John 6:22-45 (The Real Manna)

 

Intro: I was up in Sacramento Monday and Tuesday ministering at teaching at Metro Calvary Richard C

A)While I was there I was able to spend some time with Danny Donnelly – worship leader –

 

B) Danny is an amazing Musician – Before saved – tour and do studio work – Kenny Loggins

1) He was a part of the whole LA Jazz Music scene

 

C) He told me this story about being at this Jazz club to hear to amazing – Musicians

 

Before the Concert – guy comes to the Stage – dressed in overalls – t- shirt walks up Mic

You’ve got to change your attitude. 

Paint – Imagine – John Lennon

 

Well that is the same thing that Jesus is saying to this crowd – You need to change your attitude.

A)He wants them to move from being focused on the temporal to being focused on the eternal.

 

B) Move from being so concerned about the material to being concerned about the Spiritual.

 

C) We left off here in Ch. 6 – Feeding 5,000 – dismissed disciples / dismissed crowd

1) MT to Pray – came to the disciples in the storm walking on the water         RD V. 22- 25

So when the people find Jesus on the other side – wondering – how did you get here.

A)Saw the disciples leave – and there were no other boats available ……….

 

B) What is interesting is Jesus doesn’t even address their question.

1) Instead He proceeds to tell them why they came to seek him.

 

26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

 

C)Jesus could read the motives of these people's hearts, and he tells them plainly,

 

"You did not come because you understood the signs that I performed, those signs predicted in the Old Testament to identify the Messiah."

 

D) No basically you came because you were looking for another free meal!

 

E) Which presents an interesting question for all of us. Why are we here?

1) Believe what the Bible says about – sinners

 

2)Believe we need a Savior

 

3) Believe Jesus is who he claimed to be! God in the flesh

 

4) The only vehicle thru which man can be saved?

Note: V.26-40 Jesus is addressing the crowd

A)This will set up his discussion with the religious leaders in v.41-65

 

B)Then the chapter ends with a sifting – his followers are divided into 3 groups

 

C) But Jesus starts with the crowd: - Change your attitude – change your perspective.

1) He Issues this challenge!

 

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 

 

A)In those days a seal was a mark of ownership and authenticity.

 

B)Jesus was saying – Look – I am the real deal –

1) Authentic – Everything else is perishing

 

C) Don’t pursue after – don’t labor for the thing that perishes – but that which endures to everlasting life.

 

Think about all the things you labored for this past week – that is perishing!

A)PAY CHECK – GAS PUMP!

 

B)New Car – Perishing – It loses $1,000 in value the moment you drive it off the lot.

1) Clothes / holes – goodwill

C)How much time has been spent on laboring for the food that perishes – temporal not eternal

 

Now how much time has been spent on laboring or putting yourself in the place to receive the food that endures!

A)Mary and Martha -  Martha – Distracted with much serving!

 

B) Distracted by ministry! – WOW!

1) Talk with Pastors across the country – common theme

 

C) You fill in the blank – Distracted with much

_________ Work, entertainment, relationship

 

D) Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.

 

E) That other stuff – it fades – it perishes – but no one can take away the intimacy developed in Jesus!

1) Make it your goal to feed on that – to work for that –

 

F) Crowd responds: RD V. 28-29

 

I love this: SO simple – what do we need to do? Jesus says – Just believe!  Not climb MT/ Not pray 50 hrs

A)This drives people crazy – it can’t be that easy – they want to do something to earn it.

B)That very insult is an offense to the Grace and Generosity of God.

 

C)Consider – How would you feel – invite someone for dinner – nice spread – break out their check book

1) What do I owe you? – Come on I want to chip in

 

D) Most of us would be offended by that!

 

E) God says you can’t work for it – pay for it – just receive it by believing !

 

Well the crowd is still thinking of the wrong kind of food. –  RD V. 30-33

A)The manna that sustained the people of Israel in the wilderness was an interesting substance

 

B) The name manna means – what is it? –

1) Classic – for 40 yrs they were calling this stuff – what is it.

 

C) Just like the Lord – So much that is a mystery!

1) It was small, round, and white; it tasted like honey; and it came from heaven.

 

D) In reality the manna was a picture of the Bread of Life which was to come. – Prefigured Christ.

1) How so?

 

#1 Small in size.

Its size speaks of humility. So too, Jesus left His throne of glory to live among us (Philippians 2:7).

 

#2 White in color.

Its color speaks of purity. So too, our Lord has no sin, no spot whatsoever (I Peter 1:19).

 

Lamb without spot or blemish

 

#3 Round in Shape.  

Its shape speaks of eternity.

So too, Jesus has no beginning nor end (Revelation 1:8).

 

#4 Sweet in taste.

Its taste speaks of satisfaction So too, Jesus satisfies our deepest longing (Psalm 34:8).

 

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

 

Well when they heard Jesus talk about this other bread – they said – Give us some!

John 6:34

34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

 

Woman at the well – Give me this water – no longer have to come to the well to draw RD V. 35

First of the I am Statements – Jesus is basically saying – I am the one who satisfies – Sustains

A)Hungering for is really me!

 

B)Jesus tells the crowd plainly (in Verse 35) how partake of the bread of life.

1)He uses two simple things everyone understands: hunger and thirst: "He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst."

 

C) That hunger is satisfied and that thirst is quenched – When we come!

1) That is the first step – to come – to approach Him who is the bread of life.

 

D) 2nd step is to partake – that is to believe.

1) If I come to the table – it does me no good unless I partake.

 

E) Someone else can’t eat for me! – I come – starving – here eat this steak for me – feel better.

1) I need to partake – that is what believing is all about.

 

Christ is the manna. He is the One who came down from heaven and gave His life for the world that we might have life.

A)That is What saves us – but He is also the one who SUSTAINS US

 

B) Eat of Him regularly! – Daily bread 

C)He is the Bread that we are to feed upon constantly so that we might grow spiritually.

 

D) Taste and see that the Lord is good! - 

                 RD V.36-40

 

Here Jesus reveals 4 truths about conversion.

[1] Not all who see will come! (36)

A)Those who see him as a significant person , or even a prophet, but still don’t come to a belief in him as Messiah.

 

B)They have an intellectual understanding but fall short of true trust!

[2] All who are chosen will come! (37a)

A)The Spirit leads them, the Father draws them(44), all who are chosen will come!

 

B)This thirty-seventh verse is a very important verse.

 1) There is a theological argument that rages today on election or free will.

 

C) The scriptures present a definite conflict – God Sovereignly elects

1) Yet man is given the responsibility to respond.

 

D) Too be honest I don’t understand it all or where the line for balance is drawn.

 

I will say this though: I do not believe that the Bible teaches that God elected some to be saved

A)And that He elected others to be damned!

 

B) Especially since the Bible tells us that there are more who will be damned than saved

1)Two roads – Broad is the Rd leading to destruction – many on that road.

 

2) Narrow is the road that leads to life. Few that find..

 

C) 2 Peter 3:9-  He desires that none should perish

 

D) He loved the World as a whole – every whom being – For that reason sent Jesus.

 

I also do believe that those who are saved has something to do with God’s Foreknowledge

A)But I can’t explain it.

 

B) Here is what is interesting: Election and free will are both in this verse! Notice it again

1) All that the father gives me will come to me – that states the truth of election.

 

C) Selected by the Father! – They come

 

D) But then it says that the one who comes He will not cast out – in that we see free will –

1) The choice to come!

 

 I don’t know how to reconcile them, but they are both true.

A)The Father gives men to Christ, but men have to come.

 

B)Because Spurgeon preached a “whosoever will” gospel, someone said to him, “If I believed like you do about election, I wouldn’t preach like you do.”

 

C)Spurgeon’s answer was something like this,

“If the Lord had put a yellow stripe down the backs of the elect, I’d go up and down the street lifting up shirttails, finding out who had the yellow stripe, and then I’d give them the gospel. But God didn’t do it that way. He told me to preach the gospel to every creature that ‘whosoever will may come.’”

 

I will say this: God is the initiator V. 44

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

A)God is the initiator – Started by sending Jesus.

 

B) He knocks on the door of hearts – He draws by his spirit

 

C) HS convicts of Sin and need for a savior –

1) We respond in faith.

 

D) When you respond – discover Hey I was chosen

1) God Chooses – Yet man is challenged to repent!

 

So [1] Not all who see will come! (36)

 

     [2] All who are chosen will come! (37a)

 

[3] All who come are welcomed! (37b)

A strong double negation – “I will by no means cast

 

A)“I will never, never cast out!”

 

B) This is such a great truth – The Lord isn’t going to abandon you.

1) Bad week doesn’t give up on you!

 

C) Not going to hear Him say: You are Fired!

1)No matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, nor how many sins you’ve stock-piled!

 

D)There is a giant “Welcome” mat in front of Jesus’ house. Wipe your sins on the mat & come on in!

[4] All who come are safe in Jesus.  (39)

A)Jesus isn’t going to lose you / misplace you/ forget you! 

 

B)John 10 He is the good shepherd and no one can snatch you out of his hand.

1)Jesus believes in the assurance of the believer!

 

C)How reassuring are those wonderful words!

V.41 – The response of the religious leaders – The Jews then complained about Him –

A)The Jews in John’s gospel is always a reference to the religious leaders –

 

B) So at this point the religious leaders in the crowd begin to murmur and complain.

1) Murmuring is their favorite indoor sport

                                                      RDV.41- 44

 

The first mistake they were making was they were Judging Jesus by externals { Too familiar

A)Isn’t this Joseph’s son? The Carpenter – How could he come down from Heaven.

 

B)Think about how weird this must have been to them. – Comes out of no where.

 

C) Today: Howard: I am the voice of God. Skeptical

 

D) The only difference: They were supposed to be expecting Messiah.

1) They completely missed Him – because He didn’t fit their external view – of what they thought Messiah would be

 

E) He grew up there – familiar with Him – they were so familiar they wouldn’t listen to what he said

1) Same thing happens to us.  Family doesn’t listen because Familiar

 

They are struggling with what He is saying here.

45 It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

 

If you guys were really in tune with God – you would believe in me.

 

46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

 

I have seen the Father – He is saying – By now they are blowing a gasket – Who does he think he is.

 

V.47 Doesn’t help matters

 

47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 

 

Note how many times he mentions everlasting life.

V.27/ 40/ 47 / 54/ 68/

A)This chapter is about everlasting life

 

48 I am the bread of life.  49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.

 

Listen folks we are dying – Nothing in this life that sustains the Physical man.

 

Not going to live forever! Not this flesh

A)Listen your fathers ate the miracle man and are dead –

 

B) They died – Physically

 

C) All the stuff today: Live longer

1) Health food – 6weeks longer

 

D) Live longer –

 

Jesus says – hey not true –

 

But He who eats of me will not die.

 

Physical death vs Spiritual death.