[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 18th of February, 2018. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Last week I kind of laid down a challenge, that if we truly want to be more Christ-like, we need to follow the example of Christ. Thinking that one way to see the example that Jesus set for us is to look at how He described Himself, I kicked off a little series based on statements He made that began simply with, “I am”. We took a look at an incident where Jesus said, “I am willing”, when asked to heal a leper. And we asked ourselves if we are willing to help others as freely as Jesus did while on this earth.
Today I’d like to really dig into the “I am” series by studying His statement, “I am the bread of life.” So please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 6, verses 26 through 40, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Today I’d like to really dig into the “I am” series by studying His statement, “I am the bread of life.” So please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 6, verses 26 through 40, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
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. 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.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
--John 6:26-40 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, You love us so much that You sent us Your own Son to carry out Your plan of salvation for mankind. Jesus came to show us the way back to Your kingdom, to give us a way back into Your good graces. Thank You for sending Your Son who is our bread of life, who provides for our spiritual need as You provide for our physical need. Speak to us now, Father, that we may hear and understand how to be more like Jesus. In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn't know what to do. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church.
The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us." The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang out. Napoleon's army, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.
I believe this illustration is one of provision and trust. The people struggled with how to respond to a seemingly hopeless situation. But rather than react under their own power, they finally decided to exercise their faith in God. They put their trust in Him, and He provided for their safety with no one on either side being hurt that day.
Family, God is good… when we let Him be.
In the opening of our scripture reading, Jesus tells the people, “you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled”. In my mind I hear an unspoken question… What do we seek? I’m sure His statement was quite correct for the vast majority of the people who flocked around Him. They sought after Jesus to see to their physical needs, whether it be hunger or thirst or illness or disability or just to rid them of some bad spirit in their life.
Where we picked up in John’s account is right after what we call the feeding of the five thousand. You know the story… Five thousand men, and some untold number of women and children, had followed Jesus into a remote area where He healed them of diseases and cast out evil spirits and taught them the truth of God. As the day grew late, His disciples urged Jesus to send the people on their way so they could find food to eat. But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
Listen to how the Apostle Matthew recorded the rest, in his Gospel account, chapter 14 verses 17 through 21…
In this sense, we can say that Jesus’ statement, “I am the bread of life”, can mean that He is a provider. Just as He did for all those people who followed Him and sought after Him, He provided for their needs. And indeed, He directed us to ask our Father God for His provision in our lives as well. I’m sure you’re familiar with Matthew’s chapter 6 verse 11, when Jesus taught us to say…
Yes, that comes right from our Lord’s model prayer, spoken to us from His Sermon on the Mount. A little later on in that sermon, still in chapter 6 of Matthew’s account, verses 26, 31, and 33, Jesus further instructs us…
Birds don’t run farms, they don’t plant seed and harvest grain and store it in warehouses to eat later. They don’t maintain massive worm ranches. Yet our Father God sees to their needs daily, just as He did for the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years and He fed them daily with manna from heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread”, Jesus tells us to ask. But He also says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be added to you”, will be given to you. And again, the unspoken question… What do we seek? God’s kingdom and His righteousness is personified and made manifest in His Son Jesus! Trust fully in God and in Jesus and our needs will be met!
But was Jesus only concerned with our daily physical needs when He told us all these things? When He healed all those who were diseased, when He cured their infirmities, when He brought the dead back to mortal life, when He fed the thousands… did He truly only care about their physical needs of that moment?
When He said, “I am the bread of life”, Jesus added, “He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” “Never” is an awfully long time.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all had those moments when we thought, “Will this day never end!??!” Well, there will come a time when “this day” will never end - the time when eternity begins. That is the time when we had better have already come to Jesus, when we need to have believed in Him. That is the time when His true provision will begin. And we who believe will hunger and thirst no more.
While that time has not yet arrived, it could come at any moment. We don’t know when eternity will begin. And that is one reason we are looking at some of Jesus’ “I am” statements, to try to become more like Him and prepare ourselves for eternity’s approach.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”, and we just looked at how that relates more to our eternal life than our mortal, everyday life. But when He walked this earth, Jesus was indeed concerned about the everyday life of all people. He was a provider, seeing to their needs. Matthew tells us how Jesus sent His disciples into the towns and villages throughout Judea, to help do His work, effectively multiplying His effort. In chapter 10, verse 8, Matthew recorded Jesus telling His followers to…
“Freely you have received, freely give.” Jesus cared deeply about the physical well-being of the people as well as their spiritual health. He knew if their physical needs were met, they would be more likely to accept His spiritual help as well.
We may or may not be able to heal the sick or cleanse lepers, raise the dead or cast out demons. But we are able to provide food, clothing, shelter, understanding and love to those in need. We have freely received of the provisions - the blessings - of our Father God. We have freely received of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, the bread of life. Let us freely give in return.
Love unconditionally, sacrificially, expecting nothing in return, just like Jesus did. Help provide for the physical needs of others so that their spiritual needs might also be met. Be the bread of life to all you encounter. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You give to us so freely, providing for our needs and blessing us to abundance. Thank You, Father, for being so good to us. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to share from our abundance, when we forget that all we have first came from You. Help us to be more like Jesus, seeing to the needs of those around us, so that they may be able to better focus on You and seek Your kingdom.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great provision, repenting of our wrongful ways, seeking Your mercy and forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You cared so much for the people. Not only were You willing to give Your life for us all, but You saw to the daily needs, the physical needs of all You encountered, so that their spiritual needs might also be met. Help us, Lord, to be more like You. Show us how to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those less fortunate. Help us to always love as You love, and to be the bread of life to others.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn't know what to do. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church.
The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us." The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang out. Napoleon's army, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.
I believe this illustration is one of provision and trust. The people struggled with how to respond to a seemingly hopeless situation. But rather than react under their own power, they finally decided to exercise their faith in God. They put their trust in Him, and He provided for their safety with no one on either side being hurt that day.
Family, God is good… when we let Him be.
In the opening of our scripture reading, Jesus tells the people, “you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled”. In my mind I hear an unspoken question… What do we seek? I’m sure His statement was quite correct for the vast majority of the people who flocked around Him. They sought after Jesus to see to their physical needs, whether it be hunger or thirst or illness or disability or just to rid them of some bad spirit in their life.
Where we picked up in John’s account is right after what we call the feeding of the five thousand. You know the story… Five thousand men, and some untold number of women and children, had followed Jesus into a remote area where He healed them of diseases and cast out evil spirits and taught them the truth of God. As the day grew late, His disciples urged Jesus to send the people on their way so they could find food to eat. But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
Listen to how the Apostle Matthew recorded the rest, in his Gospel account, chapter 14 verses 17 through 21…
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
--Matthew 14:17-21 (NKJV)
11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”
--Matthew 6:11 (NKJV)
26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?--Matthew 6:26, 31, 33 (NKJV)
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
“Give us this day our daily bread”, Jesus tells us to ask. But He also says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be added to you”, will be given to you. And again, the unspoken question… What do we seek? God’s kingdom and His righteousness is personified and made manifest in His Son Jesus! Trust fully in God and in Jesus and our needs will be met!
But was Jesus only concerned with our daily physical needs when He told us all these things? When He healed all those who were diseased, when He cured their infirmities, when He brought the dead back to mortal life, when He fed the thousands… did He truly only care about their physical needs of that moment?
When He said, “I am the bread of life”, Jesus added, “He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” “Never” is an awfully long time.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all had those moments when we thought, “Will this day never end!??!” Well, there will come a time when “this day” will never end - the time when eternity begins. That is the time when we had better have already come to Jesus, when we need to have believed in Him. That is the time when His true provision will begin. And we who believe will hunger and thirst no more.
While that time has not yet arrived, it could come at any moment. We don’t know when eternity will begin. And that is one reason we are looking at some of Jesus’ “I am” statements, to try to become more like Him and prepare ourselves for eternity’s approach.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”, and we just looked at how that relates more to our eternal life than our mortal, everyday life. But when He walked this earth, Jesus was indeed concerned about the everyday life of all people. He was a provider, seeing to their needs. Matthew tells us how Jesus sent His disciples into the towns and villages throughout Judea, to help do His work, effectively multiplying His effort. In chapter 10, verse 8, Matthew recorded Jesus telling His followers to…
8 “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”--Matthew 10:8 (NKJV)
We may or may not be able to heal the sick or cleanse lepers, raise the dead or cast out demons. But we are able to provide food, clothing, shelter, understanding and love to those in need. We have freely received of the provisions - the blessings - of our Father God. We have freely received of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, the bread of life. Let us freely give in return.
Love unconditionally, sacrificially, expecting nothing in return, just like Jesus did. Help provide for the physical needs of others so that their spiritual needs might also be met. Be the bread of life to all you encounter. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You give to us so freely, providing for our needs and blessing us to abundance. Thank You, Father, for being so good to us. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to share from our abundance, when we forget that all we have first came from You. Help us to be more like Jesus, seeing to the needs of those around us, so that they may be able to better focus on You and seek Your kingdom.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great provision, repenting of our wrongful ways, seeking Your mercy and forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You cared so much for the people. Not only were You willing to give Your life for us all, but You saw to the daily needs, the physical needs of all You encountered, so that their spiritual needs might also be met. Help us, Lord, to be more like You. Show us how to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those less fortunate. Help us to always love as You love, and to be the bread of life to others.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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