Turn in our Bibles to John's Gospel.
If you need a Bible and you haven't got one, it'll be helpful for you, so please feel free
to get up out of your seat and get one.
Sam is at the back there.
Are there any notes left if anybody needs notes and a pen if you want to follow along?
So John chapter 6, we're going to be reading from verse 25 down to verse 40.
I'll just give you a second to find it.
John chapter 6, verses 25 to 40.
So let's hear God's word to us.
When they, that's the crowd, found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him,
Rabbi or teacher, when did you get here?
Jesus answered, very truly 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, for on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.
Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires?
Jesus answered, the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent.
So they asked him, what sign then will you give us that we may see it and believe you?
What will you do?
Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness.
As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Jesus said to them, very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven,
but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God and
the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
Sir, they said, always give us this bread.
Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
But as I told you, you have seen me, and still you do not believe.
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away.
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,
but raise them up at the last day.
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.
So, please keep your Bibles open, and if you need the bathrooms at all,
just feel free to go to the back and follow the blue path all the way around to the ladies
and to the gents if you need them.
Let's pray and ask for God's help.
Father, thank you for your words.
Thank you for its truth.
And we pray that your word would feed us this morning,
that it would have an impact upon each of our lives,
and that it would help us to depend upon Jesus more and more.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
And Gorta Moore, that's about the only Irish I know, I think,
the Great Famine, the Great Famine of Ireland.
Over a period of seven years, from 1845 to 1852,
one million people died,
and a further one million had to flee the country.
The cause?
A disease known as the potato blight,
which killed off the annual potato harvest.
It was devastating, because the vast majority of people living in Ireland at that time
were dependent on the potato for food.
You had potato for your breakfast, dinner, and tea.
So without the potato, you died.
Now what the potato was to the Irish in the mid-19th century,
bread was to the Palestinian people of the first century.
Bread was your staple diet.
You had bread for your breakfast, dinner, and tea.
In fact, you literally worked for your crust.
80% of your income would be spent on food,
which was primarily bread.
It was essential to life.
If you had no bread, you died.
But you could imagine, then, the delight of the crowds
when Jesus turned up and did one of his signs.
Let's pick it up in chapter 6, verse 5.
We didn't read this, but we're going to read it now.
Chapter 6, verse 5.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming towards him,
he said to Philip,
Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?
Jesus asked this only to test him,
for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
And Philip answered him,
It would take more than half a year's wages
to buy enough bread for each one just to have a bite.
Another of his disciples, Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,
perhaps a little bit sarcastically.
Here is a boy with five small barley loaves
and two small fish.
But how far is that going to go among so many?
Jesus said,
Make the people sit down.
There was plenty of grass in that place,
and they sat down.
About 5,000 men were there.
So that's not counting all the women and children.
So we could say at least 10,000.
Jesus then took the loaves,
gave thanks,
distributed to those who were seated
as much as they wanted.
An abundance of free bread.
It's no wonder then that wherever Jesus went,
the crowds were not far behind.
So look at verse 25.
When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake,
they asked him,
Rabbi, when did you get here?
Jesus answered,
Very truly 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.
You see, Jesus had already performed
a number of signs.
Remember, he had turned the water into wine.
He had healed a man
who had been paralysed for 38 years.
And now he was providing free food.
But the signs Jesus did
were not an end in themselves.
They were always pointing beyond the miracle itself
and pointing it to Jesus
about who he is
and what he had come to do.
So what was this sign,
this free bread sign,
all about?
Well, that's what we're going to look at together.
This sign
will teach us,
first of all,
that Jesus is
the bread
from heaven.
Jesus is the bread
from heaven.
The crowd
naturally thought that,
well, if this guy Jesus
gave us bread
yesterday
and we didn't have to
even work for it,
maybe he's going to give us
bread tomorrow.
All they could be thinking of
was filling
their bellies.
Just give us bread
bread
and we'll be satisfied.
Well, Jesus had something
better to offer
and we need to know
and see
the difference.
First, Jesus talks about
bread
that spoils.
Verse 27,
do not work for food
that spoils
but for food
that endures
to eternal life.
Now, bread
mightn't be the top
of our wants
and desires list.
Thankfully,
we live in a part
of the world
where we have
an abundance of food.
We throw away bread.
However,
we do hunger
for other things.
Don't we
desperately try
to fill our lives
with all kinds
of stuff
in an effort
to find
satisfaction?
It can be
physical things
like the pursuit
of sports
and fitness
and well-being.
It can be material,
a desire
for more money
or that job
or that holiday.
It can be relational,
the desire
for a friend
or to get married.
We work,
we put in
lots of effort
chasing that
one thing.
If only I could
grasp it
and have it,
that if it was
in my life,
it would satisfy
me.
What Jesus
is saying,
all of these
things,
the physical,
the material,
the relational,
they can be
all good.
They're wonderful,
good gifts
from God
to you.
But get this,
they don't
last.
They'll all
spoil.
Every one
of them
will perish.
because everything
that we desire
in this life
has a
shelf life.
In fact,
when we have it,
we find that
it leaves us
empty.
We're only
grasping
for more.
So Jesus,
right from the
outset,
is saying to us,
stop thinking
about the
physical
and the
temporary
and reorder
your lives
and your
heart
and start
thinking
about the
spiritual
and the
eternal.
Verse 27,
don't work
for food
that spoils,
but for food
that endures
to eternal
life.
So what is
the food
that Jesus
offers?
What is
the bread
that endures
to eternal
life?
Well,
there's the
bread
from God.
It seems
the crowd
are still
thinking
in physical
terms.
Look at
verse 31.
They remind
Jesus of
their history
and their
past.
Our
ancestors
ate manna
in the
wilderness.
As it is
written,
he gave
them bread
from heaven
to eat.
You may
remember
the account
in Exodus
when the
Israelites
were rescued
from their
slavery in
Egypt.
They found
themselves in
the wilderness,
in the
desert.
Well,
there was no
food there.
So God
said to
Moses,
you can
follow it
on the
screen,
God said,
I will
rain down
bread from
heaven for
you.
So in
the morning
there was a
layer of
dew around
the camp.
When the
dew was
gone,
thin flakes
like frost
appeared on
the desert
floor.
The very
first
frosties.
When the
Israelites
saw it,
they said
to each
other,
what is
it?
For they
did not
know what
it was.
And Moses
said to
them,
it is the
bread the
Lord has
given you
to eat.
bread.
Now this
went on
for 40
years.
Every
morning
they would
go out
into their
camp and
there would
be a
fresh supply
of bread
that they
would gather.
So the
crowd are
thinking,
you can
imagine
their minds
whirring,
hey Jesus,
can you
do what
Moses did?
Can you
give us
this food
continually?
Verse 32,
Jesus said
to them,
very truly
I tell you,
it is not
Moses who
has given
you the
bread from
heaven,
in fact it
was God
who had
done that,
but it
is my
Father who
gives you
the true
bread from
heaven.
For the
bread of
God is
the bread
that comes
down from
heaven and
gives life
to the
world.
You see,
the bread
that God
is giving,
that he
offers,
is not
the physical
bread that
you'll get
in Lidl
that fills
your belly
one day
and leaves
you hungry
the next.
It's not
the material
temporary
stuff that
we squeeze
into our
hectic
lives.
The bread
that God
gives is
Jesus who
comes to
give life
to the
world.
Jesus who
was sent
from heaven
provides life
in all its
fullness
forever.
Bread for
our bellies
is important.
We'll enjoy
our food
today,
but Jesus
who is the
true bread
sent from
heaven is
essential.
What the
world gives,
what this
life offers
us,
will spoil
and perish,
but what
God gives
endures.
Jesus says,
I am the
bread
from heaven.
And Jesus
also says
that he is
the bread
of life.
Now like
the crowd,
we can
perhaps miss
what Jesus
is saying.
Verse 34,
sir,
they said,
always give
us this
bread.
You see,
they're still
focused on
their
tummies.
They can't
see past
the physical
and the
temporary,
so Jesus
makes it
abundantly
clear.
Verse 34,
I am
the bread
of life.
It's me,
the food
you need,
the food
that you
desperately
desire,
it's me.
You see,
all these
material
longings
that we
have,
the relational
desires that
we all
have,
well,
they're just
signals,
they're just
a taste of
something much
deeper down
in our
life,
which is
only filled
by Jesus.
Augustine
famously wrote
these words.
Speaking of
God,
he says,
you made
us for
yourself
as our
goal,
and our
heart is
restless
until it
rests in
you.
In other
words,
our aching
appetites
are only
ever truly
filled
in the
person of
Jesus.
And Jesus
goes on to
show us
two ways
in which
we can
find life
in him,
the kind
of life
that he
gives us.
First,
there is
the bread
that satisfies.
Look at
verse 35.
Jesus
declared,
I am
the bread
of life.
Whoever
comes to
me
will never
go hungry,
and whoever
believes in
me will
never
be thirsty.
The life
of Jesus
fills us
and quenches
us.
There is
no need
to go
looking and
searching for
anything else
or anyone
else,
that magical
thing,
if only I
had it.
No,
we have
got it in
the person
of Jesus.
You see,
we all
crave joy
and happiness
and we
long to
be satisfied,
but whatever
we have
and wherever
we go,
it seems
it's just
never enough.
We're always
chasing our
dreams.
Isn't this
what the
writer to
Ecclesiastes
teaches us?
Follow on
the screens
there what
he says.
He says,
I denied
myself
nothing
my eyes
desired.
I refused
my heart
no pleasure.
My heart
took delight
in all my
labour and
this was the
reward for
all my
toil.
Yet when
I surveyed
all that
my hands
had done
and what
I had
toiled to
achieve,
everything
was
meaningless.
A chasing
after the
wind,
nothing
was
gained
under
the
sun.
Do you
see that
word
meaningless?
It's
emptiness.
It's like
trying to
grasp a
cloud.
There's
nothing
there.
And all
this chasing
and all
this looking
for things
ultimately
leaves us
empty.
But look
what Jesus
promises.
He says,
come to
me and
you will
never go
hungry.
Come to
me and
you will
be forgiven
of all
of your
sin,
all your
guilt and
all your
shame can
be dealt
with.
Come to
me and
you will
never be
condemned.
Come to
me and
you can be
a child
of God
with access
to the
Father.
Come to
me and
you will
never be
thirsty.
me and
who
satisfies
completely.
We don't
need to
go looking
to anyone
else or
anything
else.
So he
is bread
that
satisfies
and he
is bread
that
secures.
Look at
verse 37.
All those
the Father
gives me
will come
to me
and whoever
comes to
me, I
will never
drive away.
Jesus is
giving the
invitation.
All who
come
will not
be driven
away.
It's a
solid and
sure guarantee
that the
life he
offers is
forever.
Well, how
can we be
so sure?
Well, look
at verse 38.
Jesus says,
I have
come down
from heaven
not to
do my
will, but
to do the
will of
him who
sent me.
And what
is the
will?
What's the
desire of
the Father?
Verse 39.
And this
is the
will of
him who
sent me,
that I
shall
lose
none
of all
those he
has given
me,
but
raise
them up
at the
last day.
Those who
come to
Jesus
are secure
in Jesus.
Last week
we looked at
the phrase
about crossing
over from
death to
life.
It's like we
go through a
door and we
come into
life.
Well, you
know what?
There's no
way back
through that
door.
We are
secure in
Jesus forever.
In fact, as
the end of
verse 39
tells us,
a day is
going to
come when
all who
have died
in Jesus
and are
trusting him
will be
raised up,
will be
given
brand new
bodies,
and we
will enjoy
an eternity
with Jesus
forever in
his new
creation.
You see,
everything that
we can see,
every possession
that we own
and touch
and taste
and hear,
it will all
spoil.
It neither
lasts nor
satisfies,
but to have
Jesus
is to have
life
that is
eternally
secure
and will
never perish,
spoil,
or fade.
Verse 40,
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.
How amazing
that will
be.
Come to
me, says
Jesus,
because I
am the
bread of
life.
So how
do we
receive
this
life-giving
bread?
How can
we
experience
it for
ourselves?
How can
we enjoy
it on a
daily
basis?
Well,
Jesus is
the bread
from heaven,
he's the
bread of
life.
And
Jesus is
the bread
we eat.
Jesus
says
something
quite shocking.
Look at
verse 51.
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.
We are
to eat
Jesus.
We are
to feed
on him.
we say
that sounds
an awfully
bit
strange.
Can we
really
eat
him?
Well,
we are
not to
literally
eat,
so what
does it
mean?
Well,
I think
two things.
I put it
like this.
First,
it is
bread that
we can
trust.
Suppose
you have
never seen
or tasted
bread.
And
someone
comes up
to you
and offers
you a
bread roll,
a nice
crusty
roll.
And in
an effort
to convince
you of
its goodness,
they explain,
well,
Johnny,
it's made
of flour,
it's got
some water
in and it's
put in the
oven and
it's baked
and when
it comes
out,
it's chewy
on the
outside
and soft
in the
inside.
Try it,
one bite
of it
and it
will melt
in your
mouth.
How do
you know
if it's
good?
The only
way you
know if
it's good,
the only
way you
know if
they're
telling the
truth is
if you
taste it
yourself.
You must
eat it.
Well,
in the same
way,
Jesus is
calling us
to not
just hear
his words,
but to
believe him,
to trust
in him.
Verse 53,
Jesus said
to them,
very truly
I tell
you,
unless you
eat the
flesh of
the Son
of Man
and drink
his blood,
you have
no life
in you.
Whoever
eats my
flesh and
drinks my
blood has
eternal life
and I will
raise them
up on the
last day.
For my
flesh is
real food
and my
blood is
real drink.
You see,
to eat
and drink
of Jesus
means we're
to trust
in him.
We're to
believe in
him.
It's to
place all
our hope
in Jesus
because we
don't get
to experience
the life
Jesus gives
by simply
knowing about
him and
getting an
A in your
religion test
or just
having
information
about
Jesus.
No,
we experience
the life
he gives
to us
by having
faith in
him,
by committing
ourselves to
him fully
and completely.
I wonder
if we've all
experienced
this life.
You can
trust him
but don't
take my
word for
it.
As we
read in
Psalm 34
earlier,
taste and
you will
see that
he is
good.
He is
good.
So Jesus
is bread
that we
can trust
and then
second bread
we can
feed on
because not
only are we
to taste,
there's the
implication here
as we read
on that we're
to keep on
eating,
we're to
keep on
feeding.
Verse 56,
whoever eats
or feeds
on my
flesh
and drinks
of my
blood
remains
in me
and I
in them.
The crowd
that were
following Jesus
they needed
physical bread,
we need
bread,
if we don't
have it we
die,
none of us
can survive
without
eating.
Well it's
the same
for us
spiritually,
we must
continually
feed on
Jesus
because he
not only
satisfies
and secures,
he sustains
us through
all of life.
Do you see
what it's
saying in
verse 56?
You will
remain in
me and I
in you.
It will
maintain,
it will
grow our
relationship
with him.
Verse 57
Just as
the living
father sent
me and I
live because
of the
father,
so the
one who
feeds on
me will
live because
of me.
So how
do we
feed on
Jesus?
How are we
going to
feed on
Jesus together?
Father?
Well as
we close I
want to
suggest two
things that
we can
do.
Here's the
first one.
No, it's
not there, I
forgot to
write it.
I'll tell you
what it is.
First we
feed on
Jesus by
reading his
word.
We feed on
Jesus by
reading his
word.
It's the
word of
God, the
word of
Jesus that
will nourish
us and
grow us.
And that's
how we
become fruitful.
That's why
we come
together on
a Sunday to
hear the
word of
God.
Because without
a daily
regular diet
of God's
word we
become
unhealthy.
We become
malnourished.
We become
sick.
And we'll
find ourselves
seeking and
searching for
all the
things and
placing all
our confidence
and our
hope in
things that
spoil and
perish.
Just as we
need to
eat to be
healthy and
strong physically
so we need
to depend and
feed on
God's word.
That daily
diet so
that we
become mature
and strong
together and
live in a
vibrant
communion with
the Lord
Jesus.
So first
let us
gather together.
let us
meet with
one another
and on
ourselves
let us
read his
word.
We feed
on Jesus
by devouring
the word
of God.
And second
we can
feed on
Jesus
by remembering
his death.
We feed
on Jesus
by remembering
his death.
death.
Now I'm
not suggesting
that Jesus
is talking
about the
Lord's
supper here.
I think that
comes later
on in
John's
gospel and
we'll get
to that
when we
get there.
However I
do think
these remaining
verses
verses 53
through to
the end
are a
picture of
what we
do when
we do
remember
Jesus'
death.
as we
physically
eat the
bread
so as we
gather
around the
Lord's
supper
as we
share
communion
together
as we
physically
eat the
bread
as we
drink the
juice
we are
spiritually
feeding on
the flesh
and blood
of Jesus.
We're saying
as we come
to the
table
that I
need
Jesus
that we're
depending upon
his very
death
for us
in our
place.
A death
that secures
forgiveness
and secures
our eternal
life with
him.
Life with
him forever.
We feed
on him
as we
remember
his death.
Verse 51
Jesus
says
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.
Trust in
him.
Feed
on him.
Taste
and you
will see
that he
is good.
he will
satisfy
you.
He will
secure
you and
he will
sustain
you in
that
beautiful
communion
one with
the
father.
Eat
continually
and you
will experience
life in
all its
fullness.
I am
the bread
of life.
let us
feed on
him
who
gives us
life.
Let's
pray
together.
Father we
thank you
for
physical
food
that we
have had
this
morning.
For
food that
we are
going to
eat
throughout
this
day.
food and
drink that
we will
have
tomorrow.
And yet
above all
of this
we thank
you for
the most
precious
and wonderful
gift of
Jesus the
bread of
life sent
from heaven
to give us
life in all
its fullness.
Father will
you help
each one
of us to
feed on
you
continually
you
father will
you grow
us as
we read
your word
and would
you cause
a greater
dependence
upon you
as we
gather
around
your
table.
Father may
our
communion
with you
increase
and deepen
as we
eat of
Christ.
Please help
us we
pray.
for we
need it.
In Jesus
name.
Amen.
We're going
to sing
together
what grace
is Jesus
my redeemer.
He is the
gift.
He is the
bread we
eat.
Let's
thank him
through our
song as we
praise God
together.
Let's stand
together as we
sing.
shall Wass
for 50
not to be
for he
Thank you.
So if you have one there, we can read.
Let me pray first and then we'll close with the blessing.
Father, thank you.
Father, thank you for your goodness to us today.
We ask for your continued help to us in this coming week.
Thank you for one another.
Now let's say the blessing.
And may our hunger for God, amen.
Amen.
Well, it's good to see you today.
But please do stay in the same thing.
My house, it's my house, it's not my house.
And I'll be here for you.
And I'll be here for you for a while if you want to chat to me to get directions and stuff.
We'd be delighted to have you.
Please come younger and older and everything in between.
Please come.
Thank you.
.
ment
.
Thank you.