Bread of Life, John 6:22-59, 29 July 2012

Big Idea: Jesus wants to be everything to us, our all-consuming Bread of Life.

John 6:22-59

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?”
(John 6:26-28)

We are always seeking to work hard and impress God. It’s not what we do but what He has done.

We don’t have to spend our resources to buy the Bread of life. He comes to us! We just have to receive it...and receiving a gift will almost always prompt a natural response.

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29)

We don’t have to spend our resources to buy the Bread of life. He comes to us! We just have to receive it...and receiving a gift will almost always prompt a natural response.

So they asked him, “What sign then will you give 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 is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:30-33)

They were fed daily for forty years. They want to be fed. Manna gave physical life in the wilderness. God gives spiritual life.

“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.
(John 6:34-35)

The woman at the well wanted water. These people want bread. Jesus is the manna from heaven that gave His life for the world. He is the Bread that we feed on constantly.

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.
(John 6:36-37)

Election or free will? This is a common theological question—does God choose us or do we choose Him? Verse 37 says yes! You can argue election, but if you come, you will be welcome.

All those the Father gives me will come to me (election), and whoever comes to me I will never drive away (free will).

You can argue election, but if you come, you will be welcome.

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
(John 6:38)

He mentions the Christmas story, coming down from heaven.

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.”
(John 6:39-40)

Do you want to know God’s will? The will of God is for you to come to Him. When a person accepts Christ, whom He justifies, He will glorify.

At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
(John 6:41)

He’s teaching His virgin birth.

They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

They don’t understand His true Father.

“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
(John 6:42-44)

The word “draw” here means “drag.” Think about that for a moment.

It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 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.”
(John 6:45-51)

Jesus repeatedly declares Himself to be the bread of life.

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
(John 6:52)

He has a following and uses it as an opportunity to teach.

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 at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. (John 6:53-59)


Jesus is preparing His disciples for the Last Supper, the LORD’s Supper. This is not to be taken literally. He’s not saying they should become vampires and drink HIs blood and eat His flesh. The life of the flesh is in the blood. He will shed His blood and give His life for us.
This is not to sample or taste Jesus, but a full embrace of Him, a total surrender, to die completely and then become fully alive in Him.

Jesus declares Himself to be the Bread of Life. He didn’t mean He’s a bagel or a muffin. His audience understood bread not as a part of a meal but as THE meal. He didn’t say, “I’m the fish of life,” but bread.

The Romans only allowed the people to have 1600 calories/day. Bread was scarce. It was a means of control. The Roman soldiers only ate bread. The attitude of the people was if you can feed us, you can lead us.

What Jesus was really saying is that He wants to be not only the Bread of life, He wants to be our life! He wants to be our food. He will tell us in chapter ten that He gives live—abundant life.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware of the Olympics that started this weekend in London. How many of you like the Olympics?

To prepare for the Olympics, you must be consumed with your sport. It cannot be merely a hobby or even a 9-5 job. It must become your life! For many athletes, that means no TV, no McDonald’s, limited friends and free time.

For Olympic athletes, it’s all about the goal, the medals, the game. Training is everything.

Jesus is saying He wants to be everything. He wants us to be consumed by Him. He doesn’t want to be an afterthought in our lives. He doesn’t want to be a hobby or a last resort when we’re desperate.

He wants you. He wants you to want Him.

We often sample Jesus, but He wants us to experience Him completely.

Taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8).

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