All right, so this is the point in our service where we open up the Word of God.
This is our opportunity to hear what the Lord Jesus has said.
We're going to be looking at His own words.
And so I encourage you, if you have a Bible, to open it up to John chapter 6.
This morning we're going to be looking at something that Jesus said that seems a little strange,
at least at first.
I know that we had said we would look at the response of the crowd to Jesus
after He had said that the bread of life was His flesh,
and whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.
We are going to get to that, but we're actually going to look at that next Sunday.
It's a pretty wild thing that Jesus said.
This morning we're going to look at something else that is strange that Jesus said
that came up in this conversation in John chapter 6.
So let's read it together, starting in verse 35.
And maybe before I read it, I'll just say, you know,
one of the things we're going to focus on a little bit in this is,
what is Jesus' relationship to the Father?
It's something that we've talked about a little before,
but just maybe look into that as we read it,
because we've heard these words before, but there's more here.
So verse 35,
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 there's a lot in here,
but we're just going to focus on the relationship of Jesus
with his Father.
We've talked about some of the other things.
Last Sunday we talked about eternal life.
The Sunday before that we talked about Jesus' statement,
I will raise them up at the last day.
We want to focus in on this relationship
that Jesus has with the Father.
And we've heard a little bit about this already
in the Gospel of John.
We heard about it right at the beginning.
In John 1, verse 14,
John described Jesus, this man,
as the Son who came from the Father.
A little bit later in verse 18,
he said,
No one has ever seen God,
but the one and only Son,
who is himself God,
and is in closest relationship with the Father,
has made him known.
So there's this special relationship
between Jesus, the Son,
and his Father.
We only see glimpses of it
or mentions of it
in the first part of Jesus' story.
We heard Nathaniel make that declaration,
Rabbi, you are the Son of God.
But did Nathaniel really know
what he was affirming?
We saw it...
We saw it when Jesus got to the temple in Jerusalem.
He was flipping the tables
on those who were selling.
And he said,
the temple,
he referred to it as,
my Father's house.
But it doesn't seem that the people
really caught on to that.
It wasn't until later in chapter 5
that this whole relationship
between Jesus and his Father
really came to the forefront.
If you remember those messages,
Jesus had a lot to say
about his relationship with the Father.
He...
If you caught those messages,
we heard him making
some very interesting statements
like,
my Father is always at his work
to this very day
and I too am working.
This was after he had healed
a man on the Sabbath
and the religious leaders
were going after Jesus
for doing that.
And Jesus began to explain
a little bit about
his relationship with the Father.
We're always at work.
He referred to himself
as doing nothing on his own.
I do nothing by myself.
I only do what I see
my Father doing.
He stated that his Father
loves him.
That his Father shows him
everything he does.
Jesus talked about
how the Father would show him
even greater things
than what they'd already seen
earlier that day.
How one day
they would see him,
the Son,
do some of the most amazing works
in human history.
Raising the dead
back to life
and the final judgment.
He said,
these works
have been entrusted to me
by my Father
on purpose
so that people
will come to honor
the Son,
me,
as they honor
my Father.
And we talked back then
about how this relationship
between Jesus
and his Father
is very mysterious.
glorious.
It's unlike anything
that we know.
We talked about
how there's this oneness
and unity
between the Father
and the Son.
There's a togetherness
and a unison
in their working.
We heard how Jesus
describes
his Father
as sending him
into the world
and giving him
works to do
and works
to finish.
Testifying about
his Son
through those works.
And then we hear
on Jesus' side
of the relationship
about how his aim
and his mission
is to do
those works
that he's been
given
by his Father
to finish that work
to not just
please himself
but to please
the Father
who sent him.
And in the midst
of all this
we saw the religious leaders
having a very hard time
with the way
that Jesus talked
about this special
relationship
that he has
with his Father.
They understood
Jesus is making himself
out to be equal
with God
and they were hearing
words of blasphemy.
So here we are again
in this conversation
in John chapter 6
with the crowd.
This is after the feeding
of the 5,000
and some of the feeding
of the 5,000 crowd
are here.
And this topic
of Jesus'
special relationship
with the Father
again comes
to the forefront.
So it starts
in verse 35.
Let me just read it again.
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.
And we talked about this
a couple weeks ago.
Jesus is holding out
this incredible promise
of eternal life.
That the deepest needs
that you have
can be satisfied,
your thirst can be quenched
forever.
All you need to do
to receive this
is two things.
He says,
whoever comes to me,
he says,
whoever believes in me.
So the invitation
is on the table.
He's just put it out there
in front of the crowd.
Come to me.
Believe in me.
But then the conversation
takes this turn
all of a sudden.
And we read it
in verse 36.
Jesus says this next,
but as I told you,
you have seen me
and still
you do not believe.
So it's like
they're seeing Jesus
do these works
of God among them
and yet they're not
believing in him.
And then this conversation
starts to get
a little strange
all of a sudden.
Jesus says this next.
He says,
all those the Father
gives me
will come to me.
And whoever comes to me,
I will never
drive away.
So we're still
talking about
people coming
to Jesus,
but now Jesus
brings this whole talk
about coming
to him
into a bigger
discussion
of what's going
on between him
and his Father.
He makes
this statement,
all those
the Father
gives me
will come
to me.
I don't know
about you,
but to me
that seems
a little bit
unexpected
of a thing
to say,
a little bit
strange.
Let's stop
and think
about it
for a minute.
We notice
that the Father
is giving
something
to the Son.
What is he
giving to him?
People.
It's kind
of weird.
This is something
we can't relate
to.
We don't
give people
to other
people.
But here
Jesus says
that God
the Father
is giving
people to
him.
The second
thing that's
strange is
how this
seems to
be an
explanation
of why
they don't
believe.
And maybe
it's helpful
at this point
to think
of the
disciples
who are
here
listening
to this.
Jesus
has just
put the
invitation
on the
table.
I am
the bread
of life.
Come to
me and
believe in
me.
And it's
like the
crowd you
can almost
imagine in
that moment
is silent.
As we
just read
Jesus says
you do
not
believe.
Nobody's
coming
forward.
Nobody's
moving.
You can
just almost
imagine maybe
the disciples
just off to
the side
like you
heard Jesus.
He just
put out the
altar call.
He just
gave the
invitation.
Who's
coming
first?
Come to
him.
And then
all of a
sudden the
moment drags
on and
maybe there's
a bit of
awkwardness
like is
nobody going
to come?
You can
almost imagine
them like
glancing over
at Jesus
like why is
nobody
coming?
Why is
nobody
responding?
You gave
the invitation.
What's
happening
here?
Jesus'
statement in
verse 37
seems to be
an answer to
that question.
it's almost
as if
Jesus is
saying
don't worry
if nobody
is coming
at this
moment.
All those
the father
gives me
will come
to me.
We remember
what Jesus
said earlier
that his
father is
always at
work.
Even now
my father
who is
unseen
is at
work.
He is
doing this
work of
giving
people
to me.
And
whoever he
is
intentionally
at work
in
will
come
to me.
Maybe
not at
this
instant.
Maybe
later
today.
Maybe
tomorrow.
But they
will
come
to me.
Perhaps
another way
to say it
might be
like this.
Nobody
that the
father
has
determined
to give
to his
son
will
miss
the
boat.
And as
soon as I
say that
I know
that I
have said
something that
doesn't sit
well with
some people.
Maybe some
of you here
this morning.
Hold on a
second here.
Are you
saying that
God has
decided to
give some
to his
son but
not others?
Or that
God gives
some to
his son
whether they
want to
come or
not?
Are you
saying that
some people
are saved
because God
has decided
to save
them and
others because
he has not
decided to
save them?
Are you
saying that
the people
in this
crowd who
don't
believe in
Jesus don't
believe because
God has not
decided to
give them
to the
son?
And if
those are
your questions
those are
good questions.
They're good
questions that
I'm not going
to try to
answer fully
this morning.
There's a
whole debate
over this
very verse
this very
thing that
Jesus said
but I will
say a few
things.
Is there
a chance
that Jesus
messed up
his words
or misspoke
when he
said this?
All those
the father
gives me
will come
to me.
Because you
know there's
something inside
all of us
that for some
reason we want
to flip that
statement around
or change
the words
in it.
We want
to say
Jesus you
must have
misspoken what
you meant to
say was
something like
this.
All those who
first come
to me
will then be
given to me
by my father.
Because I
got to make
that decision
first right?
But that's not
what Jesus
said.
Or we might
change it
all together
and make
Jesus say
this.
All those
who give
themselves
to me
will come
to me.
But Jesus
didn't say
that either.
He said
all those
the father
gives me
will come
to me.
And let's
remember who
Jesus is.
He is the
son of God
who speaks
only what he
hears from
his father.
He doesn't
misspeak.
He said it
this way
and this
is how
he intended
to say
it.
So the
big question
here of
course is
how does
the father's
giving of
people relate
to their
coming to
Jesus?
Which comes
first?
Is one
dependent on
the other?
And we may
get to a
little bit of
an answer to
that in the
weeks ahead
but for this
morning I
want us to
focus on
this relationship
between father
and son
here.
Let me
point your
attention to
one word in
the statement.
That word
gives.
All those
the father
gives to
me will
come to
me.
There's
something
wonderful about
that word.
There's
something bigger
than just the
crowd and
Jesus and
the disciples
and what they
can see
going on
here.
those who
the father
gives to
me will
come to
me.
I want you
to think
about yourself.
If you are
a person who
would say I
have come to
Jesus, what
does this
statement say
about you
here this
morning?
Do you
know that
you are a
part of a
larger story?
Christmas is
coming not
too long from
now.
Starting to
feel it a
little more
now that
the snow
has come.
It's a
time that we
celebrate God's
gift of his
son to us.
But what
Jesus seems to
be saying here
is something
different.
He seems to
be saying that
we who have
come to
Jesus and
those who
will yet
come are
actually God's
gift to
his son.
God's
gift.
Do you
see that in
these words?
Another way to
ask it would be
like this.
Who is the
giver in this
statement?
And then who
is the
recipient of
the gift in
this statement?
And finally,
what is the
gift?
Think about
this for a
moment.
Jesus is not
talking about a
gift that gives
itself.
He's talking
about a gift
given by
someone, the
father, to
someone, the
son.
In this
case, those
who come to
Jesus are the
gift.
Those who
have yet to
come to
Jesus are
part of those
who will be
given by
God to
his son.
And so
maybe it's
helpful to
think in
terms like
we often
do at
Christmas.
Those of
us who
have come
to Jesus
or will
yet come
to Jesus
are like
we're like
the ones
wrapped up
inside the
box being
given.
But we
should not
think that
God is a
thoughtless
gift giver
or that he
didn't know
what to
give to
his son.
We all
know what
it's like to
feel the
stress of
Christmas gift
giving.
Maybe some
of you are
already starting
to feel that
right now.
There's
often times an
expectation.
And it's
probably happened
to all of us
I'm sure that
you know
Christmas has
snuck up on
us and we
ran out of
time to get
a carefully
well thought
out gift
for someone
that we
love.
God
doesn't
give like
that.
God is the
most intentional
thoughtless
God is the
most intentional
thoughtless
God doesn't
give like that.
God is the
most intentional
thoughtful and
considerate
giver in the
universe who
always finds
nothing less
than the
perfect way to
express his
love.
The perfect
gift to give.
God is the
God.
So we who
come to
Jesus are
we're not
like a gift
from the
father that
just one day
showed up on
the father's
doorstep and
said here I
am Lord send
me and then
he looked at
us and said
ah yes the
perfect gift
for my son.
No rather
all those who
have come to
Jesus and all
those who have
yet to come
to Jesus are
a gift that
the father has
been planning
and preparing
to give to
his son since
before the
creation of
the world.
And there are
numerous passages
we could go to
to demonstrate
that.
I think most
of you have
read your
Bibles know
those passages
that I'm
talking about.
But I think
we have trouble
with this
truth because
our view of
reality is
warped by
sin.
Sin causes
us to see
ourselves as
at the center
of the
grand story.
Yet Jesus
speaks here
as if there
is a greater
story going
on.
He speaks
of this
dynamic love
relationship
between a
father and
a son.
A story in
which we are
neither the
giver nor
the recipient.
Instead we're
the one wrapped
up in the
box.
we're the
gift being
given from
one to the
other.
And not
because we're
supremely
valuable.
Not because
God went and
found us and
sought out this
rare treasure.
Truthfully,
God did not
find us
beautiful and
worthy and
fit to be
given to his
son.
Rather he
has chosen to
radically transform
us and to
make us
worthy and
fit to be
given to his
son.
As they often
say, the best
gifts are
handmade and
can't be bought
in the store.
And so Jesus
is not worried
in this moment
that nobody is
coming forward
to him.
He's put the
invitation on
the table but
he's not
worried.
He's here to
speak and to
do what God
has given him
to speak and
to do.
And whether
someone comes
to him is
his father's
gift to
give.
I don't know
about you but
I find it
humbling to
hear of myself
being spoken
of in the
third person
by Jesus as
the gift and
not the giver
or the
recipient.
To me, it
says that my
coming to
Jesus and my
believing in
him is not
just something I
did on my
own.
It says to
me that God
was in my
coming to
Jesus.
He was
working in
it unseen
with intentional
purpose and
love right from
the start.
It's also
humbling to me
because it
means that my
coming to
Jesus and
being saved
from God's
wrath is not
just for me.
It's not just
for my sake.
it means I'm
also being
made into a
present, a
gift for the
Son, for
his sake, for
his pleasure and
honor.
And this
greater story
that we hear
Jesus refer to
here seems to
be more about
the Son than
it is about
me.
Now we
might still
wonder about
those questions
that I posed
earlier.
We might
wonder, well
what if God
hasn't chosen to
give me to
his Son?
Does that mean
that I can't
come to
Jesus?
And again, I'm
not going to
try to answer
that hypothetical
question because
there's mystery
here.
There's biblical
truth that we
see here in the
scriptures, but
where those
truths meet, it's
not easy to
understand.
We've got God's
work and we've
got our
responsibility and
those two
realities and
truths kind of
collide.
And just what
the result is, I
don't know exactly
how they relate to
one another, except
for the clear
anchoring truths that
we have in
scripture.
But one thing
that we can be
certain of is what
Jesus says to
give assurance to
anyone who would
be worried about
being left out.
He says, all
those the
Father gives
me will come
to me.
Nobody who
God gives to
his Son will
tragically
misinterpret the
signs or make
the mistake of
thinking that
Jesus isn't the
one.
The second
assurance we have
is what Jesus
says right after
this.
All those the
Father gives
me will come
to me and
whoever comes
to me, I
will never
drive away.
Exactly how
the Father does
his giving
work behind
the scenes, we
may not know.
But on the
whole, this is
clear.
The invitation to
have Jesus as
the bread for
your life, to
have this gift
of eternal
life, never be
hungry again,
never be thirsty
again.
This invitation is
on the table for
whoever, for the
world, for you.
And Jesus wants
you to know
that.
If you sincerely
come to him and
believe in him, you
will never find
yourself in that
place where Jesus
says, get out.
You don't belong.
Depart from me.
Go away.
In other words, if
you're worried that
you're not chosen, or
that you are somehow
in spiritual danger of
being left behind or
left out, there is a
solution that always
works.
And it's simply this.
Come to Jesus and
believe in him.
And if you sincerely
do that, you will
never come to that
moment where you
find out that you're
rejected because you
weren't originally
intended to be part of
the gift from the
father to the son.
Whoever comes to
me, I will never
drive away.
That's a promise.
That's an anchor for
us.
Let's go on to
verse 38.
Jesus continues on.
He says, for I have
come down from heaven
not to do my will,
but to do the will of
him who sent me.
So the first part that
we just looked at was
all about God giving
people to his son.
Now we're on the son
side of this relationship
again.
And it's all about what
he has come to do for
his father.
God is giving people to
his son.
But now Jesus says, I am
here among you not to do
my will.
Not to do what I want,
but to do the will of
my father.
To do what he wants.
It's this incredible
statement of humble
submission.
And it's hard enough for
us to understand just
what Jesus wills or wants
for himself.
That's maybe sometimes in
conflict with what the
father wants.
We get glimpses of it
here and there.
Probably the most clear
picture we see of it is
in the garden on the
night of Jesus' arrest
where Jesus prays to
his father, take this
cup from me.
Yet not my will, but
yours be done.
And that tension was
probably sprinkled
throughout Jesus' life.
Where submission to the
father's will was not
always easy.
But as in the garden
and in all of these
times, there was always
this heartbeat of love
that we see.
We see it here.
Perfect love for his
father.
He has this unbreakable
resolve and commitment
to love his father by
doing what the father
wills.
By doing what the father
has given him to do or
sent him to do, even to
the point of death.
love.
It's glorious.
It's beautiful.
Where have you seen that
kind of love and loyalty
and commitment in our
world?
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.
So here it is again.
Those of us who come to
Jesus are being spoken of as
those who are given by the
father to the son.
It's the father's work to
give people to his son.
And it's the son's
responsibility or work not
to lose a single one of
those who have been given
to him.
The picture of a shepherd
fits well here.
My father's will is that I do
not lose a single one of the
sheep that he has given to my
care.
The picture of a king also
fits.
God's will is that I do not
lose a single citizen in the
kingdom to the threats of
the enemy.
Jesus talks about being lost,
that I shall lose none of all
those he has given me.
What's the danger?
What's the threat?
Why might we be lost?
I think Jesus gives us the
answer in verse 39 here.
That I shall lose none of all
those he has given me, but
raise them up at the last day.
So the thing that prevents us
from being lost is the action
of Jesus, which raises us up
at the last day.
And so being lost, it seems,
refers to that real danger
that we all face.
Death.
The consequence for our sins
against God.
It is the great enemy that
threatens us all.
How can we be the gift of the
Father to the Son if we are on
death row, awaiting our final
sentence for breaking God's
holy law?
God's will, we see it in here.
This is the will of him who
sent me.
God's will is that we not
perish and be lost.
And so he has given Jesus
important work that must be
done to keep us, to prevent us
from being lost.
Jesus will go on to say this
later in the gospel.
I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep.
First, Jesus must clear our
legal debt with God and secure
our just pardon with his own
death.
And then he will do that great
work of undoing death itself
and raise us up at the last day.
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.
So what do we take from all this?
there's a much greater story going on
here than just a man named Jesus
talking to a crowd.
There's a loving father and his son.
There's a father who wills and a son
who humbly does what his father wills,
even when it's difficult.
There's a giver
and there's a recipient.
And caught up in the middle of all this,
there's a gift that's being prepared
and made
and given.
A gift that's in real danger of being lost
unless the Son who has been sent
carries out the mission that's been given
to him by his Father.
And in the midst of all this
comes this invitation from Jesus
to come to him
and believe in him
to receive eternal life.
And I will raise
those who come to me
and believe in me
up from the grave
at the last day.
So my simple question
to leave us all with this morning
is do you hear that invitation?
Have you accepted
that invitation?
Have you
come to Jesus
and sincerely
believed in him?
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.
Let's pray.
Father in heaven
thank you for sending your Son.
Lord Jesus
thank you for speaking these words.
They are strange to us
and yet they are words of life.
They are words of love.
help us to know you more.
Reveal yourself to us
as we continue to look
and gaze on
the story of your Son
and the things that he said.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.