Jesus' Miracles Endure

JESUS? MIRACLES ENDURE

JOHN 6:24-35 AUGUST 11, 2002

JOHN 6:24-35

24Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’"

32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."

35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:

Once again we consider that miracle of Jesus in the feeding of the five thousand. What is interesting is that some people have tried to explain away many of Jesus? miracles because they just don?t make sense. How could He do such things? One of these is the miracle of the feeding of five thousand. They try to say ?Well, with all those people there, certainly everyone just opened up their baskets and shared their food, and there was plenty to eat.? Or they say ?There probably weren?t that many people there to begin with.? When it comes right down to it, it makes no difference even though mankind might try to diminish the miracles of Jesus, they still are miracles. Thankfully you and I look at them and understand them by faith, God?s gift of grace to us, given that we might see that Jesus? miracles endure. After all, what is a miracle? A miracle that Jesus does or that God does is really a sign of God?s love for His people. And so it is today that we are reminded that even though mankind might try to change His miracles, we can?t do that because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even though we live in a world that changes, there is a constant. There is Christ, our Savior, who does not change. He provides for us then with His miracles as we see today.

Last week we had in the first lesson from Isaiah writing about sharing in the joy of the feast that is

without cost. He says: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare"(ISAIAH 55:2).

Once again today, we?re fed with the Word of God. We delight in the richest of fare as we recall for ourselves that Jesus? miracles do endure. They endure in just more than daily bread; they endure because Jesus gives us eternal life.

Today we consider: Jesus? miracles do endure

I. More than earthly bread

II. Jesus gives eternal life

I. More than earthly bread:

You and I have the picture of the crowd and we heard in our gospel lesson of how Jesus went across the lake. The crowd realized they were gone, so our text begins by saying: ?Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.? They weren?t going to let Jesus go. After all, as they sat around on the mountainside, He had fed them with loaves of bread and fish. They had plenty to eat. They knew that they would get hungry again, so they were going to follow Him. As we heard in our gospel lesson, they went across the lake; Jesus walked on the water?a miracle! A miracle that even these people weren?t anxious to admit to. When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him: "Rabbi, when did you get here?" They were curious because they had seen the disciples leave earlier in the boat. We had heard how Jesus dismissed the crowd and went up to pray on a mountain. The crowd left afterwards and yet Jesus beat them over there. He was there ahead of the disciples. Rather than realize that He had walked on water (performing another miracle), they just asked Him, ?When did you get here? How did you do that? Deep down in their hearts, some of them knew. Some of them knew that this Jesus was the very Son of God and He could do a miracle such as the feeding of five thousand or walking on the water, or anything else He wanted to do. Jesus knew that.