[S] My wife and I were talking on the porch the other morning about some of the trips we’ve taken to our childhood homes and how different they were compared to what we remembered. The house I grew up at in Downers Grove Illinois was a large three story brick home with a large separate two car garage and a large backyard with a big oak tree and a two level tree house that my dad built. Well, when I went back to the Chicago area for a visit I drove by that home and discovered it had shrunk to a two story with a small yard. Going back to see old homestead put it back in proper perspective for me.
It’s interesting how a person’s memory changes over the years isn’t it?
It’s been my personal experience that the same phenomenon happens when it comes to other matters like who Jesus is. A long time Christ follower, Philip Yancey wrote a book titled “The Jesus I Never Knew” where he confessed that the Jesus he knew wasn’t as much like the real Jesus as he thought. And for someone who claims to be a disciple that can be very detrimental.
Today we conclude the series entitled “Jesus as They Knew Him.” A series designed to take the family on a trip back to the homestead contained in the gospels that will help us see Jesus as he really was instead of who he has become, and to realign our lives around this Jesus.
The idea has been to ask the four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to tell us about the Jesus they knew by asking each of them the following question, “If you could tell us one thing about the Jesus you knew, what would you want us to know?” Today, it’s John’s turn. And I think John would reply by saying, [S] “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20.30-31, NIV)
The Jesus that John knew was the promised Messiah who came to give eternal life to those who would buy in to who he is. And John came to that conclusion because that is what the signs pointed to.
[S] Signs come in many shapes and sizes. Take road signs for instance. There are blue signs, brown signs, green signs, orange signs, red signs, yellow signs and white signs. Signs don’t exist for themselves. They typically point to something beyond themselves; a rest area up the road, a state park at the next exit, construction ahead or an intersection to stop at.
John saw the miraculous deeds of Jesus as signs. The miracles were not done so that people would think he was a miracle-worker or a faith healer but were intended to point beyond the immediate event to him as the promised Messiah who had come to offer and provide a better way of life.
One of those signs is found in chapter 6 where Jesus feeds 5,000-20,000 hungry people with a five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. After the event he and the disciples headed to the other side of the lake. The next day the crowd went looking for him.
Reading from 6.25-35 [S], “When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus 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. Do 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.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’’”
Jesus 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then 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.” (John 6.25-35, NIV) [S]
Jesus tells the crowd that he is the One God had sent to offer Israel eternal life. Someone replies, “Oh yeah?” “Prove it.” “Show us a miracle!” Moses gave our ancestors manna from heaven. ”Can you do the same thing?” “Show us the Manna!” “If you can show us the manna we’ll believe you.”
“Show us the manna!” was a legitimate request because manna was associated with the coming of the Messiah. The Jews believed that a pot of manna had been hidden in the ark of the first temple, and that when the temple was destroyed that the prophet Jeremiah hid it someplace and no one knew where it was, except for the Messiah. The One sent by God would know where the manna was hidden. And so when the Messiah came he would find the manna, multiply it and serve it again God’s people Israel (Barclay, The Gospel of John, Vol. 1, pg. 215).
[S] Do you remember what I said the scene was before Jesus and the disciples went to the other side? Jesus took some bread, gave thanks and distributed it to the masses. There is a parallel between this event and God feeding the Israelites manna in their wilderness wanderings. John is saying, “look at what the signs are pointing to!”
“When someone in the crowd said, “Show us the manna!” Jesus replied in essence saying, “I’ve already have.” But then he goes on to say, “I am the bread of life”. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." (48-51 NIV)
John wants us to know that the Jesus he knew was the Messiah who had come to offer eternal life to those who would believe.
But eternal life in the book of John is not synonymous with eternity nor does it exclude eternity as we understand it. Eternal life is not limited to living forever after someone dies. That is how the Greeks understood eternal life but not the Hebrews. Eternal life for the Hebrew refers to living in harmony with God and had as much to do with living on this side of death as the other side (http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1854).
Another phrase used in lieu of eternal life was “living in eternity” which meant to live each day from an eternal perspective. Eternal life in John is about living a life that lets matters of eternal significance and importance influence how ones lives more than temporal concerns or what the Hebrews referred to as the “fleeting life”.
For example, Jewish tradition considered studying the bible as living out of one’s eternal life because doing so has eternal significance. There is a story about a Rabbi who spent years in the study of scripture. One day he walked past farmers tilling their land and remarked, “They have abandoned lasting life and involve themselves instead with fleeting life.” (This is Eternal Life, Louis Tverberg, www.egrc.net)
Too often we do the same. Now, there’s nothing wrong with making a living unless it occupies all our time and crowds out matters of eternal importance. Personal experience has taught me that I have spent way too much time engaged in matters that are trivial when compared to the eternal. How many hours have I spent watching tv that could be given to the study of scripture, memorizing passages of scripture, praying, performing works of charity, or holy conversation with others.
What kind of life are you experiencing? An eternal life or a fleeting life? The life Jesus offers is anything but fleeting. The Jesus John knew was the Messiah who came to show and tell you and I how to live the life of eternity for eternity.
In 20.31 when Jesus said “that by believing you may have life in His name” he wasn’t limiting himself to our understanding of believing as a mental assent to something. Believing is tied to the eating of the bread which is a metaphor describing our participation in accepting and internalizing Jesus’ words and making them part of our daily life.
[S] The Jesus John knew was the giver of life. A new and lasting life that comes to those who entrust themselves to Jesus as the Messiah combined with living each day in harmony with the teachings of the Christ.
Maybe there is someone here who realizes that the life they have lived as been driven by more of the temporal issues of life instead of the eternal. Today Jesus invites you to change your mind about that and make the decision to start letting matters of eternal importance determine how you spend your time, money and effort.
Maybe there is someone here who has been seeking the good and lasting life but it has eluded you because you don’t know Jesus as your Messiah and Savior, the one who will save you from your sins and give you the keys of life for eternity. John says you will find the life you are hungry for in the Jesus he knew.
This is the Jesus John wants you to know. This is the Jesus who was offered to me. And this is the Jesus I offer to you.
