Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“The Bread of Life” Part 2
John is the Gospel of belief.
Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-31
Chapter one introduces nearly all the themes expanded throughout the book.
Chapters 2-12 Focuses on the public ministry of Jesus.
Chapters 13-17 highlight the private ministry of Jesus with His disciples.
Chapters 18-21 emphasize the saving ministry of Christ.
For the last two weeks we have followed the development of a most vital theme of the book presenting Jesus as the “Bread of Life”. From here on out we will see increased contrast between those who believe and those who don’t. John introduced this contrast in chapter one.
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:11-12
The presentation of Jesus as the bread of life in chapter six began with a most remarkable demonstration of divine power to physically feed a multitude of people. Follow this demonstration of power the disciples stumbled through a test concerning what they learned on the hillside and marveled at an instantly calmed storm and an instant arrival on the other side of sea.
The next day, probably still weary from several days of continuous ministry, Jesus and the disciples face the crowd of people who witnessed the previous day’s teaching, miracles and full stomachs as they rushed to the other side of the sea, anxious for more of the sensational. On the basis of a graphic picture of his ability to sustain physical life temporarily, Jesus now develops a most profound teaching regarding his ability and mission to sustain life both physically and spiritually for eternity. This teaching deserves more than a cursory glance; perhaps even a lifetime of study. This passage contains a variety of questions that dictate the direction of the lesson. I use these questions to frame our time together this morning.
Question #1 When did you get here? (How did you do it?) 6:22-25
Their question indicates a curiosity in the sensational not necessarily in the eternal. “How did you do it?”
“How did you get here so fast from the other side without a boat?”
• Jesus rebukes their motives 6:26
Jesus aims at the need of the heart rather than the subject of their curiosity. Their need is to go beyond the signs to the intended destination. You only seek me because I filled your stomachs when I really want to fill your hearts.
• Jesus redirects their focus 6:27
"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal."
Here Jesus strongly encourages them to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. Don’t expend your energy to obtain physical food that can only sustain physical life temporarily. Physical food only lasts so long before it perishes and becomes useless. Expend your energy to obtain spiritual food that continually generates and sustains eternal life. This food continually endures. The satisfying taste and life sustaining properties never end. This is a food that lasts forever.
Where does one find this kind of eternal food? The Son will provide this food yet in the future as a direct agent of the Father who already set His seal on the Son.
Question #2 “What do we do to work for this super food?” 6:28
They said therefore to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
These people figure that there must be something they should be doing that would qualify them for the eternal bread line. They are looking for the short list.
• Jesus identifies the work of God 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
Jesus recognizes continuous belief in Him as the labor or focus that results in the food that continually obtains and sustains eternal life. Jesus uses the same word for work used earlier but changes it from a plural (works) to a singular (work). Only one necessary work acquires the food from the Son that initiates and sustains eternal life. Jesus supplies the food for eternal life simply through the act of believing in Him the bread of life. Continual belief, trust in Christ is the work of God. Salvation is no more complicated than choosing to access the right warehouse where such wonderful life-giving food is stored. He is the Father’s only authorized dealer for food that sustains eternal life.
Question #3 “What sign will you do to convince us to believe?” 6:30
They said therefore to Him, "What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?
Since you claim to be necessary agent of super food…What do you do for a sign? Do something to convince us (we might see) to believe (point in time action) in you! Can you outshine Moses?
"Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.' "
What do you do to prove your claims?
• Jesus identifies the source of true bread
Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. John 6:32
Moses didn’t give and still doesn’t give bread out of heaven. It is the Father who continually provides spiritual food, true bread from the heavenly realms.
"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." John 6:33
The “bread of God” is the very life of God. The bread coming down out of heaven is eternal life that flows from his very life. Jesus took on humanity to bring new life to humanity. Over and over John emphasizes the heavenly origin of Christ.
Question #4 “Will you give us an eternal supply of this bread? 6:34
They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread."
• Jesus boldly identifies Himself as the bread of life 6:35
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
In one simple yet profound proclamation Jesus clears up any uncertainty concerning what He means by “bread of God” and “bread out of heaven.” You need look no further. I, and I alone am the bread of life. I Am the bread out of heaven given for the life of the world. I Am the food that sustains eternal life.
I Am the food that all should diligently pursue instead of perishable food. I Am the only source of eternal life. Only proper response to Jesus obtains such life-enriched food; not keeping a list of laws or attempting to do any particular work. The one properly responding to Him will never by any means hunger or thirst for anything else.
1) “The one coming” will by no means hunger
2) “The one believing” will by no means thirst
• Jesus exposes their unbelief 6:36
"But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
Jesus questioned their motives when they first came to Him that day. Later they demanded that He do something to convince them to believe. Do a sign that we may “see”! And seeing believe. Jesus charges them here concerning the fact that they had already seen (perfect tense verb) and were still faced with sufficient evidence to convince them to believe and yet still they were not believing. Jesus clearly holds man responsible for failing to believe and yet reveals a missing element among this Jewish crowd essential for a proper response to Him. Signs and wonders alone will not bring people to Christ.
Seeing is not always believing. Everyone who followed Jesus had the same opportunity to see. Judas saw everything that Jesus did and heard everything that Jesus taught and yet failed to believe. Later in chapter seven we read that not even his own brothers believed in him at that point.
Jesus boldly discloses the definitive determining factor regarding belief. Believing followers of Christ are a special gift of the Father to His son. This is a teaching that is not so hard to understand as hard for our pride to accept. Yet it should serve to humble us deeply and encourage us greatly. I do not have the final word on this long running often heated theological discussion. Try to present the truth as found here and supported elsewhere in Scripture.
• Jesus elaborates the Father’s role in belief 6:37-40
"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
• The Father gives believers to Jesus
We are a chosen race, a chosen group of people called “saints” gifted to Jesus as a glorious inheritance. Paul strongly addresses this truth in Ephesians 1 and then prays that the Ephesians gain a full appreciation of the glory of Christ’s inheritance in the saints.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephes. 1:3-6
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephes. 1:18-19
• All that the Father gives come to Jesus
All those that the Father gives to the Son will at some time in the future come. (future tense verb).
Again we see the tension between man’s responsibility and God’s drawing. God gives. Those given come.
The Father’s giving appears to be the cause of the person’s coming and believing.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48
The Appointed (perfect tense) Believed (point time)
• Jesus welcomes all that come (will certainly not reject any who come)
Will not by any means cast away at a point in time. This answers a plaguing question that may arise in some. What if I have not been given to Jesus? No one who truly comes to Jesus will be turned away. No one will be able to say, “I wanted to come to Jesus but God wouldn’t let me.”
“Come unto me all that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28
The two sides of this ancient coin are clearly seen once again. The Father gives. People must choose to come. Those who choose to come will be welcomed and not cast away.
• Jesus is committed to do the Father’s will 6:38
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
“For” Jesus elaborates the reason why he will by no means reject any who come. He cannot reject any gift from His Father because He is thoroughly committed to the Father’s will. This is an oft-repeated commitment of Jesus. My very food is to do the will of Him who sent me.
• The Father wills that Jesus retain all who come (lose none given by the Father) to the end
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given (perfect tense) Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. John 6:39
Not only will Jesus welcome all whom the Father has given in a point in time and are still a gift but also he will retain them to the end. These gifts from the Father are too precious to lose.
First He states this truth in the negative “I lose NOTHING”. Then in the positive “I raise it up on the last day” This phrase looks to the resurrection of the material bodies to a glorified state to be reunited with the immaterial dimension in the glorious completion of our redemption.
Paul probes the longing for this glorious day in Romans 8 and portrays it in 1 Cor 15.
All who are given to Jesus by the Father…
All who come to and believe in Jesus…
All who are welcomed by Jesus…
Will not be lost but experience the culmination of the work God began.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philip. 1:6
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 2 Tim. 1:12
Jesus praised the Father that none of those given Him were lost.
"While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:12
This prayer is full of passion for the followers given by the Father.
• The Father wills that all who see and believe continually experience eternal life.
"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; John 6:40a
Jesus adds more benefit here to those seeing and believing in Christ. (As opposed to those who saw and didn’t believe). The Father wills that EVERYONE who sees and believes continually “has”, enjoys, possesses, and owns eternal life. We must not limit our perception of “eternal life” to what we presently experience as life extended out into eternity future. Technically that is everlasting life. The eternal life offered every believer has to do with the very essence of what it means to be alive with life drawn from God Himself; the very source of real life. God grants us a share in His very life that is eternal in both in quality and quantity. The Father wills that all who embrace Christ continually experience, enjoy, possess HIS very life.
Hallelujah!!!! Stand up and SHOUT!!!!! My question is why aren’t we becoming more and more aware of the reality of this life? It is the current possession of EVERY genuine saint of God. At time the flesh life seems so much more alive than this eternal life of Christ. One day we will experience the full reality of this life applied to our whole being.
• The father wills that Jesus Himself raise up every individual on the last day.
and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40b
Jesus emphatically repeats the fact that He will most certainly finish the work begun by His Father concerning those given by His father. God wills it!! “I MYSELF will raise them up!”
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”. Philip. 2:12-13
Fully live out what God has done in you. Willingly cooperate with his work in you.
What a marvelous demonstration of mercy and grace and sovereignty we have here.
• The Father gives believers to Jesus.
• Those given by the Father come and believe in Jesus.
• Jesus welcomes those who come and believe.
• Jesus keeps those who come and believe.
• The Father grants eternal life to those who come and believe.
• Jesus resurrects those who come and believe in the last day.
John again makes it clear that not everyone accepted Jesus or his teaching.
Not all would believe to eternal life even though they all had the very same opportunity and saw the same signs. The next section explains how some could experience the same events and yet not believe.
Question #5 “How can he be from heaven when we know his parents?”
The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven." And they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven'?" John 6:41-42
Jesus responds to the criticism of these Jews not by defending his virgin birth but by reemphasizing the terms and benefits of belief.
• Men come to Christ because of the Father’s intervention
No one is able to come at a point in time without direct intervention by the Father. This is the same concept of “coming” touched earlier. The condition of coming is the intervening work of the Father in the individual’s life. Jesus points to two aspects of the Father’s intercession on behalf of unbelieving men.
First: The Father draws the unreceptive heart 6:43-44
Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day
The word translated “draw” is a powerful word. It was used to describe the action of “hauling in a net”, “dragging someone out of the temple”, “Hauling someone into court”, dragging stones out of the deep”, “of Christ being lifted up and drawing all men to Him”. The flavor of this term is not necessarily a warm gentle activity. Indicates a labor-intensive operation intended to forcibly move someone against difficult odds. The reason some of these Jews failed to respond to Jesus is the Father did not draw them. Only those drawn by the Father come to Jesus. Well doesn’t the father draw everyone? No! Or everyone would be compete in the last day. Those who the Father draws and come to Jesus, He will raise up the last day in completion of the restoration process.
Have you come to Christ and believed? It was because the Father chose and drew you! Why you? Why me? What a humbling concept! Also a freeing concept that we are here only to harvest those drawn by the Father and those drawn will at some point in time and space come to Jesus.
Second: The Father teaches 6:45
"It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
Those taught by the Father come. Every individual having heard and learned from the Father comes toward Jesus. This is a work accomplished in the heart apart from actually tangibly seeing the Father. It is the basis of the New Covenant where God promised to write His truth on the heart. Only the Son has actually seen the Father.
"Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 6:46
Those who do come and believe continually possess the eternal life of Jesus as their own.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has(present tense) eternal life. John 6:47
• Jesus alone is the source of eternal life
Whether they accepted it or not, Jesus continues to make it absolutely clear that this eternal life can only be found through intimate connection to Him.
"I am the bread of life. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." John 6:48-51
I am the bread that obtains and sustains real life. The manna provided in the wilderness was only temporary and they all physically died. The bread I offer is eternal. I am the heaven sent bread bringing life to all who partake of my flesh. Those who partake of this spiritual food will never spiritually die but live forever in both a physical and spiritual sense.
Question # 6 “How can we eat Christ’s flesh?” 6:52
The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?"
Again Jesus does not address the question directly but only affirms his previous claims.
• There is no life apart from Christ’s life 6:53
Jesus therefore 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 yourselves.
Jesus makes no attempt to tone down his claims. In fact, He intensifies His claims here. Not only eat my flesh but also drink my blood. Now had the Jews only retained an ear to hear, they would have realized the symbolism employed by Jesus here. God taught that the life is in the blood. (Leviticus)
The shedding of blood became the sacrifice offered for the atonement for as a picture of the intended body and blood of Lamb given and shed once for all sin for all men.
Jesus claimed that unless there is an appropriation of his life and death there is no life. Only those who share his life will share inherit his kingdom. No matter what man does, he cannot generate life on his own. That fact is all too clear even in the physical realm. As hard as we try we cannot generate and sustain life beyond a certain point. Especially in the spiritually we have no life. Life is only found in the life giver, the Creator, the one who fashioned the world we see out of nothing. Contrary to philosophy and pop psychology today, life is not found within but from Him who came from above. True life comes only from God through intimate relationship with Jesus. Paul clearly indicates that we were all born spiritually dead in our sin and only a supernatural work of resurrection and infusion of life from outside of ourselves will make any difference. God, out of his great love with which he loved us, makes us alive together with Christ. Unless we take on the very life of Christ now, there is no life either here or hereafter.
• Complete salvation comes only for those united with Christ 54-56
"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
We experience eternal life. We are promised a bodily resurrection in the last day. We enjoy an intimacy with Christ and oneness with Him that generates and sustains life.
• Those united with Christ enjoy the same life shared by the Godhead 6:57-58
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever."
The very fundamental nature of life flows from the Godhead. Those connected to the Godhead by uniting with Christ enjoy that same life. It is the same life that existed from eternity past and will endure to eternity future. It is the life of Him who was and is and who is to come, the Almighty.
Question # 7 “Who can listen to this difficult teaching?”
These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.
Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" John 6:59-60
The word translated “difficult” in this passage is the Greek word “scleros” meaning dry, arid, hard, rough.
The Jews found this teaching difficult because it cut to the core issue of their pride and refusal to come to Jesus for eternal life rather than rely on their woefully inadequate attempts to keep the Law. Not so different today. People refuse to admit to their inability to save themselves. We are continually encouraged to look for life within ourselves. We are continually urged to deny our utter depravity and inability to live righteously. We are taught to suppress the truth in unrighteousness and eventually we advised to refuse any accountability to God at all. Apart from Jesus there is no hope, no life, no future.
Only in Him will we find ture satisfaction and the hope of eternal life here and hereafter.
Question #8 “Does this cause you to stumble?
But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble?
Question #9 “What if I (Jesus) am right and you are wrong?”
"What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before?
When that happens it may be too late. You need to respond today.
• The Spirit alone gives life
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
The Father chooses, draws and teaches. The Son welcomes, protects and resurrects. The Spirit gives genuine life.
• Only those given by the Father truly believe
"But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father."
Question #10 “How do expect us to keep following you?”
As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. John 6:66
The word translated “withdrew” here is the same word for “come” employed earlier attached to the preposition “apo” away. Thus they came or went away. They quit following Jesus because the cost appeared too high. He required more commitment than they were willing to give. After all they were really only interested in sensational signs and satisfying food. He required them to abandon any thought of self-redemption, to humble themselves and embrace by faith something outside of themselves.
Question #11 “Do you (12 disciples) want to leave too?” 6:67
Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"
Question #12 “Where else can we go to find life? 6:68-69
Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. "And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."
What a powerful confession of confidence and commitment! We are convinced that life can only be found in You and You are the Holy One of God.
Question#13 “Did I not choose you? 6:70-71
Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.
The reason for your conviction and commitment is because you were chosen except for Judas the conspirator.
CONCLUSION
My Question and perhaps yours by now is how can we tie all this together?
John 6 identifies various people and states of responses.
They may be divided into the believing and the unbelieving.
Unbelieving
• Curious “When did you get here?”
They came to get physically feed or healed, transformed internally.
• Critical/ unbelieving “He can’t be who he said he is!”
There are those who continually question and focus on what they don’t understand. They operate out of their own logic rather than focus on the clear proclamations of Scripture. There are never enough sings to convince them.
• Confused “How can we eat his flesh?”
There are those who don’t commit because they don’t have all the information. Or it seems to complicated.
• Cop outs “Withdrew from following”
There are many who refuse to give up the rule over their own life.
They still hold to the notion they can generate life for themselves.
• Conspiring (Judas)
Those who actually choose to consciously fight against Jesus.
Then we have a wonderful progression that takes place in those God touches.
Believing
• Chosen (Chosen, drawn and taught by the Father)
• Conferred (given by the Father to the Son)
• Convicted (realize their need for Christ)
• Convinced (convinced of the person and promises of Christ)
• Committed (decision by faith to follow Christ even though it seems hard)
• Converted (given Eternal life by the Spirit of life)
• Connected (abide in Christ and He in us)
• Conserved (protected by Christ to the end)
• Completed (full redemption guaranteed)
Unbelieving
How long will you resist the drawing of God? Without the life of Jesus there is no hope!
And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 John 5:11-12
Believing
Reflect
Never come to the point where you are self-satisfied as the church at Laodocia that lead to a nauseating mediocre walk. They thought they had it all together. They forgot where true life was found.
You nauseate me…'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. Rev. 3:17-20
Jesus called them to repent and draw their life from Him once again. He invites them to fully experience the depth of communion possible to those who share his life. Jesus cannot be part of your life. We must allow Him to be our life.
Rejoice
We have great cause for rejoicing!
We have been chosen, drawn and taught by the Father.
We have been conferred as a special gift of the Father to the Son.
We were convicted of our need for Christ.
We were convinced concerning the person and promises of Christ.
We committed by faith to follow Christ even though it seems hard.
We were converted from death to life by the Spirit of life.
We were connected with Christ.
We are conserved and protected by Christ to the very end.
We will be completed with full redemption guaranteed at the last day.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Tim. 6:12
