Jesus Wants to Satisfy Our Souls!
The Gospel of John
John 6:21-29
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - October 12, 2016
(Revised August 12, 2019)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to John chapter 6, as we think about being satisfied by the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. Before we read, remember that in this chapter, Jesus worked one of His most amazing miracles. A great multitude had followed the Lord out to the countryside, because they knew that He was miraculously healing people.
*They were so desperate to get close to Jesus that only one person in that whole crowd had any food. It was a boy who had 5 barley loaves. We'd call them barley rolls or biscuits. The boy also had two small fish, and Jesus miraculously multiplied that little bit of food so that it was more than enough to feed the whole crowd! There were 5,000 men there, plus thousands more women and children! Everybody ate as much as they wanted. And in vs. 13, they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.
*Matthew 14:22 tells us that after everybody ate, "immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away." While the Lord was sending the people away, John 6:15 says: "Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king." That's one reason why in vs. 15, Jesus "departed again to a mountain by Himself alone." Matthew 14:23 tells us that Jesus also went up on the "mountain by Himself to pray."
*Some of the men at the miraculous supper got the idea to make Jesus their king, but of course they didn't know anything about the cross. They may have been thinking, "If this man can do this miracle, He could crush our Roman enemies like bugs." Or they may have been thinking, "Let's make this man king, and we can get rich selling all the food He can make!"
*But they were certainly thinking, "Let's make this man king, and we'll never have to worry about another meal!" We know this, because in vs. 26, Jesus told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled."
*Last week, we also saw two more amazing miracles. Starting in vs. 16:
16. And when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,
17. got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
18. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.
19. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.
20. But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid.''
21. Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
*It would be pretty nice if we got on the plane in Monroe tomorrow morning. And just as soon as we fastened our seatbelts, the flight attendant said, "We are now arriving in Columbus, Ohio." That's what happened when Jesus got in the boat!
*With that background, let's read vs. 21-29 to see what happened the next day. And as we read, please think about being satisfied by our Savior Jesus Christ.
MESSAGE:
*Are you satisfied today? Have you found real satisfaction in your life?
*Daryl Grimes once said:
-"I am happy when I go hunting or fishing.
-I am happy when I go see a friend or loved one.
-I am happy when I go to church and experience a good service.
-I am happy when I have fun with my kids.
-But none of these things can satisfy my soul.
*Some people are happy when they are high.
-Some people are happy when they are skiing, or snowmobiling.
-Some people are happy when they are partying.
-Some people are happy when they are camping.
-And some people are happy when they are gambling.
-But none of these things can satisfy their souls..." (1)
*Church: There is only one ultimate, eternal source of satisfaction, and that is God Himself. Jesus Christ wants to satisfy our souls! He wants to give us eternal, abundant, godly satisfaction. How does he do it?
1. FIRST: HE HELPS US PURSUE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES.
*That's what Jesus tried to do when the people caught up to Him in Capernaum. Verses 25-26 tell us that:
25. . . when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?''
26. Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
*There was a great mystery going on in these verses. These people were curious. They wanted to know, so they asked Jesus this question, "You didn't get in the boat with the disciples. How in the world did you get here?" Of course, we know. All the Lord had to do was walk on a little water!
*Paul Decker noted that Jesus didn't handle this situation the way we might have. Decker explained that he probably would have shown off before the crowd. "Well, if you really want to know how I got here, I walked on water! Want to see it again?" (2)
*We might have done that too, but not Jesus. He didn't even bother answering their question. Instead, Jesus got right to the most important point in life. He knew that those people needed to examine their hearts, and put their trust in Him.
*That's why the Lord basically took the same approach with Nicodemus back in John 3. Nicodemus came to see Jesus by night, sort of spiritually tiptoeing toward the Lord. But in John 3:1-3, Jesus got right to the point:
1. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.''
3. Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
*Jesus got right to the most important point in life. And He did the same thing with the Samaritan woman at the well. In John 4:7-26, their whole conversation was basically a series of shocking spiritual revelations for this woman.
*Shock 1 in John 4:7-9:
7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink.''
8. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?'' For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
*Shock 2 in vs. 10-12:
10. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.''
11. The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
12. Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?''
*Shock 3 in vs. 13-14:
13. Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
14. but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.''
*Shock 4 in vs. 15-18:
15. The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.''
16. Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here.''
17. The woman answered and said, "I have no husband.'' Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,'
18. for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.''
*Then in vs. 25-26, the biggest shock of all:
25. The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming'' (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things.''
26. Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He.''
*Jesus got right to the most important point in life. He knew that all people need to examine their hearts, and truly put their trust in Him. This was God's top priority for them, and His greatest priority for us today.
*It's way too easy for us to get side-tracked, but God never does. Aren't you glad!
2. JESUS WANTS TO SATISFY OUR SOULS, SO HE HELPS US PURSUE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES. HE ALSO MEASURES OUR MOTIVES.
*We also see this truth in vs. 26, where "Jesus answered them and said, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.'"
*Jesus Christ has perfect spiritual vision. He can look into the deepest parts of our hearts, and He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. So in vs. 26, Jesus measured the motives of these people.
*He knew those men didn't care about His lordship. They cared about their lunch! So, the Lord was trying to wake them up to the truth. Paul Decker explained that these people were thinking with their stomachs. And Jesus wanted them to know that He did not come to be the Chairman of the Lunch Committee. (2)
*The Lord measures our motives, because He wants us to measure them too. Too often we concentrate on the physical things of life, and unknowingly neglect the spiritual side.
*Years ago, there was a taxi driver over in London. Every day, he would gift wrap his garbage, and leave it in the backseat of his cab. Without fail, by the end of the day, -- it was gone! Somebody had taken the package, and had gotten a big surprise! (3)
*Well, the Lord doesn't want us to reach for treasure, and wind up with the trash!
3. HE WANTS TO SATISFY OUR SOULS, SO HE MEASURES OUR MOTIVES. HE ALSO CORRECTS OUR CONFUSION.
*Jesus wants to correct our confusion about spiritual life. That's what the Lord was trying to do in vs. 27, when He said, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.''
*Was Jesus telling us all to quit our jobs? Was He saying that in order to follow Him, we have to give up earthly employment? Most definitely not, though some people have gotten that kind of idea.
*That was one of the problems Paul addressed in his second letter to the Christians in Thessalonica. Apparently, some of the church members assumed that Jesus was coming back so soon that they should just sit around and wait. That's why in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the Apostle Paul said, "Even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."
*William MacDonald explained that in vs. 27 Jesus was not telling them "they shouldn't work for their daily living. He meant that this should not be the supreme aim in their lives. Satisfying our physical appetite is not the most important thing in life. Man consists not only of body, but of spirit and soul as well. So, we shouldn't devote all our strength and talents to feeding our bodies, which in a few short years will be dead.
*Rather, we should make sure that our souls are fed day by day with the Word of God. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (4)
*The Lord also knew that our earthly labors can never fully satisfy us. No matter what we have or how much we have, it will never enough to give us full satisfaction. George Barna once took a survey that showed the average American adult thinks their finances would be great, if they just had an extra $8,000 to $11,000 per year.
*Later they got back in touch with some of these same people, after they had gotten a big increase in income. And you know what they said? "Things would be great, if we just had an extra $8,000-$11,000 per year." A lot of people tend to be like that, but we can never be truly satisfied with the things of this world. And Jesus wants to correct our spiritual confusion. (5)
*Verse 28 shows us another kind of confusion. There those Jews asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?'' This kind of spiritual confusion is widespread, tragic, and very dangerous.
*John Phillips explained that eternal life cannot be earned. It is not achieved by our good works. And in vs. 27, Jesus had already told those Jews that He, the 'Son of Man,' would give them everlasting life. But vast numbers of people crave to do something for their salvation. They are unwilling to receive salvation as a free gift from God. And that's why these legalistic Jews demanded, 'What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?'
*Many lost people want salvation not on God's terms, but on their own terms because it feeds their sinful, foolish pride. And all false religions have their own answer to the question, 'What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?' (6)
*When it came to spiritual truth, these people were confused. Most people are. Most people are looking for something to do. People naturally want to prove their worthiness to God, thinking that they can obey their way into Heaven. "How many good deeds do I have to do? How many sins can I get away with? What must we do?"
*Well, God certainly wants us to do good! The problem is that we can never work enough to satisfy God. We can never earn our salvation.
*But many people think like this: "I try to keep the Ten Commandments, and I've never murdered anybody. I know I'm a lot better than those hypocrites down at the church, and I'm a whole lot better than most people."
*Well, we may be better than other people, and we certainly ought to be, but that won't get us into Heaven! No. God's standard for right living is total perfection, and no one has ever lived up to that standard but Jesus Christ!
*Pastor James Kennedy explained: "Suppose you were trying to cross from one cliff to another about 100 feet away. It is almost a mile down to the rocks below. You have a one-inch thick piece of rope that can hold several tons. But the problem is that you only have 50 feet of rope.
*I say, 'Don't worry! I've got 50 feet of thread. We can tie my thread to your rope, then tie it to the trees and you can go across.' Would you take that offer? How about if it was 90 feet of rope with only 10 feet of thread? What if it was 99 feet of that good, strong rope and only one foot of thread? How about one inch of thread?
*We would never take those offers, because if we had even one inch of thread, we will be just as dead on the rocks below as if we tried to cross on a hundred feet of thread. The rope represents what Jesus Christ has done, and the thread represents what we have done. We must trust in Jesus alone for our salvation." (7)
4. JESUS WANTS TO SATISFY OUR SOULS, SO HE CORRECTS OUR SPIRITUAL CONFUSION. AND HE LEADS US TO EVERLASTING LIFE.
*That's what the Lord was doing in vs. 27-29. Again, Jesus said:
27. "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.''
28. Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?''
29. Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.''
*There is only one way to real, lasting, spiritual satisfaction, and that's Jesus Christ! We have to believe in Him whom God the Father sent. We have to believe in Jesus Christ, and we should believe in Jesus.
*Believe in the Lord in vs. 29, because He is the only One who was sent from Heaven above. Believe in the Lord in vs. 27, because Jesus is the only person in the universe who can give us eternal life.
*And we know that Jesus can give us this most precious gift, because He paid for it when He died on the cross for us! The price for our sins was paid in full on the cross of Jesus Christ! But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead! He is alive forevermore! Now we just have to receive the gift of His eternal life by receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
CONCLUSION:
*There is no real satisfaction without Jesus Christ. Sooner or later, we will be empty and restless, no matter how comfortable we are. Without Jesus Christ, we will be like the Greek myth of King Tantalus.
*He was punished by being chained in a lake. The water reached all the way to his chin. But that water receded whenever he bent down to satisfy his burning thirst. Over Tantalus' head were branches filled with delicious fruit. But they immediately drew back whenever he reached up to eat. King Tantalus: That's where we get the word "tantalize." And sooner or later, that's what life is like without Jesus. (2)
*But down in vs. 35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." God wants to satisfy our souls like nothing else can, because that's the kind of God He is:
*The God who loves us, and gave His Son on the cross for us, also wants to save and satisfy you. So, let Jesus satisfy your soul! Listen to Him, turn to Him, trust in Him, come to Him, call on Him, follow Him. And Jesus Christ will satisfy your soul forever. Call on the Lord to save you, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "True Happiness" by Daryl Grimes - John 14:1-24
(2) SermonCentral sermon "Serious Satisfaction" by Paul Decker - John 6:22-40
(3) Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows - Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997 - Source: The Bible Illustrator: Topic: Honesty - Index: 566 - Date: 3/1998.1425 - Title: Honesty
(4) Adapted from BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - Nashville - Copyright 1995 - "The People Seek a Sign" - John 6:22-34
(5) "Pastor's Update," July 1991, p.2 - "Source: McHenry's Quips, Quotes & Other Notes" by Raymond McHenry - Copyright 1998, Hendrickson Publishers, p. 102-103
(6) Adapted from EXPLORING THE GOSPELS: JOHN by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Christ's Claims Revealed" - John 6:1-40
(7) Dr. D. James Kennedy - Evangelism Explosion - p. 101 - copyright 1977
