The Lord's Guarantee of Eternal Life
The Gospel of John
John 6:28-51
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - October 26, 2016
(Revised August 15, 2019)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to John 6, and think about God's guarantee of eternal life. Most of you know that this Scripture centers around one of the Lord's most famous miracles. It was when Jesus multiplied a little boy's lunch to feed 5,000 men, plus thousands more women and children.
*Verses 11-13 tell us that everybody ate as much as they wanted. Then in vs. 14-15:
14. . . Those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.''
15. Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to a mountain by Himself alone.
*In vs. 16-19, the disciples got into the boat to head back to Capernaum. They were struggling against the wind and waves 3 or 4 miles from shore, when Jesus came to them walking on the water! Naturally they were terrified, but in vs. 20-21:
20. 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.
*What a miracle! -- Jesus is Lord over all time and space! Then the next day in vs. 25-29:
25. When they (i.e. the other people) 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.
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.''
*With this background in mind, let's read vs. 30-51, and as we read, think about how we can get the life that God guarantees forever.
MESSAGE:
*Have you ever had problems with a guarantee? The first new car Mary and I ever bought was a 1975 Datsun B210, and that car was a piece of junk! It had a 12,000 mile warranty, and the clutch went out at 12,050 miles. It's a bad feeling to let your clutch out, and go rolling backwards down a hill!
*Things will let us down in life, so will people. We will even disappoint ourselves. But the Lord will never let us down! And the life that Jesus gives is guaranteed to last forever! How can we get this life?
1. FIRST: IT MUST COME FROM THE BREAD OF LIFE.
*Eternal life must come from Jesus Christ, because He is the heaven-sent bread of eternal life.
[1] THINK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BREAD.
*The Bread of Life is most important. We know this, because Jesus mentioned it at least ten times in this chapter. And the key verse is John 6:35 where Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." This is supremely important!
[2] AND THAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BREAD. BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT IT'S SOURCE.
*In vs. 32 we see that this bread of eternal life has come down to us from Heaven: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.'"
*Then vs. 33 tells us that the bread of eternal life is God. Jesus said, "The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'' So the bread of life is not just from God. It IS God. The Bread of life is God the Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us from our sins.
*You see, in vs. 35 when Jesus said: "I am the Bread of life," He was claiming to be God. Jesus was claiming to be Jehovah, the great I AM, LORD GOD of the Old Testament. Back in Exodus 3, the one who spoke to Moses from the burning bush was the pre-incarnate Christ. And this was the first time God ever revealed Himself by the name "I AM".
*In Exodus 3:10-14, the Lord said this to Moses:
10. "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.''
11. But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?''
12. So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.''
13. Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?''
14. And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.'' And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' ''
*In Hebrew this name "I AM" was "Jehovah" or "Yahweh." And this great name for God shows up 6,823 times in the Old Testament. The exact pronunciation and spelling have been lost, because this name was so holy the scribes and teachers didn't dare to pronounce it or completely write it out. Instead, they would write the Hebrew letters equal to our letters YHWH. In many of our English Bibles it shows up as LORD written with all capital letters. (1)
*And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.'' And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'''
*Jerry Shirley asked: "Why didn't God finish that phrase? Why did He just say, "I AM has sent me to you?" -- Because there is no beginning and no ending to God. There are no boundaries and no limitations with God. God is the great I AM! There is no limit to what He is. (2)
*Almost 1,500 years later God the Son humbled Himself to become a man. And as He ministered among His people, Jesus gave us at least eight "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John:
-"I am the bread of life."
-"I am the light of the world."
-"I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.''
-"I am the door."
-"I am the good shepherd."
-"I am the resurrection and the life."
-"I am the way, the truth and the life."
-And "I am the vine."
*Jesus spoke these "I AM" statements as further evidence that He IS the Almighty God of the Old Testament, one with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit of God. This is the crucial truth that Jesus wants to communicate. And that's why in John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
*The unbelieving Jews in this chapter knew all about Jesus' claim. That's why they were so upset down in vs. 41-42:
41. The Jews then murmured against Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven.''
42. And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?''
*Jesus was making Himself equal with God, and it wasn't the first time. John 5:18 says, "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God."
*Jesus was making Himself equal with God, and that's good, because He IS God! The Lord confirmed this great truth to us in vs. 43-46:
43. Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.
44. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
46. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father."
[3] GOD HIMSELF IS THE SOURCE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE. BUT WE ALSO MUST SEE THE SACRIFICE OF THIS BREAD.
*In vs. 47-51, Jesus said:
47. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
48. I am the bread of life.
49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.''
*Here Jesus was talking about the cross, and notice that Jesus Christ is a giver. Again in vs. 51, Jesus said, "The bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." Jesus has given us more than anybody else ever could! But it cost Him His life.
*King Duncan told the story of a lighthouse that was built years ago on the rocky coast of Wales. When the lighthouse was almost finished, one of the workmen stumbled off the scaffolding, and fell to the rocks below. The other workers were devastated by what had happened, and they raced down their ladders fearing the worst. But they were overjoyed to find that their friend was only bruised and shaken up.
*He was not seriously injured, but a lamb was lying dead on the ground beside him. A flock of sheep had come by at just the right time, and the lamb had broken his fall. (3)
That's what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross for our sins! Jesus took the fall for us. He paid the price so that we could have His life.
*No wonder Isaiah 53:4-8 says:
4. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
[4] THAT'S THE SACRIFICE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE. AND DON'T MISS THE SUPERIORITY OF THIS BREAD.
*Back up in vs. 30-31, the people wanted Jesus to give them manna. That was the miraculous bread from Heaven that God gave to the Children of Israel when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Manna was amazing bread. But there was a big problem with manna: After a day or two, it got worms and started stinking. You just couldn't eat it.
*Now I have always loved bread! -- French bread, white bread, wheat bread, corn bread, oat nut bread! Rolls or bagels, home-made or store-bought, I love bread!
*There's just one problem with bread: It gets old. Like that sandwich you make, and you are ready to dive in, but something interrupts you. And when you come back 20 minutes later, it's dry as a bone.
*Then, there's that sandwich you make, and you are two bites into it, when you look down and see mold. One woman said the only thing worse than that was seeing your husband go back and make another sandwich with the same bread! (4)
*Many people in the world would be overjoyed to get that moldy bread, so don't forget how blessed we are. But manna very quickly got too nasty to eat. And in vs. 49, Jesus pointed out a much worse problem with manna: All of the people who ate it were dead. Jesus said, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead."
*Manna could never give everlasting life. But Jesus can! That's what Jesus is trying to tell us in vs. 50-51. I can picture Him pointing to Himself when He said:
50. "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.''
2. ETERNAL LIFE MUST COME FROM THE BREAD OF LIFE, JESUS CHRIST! AND IT COME THROUGH OUR BELIEF IN GOD.
*I am talking about soul-saving faith in God, trusting in the Lord, receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Belief in Jesus is so important that the Lord mentions it four times here in His Word:
29. Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE in Him whom He sent.''
35. And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who BELIEVES in Me shall never thirst.
40. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and BELIEVES in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.''
47. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who BELIEVES in Me has everlasting life."
*We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! And please notice two crucial truths about this belief.
[1] FIRST, IT'S PERSONAL.
*As Jesus said in vs. 35, "I am the bread of life. HE who comes to Me shall never hunger, and HE who believes in Me shall never thirst." Each one of us has to personally come to Jesus.
[2] BELIEF IS PERSONAL. AND IT PENETRATES.
*We can compare belief in the Bread of life Jesus Christ to eating physical bread. The bread that I eat for lunch doesn't just stay in my stomach. It gets in, spreads out and influences all of my body. It gives me the strength to do what I need to do. True faith in the Bread of Life works the same way. Jesus begins to influence every part of our lives.
*The Bread of Life gets into our souls, and it changes us from the inside out. But best of all, this kind of belief will save our souls forever. Again, in vs. 47 the Lord said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
3. ETERNAL LIFE COMES THROUGH OUR BELIEF IN GOD. AND IT COMES FROM THE BOUNDLESS POWER OF GOD.
[1] IN VS. 37 AND 44 GOD ALONE HAS THE POWER TO DRAW US TO HIM.
*In vs. 37, Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Then in vs. 44 Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
[2] GOD ALONE HAS THE POWER TO DRAW US TO HIM. AND GOD ALONE HAS THE POWER TO KEEP US FOREVER.
*So in vs. 39-40, Jesus said:
39. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
40. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.''
*God is going to raise up our bodies on the last day. Death does not have the final word for those who believe in Jesus Christ! That's why in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Paul could joyfully proclaim:
51. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory.''
55. "O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?''
56. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
4. ETERNAL LIFE COMES FROM THE BOUNDLESS POWER OF GOD. AND IT COMES FROM THE UNBREAKABLE PROMISES OF GOD.
*We see God's promises over and over in these verses:
-In vs. 37, Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
-In vs. 39: "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day."
-In vs. 40: "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.''
-In vs. 47: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
-And in vs. 51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. . ."
*Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life gives us a hope that the world can never take away!
*Charles Allen told a touching story from the days of World War II. As the war was drawing to a close, the Allied armies gathered up many hungry orphans in Europe. They were placed in camps where they were well-fed. But in spite of the excellent care, they slept very poorly.
*The children seemed very nervous and afraid at bedtime. Finally, a psychologist came up with the solution. Each child was given a piece of bread to hold on to after he was put to bed. This particular piece of bread was not to be eaten, -- just to be held. And that piece of bread produced wonderful results. The children went to bed knowing instinctively they would have food to eat the next day. (5)
*That guarantee gave the children a restful and contented sleep. But we have an infinitely better guarantee in Jesus Christ the Bread of life. Again in vs. 51, Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.''
CONCLUSION:
*The life that Jesus gives is guaranteed forever!
-Because He is the Bread of Life sent down from Heaven above!
-Because He has boundless power, even the power to die on the cross for our sins and rise again from the dead!
-And because He has given us the unbreakable promises of God.
*Think about these truths as we go back to God in prayer. And if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, receive eternal life by receiving Him. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. . ." (Acts 16:31). "For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.''' (Romans 10:13)
(1) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Jehovah/Yahweh - I AM" by Marc Kelley - Exodus 3:1-15
(2) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Thou Shalt Call His Name I AM" by Jerry Shirley - Exodus 3:10-15
(3) Sermons.com email illustration 03/31/2003
(4) Original source unknown
(5) GOD'S PSYCHIATRY by Charles Allen - Source: SermonCentral sermon "I Am the Bread of Life" by Quintin Morrow - John 6:35 - 09/29/2002
