Do You Want To Go Away As Well?

DO YOU WANT TO GO AWAY AS WELL?

John 6:51-69

INTRODUCTION:

A. Let me begin this morning by congratulating our graduating High School seniors

B. Have you ever found yourself absorbed in a story?

1. Maybe you are a science fiction nut and find yourself on another planet.

2. Or maybe a historical romantic and see yourself in Rome or Venice in the 1800’s

3. These may not be for you, rather it is mystery or spy novels – battling foes and standing up for what is right or for a cause you believe in

4. Or perhaps you’re a western fanatic, taming the wild west and riding off into the sunset

5. I don’t know what you are interested in, but we find good stories interesting because they allow us to put ourselves into them and imagine what it would be like.

C. This morning we are here to put ourselves into the greatest story ever written – it is a true story epic proportions – the story of life – YOUR story

1. Now we do not have time to go back to the beginning, so we will pick it up by looking at a time in the life of the major character – Jesus Christ.

2. It is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 6

a. Jesus has come on the scene like a bull in a china shop.

b. His name is starting to become a household word – people are taking note of Him, but all are not happy with what they are seeing and hearing.

c. He has turned water in to wine, healed the sick, the blind and the lame, as well as feeding 5-8 thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish.

d. It is this last miracle that sparks a conversation concerning the bread of life.

3. Listen: John 6:51-69 from the ESV 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 Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 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. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."

Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 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.) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

4. It is an incredible story, don’t you think? We will look at it in just a minute - first,

PRAY: Let’s pray and ask God to put us right in the midst of it.

Let us begin this morning by taking a look at

I. JESUS’ LIFE STORY – Because it effects your life story

A. Jesus speaks first of a bread that cannot bring life.

1. Try to imagine you are a Jew – you have heard the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

2. It was a grand story of emancipation – freedom gained by the exercise of God’s great power.