“I am the bread of life” Jn 6:25 (6:25-40, 53-59) WBC 7/3/4pm
“I AM”
As we’re in a series on Jesus’ words- we need to be reminded that His use of ‘I am’ speaks volumes
This is the first of 7 ‘I am expressions’ in Jn
- 7 is significant in itself
- But his use of ‘I am’ is as well. Here and elsewhere
- Because it caused us some excitement in Alpha couple of weeks ago, let me refresh your memories
In Ex 3;14 God reveals himself to Moses by a name.
- Moses asks Him his name and God replies “I am”
- I am that I am… or “I will be what I will be”
o Conveys: name, self existence, eternal nature, power and His inability to be manipulated by others
- The Jews revered the name of God because it conveyed His nature. They ‘hallowed it’- kept it holy
o But to the point where nobody would say His name- “I am” (sounded like YHWH)
Instead they would say “Adonai”, Lord
• Hence use of Lord for YHWH in OT
• Hence significance of calling Jesus Lord, often
But they took it a bit too far. To avoid using the name of God they would avoid saying “I am” at all!
- so wouldn’t say “I am a gardener”, would say “my job is gardening”
And Jesus comes on the scene saying (Jn 8:58) ‘before Abraham was I AM”
- and the Jews new EXACTLY what he meant. Picked up stones to stone Him
But he also uses the expression ‘I am’ anywhere he wants in talking, and also on occasions like this
- I’ve looked at the whole of the Greek in Jn and no-one else uses “I am”
o In fact it’s virtually nowhere in gospels (apart from centurion)
- And so, I reckon, the Greek conveys something of how Jesus would have spoken in His language (Aramaic, that sounds like Hb)
So- here He is saying “Yahweh the bread”!
Once you start doing a series on Jesus’ words you realise just how much they were about HIM
- ego-centric (without being ego-tistical)
- Christo-centric
So, there’s great significance in these expressions about Who Jesus is
These words are in the context of food. So not surprising He talks about bread
- feeding of 5000+
Rabbis taught that the Messiah would come and duplicate Moses’ miracle of feeding in the desert.
- lots of expectation about that
- so- after Jesus has fed the 5000, they hunt Him out and kind of say (v30):
- “we liked what you did yesterday- but today we want to see a REAL sign”: “DO IT AGAIN”
o “how about 6 days a week for 40 years?”
Jesus replies with 2 corrections
1- about the ‘vehicle’ (v32)
Moses didn’t give you the bread. God did
- “get the point- it’s God doing it again, slow-to-learn!”
o (in fact- there’s some big Christological points being made in these stories:
o 6:1f- who feeds you and give you 12 baskets over?: God.
o Who walks on water, lads? JOB 9:8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
All these things build up the picture of the divinity, deity of Christ
His second correction is
2- about the bread (v33)
What Moses did was of God. It was a work of God. But that wasn’t the true bread from heaven. The manna was only earthly bread from a visible sky
- and because they wanted a repetition of the work of God, they were missing out on the REAL work/person of God- that’s Jesus
o now
ie “that was” a work of God BUT
“I AM” –the work of God. God Himself. The true bread. The real thing- that you’ve really been waiting for , inside
APPLY: you don’t have to be a Xian long before you begin looking back on some work of God… genuine work of God
- and it becomes the benchmark… target, even… for you:
o how electric Alpha was. “If only I could do it again”
o how the church used to be where you grew so much
o If Xian 10 years- Toronto, 1994
o Or… the pilgrimage you took
Found myself feeling ‘nostalgic’ about 4 years ago. Wrote down something like: “after Wimber, after Toronto, after going for Revival… keep me faithful to You. Following YOU”
You won’t know this but was considering going back to Nigeria, again, for a week (feb HT)
- cleared the date in my diary from Sept 03
- but felt I needed to have God’s permission/clearing before I could go
o as, in the end: have to live HERE, now… in this culture… with JESUS
- some past experience is not the goal or actual bread
o (God though it was!)
And it IS possible to be SO looking back you miss the bread TODAY
- last year’s bread is no good. (certainly Manna wasn’t!)
- “Give us this day our DAILY bread”. Today!
o (possibly: give us the bread of tomorrow, today- but there’s certainly no request for a repeat if what God did yesterday)
Actually- you can only find God’s food HERE, now… in Jesus. TODAY
- “today if you hear His voice”
Because He is “I Am”. I Am the bread of life. And “I will be what I will be”
How they missed out! In fact- didn’t REALLY even want the work of God in Moses
- wanted full bellies. Cheap food. Economic utopia. Ousting of the Romans.
- A political king, not a heavenly/spiritual one (Jn 6:15)
That WAS good. This IS God
That WAS my hand (yes, really!). But- I AM the bread of life.
- after all has passed and gone- I AM
THE BREAD OF LIFE
Jesus corrects the Jews: you’re wrong. God gives you the real bread, not Moses- and I AM THAT BREAD!
Jesus uses language all can understand
Jesus said ’I am the bread of life’, so that he could be understood by bakers. ....’the way’: by traffic wardens... ’the resurrection’: by undertakers....’the truth’ by politicians!!
In fact: uses all kind of everyday imagery so all will understand
To the artist- he is the One Altogether Lovely
To the architect- he is the Chief Cornerstone
To the astronomer- he is the Sun of Righteousness
To the baker- he is the Living Bread
To the banker- he is the Hidden Treasure
To the Biologist- he is the Life
To the builder- he is the Sure Foundation
To the doctor- he is the Great Physician
To the educator- he is the Great Teacher
To the farmer- he is the Sower and the Lord of the Harvest
To the florist- he is the Lily of the valley and the Rose of Sharon
To the geologist- he is the Rock of Ages
To the horticulturist- he is the True Vine
to the lawyer- he is the Righteous Judge
To the juror- he is the True Witness
To the jeweller- he is the Pearl of Great Price
To the philosopher- he is the Wisdom of God
To the printer- he is the True Type
To the servant- he is the Good Master
To the student- he is the Incarnate Truth
To the toiler- he is the Giver of Rest
To the sinner- he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
To the Christian- he is the Son of the Living God, the Saviour, the Redeemer and Lord!
And he uses the language of bread because that was the most common necessity of all…
- all ate it
- all needed it (staple diet)
- all wanted it (no gluten intolerance in those days. But there were other things all couldn’t eat… but bread was wanted by everyone)
Basically- without bread: you’d die. Without it regularly: you’d be emaciated
- you’d die and whither up without Jesus
It was/is something fundamental… universal
As World War II was drawing to a close, the Allied armies gathered up many hungry orphans. They were placed in camps where they were well-fed. Despite excellent care, they slept poorly. They seemed nervous and afraid. Finally, a psychologist came up with the solution. Each child was given a piece of bread to hold after he was put to bed. This particular piece of bread was just to be held—not eaten. The piece of bread produced wonderful results. The children went to bed knowing instinctively they would have food to eat the next day. That guarantee gave the children a restful and contented sleep.
"I am the Bread of Life" by Quintin Morrow on www.sermoncentral.com
I am the bread of life!
And here’s why the Jews get so offended
- disciples find it a hard teaching (v60)
- v66 many others turn back
… because Jesus says (v53) “unless you eat this flesh and drink this blood- you shall have no life within you”
- imagine how repulsive that was to the Jews
o cannibalism. Blood
But, like His kingship, kingdom, power & food- they fail to see Jesus is not talking about physical things, here- rather SPIRITUAL principles
- we don’t ACTUALLY eat His body and blood
o we spiritually participate in it by FAITH
it IS real food (v55) but it’s food for the spirit & soul- not the body
So, HERE (Lord’s table)- this does not become the body & blood
- it becomes to YOU the body & blood
Might help you to understand: the RC’s and Anglo-Catholics believe it does. (trans-substantiation)
- bell rings so you can tell it happens
o then must all be eaten or drunk. None wasted (drunk!)
as can’t treat Jesus’ body improperly
o can’t be taken by an unbeliever- as unfitting place for Christ’s body
That’s why we are unable to meet in this area, as Catholics & protestants- because they believe they’re protecting Jesus
- can see their motives, eh?
- I think it’s important we understand & respect this
But realise that much of the language of the Bible talks of SPIRITUAL things with physical imagery/metaphors
- even the ‘raising up’, here. Paul clarifies in 1 Cor 15: 44: 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
- Our bodies will; have continuity, identity but not identicalness
THIS (bread) is a means by which our faith is stimulated so we can feed on Jesus. On the “I AM”
- a means by which we remember Him
- but also receive Him afresh into our lives
It’s a very powerful means, as it’s something Jesus inaugurated and… irrespective of how you FEEL… God can feed you with the bread of life through it
- and you can be filled and not go hungry
We come to do that, now
- want you to really participate. Help us all feed. Bring prayers, words, scriptures
Confession
Lord’s prayer (daily bread)
Bread circulate. Open prayer etc
Sing: I am the bread of life
Wine circulate, while singing
This is the air I breathe
Wait in silence. Pray
Take wine
Hallelujah sing to Jesus
