John Ch6v25-58 - Bread For Life

Turn in our Bibles to John's Gospel.

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Sam is at the back there.

Are there any notes left if anybody needs notes and a pen if you want to follow along?

So John chapter 6, we're going to be reading from verse 25 down to verse 40.

John 6 · chapter mention

I'll just give you a second to find it.

John chapter 6, verses 25 to 40.

John 6:25–40

So let's hear God's word to us.

When they, that's the crowd, found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him,

Rabbi or teacher, when did you get here?

Jesus answered, very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the

signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the

Son of Man will give you, for on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.

Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires?

Jesus answered, the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent.

So they asked him, what sign then will you give us that we may see it and believe you?

What will you do?

Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness.

As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat.

Jesus said to them, very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven,

but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God and

the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

Sir, they said, always give us this bread.

Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

But as I told you, you have seen me, and still you do not believe.

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away.

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me.

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,

but raise them up at the last day.

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,

and I will raise them up at the last day.

So, please keep your Bibles open, and if you need the bathrooms at all,

just feel free to go to the back and follow the blue path all the way around to the ladies

and to the gents if you need them.

Let's pray and ask for God's help.

Father, thank you for your words.

Thank you for its truth.

And we pray that your word would feed us this morning,

that it would have an impact upon each of our lives,

and that it would help us to depend upon Jesus more and more.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

And Gorta Moore, that's about the only Irish I know, I think,

the Great Famine, the Great Famine of Ireland.

Over a period of seven years, from 1845 to 1852,

one million people died,

and a further one million had to flee the country.

The cause?

A disease known as the potato blight,

which killed off the annual potato harvest.

It was devastating, because the vast majority of people living in Ireland at that time

were dependent on the potato for food.

You had potato for your breakfast, dinner, and tea.

So without the potato, you died.

Now what the potato was to the Irish in the mid-19th century,

bread was to the Palestinian people of the first century.

Bread was your staple diet.

You had bread for your breakfast, dinner, and tea.

In fact, you literally worked for your crust.

80% of your income would be spent on food,

which was primarily bread.

It was essential to life.

If you had no bread, you died.

But you could imagine, then, the delight of the crowds

when Jesus turned up and did one of his signs.

Let's pick it up in chapter 6, verse 5.

We didn't read this, but we're going to read it now.

Chapter 6, verse 5.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming towards him,

he said to Philip,

Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?

Jesus asked this only to test him,

for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

And Philip answered him,

It would take more than half a year's wages

to buy enough bread for each one just to have a bite.

Another of his disciples, Andrew,

Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,

perhaps a little bit sarcastically.

Here is a boy with five small barley loaves

and two small fish.

But how far is that going to go among so many?

Jesus said,

Make the people sit down.

There was plenty of grass in that place,

and they sat down.

About 5,000 men were there.

So that's not counting all the women and children.

So we could say at least 10,000.

Jesus then took the loaves,

gave thanks,

distributed to those who were seated

as much as they wanted.

An abundance of free bread.

It's no wonder then that wherever Jesus went,

the crowds were not far behind.

So look at verse 25.

When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake,

they asked him,

Rabbi, when did you get here?

Jesus answered,

Very truly I tell you,

you are looking for me,

not because you saw the signs I performed,

but because you ate the loaves

and had your fill.

You see, Jesus had already performed

a number of signs.

Remember, he had turned the water into wine.

He had healed a man

who had been paralysed for 38 years.

And now he was providing free food.

But the signs Jesus did

were not an end in themselves.

They were always pointing beyond the miracle itself

and pointing it to Jesus

about who he is

and what he had come to do.

So what was this sign,

this free bread sign,

all about?

Well, that's what we're going to look at together.

This sign

will teach us,

first of all,

that Jesus is

the bread

from heaven.

Jesus is the bread

from heaven.

The crowd

naturally thought that,

well, if this guy Jesus

gave us bread

yesterday

and we didn't have to

even work for it,

maybe he's going to give us

bread tomorrow.

All they could be thinking of

was filling

their bellies.

Just give us bread

bread

and we'll be satisfied.

Well, Jesus had something

better to offer

and we need to know

and see

the difference.

First, Jesus talks about

bread

that spoils.

Verse 27,

do not work for food

that spoils

but for food

that endures

to eternal life.

Now, bread

mightn't be the top

of our wants

and desires list.

Thankfully,

we live in a part

of the world

where we have

an abundance of food.

We throw away bread.

However,

we do hunger

for other things.

Don't we

desperately try

to fill our lives

with all kinds

of stuff

in an effort

to find

satisfaction?

It can be

physical things

like the pursuit

of sports

and fitness

and well-being.

It can be material,

a desire

for more money

or that job

or that holiday.

It can be relational,

the desire

for a friend

or to get married.

We work,

we put in

lots of effort

chasing that

one thing.

If only I could

grasp it

and have it,

that if it was

in my life,

it would satisfy

me.

What Jesus

is saying,

all of these

things,

the physical,

the material,

the relational,

they can be

all good.

They're wonderful,

good gifts

from God

to you.

But get this,

they don't

last.

They'll all

spoil.

Every one

of them

will perish.

because everything

that we desire

in this life

has a

shelf life.

In fact,

when we have it,

we find that

it leaves us

empty.

We're only

grasping

for more.

So Jesus,

right from the

outset,

is saying to us,

stop thinking

about the

physical

and the

temporary

and reorder

your lives

and your

heart

and start

thinking

about the

spiritual

and the

eternal.

Verse 27,

don't work

for food

that spoils,

but for food

that endures

to eternal

life.

So what is

the food

that Jesus

offers?

What is

the bread

that endures

to eternal

life?

Well,

there's the

bread

from God.

It seems

the crowd

are still

thinking

in physical

terms.

Look at

verse 31.

They remind

Jesus of

their history

and their

past.

Our

ancestors

ate manna

in the

wilderness.

As it is

written,

he gave

them bread

from heaven

to eat.

You may

remember

the account

in Exodus

when the

Israelites

were rescued

from their

slavery in

Egypt.

They found

themselves in

the wilderness,

in the

desert.

Well,

there was no

food there.

So God

said to

Moses,

you can

follow it

on the

screen,

God said,

I will

rain down

bread from

heaven for

you.

So in

the morning

there was a

layer of

dew around

the camp.

When the

dew was

gone,

thin flakes

like frost

appeared on

the desert

floor.

The very

first

frosties.

When the

Israelites

saw it,

they said

to each

other,

what is

it?

For they

did not

know what

it was.

And Moses

said to

them,

it is the

bread the

Lord has

given you

to eat.

bread.

Now this

went on

for 40

years.

Every

morning

they would

go out

into their

camp and

there would

be a

fresh supply

of bread

that they

would gather.

So the

crowd are

thinking,

you can

imagine

their minds

whirring,

hey Jesus,

can you

do what

Moses did?

Can you

give us

this food

continually?

Verse 32,

Jesus said

to them,

very truly

I tell you,

it is not

Moses who

has given

you the

bread from

heaven,

in fact it

was God

who had

done that,

but it

is my

Father who

gives you

the true

bread from

heaven.

For the

bread of

God is

the bread

that comes

down from

heaven and

gives life

to the

world.

You see,

the bread

that God

is giving,

that he

offers,

is not

the physical

bread that

you'll get

in Lidl

that fills

your belly

one day

and leaves

you hungry

the next.

It's not

the material

temporary

stuff that

we squeeze

into our

hectic

lives.

The bread

that God

gives is

Jesus who

comes to

give life

to the

world.

Jesus who

was sent

from heaven

provides life

in all its

fullness

forever.

Bread for

our bellies

is important.

We'll enjoy

our food

today,

but Jesus

who is the

true bread

sent from

heaven is

essential.

What the

world gives,

what this

life offers

us,

will spoil

and perish,

but what

God gives

endures.

Jesus says,

I am the

bread

from heaven.

And Jesus

also says

that he is

the bread

of life.

Now like

the crowd,

we can

perhaps miss

what Jesus

is saying.

Verse 34,

sir,

they said,

always give

us this

bread.

You see,

they're still

focused on

their

tummies.

They can't

see past

the physical

and the

temporary,

so Jesus

makes it

abundantly

clear.

Verse 34,

I am

the bread

of life.

It's me,

the food

you need,

the food

that you

desperately

desire,

it's me.

You see,

all these

material

longings

that we

have,

the relational

desires that

we all

have,

well,

they're just

signals,

they're just

a taste of

something much

deeper down

in our

life,

which is

only filled

by Jesus.

Augustine

famously wrote

these words.

Speaking of

God,

he says,

you made

us for

yourself

as our

goal,

and our

heart is

restless

until it

rests in

you.

In other

words,

our aching

appetites

are only

ever truly

filled

in the

person of

Jesus.

And Jesus

goes on to

show us

two ways

in which

we can

find life

in him,

the kind

of life

that he

gives us.

First,

there is

the bread

that satisfies.

Look at

verse 35.

Jesus

declared,

I am

the bread

of life.

Whoever

comes to

me

will never

go hungry,

and whoever

believes in

me will

never

be thirsty.

The life

of Jesus

fills us

and quenches

us.

There is

no need

to go

looking and

searching for

anything else

or anyone

else,

that magical

thing,

if only I

had it.

No,

we have

got it in

the person

of Jesus.

You see,

we all

crave joy

and happiness

and we

long to

be satisfied,

but whatever

we have

and wherever

we go,

it seems

it's just

never enough.

We're always

chasing our

dreams.

Isn't this

what the

writer to

Ecclesiastes

teaches us?

Follow on

the screens

there what

he says.

He says,

I denied

myself

nothing

my eyes

desired.

I refused

my heart

no pleasure.

My heart

took delight

in all my

labour and

this was the

reward for

all my

toil.

Yet when

I surveyed

all that

my hands

had done

and what

I had

toiled to

achieve,

everything

was

meaningless.

A chasing

after the

wind,

nothing

was

gained

under

the

sun.

Do you

see that

word

meaningless?

It's

emptiness.

It's like

trying to

grasp a

cloud.

There's

nothing

there.

And all

this chasing

and all

this looking

for things

ultimately

leaves us

empty.

But look

what Jesus

promises.

He says,

come to

me and

you will

never go

hungry.

Come to

me and

you will

be forgiven

of all

of your

sin,

all your

guilt and

all your

shame can

be dealt

with.

Come to

me and

you will

never be

condemned.

Come to

me and

you can be

a child

of God

with access

to the

Father.

Come to

me and

you will

never be

thirsty.

me and

who

satisfies

completely.

We don't

need to

go looking

to anyone

else or

anything

else.

So he

is bread

that

satisfies

and he

is bread

that

secures.

Look at

verse 37.

All those

the Father

gives me

will come

to me

and whoever

comes to

me, I

will never

drive away.

Jesus is

giving the

invitation.

All who

come

will not

be driven

away.

It's a

solid and

sure guarantee

that the

life he

offers is

forever.

Well, how

can we be

so sure?

Well, look

at verse 38.

Jesus says,

I have

come down

from heaven

not to

do my

will, but

to do the

will of

him who

sent me.

And what

is the

will?

What's the

desire of

the Father?

Verse 39.

And this

is the

will of

him who

sent me,

that I

shall

lose

none

of all

those he

has given

me,

but

raise

them up

at the

last day.

Those who

come to

Jesus

are secure

in Jesus.

Last week

we looked at

the phrase

about crossing

over from

death to

life.

It's like we

go through a

door and we

come into

life.

Well, you

know what?

There's no

way back

through that

door.

We are

secure in

Jesus forever.

In fact, as

the end of

verse 39

tells us,

a day is

going to

come when

all who

have died

in Jesus

and are

trusting him

will be

raised up,

will be

given

brand new

bodies,

and we

will enjoy

an eternity

with Jesus

forever in

his new

creation.

You see,

everything that

we can see,

every possession

that we own

and touch

and taste

and hear,

it will all

spoil.

It neither

lasts nor

satisfies,

but to have

Jesus

is to have

life

that is

eternally

secure

and will

never perish,

spoil,

or fade.

Verse 40,

for my

Father's

will is

that everyone

who looks

to the

Son and

believes in

him shall

have eternal

life and

I will

raise them

up at

the last

day.

How amazing

that will

be.

Come to

me, says

Jesus,

because I

am the

bread of

life.

life.

So how

do we

receive

this

life-giving

bread?

How can

we

experience

it for

ourselves?

How can

we enjoy

it on a

daily

basis?

Well,

Jesus is

the bread

from heaven,

he's the

bread of

life.

And

Jesus is

the bread

we eat.

Jesus

says

something

quite shocking.

Look at

verse 51.

I am

the

living

bread

that

came

down

from

heaven.

Whoever

eats

this

bread

will

live

forever.

This

bread

is my

flesh

which I

will give

for the

life

of the

world.

We are

to eat

Jesus.

We are

to feed

on him.

we say

that sounds

an awfully

bit

strange.

Can we

really

eat

him?

Well,

we are

not to

literally

eat,

so what

does it

mean?

Well,

I think

two things.

I put it

like this.

First,

it is

bread that

we can

trust.

Suppose

you have

never seen

or tasted

bread.

bread.

And

someone

comes up

to you

and offers

you a

bread roll,

a nice

crusty

roll.

And in

an effort

to convince

you of

its goodness,

they explain,

well,

Johnny,

it's made

of flour,

it's got

some water

in and it's

put in the

oven and

it's baked

and when

it comes

out,

it's chewy

on the

outside

and soft

in the

inside.

Try it,

one bite

of it

and it

will melt

in your

mouth.

How do

you know

if it's

good?

The only

way you

know if

it's good,

the only

way you

know if

they're

telling the

truth is

if you

taste it

yourself.

You must

eat it.

Well,

in the same

way,

Jesus is

calling us

to not

just hear

his words,

but to

believe him,

to trust

in him.

Verse 53,

Jesus said

to them,

very truly

I tell

you,

unless you

eat the

flesh of

the Son

of Man

and drink

his blood,

you have

no life

in you.

Whoever

eats my

flesh and

drinks my

blood has

eternal life

and I will

raise them

up on the

last day.

For my

flesh is

real food

and my

blood is

real drink.

You see,

to eat

and drink

of Jesus

means we're

to trust

in him.

We're to

believe in

him.

It's to

place all

our hope

in Jesus

because we

don't get

to experience

the life

Jesus gives

by simply

knowing about

him and

getting an

A in your

religion test

or just

having

information

about

Jesus.

No,

we experience

the life

he gives

to us

by having

faith in

him,

by committing

ourselves to

him fully

and completely.

I wonder

if we've all

experienced

this life.

You can

trust him

but don't

take my

word for

it.

As we

read in

Psalm 34

earlier,

taste and

you will

see that

he is

good.

He is

good.

So Jesus

is bread

that we

can trust

and then

second bread

we can

feed on

because not

only are we

to taste,

there's the

implication here

as we read

on that we're

to keep on

eating,

we're to

keep on

feeding.

Verse 56,

whoever eats

or feeds

on my

flesh

and drinks

of my

blood

remains

in me

and I

in them.

The crowd

that were

following Jesus

they needed

physical bread,

we need

bread,

if we don't

have it we

die,

none of us

can survive

without

eating.

Well it's

the same

for us

spiritually,

we must

continually

feed on

Jesus

because he

not only

satisfies

and secures,

he sustains

us through

all of life.

Do you see

what it's

saying in

verse 56?

You will

remain in

me and I

in you.

It will

maintain,

it will

grow our

relationship

with him.

Verse 57

Just as

the living

father sent

me and I

live because

of the

father,

so the

one who

feeds on

me will

live because

of me.

So how

do we

feed on

Jesus?

How are we

going to

feed on

Jesus together?

Father?

Well as

we close I

want to

suggest two

things that

we can

do.

Here's the

first one.

No, it's

not there, I

forgot to

write it.

I'll tell you

what it is.

First we

feed on

Jesus by

reading his

word.

We feed on

Jesus by

reading his

word.

It's the

word of

God, the

word of

Jesus that

will nourish

us and

grow us.

And that's

how we

become fruitful.

That's why

we come

together on

a Sunday to

hear the

word of

God.

Because without

a daily

regular diet

of God's

word we

become

unhealthy.

We become

malnourished.

We become

sick.

And we'll

find ourselves

seeking and

searching for

all the

things and

placing all

our confidence

and our

hope in

things that

spoil and

perish.

Just as we

need to

eat to be

healthy and

strong physically

so we need

to depend and

feed on

God's word.

That daily

diet so

that we

become mature

and strong

together and

live in a

vibrant

communion with

the Lord

Jesus.

So first

let us

gather together.

let us

meet with

one another

and on

ourselves

let us

read his

word.

We feed

on Jesus

by devouring

the word

of God.

And second

we can

feed on

Jesus

by remembering

his death.

We feed

on Jesus

by remembering

his death.

death.

Now I'm

not suggesting

that Jesus

is talking

about the

Lord's

supper here.

I think that

comes later

on in

John's

gospel and

we'll get

to that

when we

get there.

However I

do think

these remaining

verses

verses 53

through to

the end

are a

picture of

what we

do when

we do

remember

Jesus'

death.

as we

physically

eat the

bread

so as we

gather

around the

Lord's

supper

as we

share

communion

together

as we

physically

eat the

bread

as we

drink the

juice

we are

spiritually

feeding on

the flesh

and blood

of Jesus.

We're saying

as we come

to the

table

that I

need

Jesus

that we're

depending upon

his very

death

for us

in our

place.

A death

that secures

forgiveness

and secures

our eternal

life with

him.

Life with

him forever.

We feed

on him

as we

remember

his death.

Verse 51

Jesus

says

I am

the

living

bread

that came

down from

heaven.

Whoever

eats this

bread

will live

forever.

This

bread is

my flesh

which I

will give

for the

life of

the world.

Trust in

him.

Feed

on him.

Taste

and you

will see

that he

is good.

he will

satisfy

you.

He will

secure

you and

he will

sustain

you in

that

beautiful

communion

one with

the

father.

Eat

continually

and you

will experience

life in

all its

fullness.

I am

the bread

of life.

let us

feed on

him

who

gives us

life.

Let's

pray

together.

Father we

thank you

for

physical

food

that we

have had

this

morning.

For

food that

we are

going to

eat

throughout

this

day.

food and

drink that

we will

have

tomorrow.

And yet

above all

of this

we thank

you for

the most

precious

and wonderful

gift of

Jesus the

bread of

life sent

from heaven

to give us

life in all

its fullness.

Father will

you help

each one

of us to

feed on

you

continually

you

father will

you grow

us as

we read

your word

and would

you cause

a greater

dependence

upon you

as we

gather

around

your

table.

Father may

our

communion

with you

increase

and deepen

as we

eat of

Christ.

Please help

us we

pray.

for we

need it.

In Jesus

name.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going

to sing

together

what grace

is Jesus

my redeemer.

He is the

gift.

He is the

bread we

eat.

Let's

thank him

through our

song as we

praise God

together.

Let's stand

together as we

sing.

shall Wass

for 50

not to be

for he

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So if you have one there, we can read.

Let me pray first and then we'll close with the blessing.

Father, thank you.

Father, thank you for your goodness to us today.

We ask for your continued help to us in this coming week.

Thank you for one another.

Now let's say the blessing.

Now let's say the blessing.

Now let's say the blessing.

And may our hunger for God, amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, it's good to see you today.

But please do stay in the same thing.

My house, it's my house, it's not my house.

And I'll be here for you.

And I'll be here for you for a while if you want to chat to me to get directions and stuff.

We'd be delighted to have you.

Please come younger and older and everything in between.

Please come.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

.

.

ment

.

.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.