Dont Reject the Bread of Life

If you have your bibles please open up to John 6 starting in verse 22. I have titled this message. Don’t reject the bread of life. Now last week I told you we would be in this passage for 2 weeks. Looking at it from two different perspectives. Last week we looked at from the perspective of Jesus being the bread of Life. And you saw that Everyone who believes that Jesus is the bread of life has eternal life.

But this week we are going to look at with the perspective of the Jew’s questioning Jesus as the bread life. And many of there reasons for unbelief are things we see today. I want to ask all those who are here, Just by a show of hands who here has witnessed to someone and they have giving you some sort of reason they can’t believe Jesus is the savior that he claims to be…

Everyone should have raised there hands, but the reality is we see many people each and every day give us reason upon reason why they dont think Jesus Christ is Lord, or in this case the bread of Life. Let us pray and then read God’s word…

John 6:22–59 ESV

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.” 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 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’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 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. 45 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— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 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.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 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. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 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. 58 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.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

Main Idea I want you to get this morning is this..

No matter the reason someone gives that Jesus is not who He says He is, He still is the great I AM.

Just as a reminder the main 2 verses we focused on last week. Was John 6:35, and 6:48

John 6:35 ESV

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.

and John 6:48

John 6:48 ESV

48 I am the bread of life.

And focusing on the idea of Jesus is the bread of life we saw that the bread of life testimony is true, the bread of life does not perish, the bread of life came to give life, and the bread of life gives eternal security.

Even though we saw those things in the text, you may have noticed the interaction the Jews had with Jesus and most of them found a way to question Jesus though-out there conversation, and we see the same things happen today. Many people will give so called reasons to why they don’t believe in the bread of Life. They dont believe in Christ. Today I am going to give some from the text and prove through the scriptures that Jesus is in fact who he says he is, the great I AM.

Reason for unbelief #1. Not believing in Jesus works..

Jesus throughout his ministry so far had giving 5 signs that John focused on, but as we know he did miracle after miracle proving that he is the Christ, but for the people it was never enough. In this text we see that example.

John 6:36 ESV

36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

They had seen Jesus before there very own eyes. Seen his works, but still did not believe. I think for many of us we have the mindset I’ll believe it when I see it.

They did see though. They seen the feeding of all those people with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. yet they demanded another sign. Notice what the word says..

John 6:30–31 ESV

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.’ ”

There fathers got the sign why couldn’t they get one, to prove that Jesus is who he says he is, but they did.

And Jesus explains that to them in verses John 6:32-33

John 6:32–33 ESV

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.”

That bread was Jesus. He came to give life to the world. Life to his children, and he testified that through his works. The reason for not believing in him is not valid, because he didn’t do enough for you is insane.

John at the end of this book says

John 20:30–31 ESV

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.

No matter if you are a Jew in the presence of Jesus or the skeptic today, Jesus works prove he is the Christ.

Reason for unbelief #2 Not believing in Jesus nature.

If Jesus is the bread of life than how can he be both human and God? Believing that Jesus is both human and God is essential, but that idea trips up people today, and the people at that time.

We see this in verse 41-42

John 6:41–42 ESV

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 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’?”

Im sure that Jesus was known before his ministry. He was a carpenter. He was faithful to God, he was without sin. Im sure some people would have known him quite well. So for him to say he was bread of heaven would have been quite the surprise. We know as scripture teaches us that so many people wanted to kill him because he equated himself with God.

How can this man be God they must have thought? He is just the son of Joseph, son of Mary. He isn’t God. He can’t be the bread of heaven. But he is. Remember v 48. I am the bread of life.

No one can give eternal life except God himself. And because Jesus is God he can give eternal life. Jesus is both God and human.

John 1:1 helps us understand he has been forever, only an attribute God possesses.

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus the Word was with God.

and John 1:14 helps us understand he became flesh.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Scripture helps us understand Jesus nature, and there is no reason not to believe in Jesus nature.

Reason for unbelief #3 Not believing because they have never seen God.

John 6:46 ESV

46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Up until Jesus Christ came into the flesh no one had ever seen God.

Exodus 33:20 ESV

20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

No-one had ever seen God. There had been instances all throughout scripture that people think they seen God, but never fully seen him in his glory. For example Moses talked with God face to face, but he really did not see him face to face. Jacob wrestled with God, but not the fullness of God, and Samson mother thought she seen god but instead was an angel.

The thought the Jews had if you had seen God you would die. Yet God was right in front of them.

So for them how could God be right in front them. It did not seem possible to them, yet God was right in front of them.

John 1:18 ESV

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Jesus coming in the flesh makes God known. For them they had seen God, but what about us? Who have never seen God face to face. How can we have faith to believe in him.

What I love about the scriptures is it gives hope when you cannot see. There is a man who demanded to see Jesus after the resurrection. Said he would not believe if he did not see. That man’s name is Thomas lets read about him…

John 20:24–29 ESV

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas had the right answer. My Lord and my God. He believed, but only after he seen. But notice Jesus says something here that is powerful. Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We have not seen Jesus face to face yet. He have read about him, been transformed by him, yet God says blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Though we have not seen God we can still believe because of the testimony of other, and the power of his spirit.

Many of us have never seen the great historical things that have happened in this world. Yet we believe in them. God came in the flesh and we have no reason to not believe that very thing. And by believing we are surly blessed.

Reason for unbelief #4 Not believing because they have faith in something else.

Moses had been a hero to them. Often throughout there conversations the Jews would bring up there reasons for faith in him, because of the works he did, and the things he said. It seemed like to me they had more faith in Moses than God himself.

Moses was used mightily by God, but most importantly he wrote about Jesus. The people were resting there faith in someone who wrote about the one who to put there faith in. Yet people put there faith in Moses over Jesus.

Everyone you come across will have faith in something, faith in Jesus, faith in the government, faith in the cdc, faith in allah, faith in joseph smith, faith in some sort of ideology, faith in all these various different faiths, and faith in ect…

Everyone has faith in something. The question is do you have faith in the right things. I have never met a person who does not have faith, but I have met a-lot of people who don’t faith in Jesus.

Many people place there faith in something else. Things have not changed as much as they may seem. Because generation after generation has faith in something. Something new and fresh comes along, and people say now we know we are doing the right thing. This is something we can believe in. This is something we can have faith in. BUT Faith outside of Jesus is not saving faith.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

faith in anything else will cause you to perish, but faith in Christ will cause you to never Perish. And as we learned last week believe in the bread that does not perish. Don’t put your faith into anything else. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and have faith in him alone for salvation.

Reason for unbelief #5 Not believing in Jesus, because they only think in physical ways.

A few weeks ago I preached a sermon titled Jesus Sovereign over nature. And the main idea of that sermon was Jesus is sovereign over the laws of nature.

Now for these people that Jesus were in fact talking to, they where thinking in physical ways. They were thinking about the limitations that a human can have. Even when Jesus tells them in verse 6:52

John 6:52 ESV

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus wasn’t really giving them his physical flesh to eat. though he just offered them bread to eat. That they ate across the sea. We talked about this last week, but what was happening if you don’t believe in Jesus, and feast upon him by faith then you wont be saved.

Jesus does incredible things that physically we can never understand, but we must believe in order to have life.

Listen to how one man put this its so good…

When you take a bite of bread, you believe it’s safe for you to eat its not going to kill you plus you believe it will give you strength. You can’t eat halfway. Chewing and spitting out is not eating. You either eat or you don’t. The same is true of believing on Jesus. You either believe him or you don’t. You either trust he will give you life so you receive him fully and completely, or you don’t. There’s no middle ground when it comes to believing on Jesus. When you eat, you internalize the food. Thinking about eating is not the same as eating. Knowing nutritional facts is not the same as eating. Understanding how food is processed by the body is not the same as eating.

To believe is to internalize the truth about Jesus. It’s to receive him into your soul. Thinking about Jesus is not the same as believing. Knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as believing. Understanding how Jesus saves a person is not the same as believing.

Believing is staking you life on the fact that the only way to live is to receive him. It’s placing all your hope on him to sustain you. It’s a deep sense that you will die without him. It’s placing all your confidence in him as the only one who can give you life and strength and a future. And the best part of eating the bread of life is there is no bill. All you have do is receive it.

Don’t let the your mind only think in physical ways like the jews did receive him by faith.

Reason for unbelief #6 Not believing in Jesus, because they have not been called.

Looking back at the scriptures we see this idea in verse’s 44-45

John 6:44–45 ESV

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. 45 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—

Everyone who believes in Christ is drawn by God. If you look at verse 37 it has this same idea. but with the promise that all the gives give will come, and will not be cast out.

John 6:37 ESV

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

This idea of being called is something known as election in scripture. And its found in more than just this passage. In the gospel of John for example its found in John 6:65

John 6:65 ESV

65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Its also found in John 17:6

John 17:6 ESV

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

John 17:12 ESV

12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

John 17:24 ESV

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Its not a concept only found in the gospels either Paul talks about in Ephesians 1:3-6

Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

as well as Peter in the the book of 1 Peter.

1 Peter 1:2 ESV

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

One pastor theologian said, “ The absolute sovereignty of God is the basis of Jesus confidence in the success of his mission. The security of salvation rests in the sovereignty of God, for God is the guarantee that all he has chosen will come to Him for salvation. The idea of gives me is that every person chosen by God and drawn by God must be seen as a gift of the Father’s love to the Son. The Son receives each love gift, holds on to each, and will raise each to eternal glory. No one chosen will be lost. The saving purpose of the Fathers will that the Son will not fail to do so perfectly.

This means that when God calls you the reasons disappear you begin to believe in his works, believe in his human, and Godly nature, believe even though you have never seen, have faith in him and him alone, and believe mostly importantly that the physical thing that seemed impossible was possible that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. When God opens your heart every reason that has kept you from following him begins to fall at the waste-side.

You walk from death to life, you are forever changed. I love one line from a song we have sang before. You called my name and I ran out of that grave. Jesus came to make dead people live, and he does that through the calling his children.

And you believed that because God first did a work in you. He drew you, called you, and you responded because of that. One pastor I know said one time ,Divine sovereignty does not neglect human responsibility. If God is calling you today you must respond in faith in order to be saved.

Remember what Jesus said in the beginning of this passage.

John 6:26–35 ESV

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.

The work for us to do is believe, nothing else. He died for you, he calls you, and he secures you for all of eternity.

Believers in Christ be comforted knowing that he first called you and you believed.

If you dont know him today come and talk to me. There is no reason you should not believe in him.

If you think of one and your in person or online come talk with me. I am sure that we can disprove your reasons to why you don’t believe. No matter the reason someone gives that Jesus is not who He says He is, He still is the great I AM.

and the great I am came to give Everyone who believes that Jesus is the bread of life eternal life.

We are about to respond to the message today, and you can respond in a few ways today. One way you can respond in faith to Jesus being Lord and savior. If you have never been baptized and want to take that step of obedience come talk with me. If you want to join this church, or need prayer or anything come talk with me.

We are about to sing a song in response to the Lord, titled O Come to the Altar, and part of that song says Come today, there's no reason to wait Jesus is calling… If he is calling you respond!

Respond to his word today....