SARDINES, BISCUITS, AND THE BREAD OF LIFE
(Message 14 Gospel of John 2021)
John 6:1-15;22-35;48-59
Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ
April 25, 2021
Video Link:
https://youtu.be/kc4n1JVWW-M
INTRODUCTION:
1.) I have titled this morning’s message: “Sardines, Biscuits, and The Bread of life.”
A.) I think we are all familiar with this account of Scripture,
aa.) It is one of the favourite Bible Stories we all learned from childhood in Sunday School.
B.) The importance of this passage is seen in that it is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels except for his own resurrection.
2.) Today I want us to see more than a nice story for this was the turning point in the ministry and popularity of Jesus.
A.) This boy’s five barley biscuits, and two small fish and the miracle which Jesus performed was at the very peak of Jesus’ popularity.
B.) It was also when many so-called disciples of Jesus decided that He was not the one they wanted to follow.
I. JESUS GAVE THEM PHYSICAL FOOD.
1.) The food distribution was to be done in an orderly manner. (6:10)
A.) The people had probably been standing around listening to Jesus as He taught and preached.
B.) Mark’s Gospel gives us the further information that the grass was green, and that Jesus had them sit in groups of fifties and hundreds.
ba.) In this way it would have been easy for the disciples to walk between the groups and distribute the food.
bb.) We are told there were 5,000 men in addition to the women and children so likely the total group may have been 20,000 or more people.
2.) There was plenty of food for all. (6:11)
A,) After having everyone seated, Jesus blessed the food, and gave thanks for it.
aa.) Five little biscuits and two small fish doesn’t’ sound like a lot to give thanks for, and perhaps the people wondered what would happen next.
ab.) But then Jesus started giving the food to the Apostles to distribute to the people.
ac.) We are not given the details as to how this miracle was done.
aca.) After Jesus prayed for the food was the area suddenly covered in food?
acb.) Maybe the Apostles each had a basket and Jesus gave some to each of them.
acc.) Whatever the details of this event we are not told, but whatever the method that Jesus used there was more than enough food to generously meet the needs of all who had assembled there.
3.) There was to be no waste. (6:12-13)
A.) Jesus said to gather up the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted.
aa.) Even though the food was miraculously produced and in bountiful supply, Jesus was not casual or wasteful in what was left over.
ab.) In all the Apostles gathered up twelve baskets of food when the potluck was over.
4.) There was a realization of Jesus. (6:14)
A.) The men who are spoken of in this verse were the Apostles.
B.) There may have been others who came to believe Jesus was the prophet, because like Moses he had provided bread from heaven, but I expect it was mainly the Apostles who came to that belief.
ba.) I say this because of the unbelief the next day among the Jews that gathered to hear Jesus.
II. JESUS MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND ETERNAL FOOD.
1.) The next day they sought another miracle of physical food. (6:25-26)
A.) Jesus had disappeared with the disciples to the other side of the lake, and the next day they went looking until they had again found Jesus.
B.) When they had found Jesus, he was neither thrilled nor flattered that they had found him.
ba.) Jesus was blunt and stated they were not looking put their faith in Him, but because they wanted Jesus to give them another meal.
bb.) This account makes me look at myself and “Why am I following Jesus?”
bba.) I feel each of us must ask ourselves the very same question.
bbb.) Am I following Jesus for the expectation of what He can do for me, or am I following because of a genuine love for Him, and faith in Him?
.01) I hope that each of us are following Jesus for the right reasons, and not selfish reasons, but that is a question that each one of us must ask and answer of ourselves.
2.) Jesus said to Labour not for physical food but for the bread of life. (6:27)
A.) John 6:27
B.) Jesus makes it clear not to put our focus on the physical only, but to look to Him who is truly the bread of life.
III. JESUS IS THE TRUE BREAD OF LIFE.
1.) Jesus is The Bread of life. which gives eternal satisfaction. (6:35)
A.) Many were more satisfied with the physical bread than the spiritual bread. (6:36)
B.) Seeing is not always believing.
ba.) In verses 27 AND 28 Jesus had rebuked those who has seen his miracles, and yet still would not believe.
bb.) The failure of faith was evidence of cold rebellious hearts when the evidence of the miracles was so great.
C.) There would still be those who would come to faith.
ca.) John 6:37
cb.) God the Father knows well in advance those who will come to faith in Jesus Christ.
cba.) It was based on this eternal knowledge of God that God could these individuals to Jesus.
cbb.) It is still based on the free will choice of man to either accept or reject Jesus as the Christ.
1.) Jesus is the very source of life.
A.) John 6:47-48
B.) Jesus described himself as the very bread of life itself.
C.) It was by having faith in Jesus as the Christ that one can have the bread of life.
2.) The people were looking for physical food such as the manna from heaven.
A.) Jesus gave them a statement of proof to show he as the true bread which came from heaven and is greater than the Manna that came from heaven during those years in the wilderness.
aa.) John 6:49-50
ab.) Jesus said that all of those who ate of the manna in the wilderness had died.
ac.) He then declared if a man would eat of him as the bread of life, they would never die.
aca.) Now we know that everyone who has come to Jesus during the past 2,000 years with the exception of Christians now alive have in fact died.
acb.) But Jesus is looking beyond physical life.
.01) Jesus gave physical terms, in referring to spiritual and eternal life.
3.) Jesus spoke of eating his flesh and of drinking his blood.
A.) John 6:51-59
B.) The Jews could only focus on the physical description Jesus had given them.
bc.) Because they could not see or understand that he was speaking of the spiritual truths that you need to put faith in Jesus they were greatly upset.
C.) In their understanding Jesus was talking about cannibalism.
ca.) With that kind of an understanding of the words of Jesus we can understand that they would be upset.
cb.) We too would be upset at such an idea.
cc.) That is the kind of thing that is carried on by uncivilized savage barbarians.
cd.) This is not the kind of behaviour you would expect from a Child of God.
ce.) The bottom line was that rather they understood these words in physical terms, or as Jesus had intended in Spiritual the commitment, he was seeking was greater than they wanted to give.
4.) I think Jesus was intentionally using such powerful imagery to sort the crowds, to those who truly would put their faith in him.
A.) John 6:60-66
B.) In fact, the words of Jesus did sort out the half-hearted from the true believers.
C.) verse 60 “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
D.) Verse 66: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
da.) From our perspective we have trouble with this passage.
db.) In every church there are so many who are on the fringe of Christianity.
dc.) They will claim to be Christians, and yet are very hit and miss in their faith to Christ, and faithfulness to the church.
dd.) Because most of our churches are smaller in number, we do whatever we can do to keep from losing those people.
dda.) Certainly, there is the desire to do what we can to keep people.
de.).) So, when we look at Jesus making statements controversial as this, and even opening the door so that those who were half-hearted would leave and no longer follow Christ it surprises and upsets us.
dea.) And yet there are a few times in Scripture where that seems to be the approach Jesus would take.
deb.) Jesus makes it truly clear that he wants disciples who are fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
E.) One place where we see this in a powerful manner is in the church at Laodicea.
ea.) Revelation 3:14-16
eb.) In many ways we might see the church at Laodicea as an average church.
ec.) They would have had many Christians that came together and worshipped on a Sunday morning (if there was nothing better to do).
ed.) They likely had the church programs that any church had.
ee.) The problem was that the church was not so cold, as to reject Christ, yet at the same time it was a church that was not on fire for Christ and the kingdom of God.
ef.) In fact, perhaps the best we can of this church was that it was just a mediocre church.
F.) Jesus wants churches and Christians to have a zeal and excitement for Jesus Christ.
fa.) Jesus compared a Church or Christian like that to luke-warm water.
faa.) We all know how disgusting luke-warm water is.
fab.) A few days ago, I went to take my pills and thought I had cold water from the tap, and it was luke-warm and could only be described as Yuck!
fb.) The picture Jesus gave was well known in Laodicea.
fba.) Laodicea did not have much in natural available water, and what they had came through open aqueducts from a distance away.
fbb.) Away from the city there were beautiful springs with ice cold water, and there were also lovely hot springs, but by the time the water got to Laodicea it was luke-warm and to say the least disgusting and repulsive to drink.
.01) Jesus told them the faith they had was as luke-warm as the water they drank,
.02) Like the water, Jesus said their faith was such that he felt like spewing them out as you would a mouth full of warm water.
5.) It was because of this desire for sincere and dedicated Christians that Jesus just allowed them to go from his presence.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Today we have looked at one of the most famous miracles of Jesus.
A.) We have seen a large multitude of uncommitted followers of Jesus.
B.) This large group of people were more interested in the food Jesus could give them, and what He could do for them than putting their faith in Him.
C.) Where are we at today?
ca.) Are we like those Jews of that day people who call ourselves disciples of Jesus but are only on the fringes of faith, or are we fully given to Jesus?
cb.) As we leave here today, we must each one ask the question: Am I following Christ for what He can do for me, or am I following Christ because of who He is?
cc.) There is a difference!
