1 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,760 Good morning everyone. You can go ahead and turn your 2 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:40,400 Bibles to John chapter 6. John chapter 6. 3 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,640 We're continuing our study in the Gospel of John to learn from 4 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,160 Scripture who Jesus is. And last week we saw how Jesus 5 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:50,480 is the judge of all for Easter Sunday. 6 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,280 And today we'll see how Jesus is the bread of life. 7 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,760 As you turn your Bibles to John chapter 6, I want to briefly 8 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,600 test you on what your acronym knowledge. 9 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,319 Do you know what these 4 letters stand for? 10 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:06,720 It's an easy one. AYCE. 11 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:13,480 All right. Yeah, we know it for those who 12 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:15,680 know what they are, and they know it so well. 13 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,560 Love to eat and love to eat a lot. 14 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:25,000 And the thing our family loves, it's a favorite birthday spot 15 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,000 for us to choose. Whenever there's a birthday, all 16 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,160 you can eat. The good, great thing is that 17 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,320 there's so much food, so much varieties, and it's just 18 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:36,040 unending. You can eat your fill. 19 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,040 The bad thing is that you have obviously a limit, whether the 20 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,160 limit to your stomach or the limit to the time, you can't 21 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,400 take it home. And the worst thing about it is 22 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,880 you will be hungry again tomorrow. 23 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,240 No matter how much you ate in that hour and a half time limit 24 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,400 you have. You stuffed yourself full. 25 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,200 You will surely be hungry again tomorrow. 26 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,840 And that's how, if you ever thought about that, that's how 27 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,400 we were created by God. We were created by God with a 28 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,080 hunger, with this physical hunger, and to experience 29 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,480 physical satisfaction as well as physical strength and physical 30 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,560 life when we eat. Have you ever imagined God could 31 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,640 have made us like walking trees where we could do our own 32 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:27,160 photosynthesis, grab, take the energy from the sun and turn it 33 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,800 into sugar that we can use. But He created us with this 34 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:35,040 physical hunger. Also that we could understand 35 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:40,560 Jesus and what He taught as He taught the crowds that He is the 36 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:45,760 bread of life, eternal life. Or you can eat. 37 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:51,760 Buffets remind us that we can be full on this earth, quite full 38 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:57,480 to be exact, but never satisfied, for that fullness 39 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,160 will shortly pass. And this is true as long as we 40 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,280 seek satisfaction for our souls from anything that's on this 41 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,760 earth, anything temporary that we seek to be fully satisfied, 42 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,120 we will be found wanting and sorely disappointed. 43 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,200 Whether it's seeking to be satisfied in that new job or 44 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:24,960 that next vacation or that particular relationship, as we 45 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,760 seek temporary things to satisfy our souls, we will not be 46 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,640 satisfied. Jesus today talks about this in 47 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:35,520 John chapter 6, and it's what it's about. 48 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:41,800 He reveals to us our hunger and true bread that can eternally 49 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,840 satisfy our souls and our desires. 50 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,560 And so consider that as we look through this fairly long passage 51 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,080 today, we'll be looking at this in three parts. 52 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,080 And if you're taking notes, these are the three points of 53 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,280 the sermon that follow the passage. 54 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,960 We'll see first how Jesus performed 2 more signs, then how 55 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,160 the people were still not satisfied. 56 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,480 Yet to Jesus, their unbelief was no surprise. 57 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,160 The Gospel of John is commonly called the Book of Signs. 58 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,399 He records 7 specific signs out of the many that Jesus 59 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:19,440 performed. We have looked at three of them 60 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:25,720 thus far, Turning the water into wine in chapter 2, healing the 61 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,080 nobleman's dying son who was in the next town over in John 62 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,640 chapter 4, as well as the paralytic man who was an invalid 63 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,840 for 48 years. These signs were meant to show 64 00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:38,520 something beyond this miracle, which is why John calls them 65 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,720 signs. And today we'll look at two more 66 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:45,920 signs to see what we must learn from them and how they point to 67 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,880 Jesus. So first Jesus performed 2 more 68 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,520 signs. I'll be reading the passage 69 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:58,040 throughout the the sermon, so please follow along with me from 70 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,960 verse one. We'll look to verse 4. 71 00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:02,760 After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of 72 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,840 Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a large crowd was 73 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,240 following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on 74 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,880 the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain 75 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,960 and there he sat down with his disciples. 76 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,080 Now the Passover, the Feast of the Jews, was at hand. 77 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,720 So sometime has has passed and during that time Jesus continued 78 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,880 to heal the sick. He had therefore because of 79 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,960 that, as a result, a growing reputation and a growing group 80 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,240 of followers, wherever Jesus went, there was a crowd 81 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,920 following him, even if it was up to the hilly countryside where 82 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,120 there was no food. So this leads us to the problem 83 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,440 at hand, the similar problem you all have after Sunday service 84 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,960 ends, where are we going to eat for them, For us, it's the 85 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,520 problem of having too many options for them. 86 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,040 They had no options at all for they were in the wilderness. 87 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,320 So lifting up verse. So what does Jesus do? 88 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,880 Verse five Lifting up his eyes then and seeing that a large 89 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,560 crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, where are 90 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,680 we to buy bread so that these people may eat? 91 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,360 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 92 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:11,440 Philip answered him, 200 dinarai worth of bread would not be 93 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,560 enough for each of them to get a little. 94 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,880 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to 95 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,200 him, there's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, 96 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:26,000 but what are they for so many? Jesus here is testing his 97 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,400 disciples. Perhaps Jesus asked Philip 98 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,640 specifically because he would be familiar with that region. 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,600 They were near Philip's hometown. 100 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,040 So a test for Philip to consider all that he has seen about 101 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,160 Jesus, all that he has heard from Jesus teaching, all that he 102 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,160 believes about Jesus to be applied to a real life problem. 103 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:51,080 As one of the 12, Philip has gotten a front row seat to Jesus 104 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,400 and so he should know to rely on Jesus for help to provide. 105 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,200 Well, Philip responds, he doesn't even answer Jesus 106 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,120 question. All he needed to say was Jesus, 107 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,560 there's nothing here we need you to provide for us. 108 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,120 But instead Philip starts doing calculations as some of us would 109 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,800 when there's a problem, starts doing calculations. 110 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,240 And so Philip clearly did not pass the test. 111 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,320 He basically tells Jesus it's impossible to feed everyone 112 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,920 there. Even if I work for eight months, 113 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,800 everybody would get just a little bite. 114 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,320 Now Andrew, probably because he was from the same hometown as 115 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,920 Phillip, might have felt the need to contribute to this 116 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:37,040 problem solving situ scenario. So he maybe he started looking 117 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,080 around for someone who had brought food. 118 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,600 And there was a boy who had five barley loaves which were 119 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,400 probably and two fish, which was probably more a child portion of 120 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,440 bread and fish. So more like 5 small biscuits 121 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,560 and two pieces of fish. Still it was a hopelessly big 122 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,200 problem with very little resources. 123 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,680 So what does Jesus do? Look at verses 10 to 13. 124 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,320 Jesus said have the people sit down. 125 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,560 Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down about 126 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,680 5000 in number. Jesus then took the loaves and 127 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,000 when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who 128 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,360 were seated. So also the fish as much as they 129 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,360 wanted, and when they had eaten their fill, he told his 130 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,040 disciples, gather the leftover fragments that nothing may be 131 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:24,920 lost. So they gathered them up and 132 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,040 filled 12 baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left 133 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:33,159 by those who had eaten. So here was a another miracle of 134 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:36,919 Jesus that nobody else could do. We don't know exactly how the 135 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,919 food was multiplied, but Jesus gave thanks and he just began to 136 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:44,320 distribute bread and fish to the crowd of 5000. 137 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,920 Maybe even more if we're not counting just the men. 138 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,520 Philip's suggestion would have given everyone a small bite. 139 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,920 That was his best answer. Would have taken maybe 8 months 140 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:01,200 to a year. But here Jesus immediately were 141 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,720 able to feed this crowd until they were satisfied. 142 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:11,320 It was a bread and fish, all you can eat in the wilderness and 143 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,480 somehow there were 12 baskets full of leftovers. 144 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,440 Jesus specifically told the 12 to go save the leftovers. 145 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:22,480 My wife needs to look at this passage carefully. 146 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,960 This is why we don't throw out leftovers in our home. 147 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:31,320 They had more leftovers than what they started off with. 12 148 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,120 baskets full of food after everyone ate to their full. 149 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,720 That was the miracle. Now as a sign, what is it 150 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,440 pointing to? What is the meaning of this sign 151 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,360 and did the people get it? Sadly, no. 152 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,400 See how the people respond in verse 14. 153 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,840 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said this 154 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,880 is indeed the prophet who has come into the world. 155 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,960 Remember back in verse four it was near the Passover feast. 156 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,720 Passover was the Jewish celebration where Israel 157 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,520 remembered how God saved them from Egypt. 158 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,320 God raised up a mighty prophet, Moses, to lead them out. 159 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,520 He he performed the the plagues on Egypt, the 10 plagues and he 160 00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:27,200 led them through, let them through the Red Sea on dry land 161 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:33,120 and LED them in the wilderness where God provided Israel bread 162 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,960 from heaven. And while they were remembering 163 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,560 how God saved them from Egypt, here Jesus was proving by 164 00:10:40,560 --> 00:10:43,000 experience that he could do the same. 165 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,680 After the people experienced the miracle feast, they saw 166 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,560 something in Jesus. Now they saw Jesus as fulfilling 167 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:57,160 the prediction, the the the prophecy that a prophet like 168 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:00,920 Moses would come. He was promised back in 169 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,680 Deuteronomy chapter 18. And while it is true that Jesus 170 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:07,640 fulfilled the role of a prophet, he came delivering messages from 171 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,120 God, teaching people. He lived in the pattern of the 172 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,040 prophets performing various miracles to authenticate the 173 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,520 messages from God. But Jesus is much more than a 174 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:23,080 prophet. He is much more than a miracle 175 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,600 worker who provides miraculously for people. 176 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,160 And we get the sense that the people are really hyped up here 177 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,760 about Jesus, but in all the wrong ways. 178 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,320 You see that in verse 15. Perceiving then that they were 179 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:42,360 about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus 180 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,240 withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 181 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:51,880 They wanted a prophet like Moses, but also a king like King 182 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:56,120 David who fought their battles victoriously against their 183 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:00,000 enemies. So they wanted and come to, they 184 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,600 wanted to take him, Jesus by force, make him king, meaning 185 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:07,360 they wanted another political hero, someone, someone of a 186 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:11,080 revolutionary who could free them from the Roman rule and 187 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,840 authorities that were over them during this time. 188 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,520 But that's clearly not what Jesus came to do, because 189 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,680 Jesus's Kingdom, as he would say later, as he drew near to his 190 00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:25,120 death, he would say his Kingdom is not of this world. 191 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:30,040 He would not establish a Kingdom by overpowering other nations 192 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:33,520 with swords and Spears, but rather Jesus would humble 193 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,920 himself, receive a spear to his side, nails to his hands, thorns 194 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,000 upon his brow as he hung on the cross. 195 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,160 That's how he was going to usher in his Kingdom. 196 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,400 Jesus was not concerned with political situations, but rather 197 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,200 the conditions, the spiritual condition of people's hearts. 198 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,760 This makes him a far better king for us rather than the kind of 199 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,160 king these people here wanted him to be. 200 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,760 But because they did not submit to Jesus as he revealed himself, 201 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,640 as he was revealing himself. We know throughout that as we've 202 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,960 been going through this series, who Jesus is. 203 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,840 The people there heard and witnessed that for themselves. 204 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:25,240 But they we did not submit to who Jesus was, his identity that 205 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,760 he proclaimed, and so they missed out on knowing who Jesus 206 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,040 really is. It's tempting to make such a 207 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,880 mistake even today, when we insist Jesus to be the kind of 208 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:40,080 king that we want him to be. When we insist that Jesus should 209 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,640 be doing the things we want him to do for us. 210 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:48,040 But if we don't learn to see Jesus as who He says He is from 211 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,320 His Word, no matter how much we save, we follow Jesus, no matter 212 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,880 how much we consider ourselves to be Christian, we have it on 213 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:58,840 our name card, we will still completely miss out on who Jesus 214 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,400 is and therefore on what Jesus offers to us. 215 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,520 Therefore, Jesus here does not allow the crowds to define his 216 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,360 identity or his work or his purpose. 217 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,160 Jesus will reveal himself on his own terms. 218 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:20,080 We see that in verses 16 to 19. When evening came, His disciples 219 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,320 went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea 220 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,160 to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had 221 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,000 not yet come to them. The sea became rough because the 222 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:33,240 strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about 3 or 4 223 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,160 miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the 224 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:40,320 boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, It is I do 225 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:43,360 not be afraid. Then they were glad to take him 226 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,480 into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land to 227 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,520 which they were going. So imagine this picture of the 228 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,760 situation here. You know these men who became 229 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,720 Jesus 12 his closest disciples. They were fishermen in their 230 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,200 previous life. They were in their neighborhood 231 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,800 waters. They knew the, the, the, the 232 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,560 geography, the the waters. But it was dark and they were 233 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,920 struggling. Storm and strong winds were 234 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,600 blowing against them. And then suddenly they see Jesus 235 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,720 coming near to them, walking on the water. 236 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,800 Let's not try to make this any more easy to believe. 237 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,640 They were not on the edge of shore, Jesus on a shallow part 238 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,080 of the of the sea where he was actually walking on the sand. 239 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,480 But it looked like he was walking order. 240 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,920 No, there were somewhere in the middle, rowing miles into the 241 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,400 Red Sea, trying to cross. Could not. 242 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,960 And they see Jesus walking toward them like it's a stroll 243 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:49,720 in the park. So they're, they're afraid their 244 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:53,000 their fears, not because of the, the wind or the OR the storm, 245 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,840 but because of seeing something they they have never seen 246 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,280 before. A man walking on water, The 247 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:06,160 unknown when it is coming toward you, fills people with fear. 248 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,400 But Jesus calls out to them, do not be afraid. 249 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,240 He relieves their fears by getting into the boat with him, 250 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,920 and it says they were glad to take him into the boat. 251 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,400 Reminds me of that children's song that goes with Jesus in the 252 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,000 boat. We can smile in the storm. 253 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,680 That's what these disciples are surely doing. 254 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,720 And so what's the point of these signs as Jesus reveals himself 255 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:39,080 on his own terms? These signs show that Jesus is 256 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,800 God. These signs show that Jesus is 257 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,680 God. These so-called laws of nature 258 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:52,600 that bind everyone else. Here those laws actually bend to 259 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,280 the Creator who created all things. 260 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,360 Atoms and molecules and physics function the same way for 261 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,560 everyone else, but somehow they give way to Jesus. 262 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,160 Jesus multiplied fish and bread without ingredients, without a 263 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:13,040 factory production line. Jesus walked on water like we 264 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,960 walked into this room. There is no one like Jesus. 265 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,680 The conclusion must be that Jesus is God, for that's what 266 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,319 the signs point to. But though Jesus is infinitely 267 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:32,080 greater than us, Jesus chooses to be intimately with us. 268 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:40,480 He chose to sit down with the people to feed them. 269 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:46,520 He chose to get into the boat with his disciples to be with 270 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,480 them, to calm and relieve their fears. 271 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:56,040 Jesus enters in and he is with us in the storms of life, 272 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,560 whether they're storms of personal conflicts, financial 273 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:10,160 struggles, physical illness, loss, morning weeping friends, 274 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,240 as you face your storms, remember Jesus words. 275 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:20,760 It is I do not be afraid. And we know He is with us so 276 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,800 intimately ultimately because he suffered greatly and he suffered 277 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,120 so for us. It was not for his own sins he 278 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:33,720 suffered because he never sinned, but because of our sins. 279 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:40,400 He chose to suffer as he as he came to us fully God, fully man. 280 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:45,960 He chose to experience the worst of of the human experience, 281 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:51,680 betrayal, pain, humiliation, suffering. 282 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,120 And compared to many of our lives today, he's suffered more. 283 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,280 He's tasted suffering more than we have ever tasted in our 284 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:09,000 entire lives. He died for our sins so that we 285 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,840 could be in a restored relationship with God, restored 286 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:14,800 to that intimacy with our Heavenly Father. 287 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,720 Because He is fully God and fully man, Jesus is able to 288 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,280 empathize with our weaknesses. Hebrews, as it says in Hebrews 289 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:30,840 4, He who is infinitely greater than us is intimately with us. 290 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,040 This is what we are to understand of God as He reveals 291 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,480 Himself. These were the meaning of the 292 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,440 two signs He just performed to show people who He is. 293 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:45,680 But we see next that the people were still not satisfied. 294 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,480 Read verses 22 to 25. On the next day the crowd that 295 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,240 remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been 296 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,040 only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat 297 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,960 with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 298 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,040 Other boats from Tiberius came near the place where they had 299 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,240 eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 300 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,000 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his 301 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,880 disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to 302 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,960 Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other 303 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:16,560 side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you come 304 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,320 here? We see this crowd trying really 305 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,920 hard to figure out where Jesus was, but not as much effort in 306 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,960 figuring out who Jesus was. They were following him first to 307 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:30,960 the east side, back to the West side of the sea. 308 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,480 Finally they started to go to Capernaum because that's where 309 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,480 Jesus stayed during his time of ministry. 310 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:40,280 They found him and they just wanted to know when they got he 311 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,080 got there. Well, Jesus doesn't answer that 312 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:44,720 question because it's of no importance. 313 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:48,680 Rather, he cuts to the real urgent matter at hand, to the 314 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,680 real reason why they're looking for Jesus. 315 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,680 Jesus says in verse 26. Jesus answered them truly, 316 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,960 truly. I say to you, you are seeking me 317 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:00,960 not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the 318 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,720 loaves. This was what's going on in 319 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,160 their hearts. The crowds missed the point of 320 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,160 the signs. They did not see what the signs 321 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,640 signified. They had their bellies full from 322 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,800 yesterday's lunch and all they wanted now was breakfast. 323 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:22,080 They did see Jesus as a Son of God, but they did see, they see 324 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,720 him. They saw him come in the flesh, 325 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,560 but he was more of like a celebrity chef who gave out free 326 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,640 meals. So Jesus challenged them, not 327 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,280 with a test of action like he did with Philip, but with a 328 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,280 listening test because he would tell them very clearly what they 329 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:41,000 needed. Verse 27 Do not work for the 330 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,000 food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal 331 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,760 life, which the Son of Man will give to you. 332 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,280 For on him the Father, God the Father, has set his zeal. 333 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,400 The best meal that you have ever had may have been feeling 334 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,200 delicious, satisfying, but it was only for a moment. 335 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,280 It perishes, it does not last. You get hungry again. 336 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,840 So they should not keep working for what is at best temporary. 337 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:12,440 The challenge remains for us as well. 338 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,840 Are you working for the food that perishes? 339 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,000 Are you working for food that perishes? 340 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,880 What do you give your best hours to your best efforts? 341 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:28,640 Is it for that salary that you chase after? 342 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,280 Is it a luxurious, comfortable life? 343 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,280 Is it that relationship just a nice marriage, nice spouse, 344 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,600 maybe some nice kids with a nice house? 345 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:42,400 Those are not bad things in and of themselves, but they could be 346 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,440 if your heart is set on working for food that perishes. 347 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,360 What will happen one day when you lose that job or your 348 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:55,520 ability to work? When you get sick or your spouse 349 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,480 passes away, will you continue to follow Jesus? 350 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:04,000 Or were you following Him like these crowds were following Him 351 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,120 just for the things you could get from Him? 352 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,120 We should check our hearts now. Are you working for food that 353 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:15,480 perishes? Because if you are, you will 354 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,520 never be satisfied. Or instead rather, are you 355 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,000 working for the food that endures to eternal life? 356 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,720 Well, these crowds don't seem to be getting it. 357 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,200 See verse 28. Then they said to him, What must 358 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,800 we do to be doing the works of God? 359 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,680 Jesus answered them, This is the work of God that you believe in 360 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,880 Him whom He has sent, rather than having faith in Jesus to 361 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,080 receive the eternal food of eternal life that Jesus is 362 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,040 willing to give. As he said clearly here, if they 363 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:55,720 were listening carefully, all their attention is in their own 364 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,040 abilities to achieve the works of God. 365 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:00,920 Do you see that? Do you catch that in their 366 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,360 question? What must we do to be doing the 367 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:06,680 works of God as if you could be doing the works of God? 368 00:24:17,130 --> 00:24:22,410 This is a hindrance for people. It comes as a common temptation 369 00:24:22,410 --> 00:24:27,250 for Christians as well to rely on our own strength for our own 370 00:24:27,290 --> 00:24:30,290 salvation. Like them, we overlook how the 371 00:24:30,290 --> 00:24:35,000 Son of Man gives by grace when we believe by faith, because no 372 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,840 matter how hard we try or how great our achievements we 373 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,800 consider them to be, eternal life is a gift of grace, not a 374 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:47,600 payment for our efforts after giving such an invitation to 375 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,840 come freely, eat of, and receive eternal things without paying a 376 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,520 price. See how they responded in verses 377 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:59,480 30 to 34. So they said to him, then what 378 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,600 sign do you do that we may see and believe you? 379 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,880 What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the 380 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,880 wilderness as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven 381 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,280 to eat. Jesus then said to them, truly, 382 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,160 truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread 383 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,960 from heaven, but it my Father gives you the true bread from 384 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:24,160 heaven. What a tragedy in verse 30. 385 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:29,640 The sign that they had just seen the day before was not good 386 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,640 enough. It was not good enough for them 387 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:37,840 to believe in Jesus. And to such people who come with 388 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,880 such demands, nothing is actually going to be good 389 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,840 enough. We read earlier in our service 390 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,560 from Psalm 78, it's it's from a, it's recalling a time hundreds 391 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,480 of years earlier when Israel, when, when God provided Israel 392 00:25:53,560 --> 00:26:01,000 daily the provision of bread from heaven, they called it mana 393 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,000 and they expected the prophet like Moses to come and do the 394 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,160 same sign again. So in other words, they were 395 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:10,520 saying, yes, Jesus, you might have fed us yesterday, but do 396 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,760 you remember what happened in Israel, in the wilderness? 397 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,360 They were fed every day for 40 years. 398 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:24,120 So now feed us again today, feed us again tomorrow and for the 399 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:27,960 days to come. Then we will believe in you. 400 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,240 They're stuck on physical bread, missing the spiritual lesson 401 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,880 that Jesus gives from physical realities. 402 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,640 Just like when Jesus told Nicodemus to be he needed to be 403 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,040 born again. Just like when Jesus offered 404 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:46,800 living water to the Samaritan woman, they're stuck on the 405 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:53,080 physical object, bread. So Jesus corrects them here. 406 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,960 Yes, Moses indeed was a great prophet from the Lord, but it 407 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,120 was not him who gave the bread. God gave it to them. 408 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,560 Just like how God provided them for them yesterday, 409 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,640 miraculously. Hint, hint. 410 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:13,560 They were to make the connection, but still nothing. 411 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,080 See the myths in verses 33 and 34. 412 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:22,080 Jesus said for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven 413 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:27,040 and gives life to the world. The bread of life is he who 414 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:37,830 comes out from heaven and and deeper than our need for 415 00:27:37,830 --> 00:27:40,830 physical food and water. But like them, we can be so 416 00:27:40,830 --> 00:27:43,590 easily distracted by our physical needs that we can 417 00:27:43,590 --> 00:27:47,110 ignore, reject, even forget our spiritual need. 418 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:53,600 Our spiritual need to know God, to be in a relationship with 419 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,240 Him, and to be saved from our sins because our sins is what's 420 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,400 hindering us. It created this chasm that we 421 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:09,760 cannot cross to be with God. That's the reason why because we 422 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,920 could never reach up to heaven and attain heaven on our own 423 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:19,440 terms, Jesus had to come down from heaven to us because we 424 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:23,560 need to be saved from our sins. Sin is our rebellion against 425 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,960 God. It is our rejection of God. 426 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:31,080 Sin is how we somehow think that we have enough bargaining power 427 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:36,280 with God that if I do this for God, must be good enough for God 428 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:41,440 to do that for me. That is no intimate 429 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,600 relationship. It is a business transaction. 430 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,560 It is arrogance. It is a proud attitude before a 431 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:55,000 God that that only makes our sinful condition worse. 432 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:59,920 Thinking that somehow we can save ourselves, earning our way 433 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:06,040 because blinded by our sins, we think we need Our Daily Bread 434 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,120 more than we need God to forgive us. 435 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:16,040 We are more aware, more deeply aware of our physical, tangible 436 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:21,280 needs of food, water, clothing, shelter, relationships with 437 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:26,880 people, job, livelihood. We're aware of these things more 438 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:32,800 than our need for God and for the forgiveness of our sins. 439 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,840 But our eternal desire, it cannot be satisfied with 440 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,000 physical things like money, fame, or pleasure. 441 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,520 We need Jesus, who is the bread of God, who has come down from 442 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:50,200 heaven to give life to the world. 443 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,960 And without Jesus we will never be satisfied. 444 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:04,720 Jesus now makes his spiritual truth even more clear, even 445 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,800 clearer. To help them understand, he 446 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,640 says, starting verse 35, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of 447 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,080 life. Whoever comes to me shall not 448 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,720 hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 449 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,120 If you're not a Christian and you're with us here today, we're 450 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,520 glad that you're here. We want you to make sure you 451 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,840 look at verse 35 carefully and understand what it means to 452 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,880 follow Jesus, what it looks like to become a Christian. 453 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:40,000 It means that you are leaving behind dry, crusty old bread 454 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:44,280 crumbs from old bread of your old life, and you come to the 455 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,120 glorious banquets, all satisfying, fulfilling banquet 456 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:55,520 of Jesus Christ in new eternal life, because Jesus satisfies 457 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,280 alone. He alone satisfies our souls 458 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,360 hunger. I hope you see that it's clear. 459 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,480 Whoever comes is whoever believes. 460 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,680 This is what faith in Jesus looks like. 461 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:12,240 It's not just a simple yes to when someone asks you if you're 462 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,520 a Christian. It's much more than that. 463 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:20,840 It involves directing your mind, your thoughts, your heart, your 464 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,760 desires. Directing them to Jesus, Saying 465 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,600 to Jesus you ultimately need him more than anything else in this 466 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,120 world. Believing that Jesus alone 467 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:39,040 satisfies you more in real ways, in eternal ways that nothing 468 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,920 else can. It means that we don't go 469 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,120 looking for other sources to satisfy our souls because we 470 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,720 believe there is nothing else and no one else that can satisfy 471 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:53,120 us like the bread of life does. If you're not a Christian, we 472 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:58,920 pray that you will consider what you have now in your old life, 473 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:03,440 in your current life, in this way, in the old way of life, and 474 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:07,320 and consider what Jesus offers to you to see that it is far 475 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,920 better than anything else in the world where you don't have to 476 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,760 work for this bread because Jesus has done that work for you 477 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,000 on the cross by dying for your sins. 478 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,960 He simply invites you to come and feast. 479 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,160 What have you been working for? If it's not for knowing and 480 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:33,240 loving Jesus, it will not work out well for you in the end. 481 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,080 May today be the day of salvation as you come to Jesus 482 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:38,880 and believe and be satisfied in him. 483 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,280 We see also that salvation is a work of God. 484 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:50,120 It's a work of God's grace. But those at whose that's being 485 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,600 offered to them. But those who are still not 486 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:57,640 satisfied still did not believe. Yet to Jesus their unbelief was 487 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:02,560 no surprise. Let's see more what that means. 488 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,640 In verses 36 to 40, Jesus responds. 489 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,840 But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet do not believe. 490 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,360 All that the Father gives me will come to me. 491 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,240 And whoever comes to me will never, I will never cast out, 492 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,960 for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, 493 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,880 but the will of him who sent me. Jesus here describes his mission 494 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,720 to save those who he whom he came to save. 495 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,960 So if the crowd saw Jesus and his miraculous lines but did not 496 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:38,560 come to faith, doesn't that mean his mission is in some way a 497 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,160 failure? And some people might ask that 498 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:45,400 if that was his mission, is in his mission some way, Didn't he 499 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:47,520 fail in this because people did not believe? 500 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,480 And was Jesus discouraged by their unbelief? 501 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:58,760 The answer is clear in 37. However, many people do not 502 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:03,720 believe God's saving purposes cannot be frustrated. 503 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:09,440 Jesus's confidence here is is not resting in the positive 504 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:14,360 response of people, but his confidence is in the Father who 505 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,480 will bring, who will accomplish, who will bring to pass 506 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:19,400 everything that the Father wills. 507 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,400 We see in verse 37, as we see this clearly in verse 37, all 508 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:31,320 that the Father gives me will come to me. 509 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,000 It's the language of predestination. 510 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:38,560 According to this verse, we see that there are those whom the 511 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,480 Father has given to the Son for salvation. 512 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,040 This is the doctrine of election. 513 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:50,280 Simply that God is the one who ultimately determines who will 514 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:54,280 be saved in Jesus Christ. It is God who ultimately 515 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,800 determines that He has decided it from eternity past before the 516 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,920 foundations of the world were set. 517 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,560 And so to be saved means God must choose you. 518 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:12,000 God must call you for you to come and to believe. 519 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:19,720 God is the one who chooses that. See that in verse 37 connecting 520 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:25,240 that to verse 35 for us to come and believe the spiritual 521 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:28,680 reality here that we see and from Jesus teaching and from 522 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,440 Scripture is that God is the captain of our souls. 523 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:36,720 God decides our salvation and this doctrine of election is in 524 00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:40,920 no way meant to discourage us in our faith because as we come to 525 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,920 Jesus, we share in his confidence in the Father. 526 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:49,080 It is meant for encouragement. Jesus here is assuring those who 527 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:52,520 come to him with the warmest a welcome. 528 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:58,440 Whoever God has chosen, he or she will come to Jesus and Jesus 529 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:02,440 will never cast them out. Even if you are a great Sinner, 530 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,840 even if you are a heart haunted Sinner, even if you have a 531 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:09,560 terrible past, and even if you bring nothing good with you. 532 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:15,480 Jesus says, whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. 533 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,800 To add to that more encouragement in verse 39. 534 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,040 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose 535 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,120 nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last 536 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,000 day. For this is the will of my 537 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,240 Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him 538 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,920 should have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the 539 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:39,360 last day. Jesus will not lose. 540 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:42,600 This adds to our encouragement. He will not lose what the Father 541 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:49,000 has given him to save the souls that he has saved, purchasing 542 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,080 them by paying off our debt of sin. 543 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,560 He will not lose them, not a single one. 544 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,640 And as he emphasizes that, he will repeat that he will raise 545 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,520 that person up, that soul up on the last day. 546 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,920 It's meaning means that we can, those who are in Christ, those 547 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:16,200 who he chooses to God has chosen to save, that we will stand on 548 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:20,920 that day of judgement, not by our own merit, for which we will 549 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,520 be punished for an eternity in hell, but we will stand in 550 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:28,320 judgement wearing the righteousness of Christ that we 551 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:33,960 put on by faith. This is the will of the Father. 552 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:41,600 Is there anything more certain, more sure, more unshakable than 553 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,000 the will of God who rules and reigns over all? 554 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,840 That is how sure we can be of our salvation. 555 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,520 So come as you are, with your guilt, with all of your shame, 556 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:04,800 with all of your sin, with all of your past, you come as He has 557 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:09,600 called you, and as you come, He will never cast you out. 558 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,920 There is no sin. He will not forgive if you come 559 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,080 to Him. Children, I want to make this 560 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,280 exceptionally clear for the teens here. 561 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:25,400 You must come to Jesus, not just come to church services. 562 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:30,640 You must come to Jesus. You cannot borrow or claim the 563 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,400 faith of your parents. You must come to Jesus. 564 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:42,880 As you hear His word respond, respond with trust and 565 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:44,960 dependence upon Jesus your Savior. 566 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:50,600 So here was Jesus teaching them, explaining the mysteries of God 567 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,880 to them after demonstrating the power of God before them. 568 00:38:54,760 --> 00:39:00,640 How about their response now? Unbelief verses 41 to 42. 569 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:04,080 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, I am the bread 570 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:08,400 that came down from heaven. And they said, is not this Jesus 571 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,200 the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? 572 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,960 How does he now say, I have come down from heaven? 573 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:20,360 Now we can't blame them, can we? If a man in your neighborhood 574 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:26,680 that you knew growing up began to declare himself as God, we 575 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,680 might all be soon calling the police on this man. 576 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:35,800 Jesus in their eyes was too human for them to believe that 577 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:39,840 he came from heaven. This corrects any wrong teaching 578 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:41,720 that Jesus would just came as a spirit. 579 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,680 He was just like a image or a phantom. 580 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:48,600 No, he was so human that people couldn't get over that fact. 581 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,080 And this still is a reason why people choose not to believe 582 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,960 today, because they think Jesus was just another nice person, 583 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:04,400 just another good teacher, just another social worker, like any 584 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,840 other nice, good, kind person we know. 585 00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:10,840 But we must come to grips what Jesus is actually saying that he 586 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:15,440 is totally human. He has he he is like us, but he 587 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,920 has come from heaven means meaning he's also totally God. 588 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,200 They thought Jesus had normal human parents like the rest of 589 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:25,560 us. They just didn't know and 590 00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:29,960 understand that his father was God the Father in heaven. 591 00:40:36,050 --> 00:40:39,090 And so he continues in these passages, if you're counting 592 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:43,480 seven times, how he says he has come down from heaven, He is the 593 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:46,440 bread of life, of eternal life that has come down from heaven. 594 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,280 He has come down from heaven over and over again. 595 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,360 Verse 43, Jesus, answer them, do not grumble among yourselves, 596 00:40:58,680 --> 00:40:59,760 because that's all that they were doing. 597 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:04,840 Verse 44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me 598 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,880 draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 599 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:15,400 So Jesus, humanity was not the only reason for unbelief for 600 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,200 these people. Another reason we see here is 601 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:22,640 their depravity. It's in verse 44 and we can 602 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:25,360 compare it to verse 37. That same. 603 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:30,400 It's from there as we compare it to verse 37, the same truth in 604 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,640 verse 44, but in verse 37, in verse 37, it's stated 605 00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:36,200 positively, right? All that the Father gives me 606 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:38,560 will come to me. But in verse 44 it stated 607 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:43,000 negatively, no one can come to me unless the Father draws him. 608 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,600 No one is able to. No one has the ability to 609 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:50,320 because in our natural condition, our starting point is 610 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:56,200 not that we have a little desire for God and that we just need a 611 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,600 little bit more of a spiritual help, a little bit of a boost 612 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:05,720 from God, a little bit of a recalibration, a few degrees to 613 00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:08,240 get us on the right path to God and to our salvation. 614 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:09,800 But that's not what Jesus teaches. 615 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:15,680 He highlights that we are unable to come to God entirely. 616 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:23,560 Catechisms of all that highlight this that we by nature are prone 617 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:28,360 to hate God and neighbor and that we cannot make payment for 618 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:33,000 our sins by ourselves. And so instead we increase our 619 00:42:33,240 --> 00:42:37,400 we daily increase our debt that we have with God. 620 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:44,080 So here are the spiritual truths that we ourselves, we are held 621 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:48,000 responsible by God to come to Jesus and believe in him. 622 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,960 We are the ones at fault if we don't do that because we are the 623 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:55,880 ones in sin, we are the ones in need, we are the ones that are 624 00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:57,880 blind, and we are the ones that are spiritually dead. 625 00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:03,840 Yet we also acknowledge that we cannot come to the Father unless 626 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,320 we cannot come to Jesus unless the Father draws us to Him. 627 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:12,280 And so, in order to believe the doctrine of election, we must 628 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:18,280 absolutely be humble and honest in our ability to come to God 629 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:23,000 and to believe in Him. Left to ourselves in our own own 630 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,400 efforts, we would never be able to do this. 631 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:29,360 We ought to confess that even the greatest efforts of 632 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:33,160 godliness are still like filthy rags before our holy God. 633 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:38,160 No matter how much we want to get some of the credit for our 634 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:40,600 salvation, we cannot. We must not. 635 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:48,960 And rather, as we look at verse at these verses 3744 that that 636 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:52,280 speak to us the the the the mysteries of God and our 637 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:55,560 salvation. We must be moved to worship that 638 00:43:55,560 --> 00:44:02,120 those who were saved were chosen for no reason in ourselves, but 639 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:05,480 purely by the grace and mercy and love of God. 640 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:09,160 We sang this in our in the in the song today. 641 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:13,280 Were you to count my sinful ways, how could I come before 642 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,200 your throne? Yet full forgiveness meets my 643 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:20,520 gaze. I stand redeemed by grace alone. 644 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:25,600 It is by grace alone we have been saved because God drew us 645 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:27,880 in. How did He do that? 646 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:32,080 God drew us in by His Word. Read verse 45 to 48. 647 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:36,000 It is written in the prophets and they will all be taught by 648 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,520 God. Everyone who has heard and 649 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:40,200 learned from the Father comes to me. 650 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:43,480 Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from 651 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:45,680 God. He has seen the Father. 652 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:49,720 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal 653 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:53,000 life. I am the bread of life. 654 00:44:54,480 --> 00:45:00,640 The Father draws us in by the truth of His Word, His Word that 655 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:06,840 is so good, so true, it cuts deep into our hearts, yet 656 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,080 comforts us with the gentlest of love and mercies. 657 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:17,880 So even as you hear hard teachings of Jesus today, if 658 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:22,480 your heart is not resisting, but rather you feel like your heart 659 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:27,640 is melting, you know that you are safe in the hands of a 660 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:31,880 sovereign God. His drawing people is powerful, 661 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:39,000 and He is drawing you in by His Word to come to Jesus yet again. 662 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:48,360 His work in you is secure to save you, to sanctify you, to 663 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:54,320 give you eternal life. But for those who remain in 664 00:45:54,320 --> 00:46:00,160 unbelief, there is a seriously scary end of eternal death. 665 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:05,880 We see that in verses 49 to 51. Your father ate the manna in the 666 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:09,240 wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes 667 00:46:09,240 --> 00:46:12,840 down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. 668 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,480 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 669 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:17,960 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. 670 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:21,360 And the bread that I will give him for the life of the world is 671 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,680 my flesh. If you remain in unbelief today, 672 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:31,000 you have nothing of assurance. You have nothing to hold onto. 673 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:35,320 You will face Jesus at the end of your life, not as your 674 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:40,520 Savior, but as your Judge, and you will not be able to stand 675 00:46:40,720 --> 00:46:44,680 under the crushing weight of God's wrath that you rightly 676 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:49,800 deserve for your many sins, even if just for one sin. 677 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:53,040 Adam was cast out of God's presence in the Garden of Eden. 678 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:57,720 How much more do we deserve to be cast out from God for our 679 00:46:57,720 --> 00:47:02,360 many sins? If you remain an unbelief, you 680 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:07,200 have no hope. There is no other hope other 681 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:11,440 than to look to Jesus. But again, the good news is, if 682 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:16,200 you feel the weight of that panic, of that unsettling 683 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,200 feeling in your soul as you realize what will happen to you 684 00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:24,200 when you stand before God, that is still a good sign to praise 685 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:26,440 God for. Because as you're hearing His 686 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:30,800 words, He is, He is drawing you. He is calling you to turn away 687 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,400 from your sins and come to Jesus in faith. 688 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:43,160 Do so today as God draws us. We can overcome this unbelief, 689 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:50,360 this sin that keeps us from God, whether it's Jesus's humanity or 690 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:54,320 depravity. We can overcome as God draws us 691 00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:59,200 because His Word is powerful and effective even when we are 692 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:04,400 offended by God's Word, even if we are offended by God's word. 693 00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:08,920 See this in verse 52 onward. The Jews then disputed among 694 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:13,680 themselves, saying, how can this man give us this his flesh to 695 00:48:13,680 --> 00:48:16,680 eat? So Jesus said to them, truly, 696 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:20,400 truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man 697 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:22,800 and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 698 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:26,000 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal 699 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:28,200 life, and I will raise Him up on the last day. 700 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:31,200 For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 701 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,960 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and 702 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:39,640 I in Him as a Father living Father sent me, and I live 703 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,680 because of the Father. So whoever feeds on me, He also 704 00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:45,800 will live because of me. This is the bread that came down 705 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:49,640 from heaven, not like the bread of the bread the fathers ate and 706 00:48:49,640 --> 00:48:51,520 died. Whoever feeds on this bread will 707 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:53,800 live forever. Jesus said these things in the 708 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:55,760 synagogue as he taught at Capernaum. 709 00:48:57,240 --> 00:48:59,600 Let's make sure we follow the logic of Jesus teaching here. 710 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:03,400 In summary, he taught that God will give you true bread. 711 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:04,880 He offers true bread from heaven. 712 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:10,800 And then he said I am that bread come from heaven. 713 00:49:11,600 --> 00:49:15,360 And then he says the bread is his flesh. 714 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,440 And then finally he says, you must eat my flesh, and on top of 715 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:23,320 that, drink my blood. We can understand their 716 00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:26,960 unsettled confusion from the provocative language. 717 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:30,000 It's it might even feel disgusting. 718 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:36,520 Yes, if your mind is set on the physical realm, it might even 719 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:41,200 sound like Jesus is promoting cannibalism in that way. 720 00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:45,640 It felt gross and gory and wrong all all the much more because 721 00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:48,240 for the Jews, blood was a sacred thing. 722 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:53,160 God forbade them to eat the blood several times. 723 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,640 He gives that command throughout the Old Testament. 724 00:49:57,520 --> 00:50:01,800 But what they needed to understand was that Jesus was 725 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:08,200 continuing to describe using physical objects, describing 726 00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:11,680 what faith looked like a spiritual reality. 727 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:18,360 Having faith again is not just agreeing with Jesus just to say 728 00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:20,800 yes to the yes or no questions about Jesus. 729 00:50:21,720 --> 00:50:25,880 Faith is about coming into relationship with him with a 730 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:31,360 desire to know him and love him. And that desire continues to 731 00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:36,640 grow and grow and over over shadow any other desire that you 732 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:42,960 may have. Faith here is also like 733 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:49,320 spiritually eating and drinking, personally taking and embracing 734 00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:52,280 Jesus and His words into our very being. 735 00:50:55,160 --> 00:51:00,520 It's believing that man does not live by bread alone, but man 736 00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:03,560 lives on the very words that come from the mouth of God. 737 00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:15,960 That's what faith here is like. So that as Jesus, as we come to 738 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:21,920 him, he, we abide in him. But Jesus also abides in us. 739 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:24,960 That's what he says in verse 36. Wherever feeds on my flesh and 740 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:27,720 drinks my blood abides in me and I in him. 741 00:51:27,920 --> 00:51:32,600 It's that kind of deep intimate relationship that we have as we 742 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:40,600 abide in Christ and he in us. We have to to understand that 743 00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:43,800 this is what faith is really like, to say that we have faith 744 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,720 in Christ. Some people reading this 745 00:51:47,720 --> 00:51:51,240 passage, they claim that this teaching is about taking 746 00:51:51,240 --> 00:51:55,000 communion and then they wrongly teach that taking communion 747 00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,280 today will save you from your sins. 748 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:02,480 That's not true. Nothing, again, nothing we do 749 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:06,160 can save us, for it is God's will and work to save. 750 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:09,840 As we have seen earlier, and in the response to God drawing us 751 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:14,960 by His word, we believe and receive by faith our salvation. 752 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:18,720 The whole of our salvation from start to finish is a gift of 753 00:52:18,720 --> 00:52:23,000 God, the grace of God. And we will say that over and 754 00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:25,400 over again because we're prone to forget. 755 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:32,160 While here it might sound like communion if you look carefully 756 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:35,480 at what Jesus is saying. It's not directly teaching about 757 00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:38,160 communion, obviously, because the Last Supper of Jesus did not 758 00:52:38,160 --> 00:52:41,400 happen yet. But here it does reveal the true 759 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:46,680 meaning of the Lord's Supper clearly, that Jesus would indeed 760 00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:51,200 give up his body. He would indeed pour out his 761 00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:54,720 blood on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. 762 00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:59,080 He who lived the perfect life, being fully God and fully man, 763 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:04,000 who did not deserve to die, yet He chose to die the death we 764 00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,200 deserved, all for us in our place. 765 00:53:10,360 --> 00:53:15,040 Communion indeed points to what Jesus has accomplished in his 766 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:21,280 body on the tree. It does point to the true 767 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:22,680 meaning of the Lord's Supper, clearly. 768 00:53:26,240 --> 00:53:31,280 But it's for us to see Jesus's work again on the cross, and 769 00:53:31,280 --> 00:53:35,080 with it, another invitation of Jesus in verse 58. 770 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:38,360 Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. 771 00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:47,600 They just need to look to Jesus and believe, and all that Jesus 772 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:53,560 promises them would be theirs. But even for Jesus disciples who 773 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:56,960 once had decided to follow Jesus, this was hard to accept. 774 00:53:58,240 --> 00:54:02,640 Let's read verses 60 to 66. When many of his disciples heard 775 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:04,280 it, they said this is a hard saying. 776 00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:07,320 Who can listen to it? But Jesus, knowing in Himself 777 00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:09,560 that His disciples were grumbling about this, said to 778 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:11,480 them, Do you take offence at this? 779 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:14,480 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he 780 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:17,200 was before? It is a spirit who gives life. 781 00:54:17,240 --> 00:54:20,160 The flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to 782 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,400 you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do 783 00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:25,440 not believe. For Jesus knew from the 784 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:29,760 beginning who those were who did not believe Him, who did not 785 00:54:29,760 --> 00:54:31,800 believe, and who it was who would betray Him. 786 00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:35,320 And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me 787 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:38,680 unless it's granted Him by the Father. 788 00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:43,520 After this, many of his disciples turned back and no 789 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:52,400 longer walked with him. Many of even own disciples found 790 00:54:52,400 --> 00:54:58,560 what Jesus was teaching to be a hard saying, perhaps hard to 791 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:02,080 understand, but even more so hard to accept. 792 00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:06,720 Who can accept a teaching like this? 793 00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:15,360 But the hardness was in their hearts and not in Jesus 794 00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:18,400 teaching. They had their own ideas about 795 00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:22,800 the way to God and they're not going to be convinced out of it. 796 00:55:23,720 --> 00:55:28,760 And so it was offensive to them. The word in the original words 797 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:33,480 is it's hard to describe, but in a way it's it can understand it 798 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:39,560 as scandalously offensive. But if this was offensive and 799 00:55:39,560 --> 00:55:44,200 scandalous, the cross would be even more scandalous and 800 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:46,520 offensive. This is what he's referring to 801 00:55:46,520 --> 00:55:50,520 when he says when in verse 62. What if you were to see the Son 802 00:55:50,520 --> 00:55:56,960 of Man ascending to where he was before the scandalous thing of 803 00:55:56,960 --> 00:56:01,960 the cross to accept that Jesus to to accept that we are in 804 00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:04,800 sinners, that we are sinners in need of great help. 805 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:07,520 We cannot help ourselves that Jesus, we needed Jesus to come 806 00:56:07,520 --> 00:56:11,600 and die for us. And then he would rise again on 807 00:56:11,600 --> 00:56:14,400 the third day from the dead ascending into heaven. 808 00:56:15,000 --> 00:56:18,640 All of that would be preposterous to them. 809 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:25,240 But Jesus continues to say in verse 63, these are the words he 810 00:56:25,240 --> 00:56:27,920 says these words that I've spoken to you are spirit and 811 00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:35,400 life Again, Jesus inviting them that what he has spoken has the 812 00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:39,280 power, though his words have power to give eternal life to 813 00:56:39,280 --> 00:56:47,700 forgive sins. Yet many were turning their 814 00:56:47,700 --> 00:56:50,540 back, no longer walking with him. 815 00:56:51,780 --> 00:56:54,620 Let's look at the last final verses starting in 67. 816 00:56:55,180 --> 00:56:58,820 So Jesus said to the 12, do you want to go away as well? 817 00:56:59,420 --> 00:57:02,600 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? 818 00:57:02,720 --> 00:57:05,840 You have the words of life, and we have believed and come to 819 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:08,120 know that you are the Holy One of God. 820 00:57:08,840 --> 00:57:12,520 Jesus answered them, Did I not choose you the 12 and yet one of 821 00:57:12,520 --> 00:57:15,640 you is the devil. He spoke of Judas the son of 822 00:57:15,640 --> 00:57:20,440 Simon Iscariot, for he one of the 12 was going to betray him. 823 00:57:22,040 --> 00:57:27,400 What Jesus is doing here is not only pointing to how he would 824 00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:33,000 suffer and die, but how difficult it will be for them to 825 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:38,160 continue following Jesus. Many might get hyped up about 826 00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:42,080 him, excited about what Jesus could offer to them. 827 00:57:42,920 --> 00:57:47,840 But when they come to the heart to accept sayings of Jesus that 828 00:57:47,840 --> 00:57:51,160 are offensive to them that declare there are that that that 829 00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:57,280 we are sinners depraved, unable to save ourselves, that we have 830 00:57:57,280 --> 00:58:03,120 to come and and eat of Jesus and to trust in him alone. 831 00:58:05,120 --> 00:58:09,320 And these miraculous things that Jesus said on the cross and at 832 00:58:09,320 --> 00:58:12,600 the empty tomb and at his at his ascension. 833 00:58:14,360 --> 00:58:16,920 He was reminding his disciples, challenging them. 834 00:58:17,360 --> 00:58:21,560 It will be difficult to follow, especially when you see many 835 00:58:21,560 --> 00:58:28,160 others no longer walking with him, but to then, but even then, 836 00:58:28,440 --> 00:58:31,960 even when we see those who have profess faith, those whom we 837 00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:36,200 look up to walk away from Jesus, what will we do? 838 00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:47,800 Will we, will we try to calculate, minimize who Jesus 839 00:58:47,800 --> 00:58:51,240 is, to make sense of him, or really humble ourselves at his 840 00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:54,960 word? To say Jesus, you truly have the 841 00:58:54,960 --> 00:58:58,200 words of life. To whom shall we go? 842 00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:03,240 Will we sound and act like the crowds, challenge Jesus, 843 00:59:03,240 --> 00:59:06,920 demanding of him? Or we speak with the words of of 844 00:59:06,920 --> 00:59:11,640 Simon Peter, words of worship, humility, surrender? 845 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:20,240 What will you say? How will you respond to Jesus in 846 00:59:20,240 --> 00:59:23,880 this world where there's many things competing for our souls 847 00:59:23,880 --> 00:59:29,400 to try to satisfy us, to offer full satisfaction, will return 848 00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:32,480 to Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life, who gives eternal 849 00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:36,400 life. Look carefully at His signs, 850 00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:42,400 look carefully to His Word, and be deeply encouraged that His 851 00:59:42,400 --> 00:59:48,040 Word is able to draw us in so that we may come, turn from our 852 00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:52,520 sins and believe in Jesus Christ so that we too may feast and 853 00:59:52,520 --> 00:59:56,120 dine with Him forever. How will you respond? 854 00:59:57,800 --> 01:00:01,280 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 855 01:00:01,280 --> 01:00:05,040 for the words of eternal life that you have made available to 856 01:00:05,080 --> 01:00:07,680 us. You have preserved for us the 857 01:00:07,680 --> 01:00:11,440 words of Jesus Christ, words that He spoke that were true 858 01:00:11,640 --> 01:00:14,600 then and still remain true today. 859 01:00:17,480 --> 01:00:22,120 Will you help us to be? More and more satisfied in you 860 01:00:22,160 --> 01:00:25,800 alone may our desire for the things of this world be 861 01:00:26,160 --> 01:00:33,600 swallowed up where we see it rightly in its place, where none 862 01:00:33,600 --> 01:00:37,760 of these things of this world should be central in our lives, 863 01:00:38,440 --> 01:00:40,160 but rightful in its rightful place. 864 01:00:40,840 --> 01:00:44,400 Be used for the glory of God. You should be central, Lord. 865 01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:49,720 You should be our satisfaction, so would you satisfy our souls, 866 01:00:50,720 --> 01:00:53,840 perhaps for the first time, for those who are here who do not, 867 01:00:53,840 --> 01:00:57,880 who have not believed before, and satisfy our souls yet again 868 01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:03,320 with joy and pleasures forevermore that you provide 869 01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:06,320 from knowing you and trusting in you. 870 01:01:07,640 --> 01:01:11,800 We long this for ourselves and for more people to come and know 871 01:01:12,200 --> 01:01:15,360 and believe in you. Jesus, the bread of Life, who 872 01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:19,400 has come into the world to give eternal life, who will not lose 873 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:21,480 anyone that the Father has given to him. 874 01:01:22,200 --> 01:01:26,600 He will be deeply encouraged by your by your word, and then 875 01:01:26,640 --> 01:01:30,400 encouraged to go out, live it and share it all for your glory. 876 01:01:31,120 --> 01:01:32,880 We thank you in Jesus name, Amen. 877 01:01:33,640 --> 01:01:37,360 Let's take a moment now to personally reflect on God's word 878 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:41,360 and that was preached to us. Take a moment to do so before we 879 01:01:41,360 --> 01:01:46,520 close out in prayer in in song and prayer together.