Jesus The Bread Of Life

JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:41-51

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A Pastor told one of his faithful church members, “Mrs. Smith, I appreciate your devotion. You are present at all the services!”

2. Mrs. Smith: “Yes, it’s such a relief, at the end of a long, hard week, to come to church, sit on those soft cushions, and not think about anything for an hour!”

B. TEXT

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[Isa. 54:13] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:41-51

C. THESIS

1. We look at the misconceptions about Jesus, His explanation of how saving faith comes, and His superiority as the Bread of Heaven.

2. The title of this message is “Jesus the Bread of Life.”

I. MISCONCEPTIONS OF CHRIST Vss. 41-42

A. SAD RECEPTION OF THE SON OF GOD

1. Verse 41 says, “They grumbled about him.” One would think that, like Israel in Egypt, when they heard God and visited with Him, they would’ve bowed their heads and worshipped.

2. They got to meet Immanuel – “God with us,” “the Word made flesh,” the Creator of all things, walking among men. Were they grateful? Were they respectful, humbling themselves? No! On the contrary, they quarreled with Him about what He said.

3. The reason for their grumbling is clear: they doubted His divine origin. “How is it that he says, ‘I came down from heaven?’” They’d heard of angels coming down from heaven, but never of a man.

4. They overlooked the proofs he’d given them – His miracles and His operation in the word of knowledge (knowing things that only could have been revealed to Him by God). To the casual observer He was obviously much more than a man.

B. REASONS OTHERS DEPRECIATE JESUS CHRIST?

1. Many think that Jesus is just another prophet – a mystic – more in touch with the spiritual realm than the practical world. Others see Him as a good example, but no more.

2. Still others think of Him as a dead hero, dead for 2,000 years, and so He has no relevance for their lives. Still others think He’s just a myth, the invention of story tellers.

3. Someone has observed, “Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3, yet the influence of Christ's 3-year teaching infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching of the greatest philosophers of all ancient times. As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the greatest genius and the most influential life ever lived on this planet.”

II. JESUS EXPLAINS WHERE SAVING FAITH COMES FROM Vss. 43-46

A. WHERE SAVING FAITH DOESN’T COME FROM

1. IT DOESN’T COME FROM SEEING MIRACLES. Many of those who followed Jesus to Capernaum had seen His miracle of feeding the 5,000 and healing the sick, yet they didn’t believe (John 2:11; 2:23; 7:31; 12:37).

2. FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD! (Rom. 10:17) Yet a number of those who heard Jesus preach didn’t allow His words to find a lodging in their hearts. So hearing alone doesn’t produce it.

3. IT DOESN’T EVEN COME BY BELIEVING. This sounds like heresy, but it’s actually the teaching of James 2:19; “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” NKJV. James goes on to say belief must be accompanied by “works” or “deeds;” James is referring to OBEDIENCE! If you really believe in Jesus, you’ll obey Jesus. Obedience is the proof of belief.

B. WHERE SAVING FAITH DOES COME FROM