THE BREAD OF LIFE

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THE BREAD OF LIFE

• JOHN 625-71
• By Pastor Phillips Koh

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(No Transcript)
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Preliminary Remarks

• Jesus utilises the feeding of 5000 as a prelude
  to the Bread of Life discourse

• Jesus employs the physical event to illustrate
  the spiritual event

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A) JESUS DRAWS A CONTRAST BETWEEN TWO KINDS OF
FOOD

• The characteristics of each type

• Physical Food
• Only nourishes the body, but not the spirit
• Does not bring total satisfaction in life

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• Spiritual Food
• Truly nourishes the human spirit (John 663)
• Provides ultimate fulfilment to believers (John
  635, John 1010)

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Why do we need spiritual food as well?

• We are spiritual beings, rather than just
  physical beings like animals.
• As spiritual beings at the core, materialism
  cannot satisfy our spiritual needs and longings

Application In Matthew 4, how did Satan tempt
Jesus in the wilderness?
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B) JESUS TELLS THE JEWS THAT ETERNAL LIFE IS A
GIFT (VV 28-40)

• Eternal life has to be appropriated by faith (vv
  29, 35, 40)

• Miracles do not engender strong and lasting faith
  (vv 64-71)

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• Why does John refer to miracles of Jesus as
  signs?

• Signs are pointers they do not draw attention to
  themselves but to the realities!
• Modern emphasis on signs and wonders as a basis
  for faith is retrogressive!

Application What kind of faith is Jesus looking
for? See John 223-24 and 2029
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C) JESUS DECLARES THAT SALVATION IS ONLY POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE CROSS (vv 41-63)

• Some commentators believe that eating the flesh
  of Jesus and drinking the blood of Jesus is
  the Johannine version of the Lords Supper
• Others however link the crude, cannibalistic
  remarks to what Jesus was going to accomplish on
  the Cross.

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• Why do we need to eat Jesus to receive life
  eternal (verse 57)?
• Physical food only brings nourishment to the
  human body when it is assimilated
• Likewise Jesus can only bring spiritual benefits
  to those who have received him into their hearts
  (verse 56).

Application Do you believe that all of us are
saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 28-9)
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Conclusion

• What is the spiritual implication of verse 39?

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I
shall lose none of all that he has given me, but
raise them up at the last day