Message: Bread of Life part 1
John 6:22-35
Theme: Digesting Truth
Date: Jan. 22, 2023
Text: Jn. 6:22-40
On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
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, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
BACKGROUND
You’ll Notice it says – On the next day (the day after the feeding of the 5k) Jesus had still needed some down quiet time and had sent the disciples on to Capernaum (this will become somewhat of a ministry HQ for Him). The crowd that had been fed had noticed that the disciples had left but without Jesus. I know you carpooled here in a mini-van and there’s only one exit. And the last time I saw Jesus He was headed in the opposite direction by foot. The mini-van is gone. What’s up? Because of the preceding verses (6:19-21) we know that He walked across the lake but they’ve presumed that He mustve gotten in some other boat. So, they get into boats to track Jesus down. Lake community. They themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum.
SEEKERS 6:24 ,
“they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus” (6:24).
Potpourri of reasons and motives as to what they were seeking from Him.
-Genuine Interest: is this the Christ. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (Jn. 6:14-15) . They’ve seen with their own eyes what just happened and when they’re starting to connect the dots that there’s more to Jesus.
-King/Political: “They would force Him to be King.” (6:15) i.e., “Make Israel Great Again” -Thrill Seekers. Some want to see what He’ll do next.
-Bread Seekers: “you’ve eaten your fill” (6:26b) …but are hungry again.
1-Zoe is a Greater Need than Bios
READ 6:25-27 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (Notice Jesus never answers that particular question but directs the question to a more important topic). “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set his seal.” (Jn. 6:26-27)
The New Testament was written in Greek and at times it enriches our understanding of the text. For example whereas we only have one word for love, the greeks use philos (friendship), eros (romantic), and agape (God’s love). The same is the case for the English word “life”. The Greeks have several words for life:
Psuche-spirit, psyche. “Psychology”. We have a personality that may be influenced by our childhood, worldview, etc.
BIOS (biological, living matter) e.g., Lk. 8:14 (bios life) they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
Zoe (everlasting life). Jn 10:10 I have come that you may have Zoe life and that you may have it more abundantly. Unfortunately, this is often misinterpreted as I have come that you can be richer. It’s not the bios life or for that matter even the psyche life He’s talking about in John 10, nor here in John 6. Jesus is talking about something much more important-Everlasting life.
Your perceived need (bios/bread) is not your most important need.
You have a “Zoe” need you’re trying to fill through a “Bios” solution. It will fail you. You’re concerned with your stomach but Jesus is concerned about their souls.
-For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Mt. 16:26)
ILLUS: -Tom Landry, the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s described the emptiness and unfulfillment he had after winning the championship. In his case, it led him to receiving Jesus as his Savior. “Lennon, Dylan, Alice, and Jesus: the spiritual biography of Rock and Roll” by Greg Laurie shows how you can achieve the highest goals in musical fame and fortune yet still find yourself empty and unfulfilled.
Fame, Fortune, Winning Superbowls, may provide a temporary fix but sooner or later you’ll be hungry again.
Blaise Pascal, a French Mathematician introduced the concept of a “God shaped vacuum” meaning that until we’re in a relationship with God we have a vacuum in our life. Most of us sense this and try to fill it with other things, good works, and social justice even. However, it’s like trying to fit a square pig into a round hole.
Jesus has told them that what they need is the True Bread. That it will satisfy their most important need, i.e., “you’re bigger need is not bios but zoe.”
What must we do? (i.e., what works do we need to do to get this bread?) Most likely they’re thinking it’s a new rule to the Talmud, a new ceremony, perhaps a particular offering.
(6:28) “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
ANSWER: Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him (Jesus) whom He (God the Father) has sent.” (6:29)
They ask what works must be done and Jesus responds by saying that they need to believe. He’ll emphasize this again in v.40
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (6:40)
2-Theological Confusion (6:30-33)
So, they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
So, what’s going on? You’ll notice a reference to Manna and Moses.
Dt. 18:15-18
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. (Dt. 18:15-18)
John 6:14: When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” (Jn. 6:14)
Like Moses meaning flesh and bone (i.e., incarnation)
They’ve accurately equated that Jesus is The Definite Article Prophet referenced by Moses in Dt. 18 but they’ve developed some misperceptions about what this prophecy would mean.
Moses was the man. If there were a Mt. Rushmore in Jerusalem it would most certainly include Moses. He saw the burning bush, he had the showdown with Pharoah, led them through the Red Sea, saw a glimpse of God from the back, received the 10 commandments. There was even a bit of an unhealthy “hero worship” with Moses. This may have been one of the reasons God Himself buried Moses in a secret location. Otherwise it most likely would’ve become a shrine that people prayed to.
Jesus corrects their theology by reminding them that it was God not Moses who fed them. Secondly, they mistakenly think it means that He’ll feed them for the next 40 years. There was a false prophetic belief within some circles that the Messiah would provide an unending food supply…that’s what Moses did. But, God never said that.
Happens All the Time with Prophecy…even today.
The Bible for example never teaches that Signs and Wonders would cease w/the death of the apostles or completion of the Bible
40s-people thought Hitler was the antichrist (I can see why)
50s-“Generation will not pass until these things come to pass” (Mt. 24:34). Due to Israel becoming a state in 1948 there was a mistaken but somewhat popular belief that Jesus would return by 1988 (Most likely “Generation” is a reference to the Church age.
70s-some people were insisting that H. Kissinger was the antichrist.
80s-Gorbachav and that his birthmark that looked like Greenland was the mark of the beast. Edgar Whisenant wrote a book in 1987 titled, “88 Reasons Jesus Christ Will Return in 1988." The book sold 4.3 million copies. 300k were mailed to homes. Obviously, Jesus did not return in 1988, so, at the beginning of 1989 Whisenant wrote a book titled, “89 Reasons Jesus Christ Will Return in 1989.” That book only sold 30,000 copies. -Helicopters: I’ve heard people say that helicopters are being described in Rev 9 (6th trumpet) but now some are saying they’re drones. Perhaps.
Point: As was the case then, so it is now, that we sometimes read a bit too much into a particular prophecy. It will become one of three hurdles. In the case of Dt. 18 it was never articulated that the Messiah would provide manna for 40 years.
Once Again, Jesus redirects the conversation.
Read 6:32-33
Jesus, incidentally, reminds them that it was God not Moses that provided the bread for their ancestors in the wilderness but also references TRUE BREAD. Look at Jn. 6:32-33
John 6:32-33: but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Bread is considered a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item. Have you ever heard the phrase “living off of bread and water”? It’s an idiom has its origins in being the bare essentials to keep a person alive in prison. A person can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. The British and New Englanders even refer to money as bread or dough.
Jesus says that the Father gives the True Bread.
John 6:34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” i.e., “We’ll take some.”
They’re not quite tracking with what He’s just said about the True Bread, but Jesus is about to make it very clear.
And He proceeds to inform them that He is the Christ and that they need to believe in Him for everlasting life.
3-Jesus is the Bread of Life
READ John 6:35
What’s their request? (6:34) “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I Am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (cf. woman at the well John 4)
What kind of life are we talking about? The Zoe life, the everlasting life.
Notice what He doesn’t say. There’s a new rule, festival, prohibition, offering, etc. you must do. That’s religion. Rather its personal. It’s through believing in Him. Believing what exactly? That Jesus is the Son of God. Because He’s God He alone has the credentials to offer forgiveness and everlasting life.
To the reader of John’s gospel, He’s already demonstrated His authority over biology (turning water to wine in John 2), healing the handicapped man at the pool in Bethesda (John 5), He has authority over the weather (walking on the water and calming the storms), creation (He feeds the 5k+ from one 2 piece dinner from Long John Silvers). He’s already provided plenty of signs.
Only God can provide this True Bread and Jesus is that bread. Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (6:32).
Jesus says, I AM the Bread of life. This is a reference to His deity.
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I Am who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” (Ex. 3:13-14)
CONCLUSION
ILLUS: Charles Blondin, the great tight-rope walker was famous for walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He even pushed a wheel barrel back and forth. After doing so, he asked the assembled crowd it they believed if he could push a person in the wheel barrel across and back. The crowd unanimously said yes. He then asked “who will get in”. The crowd when silent.
Because He’s God, Jesus has authority to offer forgiveness and everlasting life. In fact, He alone can do so. Have you placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? If not, why not let today be that day you get in the wheel-barrel. You can trust Him. He loves you. He has the credentials and He alone can get you to the other side-heaven. Your works will not get you there. Only Jesus.
Prayer
