"Show Me The Bread"

Standing right in front of them, was Eternal Life, Himself. The Bread which comes down from heaven, given by the Father. But from Him they only wanted immediate gratification. A full belly.

They yearned for bread, while rejecting the Bread (capital B).

They wanted the miracle, while rejecting the Miracle worker.

They were hungry for the temporal, but had no interest in the eternal.

The Passover was at hand. They would gather with friends and family and engage in the traditions and rituals of religion; eating the roasted lamb and the unleavened bread, venerating Moses the lawgiver, yet unable to recognize that they had been face to face with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Now I’ve spent a great deal of time today, establishing that this multitude of people, at this point of the ministry of Jesus Christ just weren’t getting the picture. They had no understanding or comprehension of spiritual things, and the things of God, and could only think of their perceived immediate, physical needs.

But if any passage in the gospels confirms the assertion of the faith principle; that without it one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, certainly, it is well established in John chapter 6. And this is the point I want you to see clearly today.

All of the scoffings and challenges of an unbelieving world are answered right here.

Everything that mankind needs to know to be rescued from eternal damnation and find rest and completion in his God, is contained right here. But they couldn’t see because they were using eyes of flesh. They couldn’t receive because they would not exercise the principle of simple faith, to partake of the Bread that satisfies forever.

So it is with Christ-less humanity of all cultures in all times.

They’ll say, ‘If God is real, why doesn’t He stop the suffering in the world? Why doesn’t He do something about the injustices? Why doesn’t He meet my physical needs? Why do I have pain? Where is He when life is unfair?’ And with these words freshly rolling off their lips, they will sit down to a roast turkey and all the trimmings, filled with self-congratulation that they have provided this feast for themselves and their family, and never give a moment’s thought to the One who truly set their table.

But can the church justifiably point a finger and criticize the dead for their lack of faith and their ‘show me the bread’ approach to life?

Are we not guilty of seeking the gift instead of the Giver Himself, when we get wrapped up in the traditions and rituals of religion as though they were the goal and the end?

Praying earnestly for the Lord’s blessing on our efforts, and for immediate gratification in the form of success, as the world would measure success, in our church building and programs?

Believer here today, if there is one single and simple message that Jesus had for them and for us in this discourse on the Bread of life, it is that faith ~ what He is talking about here in verse 29 when He says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent”, is being more concerned with having the Bread of Life in us, than getting what He can give us.