John #20 Food That Endures
That You May Believe and Have Life #20
John 6:24-69
We're going to look at a lengthy passage today because it's a singular point that I want us to get today in this day in the life of Christ
Remember when Jesus met the woman at the well? He told her "if you drink this water you will thirst again, but if you drink the water I give you, you will never thirst again, it will be a spring of living water within you"
Jesus Christ came to earth because the religion we had was something that had to be renewed over and over again. The relationship we had with God was broken by sin and we couldn't heal it.
So here in the 6th chapter, Jesus has fed 20,000 people, then he took a stroll across the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the storm
The crowd, realizing he was gone, follows him to the other side of the lake …
Jesus says … "I fed you yesterday but you obviously are still hungry and that is why you are still following"
If you eat what I gave you yesterday … you will continue to get hungry … but there is a better food … there is a food that endures …
READ 24-69 - listen for the differences between the food on the other side of the Sea and the food that Jesus offers here …
Everyone that met Jesus had to make a shift in feeding habits … if they were to go on with him
Everyone who hears the gospel that we preach here on Sunday must make a shift, if they are to go on …
The disciples were going with Christ but they were just getting fed every day, they had to get to a place where it was no longer on the outside but on the inside …
Just like the water Jesus promised the woman in Samaria, here Jesus promised better food. He promised food that endures
So, from this day in the life of Christ, what can we learn about food that endures?
Someone is here today, filling yourself the best you can
You are filling with good deeds only to find yourself hungry tomorrow
You are filling yourself with clean living only to find yourself hungry tomorrow
Some of you are filling with your job, only to be hungry when the paycheck runs out
Some of you are filling with relationships, with education, with substances, and the list goes on …
Give me food that endures
Give me food that lasts …
Food that endures …
1. … Is Found in Jesus
A. Believe in the One he Sent
1. You can't just eat whatever you want and call it food that endures
2. you ARE what you eat … if you eat food that perishes … you will perish
3. Believe in the One - it is so specific - Gk - pisteuo /pist-yoo-o/ think to be true, implying trustbelieve to the extent of complete trust, put something in the care of another
4. it is NOT enough to just be sincere in belief in something that feels good, you have to believe in the one he sent … That is what God requires … more than good deeds, good works, service to the poor, believe in the one he sent
B. He is the Bread of Life
They said "give us this bread" and he popped them on the forehead and said …
1. Jesus said "ego eimi" I AM - this is one of the great I AM statements of Jesus recorded by John. He is God … for us he has become the Bread of Life
2. that is he is like the "showbread" in the temple.
a. it was consecrated to God, which is an irrevocable dedication
b. it is without leaven. Leaven cause bread to rise or be puffed up, but it is always a symbol of sin in the Bible.
c. Jesus Christ is the Bread, consecrated forever without sin, perfect
3. of LIFE - The bread in the temple was for show, it was for a symbol - But Jesus is the real deal the Bread of Zoe - the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God; life real and genuine, active and vigorous
I can't spend much time here, but he is the Bread of Life
He is …
C. Manna from Heaven is Jesus
1. when Israel was in the wilderness, God sent them Manna (cakes) in the dew every morning that would feed them. It was always just enough for that day and it was God's way of making them rely on them.
2. the bread of God is he who comes from heaven and gives life - Jesus said "that's me"
3. sent FROM God as the provision of God
D. He is Sabbath Manna that will not Spoil
1. Every day, the manna was only good for that day and would spoil if they kept it
2. but for the Sabbath, they took a double portion and it would not spoil.
3. Jesus said I am food that will not spoil … he is a perfect Sacrifice, perfect bread, he will not spoil
The Food that endures is Is found in Jesus Christ
Ok, but the Food that endures is hard to swallow
2. Is Hard to Swallow
V52 Jesus says "how can this man give us flesh to eat?"
V58 "this is the bread that came down from heaven … he who feeds on this bread will live forever"
V60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said "this is a HARD teaching. Who can accept?"
Jesus Christ IS the Bread of Life, but sometimes It is hard to swallow
A. It is hard to swallow because we don't like to believe that he is the only way
1. that is close minded, that is intolerant,
2. Isn't serving Buddha or Mohammed, or Krishna, or World Consciousness?
3. v63 the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life 64 yet there are some of you who do not believe"
4. UNLESS … you eat … and drink … you have no life …
That was hard to swallow for some of them
5. hard doesn't = untrue
B. It is hard to swallow because we don't like to think that we can't do it on our own
1. "if someone is a good person … Jesus won't send them to hell, will he?" - Jesus will send NO ONE to Hell … He is the Only Way, we are already condemned, as we learned in John 3.
He didn't come to condemn us but to redeem us.
2. If I just attend church and follow Christian principles, keep the 10 commandments, I'll go to Heaven won't I?
3. Oh it's hard to swallow, but first, you come to me AFTER you keep the 10 commandments, after you've kept all of the law. The law was not there so we could KEEP it and be acceptable. The law was there to show us just how sinful we were. The law was to show us how far from God we were. So, NO you can't make it on your own
4. There is none righteous not even ONE - Rom 3:10
5. no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law" Rom 3:20
6. Clearly no one is justified before God by the law … The righteous will live by faith" Gal 3:11
That's hard to swallow but hard to swallow doesn't = untrue
C. It is hard to swallow because it require taking all of Jesus
1. Jesus said "eat my flesh and drink my blood" - why is this significant … well … I think Rom 10:9,10 help us understand
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved"
2. We cannot EARN our salvation with our works, but at the same time there must be an ascension of our whole lives to Christ when we come to him. We confess him as LORD combined with our faith in his death and resurrection as payment for our sin.
3. Jesus said take my flesh, the life I call you to, and my blood, the sacrifice I've made for you.
4. we must take all of Jesus. Yes, we will sin, but we cannot say, "I want Heaven, but I'm not expecting to follow Christ."
It's hard to swallow, but hard doesn't = untrue
D. It is hard to swallow because it takes all of us
1. this is the other side of that coin
2. you have to take all of Jesus and you have to give him all of you
3. Jesus said "if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
4. If anyone come to me and hate not his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister, he cannot be my disciple
5. give him your all, give him your life,
It's hard to swallow, but hard doesn't = untrue
The food that endures is Found in Jesus
The Food that endures is Hard to Swallow But
The Food that endures
3. Is Free and Filling
Yes it is hard,
But as Peter said, where else are you going to go
It has what you want …
A. Free
1. We're working when we could be receiving
V37 - "the Father has given me"
V38 "The Father's will"
The ONLY reason it is acceptable
The ONLY reason we are given life when we look to the Son is because the Father willed that this would be acceptable and we would have eternal life
The Bread is from Heaven - Moses didn't give Israel Manna, God did - Jesus IS the Manna and we don't receive it simply because we want to. We receive eternal Life because GOD sent the Son and gave us the opportunity for Salvation in the son.
The Flesh counts for Nothing --- there is nothing we can do for eternal life … we must believe and receive
2. I can't work for it - God draws me in for the purpose of giving it to me.
V65 no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him
V44 no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day.
God draws you … Jesus will raise you … you simply have to respond to God and trust in Christ
3. I remember hearing a guy say that he had a watch that had been the prized possession of his Grandfather. He had always wanted the watch. I said, so you got it when he died? He said, "yes I was there at his deathbed and as he was dying, with his last breath he said 'come here' and he reached out a quivering dying hand and he sold me this watch"
4. Jesus Christ did NOT die for our sins in order to SELL us salvation.
5. Jesus Christ died to purchase our salvation to give it to us freely
B. Filling - It Remains - why go on empty when you could have Full lives
1. not only did Jesus die to GIVE you Salvation Free and Clear if you would receive it
2. he died to give you Eternal Food, food that Fills you up and doesn't run out, food that endures …
3. v 35 - never go hungry … never be thirsty
v37 - never drive away
v39 I shall lose none … 40 eternal life
v49 - forefathers ate the manna … yet they died 50 the bread that comes down from heaven … man may eat and not die
51 eat this bread … live forever
58 whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood REMAINS in me, and I IN him.
Folks, We need food that REMAINS … Oh we know what it is to get FULL … but then re run out … we need food that REMAINS …
Conclusion
we hear a lot of about food
We hear a lot of talk about eating right and I think that we should
There was talk on the news yesterday about a recall on some food because it might make you sick …
People say you shouldn't eat a diet of fast food because … it's not good for you and it might kill you …
Oh but I've been to some of the finest restaurants in the country and you know what? …
The people who eat there … are one day gonna die
You can eat the perfect diets and that food that you have to have to stay alive will FAIL you … because one day that food will fail your body and it won't keep you alive any more …
Oh but there is something else …
There is another food, there is another diet, there IS a food that endures …
There is a bread that comes from heaven that will not spoil
It is found in Jesus … and YES
It is hard to swallow … and many walk away … it happened that day
He had FED 20,000 people one day and the next day they don't like what's on the menu and many go away
Jesus
Jesus said to his disciples
V67 "Do you want to leave me too?"
What a question
Good answer from Peter
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and KNOW that you are the Holy One of God
Where ELSE are you going to go?
He is Matchless - what can compete with him? Food that endures?
Peerless What food is in the same category? Who is in the same class?
Unequaled - every food will leave me hungry who can measure up to this bread from Heaven, Jesus Christ?
Unparagoned - there is nothing that matches the perfection in this food sacrificed for us
Singular in his class … no food in his class
Solitary - he has no companions he is alone
He stands alone
He cries out alone
He satisfies alone
You can go to the whole foods store
You can go to the farmer's market
You can get pesticide free, free range, farm fresh, vitamin fortified, genetically engineered food … but you are still going to die …
You can say "well forget that, give me home-cooked, made with love, comfort soul food like Grandmama makes" … but you are STILL going to die …
But there is a FOOD that endures
There is a Bread that will not spoil
There is a nutrient that leads to Eternal Life
You can't grow it in the garden
You can't buy it
You can only receive it
Your only currency is faith
His name is Jesus
Believe / Receive
Believe he is
who he says he is,
he is sent from God
he is the son of God
he is the food that you need
Believe that
he can do what he says he can
he can Give you life
he can Forgive your sins
he can Return you to the Father
In China during the great famine, people made some "bread" from a form of edible earth. But it didn't have any nutrients and they still starved though eating the loaves. There's also a plant in Australia called the nardoo plant. It's a clover fern and can be made into bread. But it has NO protein, Carbohydrates or vitamins. So, those who made the bread and ate it will still die because they have full stomachs but nothing inside!