Bible, please open it up to John chapter 6. Some of you might be wondering, why are we
still in John chapter 6? Well, Jesus has a lot to say in John chapter 6, and so we don't
want to just rush past that too quickly. We want to take our time and listen to what Jesus
is saying and really take it to heart. So let's remind ourselves of where we are in
this conversation. Jesus is talking with a crowd of people, and many of this crowd were
at the feeding of the 5,000 just yesterday, and this is quite the conversation. Jesus
has urged them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that lasts. We heard Jesus tell
them that God wants them to believe in the one that he has sent. We heard the crowd ask
Jesus, do something amazing, do a sign, then we'll believe. Something like the miracle
of the manna in the wilderness, maybe. We heard Jesus tell them that God is doing a similar
kind of thing. Right now, he is giving you the true bread from heaven. We heard the crowd
ask for this bread from heaven. And then we heard Jesus declare that he is the bread which
God has sent down from heaven. Last Sunday, we heard the crowd grumbling about Jesus claiming
to be from heaven. It's a pretty lofty claim to make, to be from heaven. And this morning,
we're going to look a little more closely at another lofty claim of Jesus, or we might say
a lofty promise, an amazing offer that Jesus is making to people here in this conversation.
It all starts with Jesus' statement back up in verse 26 and 27.
Very truly, he said, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed,
but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
If there's two words that really stand out in that directive that Jesus gives to them,
it's the words eternal life. We all know that ordinary food gives life. If you don't eat,
eventually you will die. We need food to live. And so in a sense, food is life-giving.
And yet it seems as though Jesus is saying that there's a kind of food that is eternal life-giving.
Like if you eat it, you will live forever.
Now we don't know exactly what the people were thinking as they heard this.
Perhaps some of them were thinking that that just sounds too good to be true.
That there's this kind of food that when you eat it, you will live forever.
To many today, it might sound very much like the stuff of mythology.
I was reading this week about some Japanese mythology where apparently there's a story of a girl who came across a mermaid-like creature
and ate the meat of that creature and became immortal.
In both Greek and Norse mythology, it was believed that the gods and the goddesses, they were immortal.
They could live forever because they were eating these golden apples or drinking this sweet drink called ambrosia.
Even the phrase eternal life for many today is probably a trigger in their minds.
Like as soon as they hear those words, eternal life or immortality, we must be talking about fantasy or mythology
or something in the latest Marvel movie or television series.
When's the last time you heard someone who doesn't believe in Jesus or frequent church gatherings use the phrase eternal life in everyday conversation?
Probably not recently.
And so I wonder if even as we as Christians sometimes might hesitate to say those words outside the church circle,
maybe you've thought about it or had that come up in conversation and maybe you felt that.
You know, if I say the words eternal life to them,
am I going to be losing some credibility or respect in their eyes?
But Jesus did not shy away from using this phrase.
In fact, we've already seen Jesus use this phrase a few times up to this point in the Gospel of John.
He first spoke of eternal life that we know of to Nicodemus.
To Nicodemus, you'll remember that he said,
But as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
He spoke of obtaining eternal life to the Samaritan woman at the well.
He said to her,
Sometime later, when Jesus was in Jerusalem,
back in John chapter 5, verse 24,
we heard him saying to the religious leaders these words,
Truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be judged, but is crossed over from death to life.
So Jesus has already been speaking about eternal life,
and he's been speaking of it as something that's very much attainable.
He's not telling fantasy stories here,
or talking about some ancient legend of somebody who ate or drank this or that
and then suddenly became immortal.
No, he speaks about eternal life as if it's real, attainable,
and not just for those rare few who happen to stumble upon the secret,
but for anyone, for all who will believe.
To Nicodemus,
So the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
To the religious leaders,
Whoever hears my word and believes has eternal life.
Whoever.
And now to the crowd that he's talking with,
he makes it clear that eternal life is not just for
one group of people.
It's not just for that one fortunate person
who happens to stumble into that hidden cave
and find this secret chalice with this nectar of the gods in it.
No.
Chapter 6, verse 3,
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
Eternal life is for anyone who will believe.
It's for the world.
On the lips of Jesus,
eternal life is no fairy tale.
It's no legend.
It's no fantasy.
It's a real, attainable thing
for all who hear the words of Jesus
and believe.
Those who truly believe him.
It's quite a thing,
as you think about it,
to look someone in the eye
and offer them
eternal life.
And let's not miss
where this eternal life comes from.
Jesus told the religious leaders
back in chapter 5, verse 21,
For just as the Father raises the dead
and gives them life,
even so the Son,
this is Jesus referring to himself,
the Son gives life
to whom he is pleased to give it.
So Jesus is not just someone
who knows the secret way
to eternal life.
He himself is claiming
to be the one who gives eternal life
to people.
That's the way Jesus has talked
throughout this gospel.
It's Jesus that must be lifted up,
as we just read,
so that whoever believes
might have eternal life.
It's Jesus who offers the woman
at the well living water,
which he says he has
to give to her,
which will result in eternal life.
In this very conversation
with the crowd here,
Jesus tells them
where the food
that lasts to eternal life
comes from.
He says,
which the Son of Man
will give you.
The very plain sense of all these
is that Jesus is saying,
you get eternal life
from me.
He's not just a spiritual guru
who has found the way
to become immortal.
He himself has the power
and the authority of God
to give eternal life
to people.
And this is a big part
of what this whole conversation
about the bread of life
is about.
Just like you live
a little longer
by eating this ordinary
earthly bread,
Jesus has been saying
in the same way,
you can live forever
by eating the special
heavenly bread,
the bread that God
has given from heaven.
And then we heard
a couple weeks back
as Jesus said it plain as day,
I myself am
the bread of life.
In other words,
eternal life
doesn't just come
from me
as something external
that I carry
outside myself
and give away
to people.
No.
Eternal life
comes through me
and in me.
Let's listen to the words
of Jesus
in verse 47.
Very truly,
I tell you,
the one who believes
has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna
in the wilderness,
yet they died.
But here is the bread
that comes down from heaven,
which anyone may eat
and not die.
I am the living bread
that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats this bread
will live forever.
This bread is my flesh,
which I will give
for the life of the world.
Now next Sunday,
we'll find out
how the crowd responded
to these words.
But for this morning,
I want to focus
on this offer of Jesus,
this gift of Jesus,
eternal life.
Jesus has one more thing
to say
to make it clear
what this eternal life
refers to.
In mythology
and legends
about immortality,
you probably know
how the story goes.
There's some character
who eats
or drinks something
or does something special
that causes them
to become immortal,
to live forever.
and generally,
they are,
from that point on,
unable to die.
It makes for some
great fiction.
It makes for some
good movie plots
as someone tries
to go after
that character
who's immortal
with whatever weapon
they have
only to find out
that they simply
cannot kill him.
He's immortal.
He's unable to die.
It makes for some
entertaining stories
as we think of,
you know,
kind of the
fantastic notion
that some one person
who has found
this secret
could have lived
for centuries.
They were there,
that one character
in the story,
and fought as a young man
in the First World War
and they were there,
a young man also,
back in the days
of Napoleon
and then they're
still here today
in present day
but nobody really
knows their secret.
Is this the kind
of eternal life
that Jesus is talking about?
I think we all
know the answer.
It's not.
He's not saying
that we will never
physically die
here on earth
kind of eternal life.
Let's hear it
from Jesus
in his own words.
John chapter 6
verse 38.
For I have come down
from heaven
not to do my will
but to do the will
of him who sent me.
And this is the will
of him who sent me
that I shall lose none
of all those
he has given me.
And then here it is.
But raise them up
at the last day.
That's the key phrase.
But raise them up
at the last day.
I'm not saying
that I'm here
to give you
immortality
in your physical body
right here
right now
such that you'll
never die.
No.
The eternal life
that I give
when it comes
to your body
happens when I
raise you up
from the dead
at the last day.
And let's not move
too quickly
from this statement.
Jesus wants us
to hear these words.
And we know this
because he says
this exact phrase
almost word for word
four times
in this conversation.
I will raise them up
at the last day.
He says it in verse 40
again.
For my father's will
is that everyone
who looks to the son
and believes in him
shall have eternal life.
And I will raise them up
at the last day.
He says it in verse 44.
No one can come to me
unless the father
who sent me
draws them
and I will raise them up
at the last day.
And he says it again
in verse 54.
Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life.
We'll talk about that
next Sunday.
I know that probably
tweaks some of you.
and I will raise them up
at the last day.
Four times he says it.
I will raise them up
at the last day.
Which kind of brings us
to this question.
So when does
eternal life begin?
There's a sense in which
eternal life begins
now
when we believe in Jesus
because
our status with God
changes
when we believe in Jesus.
Our eternal destiny
changes
from
death
to life.
In the words of Jesus
we have crossed over
from death
to life.
There's a spiritual
element to it
here and now.
We come alive
to God
where we were dead
to him before.
God's spirit
of life
comes to live
inside of us
and joins us
to Jesus himself
so that we become
one with Christ.
We are in
him.
So there is a
here and now
aspect
to eternal life.
We could say
in a very real sense
that eternal life
begins
the moment
that you truly
believe in Jesus
and are born again
by the spirit
of God.
But there's also
a very real sense
in which eternal life
does not begin
fully
until the last day
when Jesus returns
and raises us up
from the dead
to live forevermore
never to die again.
I will raise them up
at the last day
those who believe
whoever believes
in me.
so what's the
significance
of this?
I think it's
important because
we need to know
that this good
gift of eternal
life
is something
that we can
receive today
in the present
even as Jesus
is speaking
the words
to people
will they believe
today?
but the full glory
of course
of this gift
awaits
the last day
when Jesus returns
and as I was thinking
about it this week
I was imagining it
like the gift
of a brand new car
from a father
to his 13 year old son
at Christmas.
Can you imagine
the delight on his face
as he opens up
a little box
and inside
are a set of keys
to a brand new car
that's now
he's discovered
is parked
in the family garage
and this gift
doesn't come
with any strings
attached
it's not his dad's
or mom's
to drive
until he's
old enough
to drive it
it's his
it belongs
to him
he may have
to wait
until
a future day
when he's able
to reach the pedals
or a future day
when he gets
his driver's license
to fully enjoy
this gift
but it belongs
to him now
and one day
he will have
the pleasure
of backing it
out of the garage
and taking it
for a spin
for the first time
eternal life
is a gift
like that
a gift
that we can
receive today
by believing
in Jesus
and yet a gift
that we won't
fully enjoy
until the last day
when Jesus
comes
and raises
us up
from the grave
with the rest
of our
time this morning
I want us
to think about
those words
eternal life
I've said them
a lot
we've probably
heard them a lot
as Christians
even before
this morning
what do they
mean
life
without end
life
that goes
on forever
life
of infinite
length
days
without
number
never
to die
again
after the
resurrection
we could
say it
in a number
of ways
but so often
I think
as we hear
those words
eternal life
it just kind
of passes
through our
heads
and doesn't
really land
in our
hearts
so how
long
is
eternal
how long
is
forever
if life
is eternal
after we
are raised
up
at the
last day
when will
our bodies
or our
organs
fail
if life
is eternal
after the
last day
when will
our ears
stop hearing
properly
or our
eyes stop
seeing
clearly
or our
joints
wear out
if life
is eternal
when will
our hearts
finally beat
the last
beat
just give
up because
they've
had too
much mileage
put on
them
if life
is eternal
when will
we hear
the number
of days
that we
have left
from the
doctor
because of
sickness
or disease
cancer
injury
how long
is
forever
there are
some benefit
for our
imaginations
to reading
those fanciful
stories about
people who
lived for
a thousand
years
it gets
us thinking
what would
it be like
to live
for a
thousand
years
of unbroken
life
to love
to have
all kinds
of family
and friendships
for a
thousand
years
uninterrupted
to grow
in wisdom
to learn
new things
year after
year for
a thousand
years
can you
imagine
that
to have
a life
so full
as the
men
did
when the
world was
first created
now take
that and
think about
this
how about
ten thousand
years
can you
imagine
what it
would be
like to
live for
ten thousand
years
what it
would have
been like
to live
from the
dawn of
this
world's
creation
up until
this
present
day
all in
one
continued
span
of life
can you
imagine
that after
ten thousand
years
you're still
as young
and strong
and able
as you
were
at the
beginning
can you
imagine
having all
the time
in the
world to
do all
those good
things that
you otherwise
just wouldn't
get to do
to read all
those books
to play
to learn to
play that
instrument
and become
fully expressive
in it and
master it
and in fact
why just one
instrument
how about
nine or
ten
a thousand
years is
plenty of
time to
master a
whole bunch
of them
can you
imagine
what it
would be
like to
live for
ten thousand
years
of unbroken
life and
then when you
come to the
end of that
to find out
that you
will live
that span
that length
over and
over again
without end
without aging
as we know
it without
the body or
the mind
growing weak
or frail
or weary
as time
goes on
without
sickness
without
disease
without
death
how long
is forever
I know
some of you
have been
wondering what
this string
is all
about
this string
every inch
on it
represents a
hundred years
and so if we
start at the
creation of the
world by the
most conservative
accounts
years
you know
we go
along
and we
get to
about here
there's
six thousand
years
that's kind
of the
most conservative
estimate
from
Christians
as to the
age of the
world
but then some
people have
issue with
the you know
the gaps
and the
genealogies
and stuff
so let's
add another
four thousand
years just
for fun
let's say
that this
is this
is how long
since the
creation of
the world
till now
there's your
life
right there
a little
blip
I colored it
red but you
probably can't
see it from
here
if you make
it to a
hundred years
that's your
life
at some time
a little bit
down the line
we don't know
exactly when
the day or
the hour
will be the
last day
that Jesus
is talking
about there
when he will
raise us
up
and then
starts the
full sense
of eternal
life
and it
goes on
and it
goes on
and it
goes on
can you
imagine
living this
full length
of life
that we
know here
over and
over again
this string
the other
end of it
is out by
the alley
on the
sidewalk
outside the
front doors
of the
church
down by
the alley
represents
a total
of about
330,000
years
about
3,000
ish
of
lifetimes
of 100
years
but in
reality
there will
be no
end
to that
string
it will
just keep
on going
all the way
around the
world
again and
again
forever
that's
how long
eternal
life
is
that's
the kind
of life
that Jesus
is offering
to you
and to me
as an
undeserved
gift of
grace
and if
that's
what's in
store for
those who
believe in
Jesus
then suddenly
it makes a
lot of
sense when
Jesus says
do not
work for
food that
spoils
but for
food which
lasts
unto eternal
life
don't spend
all of your
life so
focused in
everything you
do on
this when
there's all
of this
store up
treasure in
heaven not
on earth for
this little
blip here but
for all of
this seek
first his
kingdom said
Jesus and
when it
comes it's
going to
last forever
don't worry
about what
you need in
life your
food your
clothing all
that stuff
God's going
to look
after that
and take
care of
you
eternal
life
John
Newton had
it right
when he
penned those
famous words
when we've
been there
10,000
years
bright
shining
as the
sun
we've no
less
days
to sing
God's
praise
than when
we'd first
begun
let's pray
father in
heaven
even just
to think
about the
magnitude of
that gift
blows us
away
we're not
worthy of
that
we don't
deserve
that
we hear
the
words that
you spoke
to
our
great
ancestor
the day
you eat
of it
you shall
surely
die
what
mercy
and what
grace
you've
given
us
I pray
and ask
that all
of us
would
believe
that we
would hear
the words
you are
speaking
and that
we would
receive
and believe
eternal
life
in Jesus
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