John 6:41-51
Murmuring and Manna
Intro:
I. The Murmuring of the Crowd - v. 41-43
A. The rumbling of the crowd - v. 41
Grumbling, griping, and guttersniping!
"murmur" - def. = to murmur, mutter, grumble, say anything against in a low tone
a. of the cooing of doves
b. of those who confer secretly together
c. of those who discontentedly complain
They were criticizing His background and credentials - v. 42
A prophet is not without honor....and not everything is as it seems!
Illustration: "Spurgeon’s eggs"
God alone knows the heart. One of the most famous preachers of the 1800’s was Charles Spurgeon. He was Queen Victoria’s favorite preacher, and he was a Baptist. Spurgeon and his wife had a practice of selling, but refusing to give away, the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, "If you want them, you have to pay for them."
Since he had a huge church and a salary to match, some people labeled the Spurgeons as greedy. Sort of like how television evangelists are labeled today. The Spurgeons accepted the criticisms without defending themselves.
It was only after Mrs. Spurgeon died that the whole story was revealed: All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows.
B. The wrongness of their view - v. 42
Note - they thought they knew who He was!
• They thought they knew His parents
• They thought they knew where He was from
• They thought they knew He was like one of them
The biggest mistake people made then - like people today -
is that they think they know who Jesus is and what He’s like....
• They think they know that He’s angry at them
• They think they know that He’s hard to talk to
• They think they know that He won’t answer prayer
It’s like criticizing someone or something you know nothing about...
Illustration: "The Owl"
Two men stopped before a window in which an owl was on display. They immediately began to criticize the way it was mounted. Its eyes were not natural; its wings were not in proportion with its head; its feathers were not neatly arranged; and its feet could be improved. When they had finished with their criticism, the old owl turned his head ... and winked at them.
Quote: It is much easier to be critical than to be correct. - Disraeli
It’s vitally important to see God as He is; not as we think He is!
C. The rebuke of the Lord - v. 43
The Lord admonished them, "Do not murmur among yourselves"
Paul repeats this admonishment to the Philippians:
Phil. 2:14-15 - Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
II. The Magnetism of the Father - v. 44-47
A. The Father draws and calls people to Christ - v. 44
You were not predetermined to come to Christ - but you cannot come to Christ without the Father’s enabling!
Coming to Christ requires a decision on your part
It also requires an act of God’s will - to draw you to Christ
C. The Father enlightens people to their need for Christ - v. 45
The first part of this verse is a reference to Isaiah 54:13 - And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
This is a prophecy of the millennial period, and would have been fulfilled if the Jewish people had accepted Christ as their Messiah.
Instead, they rejected Him, and this prophecy is still unfulfilled.
The second half of the verse refers to those who have been drawn to Christ by the Father ("Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.").
This idea is reiterated in other passages, such as John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
It means that those who listen to - and obey - the Father’s direction come to Christ. Those who do not listen - reject Christ.
What about you? Are you listening to what God is saying to you?
III. The Manna of the Lord - v. 48-51
A. This incident parallels that of Exodus 16 -
Ex. 16:1-15 - (Read text)
Notice that the people of Israel are complaining about God and His provision. They are not trusting in Him.
They want provision as the world provides it - as it was in Egypt.
Yet God provides bread from heaven for them, in spite of their murmuring together against Him.
Again, this serves as an example of how God’s provision for us does not depend on our faithfulness, righteousness....or anything we do!
Illustration: "The Little Red Hen"
During the winter of 1940 Josephine Kuntz’ husband, a house painter and textile worker, was temporarily unemployed because of the weather and a seasonal lay-off. It was a difficult time for the family. They literally had no money. Their eighteen-month-old daughter, Rachel, was recovering from pneumonia and wasn’t doing well. The doctor insisted Rachel eat a boiled egg each day, but even that was beyond their means.
"Why not pray for an egg?" suggested a young friend. They were a church-going family, but the idea of actually praying for their needs was something they had never really considered. Josephine wasted no time. On her knees she prayed that God would provide an egg each morning for her daughter.
Later that morning Josephine heard some cackling coming from the hedge fence in front of their home. Among the bare branches sat a fat red hen. She had never seen this hen before and had no idea where it came from. She just watched in amazement as the hen laid an egg and then proceeded down the road.
In a moment the hen was gone but an egg sat in her yard.
What do you do under such circumstances but thank God? The next day Josephine was startled once again to hear cackling in the hedge. The red hen came by every day for over a week and repeated this routine. Each day little Rachel had a fresh boiled egg. The little girl got better, the weather improved, and Josephine’s husband went back to work. "The next morning I waited by the window and watched," Josephine says, but the little red hen did not return.
The Lord’s provision is in spite of who we are; not because of it!
B. Comparison between "dead" manna and "living Bread" - v. 49-51
Notice what the Jewish people called the bread in the wilderness:
They called it "manna", which means, "what is it?"
Here’s Jesus, the true Bread from Heaven, and they don’t know what He is either! They did know that it was miraculous, though.
Jesus compares Himself to the manna, except that He is greater!
He is telling them that He is a miracle to them as well!
The manna in the wildersness gave temporary satisfaction/fulfillment
It serves as a foreshadowing of the true Bread from Heaven - Jesus!
John 6:32 - Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Are you hungry? Spiritually hungry?
Are you suffering "hunger pangs" from sin -
broken relationships -
devastating habits -
lack of purpose in life -
emptiness and unfulfillment?
Would you like to be satisfied from the inside?
Come - fill yourself with the true Bread of Heaven - Jesus Christ!
