I Am the Bread of Life

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I Am the Bread of Life
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Introduction

• John 635
• I am the bread of life
• What did it mean for Jesus to be the bread of
  life?
• What does it mean for us to eat that bread of
  life?
• What does it mean to eat Jesus flesh and drink
  His blood?

John 63535 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.
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Examining the Text

• Back up to the beginning of chapter 6
• A large crowd had begun to follow Jesus because
  of His miracles
• The crowd followed Jesus up the mountain
• He miraculously fed the crowd of over 5000 with 5
  loaves and 2 small fish
• The crowd continued to follow Him to be fed again

John 62626 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
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Examining the Text

• John 627-59
• Progression
• Manna in the wilderness
• Bread of life
• eat My flesh and drink My blood
• This was disturbing to the Jews
• Cannibalism?
• Misunderstanding!

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Examining the Text

• Many people today also misunderstand Jesus
  instructions
• Transubstantiation?
• Communion (The Eucharist) as a Sacrament?
• Requirements for the Lords Supper not found in
  scripture

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Bread in the Wilderness

• The Jews asked Jesus for a sign, that they might
  believe
• They had already seen great signs from Jesus
• They referenced the manna in the wilderness as a
  sign
• Interesting that they chose this sign!
• The manna did not make the Jews happy
• Numbers 114-15
• They were just as obstinate as the wilderness
  group!

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Jesus The Bread of Life

• Jesus uses a physical account to teach a
  figurative lesson
• He is not literal bread, but figurative
• If the bread of life is figurative, then eating
  of that bread is also figurative
• Helps us to understand the concept of eating His
  flesh and drinking His blood
• This is a spiritual lesson

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The Bread of Life

• The Jews wanted to talk about the bread provided
  to their ancestors
• Jesus message was far more important
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of the
  manna and Jesus
• Exodus 164-31
• Jesus parallels this manna with the bread send
  down by the Father
• Bread identified in verse 35 Jesus Himself!

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The Bread of Life

• Comes down from Heaven
• Both came from God the Father, and originated in
  heaven
• The fact that Jesus came from heaven is very
  significant
• Jesus origin is a testament to His deity

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The Bread of Life

• Gives Life
• The bread that comes from heaven gives life to
  the world
• Manna came from heaven
• Gave life to those wandering in the wilderness
• Jesus audience wanted the bread from Heaven
• Jesus I am the bread of life
• If they would accept Him, they would never hunger
  or thirst again
• Jesus was not addressing physical life

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The Bread of Life

• The manna in the wilderness perished
• The manna had to be collected just as God
  specified
• It spoiled if they tried to keep it longer than
  God instructed
• The bread of John 6 would never perish
• Applications
• Jesus is eternal
• His word would never perish (Matthew 2435)
• There is comfort in knowing this bread will not
  perish

John 627 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.
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The Bread of Life

• Those who ate manna still died
• The manna provided life, but only for a time
• The bread of life would cause them to live
  forever
• John 649-51, 58
• Jesus offered something that was not available
  under the Law of Moses
• There was no eternal life in the Law of Moses
• Hebrews 911-15
• Hebrews 101-4

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The Bread of Life

• Those who ate manna still died (cont.)
• Jesus provided a way for them to have their sins
  taken away
• The patriarchs looked forward to His coming
• Hebrews 1113, 39-40
• Under the Old Testament law, there was no
  remission of sins, therefore no life
• Hebrews 1011-18

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The Bread of Life

• Those who ate manna, hungered again
• Their hunger returned in time
• The spiritual bread would never be taken away

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The Bread of Life

• Contrast with hungering and thirsting
• Here, it is a bad thing
• In the Beatitudes, the opposite is true
• The end is the same
• Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness
  will find Christ
• They will be filled
• They will never have to hunger again!

Matthew 56 6 Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, For they shall be
filled.
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Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man

• John 653-54 53 Then Jesus said to them, Most
  assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
  of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have
  no life in you.54 Whoever eats My flesh and
  drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will
  raise him up at the last day.

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Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man

• John 655-56 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and
  My blood is drink indeed.56 He who eats My flesh
  and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

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Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man

• What is Jesus teaching?
• Cannibalism?
• Referencing the Lords Supper?
• No!
• Jesus has used the figure of the bread of life
• How can we ingest the bread of life?
• John 660-69
• The words of Jesus give life

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Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man

• Why be so shocking?
• To weed out those that were not following Him for
  the right reasons
• Many followed only for physical food
• Jesus used this to drive off the uncommitted
• This worked!
• Many who did not really believe left
• Those who did believe came to understand

John 668 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord,
to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life
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Conclusion

• Jesus offers everlasting life
• We must eat His flesh and drink His blood to
  have it
• We must take His words, and be obedient to them