Amen. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 6.
Our text for today is John chapter 6 verses 52 through 59.
! While you're getting there, I want to talk to you a little bit about our upcoming preaching schedule through the end of the year.
Just to kind of give you a little bit of an idea of the trajectory that we are headed on.
First, this will be my last week preaching for some time.
So the next two weeks, we're going to finish out John chapter 6.
And Francis Rojas is going to come and preach for us.
I'm really looking forward to that.
He is studying the chiastic structure.
So, pleased, really pleased with that.
The two weeks after that, we're going to take a little bit of a break from John.
And TJ Fisher and Alex Kohler, not as a tag team duo, but in two separate weeks,
are going to walk through the parable of the sower from Matthew chapter 13.
And then, if you can believe it, we're into Advent season.
It's already upon us, just four Sundays away after this Lord's Day.
So, as we have traditionally, we're going to preach through the Advent themes.
Hope, joy, peace, love, and various elders are going to take care of that.
Somehow, in the history of our church, it became a tradition that I don't preach those Advent themes.
And I'm happy for that, because December is a crazy month, isn't it?
And the guys really kindly jump in and give me a little bit of space for that.
I also want to let you know that I am going to be taking a sabbatical.
It wasn't planned to do so this year, but your elders really love me and care well for my soul.
They know how incredibly busy I am and thin I'm running.
So, I never take a break and do nothing.
There's always something going on in the service of the church.
So, I kind of want to call them planning sabbaticals.
Big step back, kind of out of the fray, taking a look at next year.
Lots of time in the Word and prayer, thinking about where the Lord may be leading us into 2026.
I'm going to be doing that mid-November into the beginning of December.
You'll hear more about it.
I won't be entirely gone, but a number of responsibilities I'll set aside for that time.
So, there we are. That's what we're up to.
Really happy that I could be here with you this morning and looking once again at John chapter 6.
Before I pray and read the text, I want to remind you where we've been in this chapter.
So, there's a couple of miracles that take place.
And in John's pattern, we see the record of miracles and then teaching.
So, at the beginning of John 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000.
And to highlight these, I've been arguing to you that there's a particular literary structure used all throughout this book.
If you don't know what a chiasm is, I've outlined today's text for you in the bulletin so you can kind of see it.
The way the text can fold on top of itself, that corresponds.
And the central point of that particular section of Scripture is meant to draw our attention.
Give us an interpretive lens.
Help us to understand it a bit deeper.
So, when Jesus feeds the 5,000, the central verse is John chapter 6 and verse 10,
where he says,
Have the people sit down.
And John adds,
Now there was much grass in the place.
Jesus being seen as the great shepherd,
as John chapter 10 corresponds to John chapter 6.
Leaving this miracle,
The apostles go on across the sea.
And Jesus joins them later by walking on water.
And he calms that storm and takes them immediately to the other side.
And when they see him, understandably in verse 19, they're afraid.
And he says to them in verse 20,
Again, this is the central piece of that passage.
It is I, or you could translate that,
I am,
declaring himself to be God.
And then says,
Do not be afraid.
And it's after this that he arrives at the shore.
And he's in Capernaum.
And the bread of life discourse begins.
This mob that he fed on one side of the sea
has now come around to the other side of the sea.
And they're seeking him.
But he says in verse 26 and 27,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
you are seeking me not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
They were coming to him for temporary, temporal food.
And then he says in verse 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.
And then the bread of life discourse continues,
which we looked at last week.
And the emphasis of that next section
is the rejection of Jesus as the bread of life.
The central part of that text is verse 42,
where 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?
We're going to see all of this continue on
in today's text and on through
the end of the chapter.
The rejection of Jesus by the Jews, largely.
And then some acceptance of him
toward the end of the chapter.
The section from last Sunday
concludes with the following words,
which will get us into our text for today.
So I'll begin reading in verse 48.
Jesus says,
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,
and they died.
This is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat of it and not die.
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.
Which brings us to verse 52.
Before I read it, let's pray together.
Father, help us, we pray,
as we take up your word together this morning.
We want to rightly understand it
and apply it.
And we humbly recognize
that we absolutely need your help to do so.
This was written for your glory
and for our good.
And we want to believe its promises
and obey its commands
and have affection for you, its author.
So we ask that you would help us to this end.
And we pray it in Christ's name.
Amen.
John chapter 6, beginning in verse 52.
The Jews then disputed among themselves,
saying,
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
So Jesus said to them,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
Whoever feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood
abides in me,
and I in him.
As the living Father sent me,
and I live because of the Father,
so whoever feeds on me,
he also will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Not like the bread the fathers ate and died,
whoever feeds on this bread
will live forever.
Jesus said these things in the synagogue
as he taught at Capernaum.
So notice first,
before we get into our outline,
the structure of the text.
And again, I included that in there for you.
I won't spend much time on
walking through it detail by detail,
but I hope it helps you see
why is there repetition
repetition in the way that Jesus is speaking
and the way John records this dialogue.
It's important, right?
Again, drawing our attention
to a central point.
It doesn't mean the other parts aren't important,
but it's meant to help us think
as we think about the entirety of the text.
So notice verse 55,
For my flesh is true food
and my blood is true drink.
Something for us to meditate on
across the rest of today
and into the rest of the week.
What does Jesus mean?
My flesh is true food
and my blood is true drink.
I hope our bit of time together in this text
will help us comprehend
all that's contained therein.
So our outline today,
number one,
the offense of the invitation.
And we see this in verse 52, right?
After this statement,
this beginning of this discourse
that Jesus is giving,
the Jews then disputed among themselves,
saying,
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Now, no reasonable person
would think at this point
that Jesus is suggesting cannibalism
and offering up himself for a meal.
But this seems to be what they're doing.
I don't know the entire nature
of the dispute that they have,
but the question they ask is,
How is it possible
that this man can give us himself to eat?
The fact that they disputed
means that they argued sharply
with one another.
It's a very strong Greek verb.
They get into a conflict with one another
about what he means by this.
He's not at all being literal.
Of course,
he is speaking in metaphor.
Had anybody been paying any attention
to everything he said up to this point,
they would know it's a metaphor.
But what is it that he means?
They argue about this.
I think the thing that's most important
to note here
is the attitude of their unbelief.
Who do they turn to
when they don't understand
what it is that he is saying?
Not to him.
They're not seeking from the Savior
to understand what he might mean.
He says something difficult
for them to understand,
and who do they turn to?
To one another.
They do not ask him for clarification.
They turn to each other
in bitter conflict.
They dispute.
They argue sharply.
They philosophize about
what could be meant by such a thing
instead of listening
to the Savior
and seeking to understand
what he means
by having life in him.
This is the way.
This is the nature of the Gospel.
It's offensive to those
who don't believe.
How could this be so?
Don't find yourself
in this camp.
Perhaps the Gospel comes to you
and it strikes at your sinful heart.
Seek clarity from the Savior.
Find yourself offended.
Listen on.
Understand more.
There's such an offer given here.
So secondly, we see in the text
the necessity of saving faith.
verse 53 and 54.
In response to their dispute,
Jesus adds something on top.
How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
They say in verse 52.
So, John records,
Jesus said to them,
truly, truly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
Whoever feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life
and I will raise him up
on the last day.
The Jews of this narrative
had already found the idea
of eating Jesus' flesh
offensive.
But now Jesus expands the metaphor
to drinking his blood.
Why is this added?
Why is this compounding the offense?
The law of Moses did not allow
for the drinking of blood
or the eating of meat with blood
still in it.
You can reference Leviticus 17,
Leviticus 19,
Deuteronomy 12.
This was pagan stuff.
So this addition to the metaphor
just adds to the offense
when the point of the metaphor
is being missed.
So let's be very sure
that we don't miss the point
of the metaphor.
Now a small aside I think
is necessary here
at this point.
Catholics,
and some others,
but predominantly Catholics,
are quick to make these verses
sacramental
and use them
to argue
for transubstantiation,
which is the belief
that the bread and wine
literally become
the body and blood of Jesus
in the Lord's Supper.
This is their run-to,
go-to text.
Now I suggest to you
that there is some allusion
to the supper
in these verses.
We could get some understanding
of the supper,
but that's not
what's being taught
about here.
We should be very careful
not to read more
into the text
than the purpose
of the context
in which it sits.
It's a little hermeneutical
exercise that could be done
at this point,
which I'll spare you.
So what is
the point
of the metaphor?
Jesus,
in
suggesting that
his flesh and blood
must be
consumed,
is certainly
referring
to his soon-coming
sacrifice
and teaching those
who will hear him
that identification
with his death
grants the believer
life.
believing
that he
is the Christ
and that his body
will be broken
and his blood
will be
spilt.
Listen to the
preceding verses.
Just a few.
John 6,
verse 28 and 29.
Then they said to him,
what must we do
to be doing
the works
of God?
How do we
please
God?
Jesus answered them,
verse 29,
this is the work
of God
that you believe
in him
whom he has sent.
Don't separate that out
of the context.
There it is.
The work is
believe.
Eat the flesh
and drink the blood
is the metaphor
to help us understand
what it is
we're to believe
in.
Another place,
verse 40,
for this is the will
of my Father
that everyone
who looks
on the Son
and believes
in him
should have
eternal life
and I will
raise him up
on the last day.
Don't overcomplicate
what the metaphor
means.
Identify,
believe in
Jesus'
sacrifice
on your behalf.
Previously,
I read,
leading into this text,
verse 48
through 51.
Listen to it now
with verse 47
added.
So this is John 6,
verse 47
and following.
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
whoever believes
has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate
the manna
in the wilderness
and they died.
Temporal,
temporal provision
and they died.
This is the bread
that comes down
from heaven
so that one may
eat of it
and not die.
I am the living bread
that came down
from heaven
and in your eats
of this bread
he will live forever
and the bread
that I will give
for the life
of the world
is my flesh.
And this is what
causes
the commotion
amongst them,
the unbelief
and the conflict
that follows.
All of this
need not become
more complicated
than this.
our souls
will hunger
and they will thirst
until they find
their full
satisfaction
in Christ.
Our souls
long
to be restored
in relationship
to the Father
and this comes
through
the sacrificial
work of Jesus
on behalf
of his people.
We just have to believe
that that's true.
this happens
when we take
hold
of who he is
and what he has
accomplished
for all
who will believe
in him.
That's what Jesus
is teaching
in the Bread of Life
discourse.
A quotation
that I included
in your
bulletin
on this text
this is
Charles Spurgeon
talking about
this text
he said
God be thanked
for the simplicity
of the gospel.
The longer
I live
the more
I bless
God
that we have
not received
a classical
gospel
or a mathematical
gospel
or a metaphysical
gospel
it is not a gospel
confined to
scholars
and men
of genius
but a poor
man's gospel
a plowman's
gospel
for that is
the kind
of gospel
which we can
live upon
and die upon
it is not to us
sorry
it is not
to us
not the luxury
of refinement
but the staple
food
of life.
You want
life
and eternal
life?
It comes
by being
sustained
by Jesus
himself.
So we see
in verse 53
and 54
the necessity
of saving
faith
justified
by grace
through faith
in Christ
alone.
But praise
God
it doesn't
end
there.
Our justification
is a wonderful
thing
to glory in
but he goes
on
verses 55
through 57
we see
thirdly
the union
of the living
the union
the uniting
of
the living
here we see
the
for my flesh
is true
food
and my blood
is true
drink
again
temporal food
providing for
temporal life
but Jesus
providing for
eternal
life
and then
he presents
the most
precious
of ideas
it's an idea
that I just
love
to ponder
and John
uses a word
he is rather
fond of
to help us
to understand
this
idea
Jesus says
verse 56
whoever feeds
on my flesh
and drinks
my blood
and you can
insert there
whoever believes
in me
abides
in me
and I
in him
it's the Greek
word
meno
m-e-n-o
abides
remains
dwells
it's the idea
of a fixed
place
of
belonging
the one
who believes
in Jesus
belongs
in
him
and
likewise
Jesus
takes up
residence
in the
believer
this is an
extraordinarily
special
relationship
union
being
united
with
Christ
so I said
the union
of the living
right
Jesus
lives
and we
live
in
him
let's look at
some other
places that
John uses
this word
to understand
just how
special
this relationship
is
you turn
back to
John chapter
1
and verse
32
he records
there
John the
Baptist
bearing
witness
it says
and John
bore witness
he quotes
him
I saw
the spirit
the holy
spirit
descend
from heaven
like a
dove
and it
remained
abided
remained
dwelt
on
him
so you
see
the picture
of
the
son
God
the
son
and
God
the
spirit
being
united
together
now turn
past our
text
to John
chapter 14
and verse
10
John 14
and verse
10
there Jesus
says
do you not
believe that
I am in
the father
and the
father is
in
me
the words
that I
say to
you
I do
not
speak
on my
own
authority
but the
father
who
dwells
in me
does
his
works
again
same
same word
being the same
Greek word
being used
there
we saw
it translated
remained
in chapter
1 verse
32
we see it
here in
John 14
verse 10
as
dwells
we see it
in our
text
as
abides
we're going
to see it
in a moment
in the same
way
God the
son
and God
the
father
united
dwelling
together
you're getting
the specialness
of this
relationship
this is what
we're being
invited into
if we believe
in Christ
one more
place
go a little
bit further
John
chapter 15
and verse
10
there
Jesus
says
if you
keep
my
commandments
you
will
abide
in my
love
just as
I have
kept
my
father's
commandments
and
abide
in his
love
dwell
remain
belong
forever
what is
Jesus
teaching
us
in
these
few
words
whoever
feeds
on my
flesh
and
drinks
my
blood
abides
in
me
and
I
in
him
life
is
ours
by
faith
in
Christ
because
we are
united
to him
in his
death
and in
his
resurrection
not just
in his
death
but also
in his
resurrection
when God
looks at
us
he sees
Jesus
if we have
placed our
faith
in him
the idea
of being
clothed
in Christ's
righteousness
this
little
phrase
in
Christ
appears
again
and again
it's such
a beautiful
beautiful
idea
Jesus
goes on
in verse 57
as the
living
father
sent me
and I
live
because
of the
father
so
whoever
feeds
on
me
he
also
will
live
because
of
me
why
because
we are
united
to him
look at
the same
idea
not using
that same
Greek
word
but look
at the
idea
elsewhere
in
John
chapter
14
again
verse
18
through
20
there
Jesus
is talking
about
departing
but he
says
in
verse
18
I
will
not
leave
you
as
orphans
I
will
come
to
you
yet
a little
while
in
the
world
will
see
me
no
more
but
you
will
see
me
because
I
live
you
also
will
live
in
that
day
you
will
know
that
I
am
in
my
father
and
you
in
me
and
I
in
you
united
to
Christ
by
belief
in
him
Paul
teaches
the same
different
phrase
I mentioned
it already
two
sweet
words
in
Christ
he
writes
in
Romans
chapter
6
verse
23
for
the
wages
of
sin
is
death
but
the
free
gift
of
God
is
eternal
life
in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
and
in
Romans
chapter
8
and
verse
1
there
is
therefore
now
no
condemnation
for
those
who
are
in
Christ
Jesus
but
not
only
are
all
who
believe
in
Jesus
in
Christ
but
also
he
is
in
us
mentioned
already
John
chapter
14
and
verse
20
let's
know
what
Paul
says
in
Colossians
1
verse
27
to
his
saints
God
chose
to
make
known
how
great
among
the
Gentiles
are
the
riches
of
the
glory
of
this
majesty
which
is
Christ
in
you
the
hope
of
glory
so
we're
united
to
him
we're
positionally
in
him
we belong
to
God
in
Christ
and
he
dwells
in
us
by
the
spirit
it's
an
astounding
reality
hard to
comprehend
all that
it means
look for
these
phrases
that are
again
and again
placed
all throughout
the text
to help
us wrap
our little
feeble
minds
around the
blessing
that is
ours
by belief
in
Jesus
D.A.
Carson
who
wrote
a
wonderful
commentary
on
John's
gospel
says
this
quote
the
mutual
indwelling
pictured
here
is
obviously
not
precisely
reciprocal
!
That the
believer
remains
in
Jesus
means
he or
she
continues
to be
identified
with
Jesus
continues
as a
Christian
continues
in
saving
faith
and
consequent
transformation
of
life
that
Jesus
remains
in
the
believer
means
that
Jesus
identifies
with
the
believer
but
not
in
the
reciprocal
trust
and
transformation
that
would
be
absurd
Jesus
doesn't
need
to
trust
in
me
I
need
to
trust
in
him
but
in
help
blessing
life
and
personal
presence
amen
what a
thing
what a
thing
to be
united
with
the
living
and
then
notice
lastly
the
last part
of the
text
verse
58
verse
59
just
places
us
back
in
the
chiastic
structure
they're
arguing
in
the
synagogue
and
he's
teaching
in
the
synagogue
verse
58
notice
the
superiority
of
the
savior
superiority
of
the
savior
jesus
says
this
is
the
bread
that
came
down
from
heaven
not
like
the
bread
the
fathers
ate
and
died!
that
manna
that
was
provided
as
god's
people
were
carrying
after
the
exodus
in
the
wilderness
to
provide
for
their
temporal
need
jesus
says
whoever
feeds
on
this
bread
will
live
forever
jesus
is
revealed
throughout
the
old
testament
in
types
and
shadows
they
abound
they're
all
over
the
place
the
old
testament
is
constantly
meant
to be
saying
to
us
not
this
not
this
not
this
not
this
not
this
look
to
a
coming
one
who
is
the
greater
the
superior
to
all
of
these
things
he
is
seen
in
events
like
the
exodus
in
people
like
Melchizedek
and
David
Joshua
Moses
in
places
like
the
tabernacle
place
where
God
dwelt
amongst
men
and
in
objects
like
Noah's
ark
the
Passover
lamb
the
bronze
serpent
and
the
manna
the bread
from
heaven
right
jesus
picks this
up
in a
metaphor
right
to
say
temporal
bread
I
am
the
superior
version
of
that
right
that
was
just
a
shadow
of
me
he
indicts
the
Jews
in
John
chapter
5
verse
39
where
he
says
you
search
the
scriptures
because
you
think
that
in
them
you
have
eternal
life
and
it
is
they
that
bear
witness
about
me
but
they
failed
to
come
to
him
Jesus
is
the
substance
of
all
the
types
and
shadows
search
the
scriptures
and
have
them
lead
you
to
the
one
whom
you
can
have
life
eternal
life
in
by
belief
in his
person
and his
work
on
your
behalf
a
couple
of
quick
applications
and
we'll
close
our
time
firstly
Jesus
must
not
be
merely
admired
!
We've
talked
about
this
Jesus
can't
just
be
a
good
moral
teacher
this
is
what
the
world
wants
to
do
with
him
all
the
time
right
he
must
be
Lord
he
must
be
received
!
He
must
understand
all
that
he
is
on
behalf
of
his
!
Jesus
was
not
!
speculation
in the
bread of
life
discourse
he
wasn't
asking
him
to
start
philosophizing
about
what
he
could
possibly
mean
he
was
pressing
belief
we
must
draw
our
very
life
from
him
place
absolute
trust
in
his
saving
work
if
you
have
believed
in
Christ
second
point
of
application
rest
in
Jesus
work
on
your
behalf
it's
a
completed
task
it
is
finished
the
work
of
God
is
to
believe
in
his
son
we
sang
just
some
moments
ago
a song
that's
new
ish
to
us
introduced
last
Sunday
we sang
again
this
Sunday
called
all
sufficient
merit
and the
point
is
that
the
merit
is
not
ours
but
it's
given
to
us
verse
4
says
all
sufficient
merit
firm
in
life
and
death
the
joy
of
my
salvation
shall
be
my
final
breath
when
I
stand
accepted
before
the
throne
of
God
I'll
gaze
upon
my
Jesus
and
thank
him
for
the
cross
yes
I'll
thank
him
for
the
cross
and the
chorus
it is
done
it is
finished
no
more
debt
I owe
paid
in
full
all
sufficient
merit
now
my
own
rest
in
Jesus
finished
work
on
your
behalf
and
then
as a
loop
back
to
my
random
aside
as
we
take
the
Lord's
Supper
together
as
a
church
we
do
this
each
Lord's
Day
we
call
it
our
members
gathering
it
happens
before
this
time
take
the
Lord's
Supper
as
a
sign
of
Christ's
saving
work
help
it
draw
your
mind
to
this
great
reality
of
what
it
means
to
feast
on
Christ
Spurgeon
once said
there is
no
magic
in
bread
or
wine
but
oh
there
is
infinite
grace
in
Christ
crucified
let's
pray
together
as