PENTECOST 10 – August 1, 2021 – John 6:22-35
“THE BREAD OF GOD”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from John 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- From little on up we are taught to be self-sufficient. Here in America we are also taught that we can accomplish virtually anything, or at least accumulate a great deal of wealth, if we want to.
- So we tend to focus on our own doing, and when others interfere with our goals and desires, we tend to them as well.
- When it comes to our religious life we also tend to focus on our own doing, as if it is our responsibility. We see this in the attitude and speaking of the crowd that was interacting with Jesus. They wanted to be “doing the works of God.”
- This, however, is the principle difference between how God really is and how the man-made religions think of God. Jesus also makes this clear in how He answers them and what He seeks to teach them.
- Further, Jesus also encourages them not to “labor for” the American dream, for things that perish, but rather for things that are eternal, that endure to eternal life. This is what He is teaching them about, and also what He seeks to teach us as we listen in!
- It is clear that God wants us to have “THE BREAD OF LIFE,” and that He gives it to us. But first:
I. The Bread Of God Is Not Mere Earthly Bread – Although God Gives Us Our Daily Bread As Well
Matt. 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Psalm 145:15,16 “The eyes of all look to You, O Lord, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
A. The Bread Of God Is Not Bread That Perishes
Text: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”
B. Neither Is The Bread Of God A Matter Of Signs – Which Cause Stumbling And Not Faith
Text: “You are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
John 12:37 “Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him.”
1 Cor. 1:22,23 “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
Rom. 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Statement: There may times that we also seek signs and wonders, and certainly times that we seek “wisdom,” that is, earthly wisdom, human logic. Even more, we are often distracted by the pursuit of “earthly bread,” and all the things that ultimately perish. Jesus encourages us to look up from these labors, and to receive “THE BREAD OF GOD.”
Application: We do so when we come to church, when we hear His Word, when we receive His Sacrament, when we do devotions from His Word at home, and when we pray to Him. And especially, we receive “THE BREAD OF GOD” whenever we confess our sins and receive the assurance of His forgiveness! And contrary to our fallen human thoughts:
II. The Bread From God Does Not Require Our Works To Obtain It
Text: “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”
A. So It Is Not A Matter Of Our Doing
Text: “ . . . which the Son of Man will give to you.”
B. But Rather It Is God’s Work – Bringing Us To Faith In Jesus, By Which We Receive Him – The Bread of God
Text: “This is the work of God, that you believer in Him Whom He has sent.”
Statement: Jesus shifts the focus. They were focused on their own good works. Jesus focuses them on the work of God, that is, the work that God is doing. The matter of our coming to faith is something that we are passive in – we are born again of water and the Holy Spirit. “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” [1 Cor. 12:3] “You were born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God that lives and abides forever.” [1 Pet. 1:23]
Application: And this faith is eternal life, for it grasps and understands the nature of God, and the nature of a true and right relationship with God. It is a matter of His grace, His mercy, His gift of salvation in Jesus – the Bread of God, the Bread of Life, eternal life. For “he that believes the Son has everlasting life.” {Jn. 3:36]
This is our focus at church – yes, our sin, but only so that we can see what Jesus has done for us, how great a salvation has been granted us. We come here to come to Jesus, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit, that we may receive, that we may be fed the Bread of God! And those who come to Him and believe in Him are richly blessed! Yes:
III. Jesus Is The True Bread Of God, The Bread Of Life
Text: “The bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. . . . I am the bread of life.”
A. Those Who Come To Him Do Not Hunger
Text: “Whoever comes to Me shall not hunger.”
B. Those Who Believe In Him Will Never Thirst
Text: “Whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.”
Statement: He feeds us, and He gives us drink. He “leads us beside the still waters and He restores our souls.” [Ps 23] This He does through His gracious Word, which He bids us to read carefully so that we get it right! He bids us to come to Him and to believe in Him giving us great and magnificent promises. It is our great privilege and pleasure to receive all things from Him, and this includes also all of our perishable blessings.
Application: So the Bread of God also bids us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and He also promises that then “all these things will added to you.” [Matt. 6:33] He even encourages us not to “labor” for earthly things even though we work. But our work is to serve people, not to gain blessings which God has already promised to give us! Our focus is on love – and remarkably we get paid for it.
Conclusion: It is good to be self-sufficient, if we mean by that we are not going to be dependent upon another person or a burden to them. However, it is always good to realize that we are never self-sufficient from God or before God, in His presence! Always, He is the great Giver of all things, and most importantly He is the Giver of The Bread Of God!
May God grant that we ever come to Jesus, and believe in Jesus, and receive from Jesus the Gospel of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Him. Yes, that we may indeed feed on Him as God wills. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting. Amen.