WHO WANTS SOME BREAD: Come & See John 6: 25- 40
Part three in a series on “Four Images of Relationship” Text: vv. 35-40
This morning we finish up our three-part series entitled, “Who Wants Some Bread: The Four Images of Relationship.”
• Image one was Jesus’ command for us to “work for the food that endures for eternal life.”
• Then last week Jesus tells us how we must “believe in Him.”
• Now verses 35-40 give us the last two images of relationship: “Come” and “See.” (read vv. 35-40).
We are using these two images together because they are so often used together in Scripture as a witness!
• The words come and see are used together in 57 verses of Scripture (NKJV):
• 35 times they are used together in the Old, 22 times in the New.
• Listen, as I read vv. 35-40 to the importance of the words “come” and “see” to Jesus (read vv. 35-40)
I). Although the words “come” and “see” don’t appear together like they do in those other 57 verses of Scripture that we mentioned, the image of relationship with Christ is clear!
A). Working and believing in and for Christ is only a part of the Christian life.
• Jesus answers those who says, “Sir, give us this bread always.” By stating, in verse 35, “I am the bread of Life.”
B). And we receive that bread by coming to Him! “Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry…”
II). So let’s look at this image of “coming to Christ.”
A). Jesus tells us, in verse 37 (read)
• There are two great truths for us to hold onto here:
B). First, that all who are drawn by the Father, through the Holy Spirit, will come to Christ.
• Look at v. 44 (read)
• Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
• God sends preachers and evangelists today to proclaim His salvation, and He accompanies that preaching with the influence of the Holy Spirit.
• Those who yield to the wooing of the Holy Spirit are saved, those who don’t are lost.
• So who is the Father trying to lead to Christ…who is the Holy Spirit wooing?
• Is there an elect…a selected number that will be saved? Of course not!
• 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
• So God the Father is attempting to draw all of us to Christ through the Holy Spirit, the problem is we don’t respond!
• Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.”
• So it’s not that God is calling us to come, the problem is we don’t care and so we’re just not listening!
C). Second, those who do respond, Jesus will receive! (37b).
• Jesus says here, “Anyone who comes to Me, I will not refuse to save.”
• The Greek word used for “comes” (“cometh” KJV) means “to arrive.”
• Wesley said it this way: “All that feel themselves lost, and follow the drawings of the Father, and thus come to me, I will nowise cast out – I will give him pardon, holiness, and heaven, if he endure to the end.”
• So it’s more than just being willing to come to repentance, it’s those who actually come to Jesus.
• (EXAMPLE: sin: walking away form God, repentance: turning back to God, arrival: reaching Christ).
• That gets back to last Sunday where we talked about the image of belief and obedience!
• Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:22 & 24:13 that “He who endures to the end (to his or her arrival to Christ) will be saved.”
• So, we not only have to turn to Christ, we must come to Christ.
III). Now let’s skip down to verse 40 and look at this final image of relationship: Seeing Christ. (read v.40)
A). What does it mean to see Christ?
• The Greek word used here for “see” is “theoreo” [theh-o-reh-o] which means “to discern or experience”.
• So a knowledge of Christ isn’t enough – neither is a historical knowledge of Him (believing that Jesus actually lived).
• It’s not even enough to believe that He is the Son of God! The Messiah! (Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven…”)
B). To see Christ means to trust in Him for righteousness, forgiveness, and eternal life!
• We have to discern and experience Christ!
C). How does that happen? We’ve gone over the process all through this study the past 3 weeks:
• Even though we are sinners, the Father in His great love for us, sends the Holy Spirit to us in order to reveal our sin to us and woo us to Christ;
• As we begin to realize that there is more to life than the physical, we begin to desire & work for the spiritual bread, Jesus says, that leads to eternal life.
• So we ask: “Lord, what can I do to gain eternal life? To gain salvation?
• And Jesus responds, “Believe!” Believe in Him as your Savior, and begin to serve Him as your Lord!
• That requires us to COME to Him ~ it’s the process of “being saved.”
o We’re not there yet, but we are on the journey (Remember: realizing you’re going the wrong way and making a U-turn doesn’t mean that you’ve reached your destination).
o Ephesians 2:5 (Literal Translation), “by grace you are being saved.”
o 1 Cor. 1:18, “For the Word of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God.”
o 2 Cor. 2:15, “For we are a sweet smell to God because of Christ in those being saved…”
• And when all those things happen: we work, we believe, and we come to Him, we will see Jesus!
• When we see Him, the way He wants us to see Him, we’ll experience all that He has for us:
o We’ll experience righteousness, peace, pardon, cleansing, wisdom, strength, grace, hope, joy, healing, salvation, and life!
o And that will be coupled with assurance, truth and confirmation that Jesus is the bread of LIFE.
WHO WANTS SOME BREAD?
