Sermon #50                                                                                                                          JohnÕs Gospel

 

      Title:                                                         A Hard Saying

or

Sweet Bread to Eat

 

      Text:                                 John 6:48-60

      Subject:               Christ the Bread of Life

      Date:                                Sunday Morning — May 24, 2009

      Tape:                    John #50

      Reading: Romans 10:1-17

      Introduction:

 

Our text will be John 6:38-60.

 

In the 6th chapter of JohnÕs Gospel, after feeding five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two small fish, our Lord Jesus amassed a huge following. The multitude that followed him did not trust him. They were not converted. They just wanted more religious excitement. They wanted to see more miracles. And they wanted more free bread (v. 26).

 

In verses 27-36, the Lord Jesus taught these men and women the necessity of faith, the necessity of trusting him. Then he proclaimed to them and proclaims to us, the blessed freeness and certainty of everlasting salvation to all who trust him (vv. 37-40).

 

(John 6:37-40) ÒAll that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the FatherÕs will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.Ó

 

In verses 44-47, the Master declares the utter inability of man and the blessed, sovereign efficacy of GodÕs free, saving grace. Then, beginning in verse 48, the Lord Jesus declares himself to be the Bread of Life and explains that faith in him, trusting him, is like eating bread and living by the bread eaten.

 

(John 6:48-59) ÒI am that bread of life. (49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (52) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (59) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.Ó

 

Now, after all that, after seeing the miracle, after eating the loaves and fish, after hearing the SaviorÕs discourse about the necessity of faith, the freeness and certainty of GodÕs salvation, the inability of man and the efficacy of GodÕs saving grace, after the Lord Jesus uses the simple eating of bread to illustrate what faith is, we read in verse 60É

 

(John 6:60) ÒMany therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?Ó

 

Does our LordÕs doctrine in this passage sound like a Òhard sayingÓ to you? I hope not. The title of my message is A Hard Saying, or Sweet Bread to Eat. Hold your Bibles open to John 6:48-60, and ask God the Holy Spirit to open His Word to you, as I endeavor to preach to you what our Savior preached in the synagogue at Capernaum two thousand years ago.

 

Here are five statements that will summarize our LordÕs doctrine in our text. These five things, to the unbelieving, are hard, offensive things. To the believer, they are sweet, delightful things.

 

1.    Jesus Christ our Savior is God (v. 48).

 

We see this very clearly stated in verse 48, where the Lord Jesus says, ÒI AM the Bread of Life.Ó With those two words, ÒI AM,Ó He points us back to Exodus 3:13-14, where Moses asked the Lord God, who spoke to him out of the bush, ÒWhat is thy name?Ó The answer was, ÒI am.Ó

 

(Exodus 3:13-14) ÒAnd Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? (14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.Ó

 

When our Savior said, ÒI am that Bread of Life,Ó he used the title ÒI AmÓ to identify himself as the great Jehovah who appeared to Moses in the bush, plainly asserting his eternal Deity.

 

Remember, the purpose of JohnÕs Gospel is to show us the glorious divinity of our blessed Savior (John 1:1-3; 14:9). It should not be surprising to us that John was inspired to record our LordÕs use of ÒI am,Ó throughout this Gospel, narrative to identify himself as God (John 6:35, 48-58; 8:12; 10:9, 11, 14-16, 36, 33; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6-9; 15:1-10; 18:37, 49; 19:19-22).

 

á      ÒI AM THE BREAD OF LIFEÓ(6:35, 48-58). — If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. — Christ is the true and only Bread that not only gives life but upholds and maintains spiritual life. He is the Bread which every sinner needs and without which he will perish.

á      ÒI AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLDÓ (8:12). — He who follows Christ, the Light, no longer walks in the darkness of tradition, superstition, idolatry and sin, but rather walks in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

á      ÒI AM THE DOORÓ (10:9). — Christ is the only Door of entrance into the kingdom of God. He is the Door of the sheep. And all who enter in by him shall be saved.

á      ÒI AM THE GOOD SHEPHERDÓ (10:11, 14-16). — The good Shepherd gave his life for his sheep, knows his sheep, gathers his sheep and keeps his sheep.

á      ÒI AM THE SON OF GODÓ (10:36). — Thus the man Christ Jesus asserted his divinity his eternality, the plurality of Persons in the Godhead, and the unity of the divine Persons; and the Jews to whom he spoke understood Him perfectly (10:33).

á      ÒI AM THE RESURRECTIONÓ (11:25). — Those who believe on him shall never die.

á      ÒI AM HEÓ (13:19) — He of whom the prophets spoke, whose name is I AM, who came to save his people (18:49).

á      ÒI AM THE WAY.Ó — Without him we cannot come to God.

á      ÒI AM THE TRUTH.Ó — Without him we cannot know God.

á      ÒI AM THE LIFEÓ (14:6). — Without him we cannot live before God.

á      ÒI AM THE VINEÓ (15:1-10). — We are the branches. The branches bear fruit of the vine. But in order to bear fruit, they must be pruned and must abide in the vine.

á      ÒI AM KINGÓ (18:37; 19:19-22). — He is king everywhere, over all things, forever. He must reign! The Father decreed it. He deserves it. And all his saints desire it and delight in it.

 

Jesus Christ is God our Savior, Jehovah incarnate, over all God, blessed forever!

 

2.    Christ is the Bread by which we live (v. 49).

 

(John 6:49) ÒYour fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.Ó

 

The manna in the wilderness was typical of and portrayed Christ, just as the Rock which gave forth water was a type of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). Neither the manna nor the water that flowed from that Rock had any saving benefit or efficacy, even to give or maintain physical life, let alone spiritual, eternal life. Those who ate the manna and drank the water died physically; and, evidently, many perished eternally, though they ate that bread and drank water out of the Rock, for they entered not into Canaan (Hebrews 3:17-19).

 

(Hebrews 3:17-19) ÒBut with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.Ó

 

á      Christ is the Bread of God. — The Bread that comes from God, — and the Bread that satisfies God (Matthew 3:17; 17:5).

á      He is the Bread given by God, the gift of God (! Corinthians 9:15).

á      He is the living Bread and the Bread of Life. — He is Life, and He gives life; and we live by Him.

á      He is sweet Bread and satisfying Bread.

 

(John 6:32-35) ÒThen Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. (35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst

 

3.    Before we could live Christ had to die (v. 50).

 

(John 6:50) ÒThis is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.Ó

 

If a man eats of the Bread of Life, he has life eternal. He shall never die. Eating Christ, the Bread of Life, is believing on Him, receiving Him by faith. Believing on Christ is expressed by eating because eating is the reception of food into our bodies for the sustenance of physical life, so receiving Christ by faith is drawing life from him.

  • We do not get life by eating bread, but we draw from the bread we eat that by which life is sustained, by which we grow, by which we are nourished and by which we are strengthened.
  • So it is with spiritual, eternal life. — We do not get life by faith in Christ. Faith is the result of life. But we draw life from Christ by faith.
  • Faith is believing on the Son of God, — trusting the Lord Jesus, — entering in by Christ the Door, — coming to Christ the Lamb, — bowing to Christ the King, — laying hold on Christ our Hope, — eating Christ the Bread of Life, — drinking from Christ the Fountain, — building on Christ the Foundation, — looking to Christ the Savior.

 

But we could never draw life from Christ, had he not first died as our Substitute. He became to us living Bread by dying in our stead (v. 51).

 

(John 6:51) ÒI am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.Ó

 

Bread is made from the flour of corn, rye, barley, wheat or some other grain. The grain has to be thrashed and sifted, ground and sifted, sifted and kneaded and baked before it is suitable food for the table. — Thus, ÒIt behooved Christ to sufferÓ (Luke 24:46).

 

He who is our Savior, the Life-giving Bread of God, is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, by whom we live. The Òflesh and blood of the Son of manÓ refer to the sacrifice of His own body upon the cursed tree, when He died for you and me. Those words speak of the atonement made by His obedience unto death, the satisfaction made by his sufferings as our Substitute, the redemption accomplished by His enduring the penalty of the law and justice of God for our sins in His own body on the tree. It is only by the crucified Lamb of God that we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins and eternal life (Hebrews 10:18-22).

 

(Hebrews 10:18-22) ÒNow where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.Ó

 

4.    Faith in Christ is an intensely personal thing, a spiritual act of the heart (v. 52).

 

It is written, ÒWith the heart man believeth unto righteousnessÓ (Romans 10:9-13).

 

(Romans 10:9-13) ÒThat if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Ó

 

But these Jews (v. 52), like Nicodemus, were trying to interpret spiritual things in a carnal sense (John 3:4).

 

(John 6:52) ÒThe Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?Ó

 

Multitudes there are today who, like these Jews at Capernaum, vainly seek to make faith in Christ and the worship of God carnal things. Multitudes ignorantly imagine that eternal life can be obtained by carnal means.

á      Papists teach that our Lord is here talking about eating the bread and wine of what they call Òthe eucharist,Ó or Òholy communion,Ó which by some religious mumbo jumbo is transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

á      Many Protestants, who vigorously denounce the heresies of Rome, teach essentially the same heresy, telling men that they spiritually eat and drink the body and blood of Christ in what they call the ÒsacramentÓ of the LordÕs Supper.

á      Religious fundamentalists make salvation to be nothing more than a logical decision, repeating a scripted prayer, walking a church aisle, or saying I believe in Jesus.

 

Man tries hard to make religion a matter of forms and ceremonies — of doing and performing — of sacraments and ordinances — of sight and of sense. Fallen man despises that which is truly spiritual, that which makes the heart the principal thing. Man labors to keep everything on his own level, carnal, fleshly, material, earthly.

á      Ever beware of the influence of Rome. It is always evil. It is never good.

á      Baptism and the LordÕs Supper are ordinances of God, prescribed and instituted by our Savior. — They are blessed, blessed means of worship; but they are not Òsacraments.Ó — They are not means of grace.

 

The Òeating and drinking,Ó without which there is no life in us, is the believing reception of Christ and His sacrifice which takes place when a sinner trusts Christ crucified as his Savior. It is an inward and spiritual act of the heart, and has nothing to do with the body. Whenever a sinner, feeling his own guilt and sin, lays hold on Christ, trusting his righteousness and his sin-atoning blood, he Òeats the flesh of the Son of man, and drinks his blood.Ó His soul feeds on ChristÕs sacrifice, by faith, just as his body would feed on bread. Believing, we Òeat.Ó Believing, we Òdrink.Ó And that which we eat, and drink, and from which we benefit, is the atonement made for his sins by ChristÕs death in our room and stead on Calvary.

á      We eat His flesh, the righteousness of the incarnate God, our Savior.

á      We drink His blood, His justice satisfying, sin-atoning blood.

á      Just as believerÕs baptism portrays the fulfillment of all righteousness by the obedience of Christ, the LordÕs Supper portrays our faith in the obedience of Christ as our Mediator.

 

Read onÉ

 

(John 6:53-54) ÒThen Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.Ó

 

The decree of God in predestination does not make the work of God in time meaningless, but only guarantees that it shall be done. And that which God did in eternity does not make his work in time unnecessary. What God did in eternity simply made certain that it would come to pass in time. Though our Lord Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, still He had to come to earth and die. The decrees of God do not make the accomplishments of Christ in time unnecessary. Even so, while Christ has been given a people and has redeemed them by his life and death, a people saved by him from eternity, they must hear the gospel and believe (John 6:37-44; Romans 10:13-15). Christ must be received and believed or you will have no life!

 

(John 6:37-44) ÒAll that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the FatherÕs will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. (42) And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? (43) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. (44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.Ó

 

You must trust the Son of God. Just as no one can eat and drink for you, no one can believe for you. You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

J. C. Ryle wrote, ÒJust as there was no safety for the Israelite in Egypt who did not eat the passover-lamb, in the night when the first-born were slain, so there is no life for the sinner who does not eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood.Ó

 

Trusting Christ, I have eternal life now; and I shall have it forever in resurrection glory. — ÒWhosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of GodÓ (1 John 5:1).

 

á      It is not how must faith I have, but whom I believe that matters. That is exactly what our Savior tells us in verse 55. — IsnÕt it?

 

(John 6:55) ÒFor my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.Ó

 

Paul said, ÒI know whom I have believed.Ó It is not just eating that nourishes a man. You get nourishment only if you eat the right food! If you eat poison, you will die. The same thing is true spiritually. ChristÕs flesh (obedience) is true life-giving meat; and his blood (death) is saving, cleansing blood.

 

á      It is not what I think of myself that matters, or even what you think of me. — It is, ÒWhat think ye of Christ?Ó ThatÕs the only thing that matters.

á      It is not my standing before you that gives me peace, but my standing in Christ. He is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory!

á      It is not my ability to keep the law that determines my eternal destiny, but ChristÕs fulfillment of the law for me! ÒChrist is the END of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth!Ó

á      It is not my being free from sin that gives me free access to God, but ChristÕs being free from sin! — And in Him, I am free from sin!

 

(1 Peter 4:1-2) ÒForasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.Ó

 

á      It is not my mourning, groaning and suffering under the load of sin that appeases and satisfies a holy God, but the fact that Christ groaned and suffered under the weight of my guilt and sin! — ÒFor Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the SpiritÓ (1 Peter 3:18).

á      I am not accepted by my best effort. — I am ÒAccepted in the Beloved!Ó

á      And it is not my ability to keep myself that sustains me in faith, and grace, and hope, but his ability to keep me! — ÒWe are kept by the power of God through faith!Ó — ÒHe is able to keep you from falling!Ó

 

5.    The life we live by faith in Christ is a life that is inseparable from ChristÕs own life (vv. 56-59).

 

(John 6:56-59) ÒHe that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (59) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.Ó

 

Our blessed Savior here declares that the life we have in him is a living, vital union with him (John 15:1-5). Just as Christ the God-man, our Surety, our Mediator lives by the Father, beside the Father and with the Father, we live by Christ, beside Christ and with Christ. Just as Christ cannot be separated from the Father, we cannot be separated from the Savior. We dwell in him; and he dwells in us. Believers enjoy the most intimate union, communion and fellowship possible with Christ.

 

(Galatians 2:20) ÒI am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.Ó

 

á      His existence, fulness and completion as our Mediator is inseparable from ours; and our existence is inseparable from His.

á      He partook of our nature; and we are made partakers of His nature. — ÒPartakers of the Divine nature!Ó

á      He has His being with us from eternity; and we have our being with Him from eternity!

á      As the Father and Son are one, we are one in the Son. — ÒI in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved meÓ (John 17:23).

á      What He has done, we have done.

á      What He has, we have.

á      And where he is, we are!

 

(John 6:60) ÒMany therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?Ó

 

To some of you the very simplicity of the gospel is Òa hard saying.Ó But to some of you, the message preached, the Christ proclaimed has been, and is, sweet Bread for your soul, sweet Bread to eat. May God the Holy Spirit make Christ our Savior the Bread of Life to you. O Holy Spirit, cause sinners here to hunger for Christ, and feed every hungry soul with the Bread of Life.

 

Amen.

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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