Heavenly Father, this Christmas Eve, we remember that it is you who sent your Son, Jesus Christ,
so that he was born, so that he may raise those who are dead to life.
And we now want to hear from your word about what your Son accomplished on our behalf.
So please speak to us and by your Spirit, give us understanding and inflame our affections for you.
So that this Christmas, we may truly remember the King that came and witness his glory.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Please be seated.
Please turn with me to John chapter 6, verses 22 to 35.
John chapter 6, verses 22 to 35.
You're using your Q Bible, that's in page 891 of your Q Bible.
And this passage follows on the heels of Jesus' feeding of the 5,000.
It says 5,000 men, and they customarily counted only the men in large crowds.
So it's likely there was probably, counting women and children, 20,000 people or so, that Jesus fed with this miracle,
multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish to feed this crowd.
And this was intended to show that Jesus was the new Moses, the Messiah, that was promised by God to come.
Just as Moses provided manna, bread from heaven to the Israelites,
Jesus was going to provide the new bread of life to give eternal life to people that he came to save.
And so that's this passage follows just after that.
Chapter 6, verses 22 to 35.
I will read it out loud for us.
Follow along with me in your Bibles.
On the next day, the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples,
they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him,
Rabbi, when did you come here?
Jesus answered them,
Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
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.
Then they said to him,
What must we do to be doing the works of God?
Jesus answered them,
This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.
So they said to him,
Then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you?
What work do you perform?
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written,
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Jesus then said to them,
Truly, 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.
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
They said to him,
Sir, give us this bread always.
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.
This is the word of the Lord.
Now, many of you,
probably all of you are familiar with the Christmas story,
and probably also with Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ant.
You guys know the fable that grasshopper spends his entire summer
singing away his time,
while the ant is working hard all over the summer,
preparing for the future,
the winter that is coming,
storing up food.
And when winter finally comes,
the grasshopper has no food to eat,
so he goes to the ant and asks for some food.
And the ant rebukes him for his idleness and says,
You should dance the winter away,
just as you did the summer.
And this fable is intended to extol the virtues
of industriousness, hard work,
and planning for the future.
And here in New England,
we like to think of ourselves as people who are industrious.
We like to think of ourselves as people who plan for the future.
So we work jobs that we like.
We work jobs we don't like.
We work day in and day out.
We provide for ourselves and for our families.
We save for our children's college.
We plan for our retirement.
Yet even with all of that,
we don't plan quite far enough.
We plan for this life,
but not for the life to come.
So in the scale,
the breadth of eternity,
then we are just like this grasshopper
who is so distracted and busy
with the preoccupations of the here and now
that we do not attend to the business of eternal life.
And that's what Jesus rebukes this crowd of
in verse 25.
He says to them,
in verse 26,
He says,
Well, truly, truly, I say to you,
you are seeking me not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Jesus here accuses his admirers and followers
of using him to get what they want
but in seeking to get to know him
and following him as a son of God and Messiah
that he is.
And if you've,
I mean,
and I think all of you at every stage of life
have probably experienced this.
As a child,
you may remember that some,
and if you're still a kid,
you might remember that some of your peers,
some of your other friends' kids
who may not have any,
wanted anything to do with you,
didn't want to hang out with you,
all of a sudden want to be your friend
when you have the cool toy
or a game
that they didn't have, right?
Or if you're a teenager
in high school,
you might remember that all of a sudden
friends who didn't really,
the peers that didn't really care for you
want to hang out with you
when they find out that you got your driver's license
and you have a car, right?
Or if you're an adult,
you experience all the powerful adults,
people with influence
have people flocking to them,
wanting to score some points
and to be under their good graces,
flattering them.
That's exactly what these followers
are doing to Jesus.
They were not interested in getting to know him
and following him as who he claimed to be.
Rather, they wanted him to be a showman,
a magician to fill their stomachs,
not a savior to save their souls.
They wanted to take care of their body,
their here and now,
and not attend to their souls for eternity.
And that's what so many of us do, isn't it?
That's what we do often in this life.
We religiously care for our own bodies, right?
We, you know, exercise when we don't want to.
We eat healthy foods that don't taste good to us, right?
We take the vitamins faithfully.
We care for ourselves
and buy the organic foods
that are the most expensive
in the food aisles in the grocery store,
all in the hopes that we might be healthy
for a little longer,
live just a little longer, right?
We religiously tend to our careers.
We push aside family and friends
to climb relentlessly up the corporate ladder
and find greater recognition and esteem
and compensation.
We religiously pursue fleeting pleasures for ourselves,
feeding our addictions to TV shows,
video games, drugs, alcohol, or sex.
Or maybe we simply religiously pursue
the happy middle class life,
American life.
To have a nice spouse,
a nice pair of kids,
a nice house,
and a nice car,
and maybe a nice dog to boot, right?
But the tragedy of life
is that all of these pleasures
are futile and fleeting.
We think that in these things
we can find true satisfaction,
but we always come up empty.
We never quite have enough,
and we always need the next big thing
because these things
ultimately cannot satisfy
our true hunger and thirst.
And the reason for that
is that our ultimate longing,
our true hunger and thirst,
is not for these things,
but for God,
who created us.
As Augustine,
a 4th century Christian theologian,
says to God,
he prays to God,
you have made us for yourself,
O Lord,
and our heart is restless
until it finds its rest in you.
A more modern Christian theologian,
C.S. Lewis,
also writes about this.
And then he says in his book,
Mere Christianity,
creatures are not born with desires
unless satisfaction for those desires exists.
A baby feels hunger,
well,
there is such a thing as food.
A duckling wants to swim,
well,
there is such a thing as water.
Men feel sexual desire,
well,
there is such a thing as sex.
If I find in myself a desire
which no experience in this world
can satisfy,
the most probable explanation
is that I was made for another world.
If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it,
that does not prove that the universe is a fraud.
Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it,
but only to arouse it,
to suggest the real thing.
we need to recognize that
all the broken,
incomplete,
fleeting pleasures
that we experience in this life
are just glimpses
of the whole,
complete,
and enduring
perfections of God
and the joys that He offers
in eternal life.
So you might think,
perhaps,
of a really
mellifluous melody,
a music
that makes you feel
when you listen to it
that some things are right in this world.
Or maybe you think
of the hearty,
the blissful,
carefree laughter
of a baby in your arms.
Or maybe you think
of that synergistic blend
of savory and sweet
in your favorite food.
Or maybe you think
of that perfect spiral
thrown by Tom Brady
going into
a perfect rainbow arc
into that snug hands
of that white receiver.
Maybe you think
of the beautiful interplay
of colors and lines
in your favorite painting.
Or that sacrificial
and mutually supporting love
between a husband
and a wife.
All of these things
that we long for,
that we live for,
these are just glimpses.
Echoes,
shadows
of the perfections
of eternal life
with God.
And perhaps
we don't think much
about heaven,
we don't look forward
to these things
because we do not realize
how good it is.
So Jesus enjoins us
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.
So don't seek
the food that perishes
but the food
that endures
to eternal life.
These fleeting pleasures
that we have
are real pleasures
but they will not
ultimately fulfill us.
And the crowd
is intrigued by this
and so they ask
in verse 28,
what must we do
to be doing
the works of God?
This is a subtle
but dangerous question
that they're asking
because Jesus said
in verse 27,
the Son of Man
will give to you
the food
that endures
to eternal life.
And having heard that,
the appropriate response
should have been,
well then please
give us this food
that endures
to eternal life.
But rather than
relying on Jesus
who promised that
He will give
this bread,
the people are concerned
with earning
this bread.
So they want to know
what works
we must do.
But Jesus says
in verse 29,
He corrects them,
this is the work of God
that you believe in Him
whom He has sent.
An eternal life
that Christ offers
is a gift
and not a wage
so that the
quote unquote
work that He demands
is to believe in Him
whom He has sent.
It's like
at Christmas time
it's particularly appropriate
to think about gifts,
right?
When you receive
a Christmas present
you don't expect
to receive a bill
the following week,
right?
Saying,
well this is how much
it costs,
you have to pay me back.
That's not a gift.
That defies
the very definition
of a gift.
A gift is freely given.
Right?
In the same way
Jesus here says
the Son of Man
will give to you
the food that endures
to eternal life.
It's free.
It's a gift.
And that's why He says
this is the work of God
that you believe in Him
whom He has sent.
And faith,
believing in Him
is not work.
Rather it's
an admission
of our helplessness.
In Romans 3.23.25
it says that
all have sinned
and fall short
of the glory of God
and are justified
by His grace
as a gift
through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus
whom God put forward
as a propitiation
by His blood
to be received
by faith.
All of us
have sinned
against God
and by refusing
to channel
all of our thoughts
all of our
affections
and desires
all our speech
all our words
all of our actions
by failing
to channel
all of those things
all that we are
and all that we do
toward God's glory
we have sinned
against Him
because that's what
He created
us to be
that's what
He created
us to do
and as a result
we have experienced
spiritual death
and the only way
to regain this life
is to have
this bread of life
but this bread of life
is too costly
for us to afford
it's too difficult
for us to procure
but Jesus
He says
He freely offers it
gives it
to us
and all we have
to do
is in faith
simply say yes
holding out
our empty hands
now I don't want
you guys to think
that faith
is an easy thing
therefore it's
something you can do
lightheartedly
or halfheartedly
because the genuine
faith is not just
theoretical
but it's practical
so you might say
you believe in
modern medicine
right
but if you don't
vaccinate your kids
and you
when you are diagnosed
with cancer
instead of
going to an oncologist
you eat a lot of
blueberries
then you don't
believe in
modern medicine
you believe it
in theory
but you don't
believe it
in practice
in the same way
if you're to
believe in Jesus
you say you believe
in Jesus
but if He
doesn't affect
your priorities
your values
your entire life
then you don't
really believe
in Jesus
think about it
this way
1 John 4
20
this
describes
God's people
the church
as the family
of God
and it says
that if you don't
love your Christian
brother or sister
whom you have seen
you can't love
God whom you
have not seen
imagine if you
have a family
member
maybe a sister
or brother
or father
or mother
and you don't
interact with
that person
at all
throughout the
entire year
except for
a cursory
perfunctory
call
phone call
on Christmas
day
can you really
say that you
love that
family member
of course
not
in the same
way
then too
if
you do not
interact
with your
Christian
brother or
sister
at all
throughout
the year
except for
a perfunctory
visit
on Christmas
day
can you
really claim
to love
your Christian
brother or
sister
and if you
don't love
your Christian
brother or
sister
according to
the Bible
it says
you do
not
love
God
you see
faith is
far more
than just
the mental
ascent
it's not
just theoretical
it's
practice
oh yes
I believe
in God
we say
but even
the devil
believes
in God
what matters
is do we
obey him
do we
follow him
do we
harness
all of our
life
to live
for him
so yes
eternal life
is offered
to us
freely
by Jesus
but when
we possess
it
we also
become
possessed
by it
it defines
our life
it drives
our life
so then
the food
that endures
the eternal
life is
free
and it
is given
to us
by Jesus
but what
exactly
is this
food
and Jesus
gives the answer
in response
to the people's
demand for a sign
they ask in verses
30 to 31
then what sign
do you do
that we may see
and believe you
what work
do you perform
our fathers
ate the manna
in the wilderness
as it is written
he gave them
bread from heaven
to eat
so they want
a sign
they want to prove
that Jesus
indeed can give
them this bread
of life
and then Jesus
responds
in verses
32 to 33
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
for the bread
of God
is he who
comes down
from heaven
and gives
life
to the world
and then
finally
after this
back and forth
between Jesus
and the crowd
the crowd
finally gives
the right
response
they say
okay well then
please give us
this bread
say sir give us
this bread
always
and then Jesus
comes back
with this mind
blowing truth
in verse 35
I am the bread
of life
whoever comes
to me shall
not hunger
and whoever
believes in me
shall never
thirst
before Jesus
said that he
will give
eternal life
and now he
reveals that he
himself is
the bread
of life
he's going
to offer
himself
because he's
the one
in whom
eternal life
resides
and this is
an unmistakable
reference to
his future
impending death
on the cross
and later in
verse 51
he makes this
clear
he says
the bread
that I will
give for the
life of the
world
is my
flesh
and you
might be
wondering
well this
is Christmas
it's about
Jesus'
birth
so why are
you talking
about Jesus'
death
well the
reason for
that is
because we
have something
to celebrate
in Christmas
but it's
not merely
that he
was the fact
that he
was born
that we
celebrate
but we
celebrate the
fact that he
was born
to die
because if he
didn't die
for our sins
then there would
be no good
news for us
to celebrate
there would be
nothing for us
to rejoice in
we would all
still be
spiritually dead
and not all
that would
await us
would be God's
judgment
and eternal
perdition
but on
Christmas
the only
God
became
a man
to save
us
on Christmas
the son
of God
became a
son of
man
God the
creator
and upholder
of the
universe
took on
flesh
and was
born as
a feeble
human
baby
in a
manger
and what's
remarkable
is he
came not
to enjoy
the luxurious
life of a
king
making
men
his
creatures
do his
bidding
rather he
says in
Mark 10
45
he came
to serve
and to
give his
life as
a ransom
for many
the Anglican
minister John
Stott summarizes
this good news
of Jesus Christ
this way he
says the
essence of
sin is we
human beings
substituting
ourselves for
God
while the
essence of
salvation is
God substituting
himself for
us
we put
ourselves
where only
God
deserves
to be
God
puts
himself
where
only
we
deserve
to be
and that's
what happened
on Christmas
day
that's what
happened
on the
cross
God the
creator
became a
man
the creature
because
man presumed
to be
like God
by living
without any
accountability
toward him
God the
holy one
died a
sinner's death
on the
cross
because man
the sinful
one
rebelled
against
God
and why
should we
believe that
this very
tale like
story is
true
because that's
the sign
that Jesus
offered
the sign
that Jesus
offered was
in giving
offering up
himself his
own body
and then
rising again
from the
dead
and I've
mentioned
this before
to our
church a
couple weeks
ago but
this is
that Christianity
is the most
falsifiable
religion in
the world
because if
you want to
start a
cult if you
want to
invent a
religion about
the worst
thing you can
say is well
I'm going to
die and then
in three days
rise again
because you're
going to die
and then you're
not going to
rise again
and that's
obvious
to everybody
and they could
observe that
and demonstrate
that and prove
that they could
verify for
themselves but
that's exactly
what Jesus
did he told
people after
in his public
ministry that
he would die
and rise again
to prove that
he is a son of
God who gives
eternal life to
us and people
believed in him
because he did
which this is
unlike any other
religion in the
history any
other religion you
look around
Hinduism Buddhism
Islam and
they all start
with this private
idea or a
private revelation
of God that
no one else can
challenge or
verify and that's
why they can
survive but
Christianity is a
religion that is
patently falsifiable
yet it survived
because it was
true because Jesus
did die and he
rose again from
the dead and his
disciples were
martyred for their
conviction that
Jesus was the son
of God who rose
from the dead
and you might
object that well
sure adherents of
other religions and
other faiths have
also died for their
faith and that is
true but while
people die for what
they are convinced
is true no one
dies for what they
know is false and
these disciples died
proclaiming that
Jesus rose from the
dead
Jesus offered himself
up as the bread of
life broken for us
so that we might eat
and have eternal
life but then how
do we eat this
bread and I've
already hinted at
this and the answer
is in verse 35
Jesus says I am the
bread of life
whoever comes to me
shall not hunger and
whoever believes in me
shall never thirst
here the metaphorical
language is revealed
because those who no
longer hunger are not
those who eat Jesus
but those who come to
Jesus and those who
will no longer thirst
are not those who
drink Jesus but those
who believe in him so
you eat the bread of
life by coming and
believing in Jesus so
I urge you then this
evening don't seek the
food that perishes but
the food that endures to
eternal life and as we
think about eternal life
I'm going to end with
this thought it's from a
book called heaven by
Christian author named
Randy Alcorn and he
writes this he says the
best of life on earth is
a glimpse of heaven the
worst of life is a
glimpse of hell for
Christians this present
life is the closest they
will come to hell for
unbelievers it is the
closest thing they will
come to heaven so I urge
you with all my heart this
evening anyone listening to
this message could come to
Jesus and believe in him
for that's the reason for
Christmas that's the
purpose of Christmas he
was born to die so we
might live so let's pray
together
Ralph
baking
me
you
me