John 6:60-71

[0:00] Thanks. All right. Good morning, everyone. My name is Brad, as Matt said. And today we are talking! Or I will be talking about the end of John chapter 6. I didn't really come up with a sermon title.

[0:24] I'm not very good at that yet. So instead of trying to remember the title of my sermon, I figured I would give you a small chunk of a verse from the passage that maybe as you consider this passage more this coming week, I think this should be the part that echoes in your brain and that everything stems out of, a little bit of scripture for you. So as we get going today, I am teaching on the last chunk of chapter 6 in John. So if you want to turn there, you could turn in your Bibles. We have had two sermons on it in the past two weeks, and then we had a third already this year. So Ian Pollock, Matt, and Mike have already three sermons that have done a lot of backing up to what we're talking about today. So I see today's passage as kind of like a little bit of a finale of the chapter, the season finale, the culmination. It's kind of like the ending. So there is a reference to the chosen also in this passage. So I don't know if there's a connection. No. But so anyway, I'm going to give us kind of a quick recap in case you weren't here or don't remember. Let's see if we can get this. There. Are we live? All right. Cool. Sweet. So first I want to start with overarching thesis of John. This is the passage. It's also the memory verse for youth, right? Jack, you were ready to say this to everyone today. Yes? No? Let's read it all together, okay?

[1:53] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Okay, so so far, now we're zooming in here to chapter six.

[2:15] It started with Jesus going away. There was a large crowd following him because he was doing signs on the sick. He was healing people. All these people follow him. It was a lot of people, 10 to 20,000, and the men sat down. So that's just what they counted, 5,000 numbers. So a lot of people were fed, and then all of those people ate as much as they wanted. Pretty incredible stuff. I work at a middle school, and even the cafeteria there is pretty wild. So they ate as much as they wanted and wanted to make him king. So a lot of good things, a lot of people, a lot of food, and then it kind of comes to this climax of they really want to make him king. This is a lot of stuff. Then the second half starts to happen. So Jesus leaves again. He meets his disciples on the water. Then the crowd says, wait, where's the guy we wanted to make king? They track him over to the other side of the sea, and they say, when did you get here? And Jesus says, you're only following me because you ate your fill of the loaves. He says, that's why you're here. Jesus doesn't even respond to their question. He says, I know why you're here. He responds to their actual intentions. And then there's these, I picked three verses that I felt like summarized a lot of these last few things that were said in this chapter before our text today. Jesus says, whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And then he says, whoever feeds on me, he will, he also will live because of me.

[3:52] And then he says, this is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread your fathers ate. So this is where, this is where we pick up today. This is where our passage starts. So I'll read our passage to us, and then we'll pray over our time and we'll get going. So in John chapter six, verse 60, it says, sleeping on me over here. It says, when many of his disciples heard it, they said, this is a hard saying. Who can listen to it? But Jesus, knowing in himself that the disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the son of man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all.

[4:54] But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe and who it was who would betray him. And he said, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the father. After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, do you want to go away as well? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to who shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the holy one of God. Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet, one of you is a devil. Jesus spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. Let's pray over this, our time together. Lord, we see in this passage there are many things that you are worthy of being followed for. We see that people follow you for everything from free lunch, Lord, to knowing your true identity as the son of God. And I pray for our time today that that you would be seen for who you are in this passage, that your intention for the book of John in this passage here today would be revealed to us by your spirit in our hearts today, Lord.

[6:33] May we seek to use our physical abilities today to understand, Lord, by listening and paying attention. But, Lord, would we also seek your spirit to enable us to understand the spiritual truth in this passage, Lord? And would we feel your call? Would we know about your love more, Lord? Would we receive you and your purpose, Lord? And would you bless this time? Would you bless these people here, Lord?

[7:04] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Okay. So, as you can imagine, the tension between Jesus and the people he followed, or that followed him, literally crossed the scene back. Can you imagine? Many of the people listening wanted to make him king. That's a pretty big reaction. Have you ever had that reaction before to someone like, oh, you're cool? Let's make you king. That's pretty intense. Whoa. There are people in the crowd with genuine good desires. They want to be fed. There's nothing wrong with that. They wanted to be healed. That's really good. And they wanted to be free from the Roman rule. But now they are forced to reckon their desires with Jesus' purpose. In the words of John Piper, Jesus did not come into the world mainly to give bread, but to be bread. Here are our three points today that will guide us through this passage. True disciples seek Jesus and his purpose. We do this by understanding that the Spirit gives life, so we must depend on the Spirit to live for Jesus. The only reason we should live like this is because if Jesus is trustworthy, then so are his plans and purposes.

[8:31] These will pop up again, so if you're a note taker like me, you'll see them again. All right, so let's look at the text. Verse 60 says, When many of his disciples heard it, they said, This is a hard saying. Who can listen to it? Who are these disciples?

[8:48] They are not the twelve apostles which are mentioned later in this passage. These disciples are people dedicated to following and learning from Jesus. Although they were dedicated followers, they struggled to comprehend Jesus' words. The expression here, a hard saying, denotes a harsh or stern or severe word. These disciples liked a lot of the things that Jesus was saying, but at this point, they weren't feeling the same way. They weren't feeling so hot after they heard this. The best way to understand the comment, though, is not to dive into exactly what he said.

[9:23] Jesus responds directly to them, right? We've seen Jesus do this over and over, so we can look at Jesus' response to actually reveal a little bit more. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, Do you take offense at this?

[9:41] Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

[9:55] But there are some of you who do not believe, for Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe and who it was who would betray him. And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to the Father, or come to me unless it is granted by the Father.

[10:13] So the question, do you take offense to this, is more literally translated, does this cause you to stumble? Jesus, the cornerstone, has become the stumbling block to these disciples.

[10:28] Jesus stated his intent and purpose. He came down from heaven, to be the bread, to give eternal life, that will raise up believers on the last day.

[10:40] He spoke the words of Spirit and life, but these disciples could not and would not believe, even if they were to see Jesus going back up into heaven.

[10:52] Jesus says the flesh is no help at all. Jesus has been speaking words that are Spirit and life. Jesus provided physical food and spoke audible words, but the purpose of the miracle and following discourse was to point out spiritual realities and bless the listeners with eternal life.

[11:12] It is the Spirit who gives life and the Father who grants access to Jesus. These disciples were powerless to see Jesus for who he really was, apart from the Father and the Spirit.

[11:26] These disciples specifically could not understand Jesus and his purpose without the Spirit and the Father. And so, acting in the power of the flesh, they put Jesus' words through their personal filter and decided that Jesus did not line up with their personal purpose.

[11:47] The feeding of the 5,000 drew out their motives. They wanted a lot more food, right? But Jesus' explanation of his purpose caused them to stumble.

[11:59] In the final diagnosis, Jesus states, there are some of you who do not believe, and this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.

[12:12] They had no problem believing his ability to heal and provide food. Right? They believed in a lot of things. That's why they followed him. But they did not believe in Jesus.

[12:25] And these ended up being Jesus' parting words to many of the disciples. The passage continues. After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

[12:38] So this brings us to our first point today. True disciples seek Jesus and his purpose. In these disciples' lives, the person was second to their person.

[12:51] Jesus, the person, was second to their personal desires and purposes. I think Christians and non-Christians can act like these disciples.

[13:02] This is a human problem. Really liking some of Jesus' ideas, but not fully embracing Jesus' purpose. In our culture, I'll just pick a quick example here.

[13:16] America has a lot of commendable ideas about morality. Right? We have traffic laws. Those are good. We have education. That's valuable. And even one of our biggest documents, most popular, says all people are created equal.

[13:31] So that's great. So how is your non-Christian neighbor different from you as a Christian? Your neighbor may find some of the teachings of Christ very agreeable.

[13:42] Caring for the poor and weak. Valuing women and children. That was a pretty radical idea even during Jesus' time. Being a peacemaker. That's groovy. Forgiving others.

[13:52] But if your neighbor does not believe in Jesus, then the core motive of all things they do is themselves. Whether it is self-imposed morality or simple selfishness.

[14:09] This is not just a non-Christian issue. As believers, we need to constantly check our motives and recenter on Christ when necessary.

[14:19] So forgiveness is an example of something you may do for yourself or you may do it for Jesus. Many people believe forgiving is good because holding a grudge is like drinking your own poison.

[14:36] Has anyone heard that saying before out there? Okay. It's not just me. Good. You never know if you grew up in a microcosm. So this is not untrue. But as Christians, our forgiveness ought to be motivated by the forgiveness we have received in Christ.

[14:54] One motive is selfish. The other is selfless. One is a temporary motive. The other is eternal in purpose.

[15:06] Ephesians 4.32 says, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

[15:18] Young people here. Young people here. Obeying your parents is one way you live for Jesus if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and he has chosen your parents.

[15:34] If you believe this, then when you obey your parents, you do it because you believe God is right and gives your parents authority.

[15:45] But your parents aren't off the hook either. Navoi. Your parents follow Jesus in showing good and loving authority.

[15:57] Just like one of our songs sang today, Jesus is strong and kind. Don't worry, Thad. I'll give you a shout out too. There it is. Okay.

[16:08] So Ephesians 6.1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Purpose is the foundation of an action and the purpose we serve must be worthy.

[16:25] We were created with the purpose of living our lives for God. You will never be content if you shrink your purpose down to something as small and short-lived as yourself.

[16:41] If our purpose can fail, you can fail. We must be constantly building our life on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

[16:55] I think the warning in this part of the passage to believers is that we can move on from Jesus. His teachings can seem to be the real stimulating part of Christianity.

[17:07] There's a lot to learn. There's literally endless things to learn about the Bible here in life. So there's a lot to apply, likewise. And then we get stuck in a trap, right?

[17:19] There's a lot to compare to other people if we're focused strictly on the horizontal. Jesus does want to change your life. He does want you to learn. But Jesus does also want to teach you, but not just your outer behavior.

[17:34] He wants to make you new. And he does that by getting inside your heart and dethroning your idols and changing the reason you do things. The new life you have gives you new purpose.

[17:47] What are some ways that we can check ourselves and seek spirit-led alignment with God's purpose and will for our lives?

[17:58] I'm going to offer a couple quick thoughts. How do your prayers sound? Do you pray over your day? Or do you pray over God's day?

[18:11] For a lot of my life, I've gotten up and I've handed God the agenda more like a secretary than my God, right? I've said, this is what I'm doing. If you could just get on board, that'd be good. There's a different tone to a servant's prayer, right?

[18:26] Are you chairing the meeting with God? How have you been approaching your pursuit of holiness, trying to live more like a Christian? How have you gone about this?

[18:37] Is it a grind to produce a self-satisfactory outcome? Evaluating, okay, I feel good about this now. I'm not sure, like self-evaluating. Or do you submit to the Spirit?

[18:47] Are you asking for guidance and power, repenting and receiving grace? The end of Psalm 139 is one of my favorite verses to pray because it admits so much of what we don't know, right?

[19:01] There's more that we don't know about what we're doing wrong than what we do. End of 139, Psalm 139. Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.

[19:15] See if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. See if there be any grievous way in me. That's because you don't know. That's because I don't know.

[19:26] I need God to show me that. I think understanding this can be also a tool in our evangelism toolbox. Your neighbor may never ask you about what your purpose is, right?

[19:37] That's kind of like the dream evangelism situation. You're just such a great Christian that everyone wants to know, why are you so great, right? That'd be handy. But your neighbor might not ask you, what's your purpose in life?

[19:47] But I think we can be that person. Sam Chan, he's an author and an evangelist, says by asking why questions, we can move the conversation past interests, something we talk about a lot, sports, hobbies, the weekend, to values, more like why we do those things, all the way to your worldview or your purpose in life.

[20:10] It is easy to ask a neighbor about their interests, but if you ask why you'll move deeper. So here's an example. Why do you like pickleball, Ben?

[20:24] Why do you like pickleball, Ben? There you go, because it's fun. Look at that. That's right on the script. Yeah, why? Because it's fun. Because I love getting outside.

[20:34] I like people. Being healthy is important. Right? So we've moved into values. What's valuable to you? Fun, people, being healthy. And if you ask why one more time, you can get into their worldview.

[20:48] So why is that even a value of yours? So you could say it sounds like being outside, being healthy, having fun is important to you. So why is that? Right?

[21:00] Well, someone might say we are all a part of nature. Right? And that might say something about the worldview, and you can dig into that. They might say, YOLO. Right? You only live once. Right? That's why fun is so important.

[21:11] That's another worldview, right? That we just chuck around in an abbreviation. But have you ever asked why? Right? Most conversations probably won't get this deep and specific this fast.

[21:24] But if we have the mindset to really know people like this, we may be better equipped to share our faith. So true disciples seek Jesus and his purpose.

[21:36] If we want to follow Jesus well, then we should regularly question our motives and purpose. And if we want to point others to Jesus, we can do the same thing, believers or non-believers, questioning our motives and purpose.

[21:52] So let's continue looking at this passage. Verse 63 says, It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

[22:07] In this verse, Jesus says, It is the Spirit who gives life. I think Jesus was certainly talking about the Spirit's involvement in salvation, but not in a singular moment.

[22:19] Not, you're saved. Boom. Right? Not that. Oh boy, I lost my notes by snapping. I knew I shouldn't have done it. Jesus is pointing to the Spirit as the reason followers cannot understand him.

[22:38] They need the Spirit to actively live life. Jesus was talking about the outworking of salvation and relying on him for daily living and daily understanding.

[22:55] This is the second point today. The Spirit gives life, so we must depend on the Spirit to live for Jesus.

[23:07] To find life in Jesus' name is to be living in Jesus' name. Jesus says that the Spirit gives life. It is by the Spirit given life that we are able to understand Jesus and his purpose better.

[23:20] When we depend on the Spirit in everyday living, then we seek Jesus' purpose. When the Spirit gives life, we see that all physical bread given by Jesus is meant to give us a hunger for spiritual bread.

[23:38] The Spirit gives us eyes that are able to see something better than what the flesh can see. We rely on the Spirit.

[23:51] When we rely on the Spirit, we trust his purpose, and in doing so, we grow to be more like Christ and produce the fruit of the Spirit.

[24:01] Paul prays this for the Ephesian church in Ephesians chapter 1 when he says that they would have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of their hearts enlightened.

[24:19] When we walk in step with the Spirit, we see circumstances the way Jesus wants us to, and we can grow and change according to his word and truth.

[24:30] The question for us is how do we view the circumstances of our life? So I have a couple questions for us to ask ourselves, a couple self-evaluation things here.

[24:47] Do we look for Jesus to primarily give us physical or spiritual bread? What do we want from Jesus the most reveals what we are expecting to see him do?

[25:05] Do we look for God's purposes or our own? Are we actively seeking, actively questioning, looking? If we ask your will be done, we do listen for what his will is.

[25:21] His will will be done. So are we really looking for it in a questioning way, wondering what will it be? Are we looking for physical or spiritual outcomes?

[25:33] What draws our attention the most? What's going to be the indicator for us? I'll know I did the right thing if I get the discount or if I bear fruits of the Spirit in this moment, right?

[25:44] Those two physical things. I use discount because we bought a van recently, so sorry for that really obscure example. And then lastly, how do we primarily gauge success in terms of physical bread or spiritual fruit?

[26:01] That's a conversation my wife Catherine and I had going into buying this van. It's like, how will we know if we're going to be successful with this significant purchase? How is it going to be the free tire we get?

[26:14] Or is it going to be fruits of the Spirit, knowing that we did what Jesus would do in these moments? It's a good question to ask yourself anytime you go into a stressful situation.

[26:27] How do you know you will be successful? So the people in this passage believed in Jesus' abilities and that's why they wanted him to be king.

[26:41] They knew what Jesus can do. We know that our God is all-powerful. But the problem wasn't that they didn't, the problem was that they didn't believe in what he came to do, his purpose.

[26:55] Jesus came to give life by living his earthly life like a servant, not a king. Sometimes though, physical bread can do genuinely good things, right?

[27:07] Providence, physical blessings, they can do really good things in our life. We want to pray. When we pray for physical healing, that is not wrong. Right?

[27:17] This is not a sermon about like, stop praying for the physical things. That's not what this is about. When we pray for financial stability or that the Lord would provide some other physical need, that is not automatically wrong.

[27:31] Jesus does not call us to a stoic and cold life, completely ignoring our felt needs and desires. He does genuinely care about us as his beloved creation.

[27:47] So I also believe there is hope in this passage for those suffering and with genuinely good desires. First of all, Jesus is compassionate.

[28:00] In this chapter alone, we have heard of Jesus healing the sick and providing food for thousands. Matt Landek preached on the first part of this chapter and how Jesus provides.

[28:13] Imagine that, a whole sermon on how Jesus provides. He did this a couple weeks back. If you've not heard this sermon, he's staying late and preaching after I leave today. So round two, we've never done that before.

[28:27] Secondly, that's not real, but he's right there and you can listen to the recording online. Secondly, this compassionate Jesus is the one who has allowed all circumstances in your life.

[28:39] And he has done so while equipping you with all you need. This is what Paul talks about in Philippians 12 through 13. Paul says, I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance.

[29:09] I have learned that the secret of facing plenty and hunger abundance and need.

[29:21] I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Thirdly, he has given purpose to your suffering.

[29:33] This is what Christians have that the world does not. If you don't have Christ, he has given purpose to your suffering. Apart from Christ, suffering has no purpose in your life.

[29:50] Your suffering is not meaningless. You may not know all the reasons we suffer, but here are some reasons that we suffer.

[30:01] you may draw nearer to Jesus. You may learn to trust him more fully. You may see Jesus better and you may know him more intimately and primarily that you would bring him glory.

[30:21] I taught through COVID. This was not in my notes, but I taught through COVID so there was a lot of motivational speakers that got paid to sit in their living room on Zoom and talk to the teachers who were going through this big debacle and it's like, oh, you're going to come out of this stronger and you're going to...

[30:38] I'm like, the whole time though, you got to wonder if you believe this life is all you get, then every inconvenience you experience is wasted time, nonetheless suffering.

[30:51] So it's all on a foundation of nothing. These foundations, you're going to come out stronger, you're going to learn so much. After this, you'll learn how to use Google Classroom better. Like, what?

[31:04] No, I want to hear that I'm going to know Jesus better because I'm going to know him better for eternity. That's my purpose, right? That's why we were created to walk in a garden with him, working for him, walking with him, knowing him forever.

[31:18] That's why suffering has a purpose. Jesus did miracles in the physical world to point to the spiritual. On the cross, Jesus went through the greatest physical and spiritual pain so you do not have to.

[31:36] By physically dying and spiritually being separated from God, Jesus took on your death so that you may receive life from him and share in his resurrection.

[31:50] In Romans 8.17, Paul describes suffering as a part of living out our salvation. It's part of it. saying that we are heirs with God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

[32:09] So, so far in this passage, we have seen true disciples seek Jesus and his purpose.

[32:24] And now we have seen that in any and every circumstance, big, small, inconvenience, walking the kids out to the van, going to the family reunion, in any circumstance, we must depend depend on the spirit to live out his purpose.

[32:42] And this can be difficult. This is not an easy calling. This is not like, got it, good, go do it. This is difficult. So why should we put in the effort?

[32:53] Why should we try? Why should we live our lives for someone else? Try convincing someone to do that on the street. You should live your life for someone else today. What? You should live your life for someone else.

[33:04] Is he really worthy? Is Jesus worthy of this? Who does he think he is, right? Asking me to do this. The disciples at the beginning of this passage did not think Jesus was worthy.

[33:17] That's why they left. It was all good until it wasn't good. Then it wasn't good. Peace out. Go buy my lunch now. This is a question worth asking and I hope we can answer with the last chunk of our text.

[33:33] This is our third point. If Jesus is trustworthy then so are his plans and purposes.

[33:47] Our eternal purpose hinges on the eternal God. Verse 67 and onward says, so Jesus said to the twelve do you want to go away as well?

[34:07] Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed and have come to know that you are the holy one of God.

[34:22] Jesus answered them did I not choose you the twelve and yet one of you is a devil. He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot for he was one he one of the twelve was going to betray him.

[34:42] There's a lot going on in these last few verses. I am not going to do it justice but I'm going to try. This is the first usage of the term the twelve in the book of John.

[34:53] That's significant. the all-knowing God turns to the twelve and asks do you want to go away as well?

[35:07] I don't think that this is a rhetorical question. I think this is Jesus genuinely asking.

[35:19] In this interaction we see a moment of human responsibility coupled with God's sovereignty. Mike talked a little bit more about that last week so I'll leave that with him to talk more about that if you want to listen.

[35:38] We also see Jesus here showing himself to be gentle patient and not pushy. Jesus is not a tyrant or a puppeteer.

[35:54] By asking this question Jesus helps us answer is he worthy? Why should we trust Jesus?

[36:06] Because Jesus is all powerful and all good. Jesus is strong and kind. after Jesus looks to the twelve and asks that question Peter responds as the spokesman for the disciples.

[36:32] Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed and come to know that you are the holy one of God.

[36:46] Peter puts the focus on Jesus. To whom shall we go? And believes that Jesus has the words of eternal life and that he is the holy one of God.

[37:02] This is a massive title. The holy one of God. This is not a little title. I don't know if they have little titles for God but this is a big one.

[37:12] Peter puts the focus on the term used many times in the Old Testament. This is one used over and over in the Old Testament. But the only other places Jesus is called his titles in the gospels is by demons.

[37:34] Spiritual beings who immediately were able to accurately identify Jesus. this is a big title to give Jesus.

[37:47] It cannot be understated how significant it is that Peter calls Jesus by this name. One commentator says that this title suggests Jesus' transcendence and his representation of the Father.

[38:04] Thus it is another way of confessing him as Messiah. Massive. Peter did not figure out the special formula to knowing Jesus.

[38:18] He didn't think really hard. I don't think Peter was much of a thinker in the first place. Not a very pensive guy. No offense Peter. Peter has been given life by the Spirit.

[38:31] Jesus has chosen Peter. Amidst the events of John chapter 6, Peter comes away with eternal Treasure!

[38:42] Peter has something that he will keep for eternity. He forgot about the free lunch already. This is something he's going to know forever. He's taking this to the bank and not the literal bank.

[38:55] A clearer view of Jesus is what he has. Peter knows Jesus is the holy one of God. Peter's confession here further helps us decide if Jesus is worthy.

[39:07] One more. There we go. So how can we know that Jesus really knows best?

[39:20] Because Jesus is the best. He invented best. There was no best, right? And then he made best.

[39:31] And it was the best. This would be a great place to end, right? A lot of resolution here. This is a very happy ending. A lot of closure.

[39:43] But Jesus is going to have the last word here. Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?

[40:07] initially, Jesus asked the twelve if they wanted to go away as well.

[40:22] Peter responded and declared wonderful truth about Jesus, but he has also made the claim on behalf of the group. Peter is stating faith in the group and Jesus.

[40:39] It's a good thing to have confidence in your friends. Jesus' response is a gentle correction. Jesus did choose the twelve, and one of the twelve people that Jesus chose to be near to him during his earthly life is a devil.

[41:00] According to this passage, the person is Judas. I could talk a lot more about this, but I'm going to try and stay the straight and narrow here.

[41:13] The gentle correction here shows Jesus maintaining sovereignty and giving a glimpse to his disciples of his ways.

[41:24] We have the whole picture of John, right? We know who Judas is. This is not a massive shock to us, but this is something that's going to stick with the disciples that they'll remember. Jesus is living a life of sacrifice and will end his life as a sacrifice on the cross.

[41:44] And Jesus chose this path and his purpose. In these final words, he was letting the twelve disciples and his readers know that he is worthy.

[42:01] And why is this? What gives him the right to call us to focus on his agenda above our own? Because he has led by example.

[42:12] He lived an entire life of sacrifice so that he could die a sacrifice. If you think about all the things that Jesus chose to be one of the twelve people closest to him that he provided for.

[42:33] Right? He lived a whole life of sacrifice to die a sacrifice. So in closing the main points here we saw that true disciples seek Jesus and his purpose.

[42:52] we do this by understanding that the spirit gives life so we must depend on the spirit to live for Jesus.

[43:08] The only reason we should live like this is because if Jesus is trustworthy then so are his plans and purposes.

[43:20] back to the thesis statement of John says now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written John chapter 6 was written these 11 verses we looked at today were written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.

[43:46] So it is my prayer today that if you are already a Christian and following Jesus that you would be encouraged to seek Jesus' purpose in whatever circumstances you are in now.

[44:04] Jesus' plans and purposes will always be better than our own. If you are not a Christian if this sounds new to you if you're wondering what did I mean all these words I said up here that still don't make sense it's possible I'm not a great public speaker I would love to talk to you more after the service today about the life that Jesus offers his purpose for your life is probably different than what you are thinking it's different than what I'm thinking but it is also most definitely better than anything you could let's close in prayer Lord you are worthy God that's that's why we have sacrificed a meager couple hours here this morning that's why you are worthy of us giving you our whole life

[45:06] Lord that is why for eternity you will be worshipped we thank you for showing us by example what it looks like to live a physical life for others Lord we thank you that you give us eternal purpose Lord that doesn't start once we die Lord your eternal purpose starts now we join in now with your purpose for our life we start living now Lord I pray that you would give us the strength and desire to question our own motives Lord and I pray that you would protect us from fighting for our own purposes Amen