people who I had just saved complain about how they wished they could go back to their enslavement, I certainly would have not given them food to eat. I probably would have either sent them back into slavery or gave them nasty tasting bread. But thankfully I am not God because God provided for them so much food that they could eat all they wanted and be satisfied. And because this bread was provided by God, I’m sure it was some of the best food that they have ever had.

The food that we eat, whether it’s bread from God like these Israelites had, a planned meal or spontaneously picked up at a restaurant all serve the same goal – to provide calories and nutrients to our bodies. And, if we don’t continue to provide food for ourselves, we may get a little hangry and complain, or more severely if we go too long without food, we die. Because food is necessary for our ability to function as humans.

And in a way, the Old Testament and Gospel lessons for today both deal with “food.” The Old Testament Lesson came from Exodus 16 and shows us how the Israelites complained because they were hungry and didn’t have much food to eat on their journey to the promised land. And unfortunately for them, they didn’t have any fast-food restaurants they could easily pull up to. So, God graciously helped them solve this issue and provided them with manna to eat. And in Gospel lesson for today, Jesus makes one of the great I AM statements – I AM the Bread of Life, and compares himself to the manna that God provided. But there’s an important contrast being made here by Jesus. The manna that the Israelites ate only provided relief for a short while, like any meal we would eat today. But the Bread that Jesus provides is different. Because the Bread of life is not ordinary food. The Bread of life sustains us to everlasting life. And I think that’s one of the things that Jesus was getting at in this text from John 6. The bread that the Israelites ate in the wilderness did not provide them with everlasting relief – but only temporary relief.

In the Gospel text Jesus tells the crowd that, while yes, the bread that God provided their ancestors in the wilderness satisfied them and fed them, they still died. In verse 49 Jesus says, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.” They died because the manna could not sustain them eternally. But the Bread of Life – Jesus Himself will sustain them to eternal life. Because Jesus is the reality of this sign that God performed for their ancestors in the wilderness. But the Jews did not see or understand that the life-giving bread was standing before them. Instead, they only say a man whose mother and father they knew. And they grumbled at him. In disbelief, like their ancestors did. Because how could this man have come down from heaven if they knew who his mother and father were? It sounds like nonsense! But it wasn’t. It might have defied belief but it was true.

The Gospel lesson for today ends with this wonderful and important statement from Christ. He says, “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 bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. I love that last statement. Because that’s exactly what he did. He died so that the whole world would live. The very flesh of the one who was crucified is for the life of world.

That’s the important distinction between these two stories. The manna in the wilderness could not save the Israelites from death. It could only prolong their lives for a certain time. The manna did not originally reside in Heaven – but was only given as a relief. The Bread of Life, however, Jesus Himself did originally reside in Heaven. And before even the world came into being this very bread of life existed along with the Father. And by of the Grace of God, the Son of God – the Bread of Life became flesh and dwelt among us, so that through Him, we could receive eternal life. This is the true manna – the very I AM – the Living bread who is life himself and thus gives life to all who receive Him.

That very bread came as a gift for everyone. Not just the Jews in this text, but for the whole world. For you and me. And this gift is meant to be shared with everyone. That’s why Christ came into this world, not to redeem a select few, but everyone. So go out and share this bread with those who haven’t received it. Because the benefits and the sustenance you receive from having that faith and salvation, is so much more than you can get from a meal #1 at Chick-Fil-A. Because Christ wants everyone at his table – all sinners who are hurting and suffering in this world. Because this bread that we receive provides true and everlasting relief – by sustaining and preserving us to life everlasting.