Food That Really Satisfies Series

200406.ser

“Food That Really Satisfies”

CLBC Feb. 1/04 a.m.

Subject: Salvation:

Theme: The Provision of Salvation

Passage: John 6: 28 - 65

Segment 1.

We have come today to the study of one of the most difficult passages in John’s gospel,

and we are also going to celebrate the Lord’s Table.

You remember that this all began with Jesus feeding a huge crowd of over 5,000 people.

Later he told them that they were following him for the wrong reasons and that they

should stop giving their best efforts to get food that could never really satisfy their inner spiritual

hunger, but that they should give their best efforts to spiritual food that could satisfy their spiritual

need and give them everlasting life.

Then there comes a dialogue between the Jews and Jesus in which they want to him to

perform a miracle greater than Moses who fed them with manna in the dessert. and Jesus replies

that He is the real bread of life,

Read John 6: 28 - 36

There follows a section in which Jesus talks to them about the Father’s will.

That portion has some outstanding theology, and the Jews begin to really grumble.

Read John 6: 37 - 47

And then Jesus returns to the subject of bread and begins to speak about eating the living

bread, and feeding on Jesus Christ in order to have eternal life. By this time the Jews are getting

really upset and soon the whole crowd begins to leave until there were only His 12 disciples left.

Read John 6: 48 - 58 and verse 63

One more point in our overview.

Notice the reason the Jews could not understand Him. They took every word that He said,

literally, just as the woman at the well, and Nicodemus had done. But in verse 63 Jesus gave an

explanation of how to understand His word. John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh

profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life.”

We need to ask, “What does Jesus mean by these words?” not just what do these words

literally mean? When Jesus spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, what is the real

spiritual meaning he is trying to convey? That is what we shall seek to understand this morning.

Now let us prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Table:

Confession of Sin: Romans 3:23 tells us “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of

God.” - a short time of silent prayer for the confession of sins

God’s response: Romans 3: 24,“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus.”

The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom

come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory

forever. Amen.

Segment 2. (preached at the Table)

Jesus is the Bread of Life:

This is a mystical concept. What does it mean?

Without food we would starve to death and die. Without Christ, one’s soul would remain

in a state of death and separation from God.

a. The manna in the Old Testament was a type or a picture of Jesus as the Bread of Life.

The Jews were both unwilling and unable to believe in Jesus. They were glad to listen to

his teaching, to bring their sick to be healed, and eat the bread with which He fed the multitude,

but they still weren’t ready to believe. They compared his feeding the 5000, to Moses in the

wilderness. What sign will you show us? The Israelites ate manna for 40 years. Can you do that?

How obstinate the human heart is! That manna sustained the physical lives of the Israelites

for a while, but the people who ate the manna still died. That manna was simply a type or a

picture of Jesus whose life and death would provide spiritual food, which would not just keep the

body alive but would give life to the soul - spiritual life, everlasting life, so that we may live with

Christ forever.

b. Eating or feeding on Christ means to come to Him, believe on Him, to trust Him.

I want you to notice the use of the word “believe” in this passage. In v. 28, Jesus says,

“This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” In v. 35, He says, “He who

comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” In verse 37, we