I have been pondering over a section of the Gospel of John for the last little while. The section in my English Standard Version translation is titled, “I Am the Bread of Life,” and includes John 6:22-59. It is a difficult teaching that follows the sermon where Jesus fed the 5000 with two fish and five loaves of bread and the evening when he walked on water to meet his disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee on their way to Capernaum.
I have heard a lot of wonderful sermons on these thirty-plus verses, and most all of them have been good. But the past few days, there are these two or three things that just keep nagging at me.
- The crowd’s expectations.
- A Hard Heart.
- The world.
The Crowd
This crowd of followers woke up after their food coma and looked around to find Jesus. They knew that he did not leave with his disciples the night before, but they could not find him, so they found some boats and headed out in search of him.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they seemed surprised to see him with the Disciples. When they reached him, they had one question that John recorded in his Gospel.
John 6:25 (ESV)
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
Jesus replied to their question and I think it was a bit more information than they expected.
John 6:26-27 (ESV)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
They did not grasp who Jesus was. They only saw the physical provision that he offered in the food He gave them the night before. They did not see spiritual gifts.
The crowd went back and forth with Jesus, trying to figure out what task or series of tasks that they may complete gaining eternal life. Jesus told them and they did not hear it.
The Work of God
Jesus turned to this group, and in as clear as I can imagine, it could be said Jesus said…
John 6:29 (ESV)
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Without taking a breath (or so it seems to me), they asked a follow-up question that clearly showed that they missed his answer completely.
John 6:30-31 (ESV)
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
So, these people, who Jesus had just fed with two fish and four loaves of bread, wanted another sign…
A Hard Heart
“A Hard Heart” is a chilling thought once your heart especially once you realize the joy gained when the Lord replaces your heart of stone with one of flesh.
Jesus was very clear in his telling, and His answers to their questions were not complicated. They were simple and to the point. The message is clear beginning in John 6:29. Perhaps for some, it was too simple.
John 6:29 (ESV)
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
He also reminded them that Moses did not give them the bread that their forefathers ate to survive in the wilderness. God gave it to them.
John 6:32-33 (ESV)
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
The crowd wanted this life… this bread, but they could not grasp what it took to receive it, so they asked more questions.
John 6:34-36 (ESV)
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
Jesus continued to outline more details of God’s plan, but they seemed to stop listing after the part about him being the Bread of Life.
Grumbling
They did not understand his answer at all. In fact, they became a bit frustrated and began to grumble among themselves.
John 6:41-42 (ESV)
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
I am certain that it surprised them when He interrupted their grumbling to point out additional things about His promises.
John 6:43-51 (ESV)
43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
This just further shook up the Jews who had already started grumbling, and it got worse when Jesus mentioned drinking His blood, and many found the teaching to difficult and they turned away.
Reflections
I look at this passage, John 6:22-59, and I cannot help but look at the world around me today. There are so many that live in this world that cannot see any good around them. They do not believe in God. I cannot help but think of the book of Romans.
Romans 1:18-23 (ESV)
God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
The leaders of the Temple, at the time of Jesus, controlled the truth. The Rabbis taught their truth. Today politicians and “Know Betters” control the truth and just as it says in Romans 1, the actual truth about God is suppressed. It is impossible to deny God, yet they do, and though we can see him in His creation, many do not believe.
This one verse in John six breaks my heart, because it is so true and so fatal, and these people saw him face to face.
John 6:36 (ESV)
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
The same is true today. People see God everywhere in creation and deny Him. There is so much information out there that speaks the truth about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but few believe.
The World
It breaks my heart that so many; even some that go to church, are like the Jews the day after they were fed. They have heard the Word of God or seen the majesty of His creation but either chose not to believe, struggle with how to respond to God, or figure they have done all that they need to do. There are three things that keep playing through my thoughts.
- Some are not satisfied with simply the Word of God and prayer, because these things are not spectacular enough.
- Other folks seem to roll along fat dumb and happy sure that they are saved, and everything is good with them, but if they were arrested and accused of being a Christian, there would not be enough evidence to convict.
- Another bunch that is sure they are saved but they do not want to be bothered with the unwashed masses. They stick to themselves and do not interact with church folk because they are too hypocritical.
We all know these different folks, don’t we? They are all around us. The thing is If we see them, they likely see us… doing the same thing.
Where do I fall into this mix? I love the LORD, my GOD, with all my Heart, Soul and Mind. I believe that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and gave His life that I might live and that when I accepted this, the Holy Spirit resides in my heart, changing me forever. But I also know that I am fallen. I know that I mess up every day and I am thankful for the gift of repentance and grace. I also know that at times I still fall back into one or all of the three bullet points above, which is another good reason to be thankful for the gift of repentance.
I think Paul said it best.
Romans 7:13-20 (ESV)
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Romans 7:24-25 (ESV)
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
This battle is ongoing every day and for a long time I was not participating in it. I was on the sidelines in the adversary’s camp. It was well hidden. It looked just like what I thought the path to Heaven might look like. Pretty laid back and beautiful. You see, in my mind I knew about God and was a pretty good guy, but I was deceived. I had let others tell me about God, and I was not even actively listening; after all, it was the same stuff every week.
Wasted Time
I know in God’s plan there is no wasted time. But in my mind sometimes it feels like I wasted so much time. I went to church, not like faith, but like a religious school. I could have been a poster child for the adversaries advertising campaign. I would have fit in well with the folks that abandoned Jesus after his sermon about the bread of life. I went to church as a child. I listened to the preacher, and I went to Sunday school. I even knew all the stories, but it all seemed easy to me. I listened half way and figured because I had checked the box for church and such I was good to go. When I got older, I did not need the church.
The Church was full of hypocrites and they had done nothing but disappointed me. I could do God on my own. There is a reason that this is the adversary’s best lie. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. The realization of that fact did not come to me until one simple Sunday morning. I will never forget that weekend in the spring of 2009.
Everything changed that Sunday. Everything turned 180 degrees for me.
Closing Thoughts
Since that weekend, when my life changed, I have prayed for the same to happen in my family and friends, (those I know and those I do not know yet). I do not really know exactly what the Holy Spirit did to get my attention that weekend, but I prayed whatever it was that something like it might grab my families attention like He had grabbed mine.
I had seen a lot of amazing things, looking back on my life, but my heart was so hard they did not crack the surface until that weekend. I pray that their hearts might be softened. That their eyes might be opened. I remember one other thing.
John 6:44 (ESV)
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
I wish that I could rattle cages and change minds and make them see what I see. But this verse reminds me that I cannot. It reminds me that I must simply sow the seeds… and demonstrate one other thing.
John 13:35 (ESV)
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I know that Jesus is the bread of life and living water. I know that He died for me. I know that all my hope rests in Him. I know that I am not saved by works but by faith alone and I know this from God’s Word.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
And I know that as much as I want to save my family and friends, I know that I cannot… not any more than my parents could save me. But I can PRAY that God might soften their hearts and draw them near, and I can love them all and show them the love the Christ showed me.
Prayer
Father God help me be a clear voice and shining light in the darkness of this world and give me the things that I need to be a witness to those around me. Let your love shine through me. Let your word be shared through me. Help me be the willing vessel that carries your living water to those around me and let me splash it on them all. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen
Amen and thanks, Dan!