INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• We live in one of the most diet-conscious societies that’s’ ever existed. There are some very bizarre diets out there.
• The Fork diet, a diet where you can only eat stuff that you can get on a fork.
• The Candy Diet, eat lots of hard candy to suppress your appetite.
• The cookie diet. http://www.probioticsmart.com/blog/2010/08/14-of-the-most-extreme-diets/
• Then there are a lot of the more conventional diets out there also.
• Then there are some that will probably work like the one that says you can eat as much as you want of any food you don’t like. Or the one I ran across that’s called "The Stress Diet".
o Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit, slice whole-wheat toast, 8-oz. skim milk.
o Lunch: 4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast, 1 cup steamed zucchini, 1 Oreo cookie, Herb tea.
o Mid-Afternoon Snack: Rest of the package of Oreo’s, 1 quart of Rocky Road ice cream, 1 jar of hot fudge.
o Supper: 2 loaves garlic bread, large pepperoni and mushroom pizza with double cheese, 2 quarts of Pepsi or Coca Cola, 3 Milky Way Candy Bars, and an entire Sara Lee Pound Cake eaten directly from the refrigerator.
• One thing that ties all of humanity together is the need for food.
• All of us are deeply aware of our need for food and water, when we get hungry, our body tells us.
• All of us are not so aware of the spiritual hunger that we all have also. God created us with a need that He can only fill.
• Today we are not going to spend our time talking about crazy diets, we are going to turn our attention to the first of the “I AM” statements that Jesus makes as He explains Himself to His followers.
• This week we will focus on the statement, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”
• Bread is one food that you will find in most if not all countries in the world, a food that no one country can claim exclusive rights to? A food that you will find at the table of both the richest and the poorest people on earth.
• Bread is served everywhere; it has many uses and many forms. Bread is eaten daily, it is not seasonal.
• We all have a hunger inside of us.
• We try to fill that hunger within us with all kinds of pursuits. EXPLAIN.
• Jesus knows how we can truly satisfy the hunger we have within us.
• We are going to cover a lot of ground in John 6 so you will want to have your bible open. Our focus will be on verse 35, but we will be covering verses 1-71!
• Let’s begin this morning by first looking at a thought that we see in verses 1-15, famously known as the Feeding of the 5,000.
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. The perceived need that is addressed. (1-15)
• In the first 15 verses of chapter six, we have the feeding of the 5,000.
• This is the only event prior to the last week of Jesus’ life that is recorded in all four Gospels. It is the peak of Jesus’ popularity. His rating in the polls will drop from here as he begins to unveil his true identity.
• This was a big event in the ministry of Jesus.
• This Passover, likely April, A.D. 29, marks the transition between Jesus’ second and third year of ministry.
• The Passover is more than a chronological marker. It helps explain the presence of such a large crowd, especially those who would begin their annual migration to Jerusalem.
• It also explains their fervor to proclaim Jesus King. Jewish religious nationalism surged during this feast.
• As this excited band makes its way around the lake, surely they collect an entourage from each of the towns and villages they pass.
• By the time the parade reaches Jesus’ landing sight, it is enormous. As Jesus looks up, he sees this crowd closing in on him.
• The crowds were gathering because of the signs Jesus was performing on the sick according to verse 2.
• Jesus looks out and determines that the growing crowd was hungry. Jesus asks Philip what to do.
• SLIDE #3
• John 6:5-6(ESV) 5Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
• I have to wonder if what Jesus did here was not part of a set up for what will happen the next day.
• Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and blessed them and He was able to provide enough food for the over 5,000 men, that number did not include women and children!
• Look at verses 11-12
• SLIDE #4
• John 6:11-12(ESV) 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
• Check it out, Jesus not only fed them, He gave them all they wanted! There was stuff leftover!
• The people are THRILLED! Why? Because Jesus met a perceived need.
• The people were ready to make Jesus king, He was taking care of their needs.
• He is finally acting like the Messiah they wanted. This brash crowd, driven by the Messianic expectations of the day, fanned into flames by the recent murder of John the Baptist, are ready to inaugurate Jesus whether he wants it or not!
• Likely, they plan on escorting him to Jerusalem with their declaration of independence, accompanied by twelve baskets of leftovers and a train of people he has healed. (VERSE 15)
• Jesus showed He can take care of our physical needs even when it looks like there in not enough resources to do it.
• This section of the chapter sets up the message that is to follow the next day.
• Were the people hungry when Jesus fed them? YES, was that their hunger their REAL need?
• SLIDE #5
II. The real need that must be addressed. (26-51)
• In verses 22-25 we find that we are at the next day. The people were LOOKING for Jesus.
• The people found Him. And in verse 25, they asked where He came from.
• SLIDE #6
• John 6:26-27(ESV) 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
• Jesus more or less told them you are seeking me because I took care of your physical need, but that is not the REAL thing you need taken care of!
• Jesus begins to deliver a truly unique sermon.
• The crowd asked several questions, some of which Jesus never answers directly. They moved from pseudo-sincerity to open hostility. By the end of this sermon, Jesus accomplished a couple of things that most preachers try desperately to avoid. He confused his unbelieving audience and alienated all but his closest comrades.
• SLIDE #7
• John 6:27(ESV) 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
• Just a day earlier, Jesus gave them enough food too more than fill them, but here they are again, hungry, looking for more food.
• Jesus tells the people to work for the food that does not perish.
• Jesus tells them that He can give them the food that endures to eternal life.
• They want a sign from heaven, like Moses gave them with the manna. It is as if they say, “We followed you for earthly food because that is what you miraculously provided. But if you want us to follow you for heavenly food (cf. v. 27), then we will need a sign from heaven.
• Slide #8
• John 6:30-34(ESV) 30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father 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.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
• Now they are curious, they are hungry so here it comes!
• SLIDE #9
• John 6:35(ESV) 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
• Jesus promises that if they will accept His offer, then He will be given eternal life.
• He repeats this call a couple of times in this narrative. Verse 40 and verse 47.
• Jesus was asking for a total commitment from the people.
• Jesus wanted the people to make transition to Him.
• Don’t just go to him for YOUR PHYSICAL NEEDS, GO TO HIM FOR THE SPIRITUAL ALSO!
• The offer has been made now what?
• SLIDE #10
III. The choice to consider.
• Yesterday they were willing to inaugurate Jesus as king because he gave them what they wanted. But today, when Jesus asks for their allegiance, they reject him. They demand of Jesus, “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme …
• If not earthly bread then heavenly bread!” Jesus replied, “It is not I who give, nor was it Moses, but God. He gave manna to your forefathers; but to you he gave me. You ask me to provide heavenly bread but I am that bread!”
• By rejecting Jesus, they are rejecting the very thing they asked Jesus to provide.
• The folks were wondering how Jesus could give them His flesh to eat and His blood to drink. Listen to what Jesus tells them in verse 53
• SLIDE #11
• John 6:53(ESV) 53So 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.
• This freaked the people out, the folks were confronted with a choice, the message of the cross can freak a person out, it is a call for a radical change.
• SLIDE #12
• 1 Corinthians 1:18(ESV) 18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• Quickly let’s look at how the various parts of the crowd reacted.
• We see in verses 52-58 the reaction of the Jews.
• The Jews who were there decided they did not understand what Jesus was teaching so they decided to fight over doctrine and they decided to ultimately reject His call for commitment because it was too difficult for them.
• Then we see the reaction of the Disciples in verses 59-66.
• They surmised that what Jesus was teaching was too difficult for them and according to verse 64 there was those who did not believe.
• When it was cool to follow Jesus the disciples were there, but once there was a deeper call for commitment, opps!
• Look at their ultimate reaction to the call from Jesus.
• SLIDE #13
• John 6:66(ESV) 66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
• Will you decide to quit following Jesus when the call for commitment gets too deep? Will you just follow Him when the crowd does?
• Finally let look at His closest followers.
• Jesus looks at His inner circle as many of the disciples were walking away. Jesus is not polling too well at this point.
• Jesus has offered the people the bread of life and they slapped his shot into the stands, REJECTION!
• Jesus asked them, are you going to leave me too?
• SLIDE #14
• John 6:68-69(ESV) 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
• The inner circle knew Jesus could give them the bread of life that would eternally satisfy them.
• They made the right choice, they decided to stay with Jesus!
CONCLUSION
• Notice that when Jesus speaks of the bread of life, He says that in order to reap the benefits, you must partake of the bread. This is a continual thing, you cannot take a bite and then say that is all I need.
• The thing that Jesus told the people was a hard thing to grasp, the choice to partake of Jesus is not an easy road, but it does promise to bring satisfaction.
• Is your soul empty fill it with Jesus, you will not be sorry, but you will be satisfied!
• Jesus calls us to make a total commitment to Him; He made a total commitment to you!
