Bread that Satisfies part 2

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This is a message continued from last week dealing with John 6:28-35.

Bread that Satisfies – Part 2

John 6:25-35

Introduction:

Last Sunday we started with this passage, but we didn’t have the time to finish.

I mentioned that there were 3 questions that the people asked Jesus, along with His response to each one.

In my previous message we talked about the first question: (v. 25) “When did you come here?”

We talked about the fact that Jesus didn’t even try to answer their question directly, but instead, went right to the heart of their motives for searching for Him.

Jesus was doing what He does best – focusing like a laser on the very heart of our problem; exposing our inner thoughts and motives.

(Just like he did with the Samaritan woman at the well when He said to her, “Go call your husband.”)

In this case, He exposed the fact that these people were seeking Him only because He had satisfied an immediate fleshly desire by giving them something to eat.

They weren’t seeking Him because the miracle had convinced them He must be the divine Son of God or because the miracle had confirmed that He was on a special mission for God.

No, they apparently just wanted Him to do something else to make them feel good.

Question # 2: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (v.28)

In all probability this was a follow-up question to part of the response Jesus had given to the first question when He said to them, “Labor not for the food that perishes, but labor for the food that endures to everlasting life.”

The word “labor” in v. 27 is the same Greek word as the word that is translated “work” in v. 28.

As soon as Jesus says, “Work for the food that endures…” They’re probably thinking about the Jewish emphasis on doing works of righteousness (Bible Background Commentary) or possibly some of the Pharisaic rules prevalent in their religious culture (A.T. Robertson).

Some suggest that they may be asking, “What more can we do than those works we do in obedience to the Law of Moses?” (See Mathew Henry’s Commentary)

It may be a sincere question … What work does God require? What work does God approve?

Matthew Henry thinks they may be affirming their willingness to do anything, whether something great or something important to please God.

It’s possible that their question reveals an enthusiasm that is often seen in people after they hear a great motivating speech or message.

“What can I do next?” “How can I get involved?” “Sign me up!”

Answer to the Question:

Jesus replies that the only “work” God requires is believing in Him that God has sent.

(Robertson)The tense of the verb here indicates continually believing, i.e. “Keep on believing in Him that God sent.”

(M. Henry)They ask about works, in the plural, but Jesus directs them to a singular work – faith.

We are reminded in Scripture by various writers (e.g. Paul, James) that works will naturally follow faith, but faith is the absolute crucial factor.

Dear friends, the Bible is full of instructions and guidance for us on how we are to live the Christian life and live out the life of faith.

Jesus repeatedly told His followers to obey His commands.

But, first and foremost we must settle the issue in our hearts, once and for all, who Jesus really is, and can we trust Him?

This is the core issue to finding the true “bread or food that endures to everlasting life.”

The first and primary “work” that God requires of all people is that we believe and keep on believing in the One God has sent into the world to save us.

Everything else naturally follows from that one “work.”

Can you really believe in Jesus today?

Can you really trust Him?

Do you absolutely depend on Him to provide your access to God and your hope for a home in heaven?

Are you living every day in a way that demonstrates that you trust Jesus?

I think these questions really help us to get to the heart of what Jesus was saying to these people in Capernaum.

Question # 3 “What sign will you provide so we can see it and believe You? What work will you do?” (v. 30)

After Jesus provides His answer to their second question they follow-up with a third question that continues to play on the word “work.”

“What sign will you give?” What work will you do?”

They go on to reference the “miracle” that Moses did in the desert – feeding the children of Israel “bread from heaven.” (v. 31)

They either totally missed the significance of the miracle they had just witnessed the day before, or they categorized it as something less than what Moses did, so now they want to see something as great as or greater than Moses.

(Adam Clarke's Commentary) Their argument seems to run thus: [Jesus, you] have… fed five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes; but what is this in comparison of what Moses did in the desert, who for forty years fed more than a million [people] with bread from heaven: do something like this, and then we will believe in [you], as we have believed in Moses.

(The Bible Knowledge Commentary) They reasoned, "If You are [greater] than Moses, [can you] do more than Moses[?]"

 (Believer's Bible Commentary) Like most unbelievers, they wanted to see first, and then they would believe… But this is not God's order. (Cf.) John 11:40 (NKJV) Jesus said to [Martha], "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Answer to Question # 3

In response to their question and their comparison to Moses, Jesus gave them a lesson about the true bread that satisfies.

First of all, Jesus corrects their claim that Moses was the one who gave them the bread in the desert.

The bread (manna) was provided by God in heaven. Moses was just a servant of God.

Secondly, He distinguishes between “manna” (bread for physical food) and “true bread” (spiritual food) that gives life to the world.

From our perspective, i.e. reading what we know back into the story, it is easy for us to see that Jesus is talking about Himself.

But the listeners still haven’t figured that out as they say to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

So Jesus has to plainly tell them, “I am the bread of life, he who believes in me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (v. 35)

The lesson continues on with some additional thoughts added by the Lord, but the whole point has already been made – Jesus Christ satisfies the spiritual hunger of every seeking and believing soul!

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Conclusion:

In closing, dear friends, let me once again emphasize the fact that only Jesus can satisfy your soul!

His words got pretty graphic a little later in the chapter: “Eat my flesh and drink my blood.”

Listeners, who could only think in the literal sense, were quite baffled and even offended.

I’ve read comments in the past how critics throughout the early years of the church accused the Christians of cannibalism, and a lot of it probably had to do with statements like the ones found in this chapter. (It also had connections to their vocabulary surrounding the sacrament of Communion.)

But, Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms as noted in v. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  

And in v. 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

The message Jesus offered these people in Capernaum is still the same message He offers today.

For anyone who is seeking something to satisfy the hunger and thirst in their soul, Jesus is the only answer that truly satisfies.

Even if seekers like the ones in this chapter, think they want physical appetites fulfilled, He is able to prove His ability to meet the deeper longings of the heart and soul.

I’m so glad that I personally have discovered the truth of this message!

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought

Since Jesus came into my heart!

I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,

Since Jesus came into my heart!

Since Jesus came into my heart!

Since Jesus came into my heart!

Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,

Since Jesus came into my heart!

Let’s close the service today by singing this old hymn.      It is # 503 in the Celebration Hymnal.

Bread that Satisfies part 1

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above.  To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player.)

This is a sermon that was given as a communion sermon and it is based on John 6:22-27.

Bread that Satisfies

Introduction:

This morning we are going to be sharing the emblems of the Lord’s Supper in communion.

I want to speak to you concerning the passage in John 6 that was read earlier in the service. It is a passage that I had personally read some time ago and made a note to share it sometime in a sermon.

Bread is a common staple food that is part of the diet of most people around the world.

In some cultures it is very common for people to go each morning to purchase their day’s supply of bread from a local bakery made fresh daily. (No preservatives)

My wife has told me about her foreign study in Colombia, South America while she was in college when she would go buy fresh bread each morning.

Nearly everywhere in the world, bread of some kind is a regular part of the diet.

Listen to these brief excerpts taken from an internet blog written by By Debbra Mikaelsen.

On a brisk, blue-skied day, I hug a loaf of peasant bread to my heart, feeling its fresh-from-the-oven warmth radiate through the paper bag wrapping. I feel good about this bread; I have met the baker whose hands formed it, and I have seen the odd little wood-burning oven that baked it.

All food is a miracle, but few things amaze me as much as this transformation of flour, yeast, salt and water into a gift with a crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior….

I have not always had such a healthy respect for good bread. When I was very young, my family’s daily bread came from one of those bakeries that all small towns used to have, sweet-smelling places that sell wedding cakes, jelly donuts, and loaf after loaf of white sandwich bread….

Making bread is something that humankind should be skilled at; we’ve been doing it for a very long time. The ancient Egyptians are thought to have been the first bakers, and, in one form or another, bread has been a basic staple of many cultures…. And humans are good at making bread—much better than the factories whose loaves fill supermarket shelves.

This is perhaps the most versatile of all foods: appropriate for every meal, and a vehicle for both sweet and savoury toppings. Chunks of fresh bread make excellent plate cleaners when you’ve had something saucy or smothered in gravy. Pair bread with a good soup or salad and it becomes a satisfying, nutritious and economical meal. Day-old bread can be reincarnated as sweet or savoury puddings, garlicky croutons, or an herby, crumbly topping for out-of-this-world macaroni and cheese.  (http://www.ediblecommunities.com/vancouver/Recent-Articles/bread-a-love-story.htm)

Have I made you hungry yet? This vivid description of bread reminds us of its value to us.

When Jesus instituted the “Lord’s Supper,” he used the bread and the wine of the Passover meal to represent his own body and blood.

Today I want to take a look at this passage in John chapter 6, not because it speaks about the Lord’s Supper or Communion, but because of the message it conveys with the analogy of bread as life-giving nourishment.

In this text there are three questions that were raised by the people who were following Jesus. I don’t know if we have time to examine all three of them today, but I want to focus on these questions, as well as the responses that He gave them after each one.

Set the Scene

Before we get into the questions, let’s just review a little background information to set the scene.

·          Miracle of the loaves and fishes.

·          Disciples got in a boat and left the area without Jesus.

·          Jesus is no longer around.

·          People get in boats and go to Capernaum. There they find Jesus. (They don’t know what we know… Jesus walked on the water during the night storm and joined the disciples in the boat.)

·          Once they find Him, they begin to ask Him some questions.

#1 – “When did you come here?”

Based on the preceding details in the story that I’ve already highlighted, these people are amazed that Jesus is in Capernaum when they specifically saw the disciples leave without Him.

You might expect that Jesus would thoroughly explain to them when, how, and why He came to Capernaum, but He does not.

It is intriguing to notice that Jesus doesn’t even attempt to answer the question they asked, but rather, He reveals the reason behind the question.

v. 26 – “You do not seek for me because of the miraculous signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled up [satisfied].”

Their question implied that they had been seeking Him for awhile.

A. His answer provided an insight regarding their motives.

Jesus exposes the deepest feelings and thoughts of these people, which turns out to be not that different from many people today.

They weren’t seeking Jesus because His miracles had convinced them of His divine identity, or because the miracles had even validated His divine mission.

No, they apparently were seeking Him because they were satisfied with how He had provided for one of their basic physical needs.

There are still people in the world today that find themselves attracted to God because of what He has done for them already or what He can offer them.

• Better job (improved economic status)
• Better health (healing from some dreaded disease.)
• Improved relationships (get rid of conflicts)
• Escape from hell

They say, “Isn’t it wonderful what God did / is doing for me?!”

But deep down inside, they still lack a genuine desire to intimately know God and become more like Him in character. As long as God keeps “coming through” with the blessings they ask for, then they’ll “go along for the ride.”

When we come to the Lord with our questions about everyday circumstances or even crises we face, we are likely to discover that He doesn’t answer our direct question, but rather, His Spirit may probe our hearts to reveal our deep-seated motives and show us that we still have some spiritual issues that need to be settled in our hearts.

(Now, regarding this story, I should mention the point that even though Jesus knew the people would completely miss the connection between the physical food they received and the spiritual food He could provide, He still fed them anyway.

Why? I think it was (1) because He truly loved people and cared about their physical needs, and (2) because He knew it would bring up the opportunity later to point out their misplaced priorities.)

Following His initial insight regarding their motives,

B. Jesus admonishes them about what’s important.

v. 27 – “Don’t labor for the food (meat) that perishes (i.e. must constantly be replenished), but labor for the food that endures into everlasting life.”

Jesus is trying to get these people to re-orient their priorities. He is trying to help them see the major distinction between the temporal and the eternal.

We know by balancing this passage with the rest of Scripture that Jesus wasn’t saying that it’s wrong to work and earn wages in order to buy daily food and nourishment.

He was simply letting them know that eternal (i.e. spiritual) food was so much more important than temporal (i.e. physical) food.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Dear friends, let me first of all affirm and acknowledge that God does do many wonderful things for us. He provides many wonderful blessings; daily, physical blessings and we certainly appreciate them and thank Him for them.

But, let me remind us that the Bible is very clear about the fact that God desires to have intimate, spiritual fellowship with us and He created us for the same desire.

But God knows and we know that sin stands in the way of that intimacy we need and He intended.

Our focus is off base, our desires are sensual, and our motives are self-centered.

There is only one solution for that problem.

It is the saving, cleansing power of the blood of Jesus!

But we aren’t even going to be seeking that solution unless we can get our attention above the satisfaction of our fleshly desires and get our passion and focus on seeking God alone, just for Who HE IS.

Conclusion:

I can see that we’re not going to have the time to deal with the other two questions raised by these people in the text.

Let me close the message today by bringing these thoughts into the context of Communion.

In all probability, Jesus’ discussion here about bread was not intended to have any direct connection to the emblems of Communion.

However, as I have pointed out, the Lord’s emphasis was regarding our need to have a deeper spiritual awareness in order to fully understand which things truly have eternal value.

I believe there is a sense in which the institution of the Lord’s Supper and the emblems Jesus used can help us refocus and remember the deeper spiritual significance that is represented by simple things like bread and wine.

Every time we partake of the bread and the wine (or grape juice) we have been instructed to interpret: “Body and blood.”

They are physical elements, but they represent deeply important spiritual facts, i.e. His body was beaten, scarred and broken. His life’s blood was spilled and His life was surrendered, so we could have redemption.

Hallelujah!

Before we begin the Communion Service, let’s sing a couple verses of the hymn listed in your bulletins.

Blessed Redeemer       # 326