LET'S EAT!
INTRODUCTION: Usually when someone says this it's not met with much resistance from me. But when it comes to the bread of Jesus there are plenty of people who say, 'no thanks'.
1) Who wants bread? (John 6:25-36)
In John 6, we see the story of when Jesus fed 5,000 plus with five small loaves and two small fish. They all ate and had their fill and when the disciples went around picking up the scraps there was enough for them to take with them. This miracle of provision would set the stage for Jesus declaring that he is the bread of life.
After this miracle, the people started to recognize Jesus as the Prophet that was to come into the world. But their reaction, albeit with good intentions, was not appropriate. They wanted to take him and make him king by force. So, Jesus withdrew from them and went off by himself.
The disciples had gotten into a boat and were headed across the lake to Capernaum. Jesus came to them during the night, walking on the water. The next day, the people who had been with Jesus got into their boats and went over to Capernaum as well. They had deduced that Jesus hadn't been with the disciples when they set sail so they were surprised to see him with them when they got to the opposite side of the lake.
John 6:25-27, "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.”
Jesus doesn't answer their question he just goes directly after the reason why they were so earnestly looking for him. Jesus had filled their bellies and they had to make sure he didn't get away. Jesus knew they weren't looking for him for the right reasons. Although they recognized him as the Prophet, their idea of what the Prophet was here for was to be like a modern-day Moses, providing manna and water for the people. They weren't looking at Jesus as the Savior, just a meal ticket.
Sometimes we can be like this. We look at Jesus as if he's there just to give me what I want. When we go to the Lord in prayer, do we seek physical things or spiritual things? Not that it's wrong to ask for material things but how often do we pray for wisdom and discernment? How often do we pray to be more loving or compassionate? Or is it usually, "Lord I need this" or "Lord do this for me"?
"Do not work for food that spoils but for food that endures to eternal life". Jesus instructed them to focus on acquiring food that wouldn't spoil-heavenly food. Yes, you need physical food, but your primary focus should be on spiritual food. This goes with what Jesus said about storing up treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth. Don't put all your effort into that which holds no eternal value.
In Matt. 6:25-33 Jesus taught us to not worry about what we will eat or wear, for the pagans worry and chase after these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to us. We can get caught up in spending more time, money and energy chasing after material things and not be focused so much on pursuing spiritual things.
Worry causes us to do that. Selfishness can cause us to do that. We want what's tangible and we want what will benefit us right now. But any financial adviser will tell you that it' wise to invest for your future. So we can acknowledge the wisdom of investing in my retirement but not for the kingdom? We're willing to make sacrifices now for the sake of having it later in life but we're not willing to do that for spiritual reasons?
Vs. 28-31, "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.’”
"What must we do?" They were wondering what they needed to do in order to get this eternal life food Jesus was talking about. Jesus makes it clear that it's not about doing, it's about believing; the work you must do is believe in me. There is nothing we can do to earn God's favor. The only way we can be in right standing with God is to believe and accept what Jesus did for us.
I think it's pretty interesting that they ask Jesus what sign will he give so they would believe him. Apparently turning five small barley loaves and two small fish into enough food to feed about 15,000 people wasn't impressive enough for them. Some people just won't put their faith in Jesus no matter how many miracles they see.
They are saying to Jesus something similar to what the woman at the well said to him. "Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well?" The Jews here are basically saying, "Are you better than Moses, who gave us heavenly bread to eat? You fed a few thousand people once; he fed a million people for forty years." I also think it's interesting that their dialog changes from asking "what must we do" to, "what will you do". "Ok, you want us to believe in you? Prove yourself." Let's see how Jesus responds.
Vs. 32-35, "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."
Jesus makes it clear that even though the manna was pretty special, it was still literal food. Yes, it was made by God but it was subject to the elements. God made it spoil if anyone tried to keep it longer than they were supposed to. Manna is the bread from God but Jesus is the bread of God. Manna sustained them physically but Jesus sustained them spiritually; showing himself to be infinitely more important.
Their response is like the one given by the woman at the well. She wanted special water and they wanted special bread but neither of them realized what Jesus meant. He states that he is this bread. If you come to me you won't go hungry anymore.
Like last week, once we come to Jesus and drink the living water; once we feast on the bread of life we will never be thirsty or hungry for anything else because there is nothing else that satisfies like Jesus. Nothing else can fill us; nothing else can sustain us-only the true bread and water from heaven can do that.
"Never go hungry". Like with the wellspring of living water, Jesus is a never-ending source. With him there's no reason to go hungry. In Syracuse there are places to go get a meal if you're hungry. You can go to the Mission or the Samaritan. You could go to the Assumption church or to the food pantry. It seems to me there is no reason why a person has to go hungry in Syracuse.
So why are some people still going hungry? Maybe they don't feel like traveling to where the food is. Maybe they're more focused on getting other things like drugs or alcohol. Maybe they're so depressed about their lives they don't care and just want to give up.
There can be similar reasons why people aren't going to where the spiritual food is. They don't want to make the "long trek" to church. They don't want to pick up that 500 pound bible and open it. Maybe they are filling up with other things-things that will never satisfy; food that spoils-putting water into broken cisterns. Perhaps because of hardships or struggles with sin they've become despondent and feel like giving up altogether.
"During WWII, the Germans forced many 12 and 13 year olds into the Junior Gestapo. These boys were treated very harshly and given inhumane jobs to perform. When the war ended, most had lost track of their families and wandered about without food or shelter.
As part of an aid program to post-war Germany, many of these youths were placed in tent cities. Here doctors and psychologists worked with the boys in an attempt to restore their mental and physical health. They found that many of the boys were waking up in the night screaming in terror.
One doctor had an idea. After feeding the boys a large meal, he put them to bed with a piece of bread in their hands, which they were told to save until morning. The boys slept soundly because they finally had the assurance of food for the next day. Jesus is the bread of life. Holding onto him will give you the assurance to face anything that comes your way."
But if we are like the people Jesus is speaking with, we can be told where to find life but we have to believe that Jesus is the source. Vs. 36, "But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe." In verse 41 it says that they were grumbling over Jesus saying he was the bread that came down from heaven. They said, 'isn't he the son of Joseph, don't we know his mother and father? How can he say he came down from heaven?'
For some people, their confusion leads to their dismissal. They were skeptical because they may have known Jesus as the carpenter's son and now he's claiming to be the bread of life. Although on the surface it's understandable why one might be a little leery to grab hold of this but you have just seen this carpenter reproduce a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish to fill the stomachs of roughly 15,000 people. Isn't that enough to convince you he's something more than a carpenter? Jesus had proved himself but they weren't willing to truly believe.
Athletes illustrate what it means to truly believe in a person in authority. A high school basketball player, for example, who believes in his coach because that coach is a former NBA Champion, will do whatever the coach tells him. If the coach says to change the technique in his shooting motion, even if it feels awkward or even if it causes him to shoot worse at first. If the coach says to run four miles a day or lift weights for 30 minutes a day he will do it, even though it hurts.
If the coach says to pass the ball more and shoot less he will accept that role. Why? Because the athlete believes the coach knows better than he does what makes a winner. When you truly believe in a person in authority, you follow that person in complete obedience.
The athlete who does not truly believe in the coach will not fully follow. He may believe things about the coach-that he is a former NBA Champion, that his name is Michael-but believing certain information and believing in someone's authority are two different things. Those who truly believe in Jesus not only believe certain facts about Jesus, they believe in his right to direct their lives. They believe and accept that he is the true bread from heaven who satisfies. Now our story starts to get quite interesting.
2) I am the true bread. (47-58)
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 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. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Jesus is making a comparison between the insufficient manna and himself. Since manna was just food, it would sustain physically, but not spiritually and therefore, could not save a person from spiritual death. But Jesus as the true bread from heaven can do that. If we eat of him we will gain eternal life. We will die physically but we will be raised spiritually.
But what's all this talk about eating his flesh and drinking his blood? Referring to himself as the bread from heaven was one thing but now he's telling us we need to eat him! These guys knew that cannibalism wasn't cool; what in the world was Jesus asking them to do here?! First of all, he didn't mean this literally. I think it's kind of absurd that anyone would've taken his words literally here.
In the very least it should've caused people to ask what he meant. It's understood that Jesus referring to his flesh and blood as real food and drink meant that it was the true bread and the true drink; spiritually speaking of course. When we eat and drink, we consume, it goes into us and fills us and nourishes us. When we become born again we take Christ in. His Spirit fills us and nourishes us.
1st John 4:13, "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." Through his Spirit Jesus is in us and we're in him. It's like we're conjoined; which is pretty special when you think about it. So when Jesus says we must eat his flesh and drink his blood he is saying we must take him in; we must allow him to fill us.
Matt. 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." When we are hungry and thirsty for Jesus, he responds by filling us up.
From the Fourfold gospel commentary regarding the blood: "The thought of drinking blood was startling to the Jew, for he was forbidden to taste even the blood of animals, and the reason assigned was very pertinent--because the blood was the life of the animal (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:10-14). By insisting, therefore, on the drinking of his blood, Jesus has insisted that his very life be absorbed and assimilated.
To be disciples of other teachers it is only necessary that we accept and follow their doctrine. But to be a disciple of Christ is to do more than this. His divinity permits us to have a spiritual communion and fellowship with him, an abiding in his presence, an indwelling of his Spirit, and a veritable assimilation of life from him."
Do you see how deeply personal this is? Jesus doesn't just want to teach us; Jesus doesn't just want to save us-he wants to fill us-he wants to have a relationship with us. And one of the ways we honor that special union is through the Lord's Supper.
Matt. 26:26-28, "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
While Jesus' words in John 6 isn't referring to the Lord's Supper, it does coincide with it. And again, just like in John 6, Jesus doesn't mean this literally; although some people believe this should be taken literally. It's called transubstantiation-where the bread and the juice transform into the actual body and blood of Jesus. But that's a gross misunderstanding of the text.
In the Lord's Supper we are taking on his sacrifice for us. And in response we are acknowledging our sacrifice on his part. When we become born again and we have the Holy Spirit in us, Jesus is in us. As he said in John 14:18-20, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." The union is forged. Eating the flesh and drinking the blood is about taking Jesus in and allowing him to save us, fill us and lead us.
3) Leaving so soon? (60-69)
"On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
"Hard teaching. Who can accept it?" "Hard" here means offensive or disagreeable. They were having a hard time subscribing to Jesus being better than Moses, that he came from heaven and that in order to have eternal life you need to eat his flesh and drink his blood. These words would not be easy to take in, understand and accept. So I'm sure Jesus knew this wording would produce quite a reaction so why did he say it like this?
I believe Jesus worded it like this to see who would stick around; who would ask for an explanation; who would engage further. Anyone who had been convinced of his deity would come up to him and ask what he meant by that. But for those who were following him for the wrong reasons this would be a deal-breaker for them. So this might not seem like a successful tactic, but it definitely would separate the men from the boys-the serious from the non-serious.
"Does this offend you?" It's like Jesus is saying, 'if you're offended by my saying that I came from heaven, what will you think when you see me go back there in my ascension?' Notice that Jesus doesn't apologize. Why doesn't he say, "Does this offend you? I'm sorry." When we share the truth in love, some people might get offended. Unless we were rude, crude or had a major attitude there really isn't anything to apologize for; except maybe to say, 'I'm sorry that you can't see the truth of God's word here."
Many turned away and no longer followed him. They decided that Jesus was no longer worth following. Which shows that the reason for their following Jesus was not because he was the author of life but because he was someone who could do things for them. They heard Jesus' words but they didn't allow them to register; they didn't allow them to go deep-they didn't combine listening with faith.
Heb. 4:2, "For we have also had the gospel preached to us just as they did, but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." There are a lot of people who hear the gospel; there are many people who even go to church for years but the messages they hear have no real value to them; they don't really penetrate the exterior to go deep and affect the heart. There is something in the way.
There could be any number of obstacles that prevent us from receiving the message through faith. Perhaps abuse has created a lack of trust. Maybe it's paranoia, fears, doubts, self-abasing attitude, etc. If this is you, pray that the Lord remove these barriers so that nothing will hinder you from having a faith response.
"The words I have spoken to you are Spirit." Even though Jesus tried to explain to them that he was being spiritual that didn't register with them. So it's not like Jesus left them hanging; he tried to explain but it didn't matter. 1st Cor. 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
If these students were following Jesus because they were being led by the spirit then they would've accepted his words, however crazy they might have sounded. Instead, they viewed Jesus' statements as foolishness and turned to walk away from him. Notice Jesus doesn't go chasing after them saying, "Wait, hold on; don't go-let me explain."
Instead he allows them to walk away. He knows they don't understand what he meant but the problem is neither were they trying to find out. I'm sure letting them go wasn't easy for him to do, but Jesus wasn't trying to win a popularity contest; he was proclaiming the truth-and the truth isn't always easy to digest.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus is challenging his Apostles. 'What about you?' Do you want to stay with me or go with them? Then Peter makes one of the greatest declarations in scripture. "Where else can we go; who else can we turn to? You're the one who has the words of life. We're convinced that you are the Christ."
This doesn't mean that Peter and the other Apostles understood what Jesus had been talking about. In fact it's probably safe to say they didn't really understand what Jesus was talking about. But the difference was they were not going to dismiss it like the others were. The question of "who can accept it" was answered with the Apostles and any others who remained.
There are going to be some things about scripture that we may not understand. There may be some things that will be hard to accept. But if we have concluded that the truth is found in no one else but Jesus then we will conclude that his words are life even though I'm having a hard time accepting or understanding them right now.
"We know." They had already been convinced. Jesus had already proven himself to them. They weren't asking for more signs and wonders; they had seen enough. When we have seen enough to be truly convinced then it doesn't matter what happens after that. Things might shake our faith but they won't destroy it. We might be tested but when we have been convinced that Jesus is the Holy One of God and that he has the words of life, we will say, 'It is well with my soul. Where else can I go; to whom shall I turn?" We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Jesus is the bread of life.
Sadhu Sundac Singh was distributing gospels in the Central Province of India. He came to some non-Christians on the train and offered a man a copy of John's gospel. The man took it, tore it into pieces and threw them out the window. There, whaddya think of that?
Well, it just so happened that there was a man who had been anxiously seeking the truth who just happened to be walking along the tracks that day. As he walked along he noticed a small piece of paper. He grabbed it and read the four words-"The Bread of Life".
He didn't know what that meant but he started inquiring among his friends and one of them said, "It is out of the Christian book. You must not read it or you will be defiled." The man thought for a moment and concluded, "I want to read the book that contains this beautiful phrase."
He purchased a copy of the NT and was shown where these words of Jesus were found. As he studied the gospel the light flooded into his heart and he is now a preacher of the gospel. God provided spiritual food for this person who was looking for the bread of life.
