Title: I Am The Bread of Life

Text: John 6:24-35

Introduction:

One of the things I remember about my time in Fort Worth at Southwestern Seminary was the big bakery downtown next to the interstate. It had windows so you could watch the hot loaves of bread come out of the ovens and you could smell the fresh baked bread for blocks around. It was enough to make your mouth water. As a matter of fact my mouth began to water while I was thinking about it. That’s one of the fond memories of Brazil too. We went to a local bakery almost everyday for fresh bread.

Bread of some type is a staple of the diet of almost everyone on earth. It’s nourishing and it’s filling. But as wonderful as fresh baked bread is Jesus offers something even better. This first I Am statement took place around the time of the Passover. We read earlier I the chapter the account of Jesus feeding the 5000. The crowds continued to seek out Jesus but they did so for the wrong reasons they sought Him because they had eaten the bread and were filled and they wanted Him to repeat it for them. We pickup the account:

Jn 6:22-35

22The next day the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You get here?" At this point Jesus has perceived that they come seeking for a sign and he answers in v. 26.

26 . . ., "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal." 28They said therefore to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." 30They said therefore to Him, "What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31"Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.'" 32Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread." 35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. NAS

Jesus used a metaphor that we can easily understand. He spoke of how bread can satisfy, and how it is sufficient and how in a sense in provides salvation to those who are hungry.

I. Jesus offers bread that can satisfy.

Hunger is one of humanities basic drives. It begins with a mild discomfort, but progresses rapidly to become and compelling and sometimes overwhelming need. We see how overwhelming physical hunger is when we read the account of the siege of Samaria 6:24-31 and how because of the famine the people of Israel resorted to cannibalism. More recently, in 1972, this same compelling need was demonstrated by amateur rugby team from Uruguay whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains in 1972 and was documented in the book and movie Alive. What seems unthinkable, unimaginable behavior driven by hunger.

People all over the world today are hungry they are literally starving and I’m sure if you have spent any time in front of the television you have seen the dramatic images of what physical hunger does to the human body. But, hunger refers to more than just a need for physical food. Humans hunger for affection, power, fame, and wealth. Hunger is a craving and desire for anything and when the hunger is great people will do anything to satisfy it.

The greatest hunger in the world is spiritual hunger. Hungry souls looking for anyway to satisfy their greatest longing. Jesus alone satisfies the spiritual hunger of the soul. The multitude talked about manna from heaven but Jesus spoke of food which endures to eternal life (v. 27) They looked for food which satisfies the body. Jesus said “. . .the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." (V. 33) Jesus said"I am the bread of life

Jesus is not superficial solution. There will still be hardships, oppression, opposition, trials and tribulation. In the face of all that is the world, Jesus offers, joy beyond sorrow, hope beyond disappointment, companionship beyond loneliness and life beyond death. “[h]e who comes to Me,” Jesus said, “shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (V. 35) Jesus alone satisfies the greatest hunger of the human soul.

II. Jesus Offers Bread that is sufficient

Not only does He satisfy completely but He is sufficient. The manna that Moses offered in the wilderness was only sufficient for the day it was gathered. (Ex 16:19-20) The Bread of Life from Heaven is eternally sufficient.

Using the metaphor of the High Priest, in refereeing to Jesus sufficiency, The Bible says in Heb 7:26-27:

26For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. NAS

Peter wrote in 1Pe 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God,” NAS

Not only is Christ Jesus sufficient for all time but he is sufficient for all mankind. Like I said last week there is no one out of the scope of God’s amazing grace.

Jesus said in Jn 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. NAS

Paul wrote in Ro 10:13, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." NAS

We have a song in our hymn book Whosoever meaneth Me. Jesus invites every person to come to the Father’s table and partake of the bread of life.

Jesus offers bread that can bring true salvation

Finally Jesus offers the bread that brings true salvation. Physical food provides a kind of salvation. It provides physical nourishment that keeps the body from dying. Without food the body can not survive. It weakens, it withers and it dies. The soul like the body dies without spiritual nourishment. The bread of life found in Jesus brings eternal salvation for the soul.

Jesus said in John 6:51: "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." (NAS)

Why does the world need this life Jesus gives? Mankind was created for a life of fellowship with God. He made us moral beings giving us the freedom to make choices. Adam and Eve chose to follow their own will rather than the will of God. Sin ruptured the fellowship we were created to have with God. Because of their sin all humanity fell under the curse of sin. We became objects of God’s wrath (Rom 5:9) and under the curse and penalty of sin. Paul says we were dead in our trespasses and sin. (Eph 2:2) He goes on to say, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Eph 2:4-5(NAS)

Salvation comes when we Partake of the bread of life that comes from heaven by personal faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection brings salvation from the wrath of God and from the wages of sin

Have you partaken of the bread of heaven? Have you found nourishment for your soul? Have you decided to follow Jesus? “Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35 (NAS)

#305 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus