So you know I really like to give a course rationale when I begin a new series.
So keep this in mind as we pursue the purpose of these sermons over the next few weeks.
I know I usually would be preaching a sermon on New Years' and time. But this year I want to keep the Christmas theme going for awhile. Why did Jesus come down the first time and what was his purpose?
Jesus himself told us why he came the first time.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
With this in mind. I want to examine some of the sayings and teachings of Christ that can transform us by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Now those who have been around here awhile know that Jesus was born in the house of bread.
So maybe you know that Bethel means house of God. Beth house of and El for God.
So Bethlehem is the house of Bread. You may say so what, what’s the big deal. Well, when you take John 6 where Jesus reveals the statement “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
So to begin with Jesus being born in Bethlehem the house of Bread, and he is the Bread of Life, I want to begin with that phrase and take a closer look at what it means for us and our eternity.
Let’s set the scene Jesus is going to feed the 5,000
6 Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are leftover. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
After feeding the 5,000 then he sends his disciples to cross back over the Galilee to the other side remember the disciples took the boat and Jesus walked on water and joined them with the incident of Peter trying to walk on water. The crowd follows Jesus when they realize he crossed over because they want him to keep feeding them.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, 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. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Belief in Jesus is the Bread of Life.
A story is told of a missionary who witnessed to a man in a foreign land, a land hostile to Christianity on a train and the man took the missionary's bible and ripped it up into little pieces and threw it out the window. Later a different man walking along the railroad tracks found a piece of paper that said “I am the bread of life”. That little phrase so intrigued the man that when he got to town he went to a bookstore and asked if the man knew where that phrase came from? The bookstore owner said it's from the bible but you don’t want anything to do with that book. But the man was so intrigued that he found a bible and read it until he came to understand Who was the bread of life. Jesus.
This man searched in a hostile land to find out what this magnificent phrase meant. I am the bread of life that comes down from Heaven.
Here we have freedom in America, the bible on every electronic device and multiple copies probably gathering dust on our shelves. And we miss the bread of life, Jesus.
And we’re left searching for meaning to life and purpose. And Jesus told us what it was 2,000 years ago and every year we celebrate his birth, death, and resurrection. But way too many people are C & E Christians. Christmas and Easter is the only time we even think about church. But Jesus warns us in
Luke 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”
Jesus is telling us to listen carefully to the word of God. And to believe or have faith. And with that faith more will come but if we allow fear, worry, or this world to destroy our faith then even what little faith we had will be taken away.
Back to John 6:47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 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. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Cannibalism? That would be a hard teaching. Right?
You can see why these people had an issue with Jesus teaching. But with 20/20 hindsight we can understand Jesus is describing communion.
That makes this teaching very innocuous to us. But for a second put yourself into their shoes.
Jesus is saying eat my flesh and drink my blood.
But I believe a lesson to learn from this is to believe in God and trust even when you don’t understand. Do you use a microwave at home? Do you know how it works? Most of us probably don’t but we use them anyway. Do we understand the GPS systems in our phones using satellite systems etc. We may have a rudimentary understanding but when we use Global positioning satellites to give us directions to the restaurant we want to eat at. Do we listen and obey or do we say, work that is doesn’t make sense? I’m going my own way. Now some of us might do that, in fact, you can ask Lisa on a couple of trips to Florida, I didn’t listen to google maps and every time. It backfired on me. I would run into heavy traffic or a detour or something I wasn’t aware of and finally lesson after lesson learned I began to just look at Lisa and when Google maps told me to go a certain direction that I doubted. I would simply say OK, I will obey. Now those are shoddy comparisons to the Word of God. But I’m sure that when you were younger you learned lessons that you didn’t understand until after you obeyed. With obedience comes understanding.
Our lives of faith, however, are a different story than following human logic altogether — obedience (action) before full understanding is mandatory. God knows what I cannot know at the moment He asks me to be obedient. The prophet Isaiah understood this when he wrote.
Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God. (Isaiah 50:10 NIV)
Sometimes I find it hard to obey when I don’t understand what is going on. However, my actions of obedience, reflecting trust and reliance on God, must precede my understanding. Good news — God asks me to obey but also promises understanding. The Psalmist says that my understanding comes from obedience to God's precepts.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. (Psalm 111:10 NIV)
Studying God's Word and acquiring knowledge of His Ways is a good thing. But in those moments when the way is not clear to total understanding, obedience to his commands is a must. Join with me in the delight of obedience this year.
So Next time you read something in the Bible, or a doubt crosses your mind or you just want to go your own way and you know God is leading in a different way this year. Trust and obey for there really is no other way. To Grow in God takes obedience. The word says obedience is better than sacrifice. And that it is impossible to please God without faith. This coming year I’m sure will provide many challenges to our faith.
It may be a medical, financial, or relationship decision and you want to go your own way, but you know God’s leading in a way that doesn’t make logical sense, or at least human logic.
So trust and obey. And let me tell you why. Or better yet, let the Word of God tell you why.
John 6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 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. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
And verse 68 has the Answer.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Who else do we turn to? Who else explains life, gives us purpose and meaning? Who else has eternity in their hands? Who can raise the dead back to life? Jesus who supernaturally feeds the 5,000, walks on water, and created all is LORD of Lords and King of Kings. That is who we put our trust in.
So today at this moment if you haven’t made Jesus Lord of your life. What is holding you back?
Obey and understanding will come. Don’t just trust me Trust God and His Word. And see what God can bring into your life through faith this 2021.
