I AM the Bread of Life

Introduction

Thank the elders for giving you a chance to preach and open the Word of God with everybody

Pray!!

The Background of our Text (Verses 22-24)

Just read this while giving minor explanation

John 6:22–24 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.

After the feeding of the 5,000

Jesus has just walked on water (which these people did not witness, just the 12)

The people who had witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 hop into boats to go where the saw the rest of the disciples go.

Body

Do not work for the food that perishes (Verses 25-27)

John 6:25 ESV

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

The people ask him how he got over there, but he does not answer their question, but rather he tells them something different.

John 6:26–27 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.”

The Food that Perishes

These people were seeking Christ for the food he provided not because he is king of kings and Lord of Lords

Let’s not be like these people!

Do not seek Christ for earthly things you hope to get.

Prosperity Gospel: Following Christ does not gain you earthly things

Do not waste your life in pursuit of earthly things but rather seek eternal things

Christ came to satisfy spiritual needs, not physical needs

The Food that Endures

This is salvation

Our Identity should not be in what provides our physical needs (which are a means to an end), but rather in the savior who we serve

Engineer that happens to be a Christian

Christian who happens to be an engineer

Those who bow before the king of Kings and Lord of Lords are far richer than than any man to ever walk the earth

Only the “Son of Man” (Christ) can give the food that endures

God the Father has “set the seal” on his son

When someone set their seal on a letter it was to show that within that letter were the words of the person in authority. It was to certify the truth of the content.

Christ’s words are the “certified content” of God the Father

What must we do? (Verses 28-29)

John 6:28 ESV

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

The people wanted a “work” they could do.

Legalism

John 6:29 ESV

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

All we must do is believe the one whom God sent —Jesus

Not a mere cognitive understanding—but rather an understanding anchored in faith and dependence

This belief is casting your hope on Christ for your salvation.

We are saved by Grace alone through Faith alone

If we were saved by works then we would have something to boast about!

Legalism says “do”

Christ says “done”

Christ has already done all the work

All the works we do once we have trusted him are to bring glory to Him

What sign do you do? (Verses 30-34)

John 6:30–34 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.’ ” 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.”

The feeding of the 5,000 was not enough for these people!

They were wanting MORE proof even though Christ had just done an amazing work

We should never look to Christ and tell him that he has not shown us enough!

I AM the bread of Life (Verses 35-40)

Verse 35 - The Bread of Life

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.

Christ being the bread of life fulfills the feast of unleavened bread

A feast where the Israelites were to make unleavened bread and eat it for a week to remember and memorialize how God provided for them in the wilderness.

This physical feeding of bread in the wilderness was a foreshadowing to the spiritual bread that would be provided through Christ.

Leaven = Sin

Christ is unleavened bread!

What does it mean to hunger and thirst?

We often hunger for things that do not benefit us - We all have a God sized hole in us

We try to fill this hole with “worldly” drink and food such as:

Food

Stuff

Our Jobs

Sex or Pornography

What does it mean to come to Christ?

Whoever comes to Christ will never hunger spiritually ever again—they will never die of spiritual starvation

Christ satisfies all

Verse 36-40 - Given to the Son and secure in His hands

Verse 36-37 - “All that the Father gives me will come to me”

John 6:36–37 ESV

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.

The unsaved (unregenerate) person can only believe if and only if God does a work within them first.

These are people who have been chosen in eternity past by God.

These people whom God has chosen are given to the Son as a gift and they come to him.

We who were once enemies of God were bought by the blood of Christ.

I will never cast him out

Those who have been bought by the precious blood of Christ will never be cast out from Christ. These believers are eternally secure within the hands of God

(supported in next statement)

Verses 38 - 40: The will of Him who sent me

John 6:38–40 ESV

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.”

The comfort found in this truth! How often we try to fling ourselves from his hand but he will never let us go.

We rebel and fight against God but yet he still holds onto us.

Take heart! He holds you in his hands and he will never cast you out of them.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (Verses 41-51)

Verses 41-42: The Grumbling of the Jews

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’?”

Verse 43-46: No one can come to me unless the Father draws him

John 6:43–45 ESV

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—

No one can come to Jesus unless God first changes his heart.

God must remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh

Greek Word: The Greek word that is used in this verse can also be translated as the term “drag”

This use of the word is found in Acts when Paul an Barnabas are dragged in to prison

This amazing work is called regeneration

The act of Regeneration happens within a moment by God changing your will and drawing you closer to him.

No one is coming to God kicking and screaming

Your will was against God and you in love with your sin but God has moved in your heart and drawn you to himself.

Series: God of Miracles

The greatest miracle we receive is the gift of salvation.

Verse 47: Whoever believes has eternal life

John 6:46–47 ESV

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.

The people who believe are those whom the Father has drawn.

If you are wondering if the Father has drawn you or is drawing you let me ask you this: Do you believe?

Has Eternal Life = Currently in your possession

Bread of Life Part 2 (Verses 48-59)

John 6:49–59 ESV

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.

Your ancestors ate physical bread and died but Christ offers spiritual food that leads to eternal life.

This eating and drinking of Christ’s flesh and blood is purely metaphorical

If one partakes in Christ, they abide in Him and have eternal life

It is secure!

The Words of Eternal Life (Verses 60-71)

Verses 60-65: A Hard Saying

John 6:60–62 ESV

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

The people were struggling with the teaching of Jesus -

as many of us are probably as well right now

John 6:63–65 ESV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 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.”

It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help at all

Christ’s words and calling give life

The Effectual Call

Those people did not believe because they had not been drawn

Verses 66-71: Many disciples leave

John 6:66–71 ESV

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Many followers turn away and leave Christ because they did not like the teaching that he taught

The 12 do not leave because they recognize that only Christ has the words of eternal life

Conclusion

1 John 3:1 ESV

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Sometimes the Bible can be a bit confusing and hard to understand

Stick to what you completely understand: If you believe in Christ you will be Saved

Is God calling you? Do you feel the pull of the Holy Spirit?

Tired of working for the food that perishes and are ready to eat the food that endures to eternal life?

Talk about grandpa!!

4 Points

God is Sovereign in Salvation

Jesus (God) is the bread of life (hard teaching)

Jesus’s teaching is hard to swallow (understand)

Life comes through believing, not through understanding

Pray so that band can come back out! (Long Prayer)