Title: Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life
Contents
Title: Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life
Text: John 6:22-36 // Sermon: Instructor Yang Yirae
We would like to share grace with the word “Jesus Christ, the bread of life”.
Background and context of the text
A great crowd came to the synagogue in Capernaum
25. I met him on the other side of the sea, Rabbi, when did you come here?
The great crowd was amazed that Jesus was in the synagogue in Capernaum. Why? It is because we know that Jesus went to the mountain after performing the miracles of the five diseases, and the disciples got on a boat and went to Capernaum. Hey! Miraculous! How did Jesus ask, “Are you here?” to the synagogue in Capernaum without apostasy. Jesus is unaware that he walked on the sea, got into the boat, and went with his disciples to the synagogue in Capernaum.
Verse 26 Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were satisfied!"
Jesus already knows the hearts of the great crowd. So, in this verse, the Lord rebukes the second wrong faith of the great crowd. Here, “Truly, truly, I say to you,” is a very emphatic statement. The content of the reproof is, “You seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were satisfied.” He wanted to receive the divinity of Jesus through a sign and be saved through faith. However, the great crowds are not interested in the issue of spiritual salvation and are still following Jesus as the political Messiah who will fill the hungry stomachs of the people who are hungry in their flesh.
Work for food that endures to everlasting life
Verse 27. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, whom God the Father has sealed.
What do you mean? Food that lasts forever! In other words, he is speaking of salvation. Do not live only for the food of the body in the world, but the food for eternal life! Believe in me, Jesus Christ, and be saved from the world! What is this form? It is the bread of salvation that Jesus gives. The Son of Man gives to you! It is said that Jesus gives the grace of salvation. Because I am the one sealed by God the Father! Believe me and be saved! Unfortunately, however, the great crowd still do not understand the spiritual words of Jesus and keep asking questions.
28. They asked, What must we do to do the work of God?
29. Jesus answered and said, It is the work of God to believe in him whom he has sent. You said.
The great crowd, who were accustomed to meritocracy, ask questions because they are curious about the work for the bread of eternal life, that is, the work of God. The food of eternal life! In other words, the word of the Spirit says that salvation is not achieved through hard work, but only through God's grace, even though it is a blessing given by God! I don't understand the Lord's declaration. So verse 29 explains the truth of salvation. The one sent by God! It is the work of God that you be saved by believing in Jesus! The great crowd still do not understand the word and ask the question again.
Verse 30. They asked, "Then what are the signs that you do so that we may see you and believe you? What are you doing?"
Jesus has previously revealed Himself through abundant words and various signs. Even so, the great crowd do not understand the spiritual word. You cannot be born again as a disciple of Jesus. So they explain to Jesus their current beliefs.
Verse 31. Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." said The Jews see an aspect of their faith that respects tradition and not the Old Testament. Their faith is the root of tradition rather than the root of the Word. They had faith in the midrash, a collection of oral laws, that at the coming of the Messiah, manna would come again. In this verse, they also spoke on the premise of this belief. In a word, if you are truly the Messiah, the intention is to show us a sign right now, just like our ancestor Moses, giving us manna to eat. You are still asking to fill only the stomach of the body. So Jesus corrects their false beliefs.
I am the bread of life!!
Verse 35. Jesus said, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst!
I am the bread of life!! I am the food of eternal life!! It is the Messiah the Savior sent by God the Father!! So believe it! No more hungry or thirsty because of your sins! Just believe it! I am the bread of life!!! Believe now! come to me! who is coming? who believes in me? Never hunger or thirst! Believe in me and be saved! But the great crowd, unfortunately, do not understand this truth. They are not interested in the bread of spiritual life, which is saved through faith, but only looking at Jesus, who provides the bread of the flesh to fill their stomachs. In verse 34 they said, "Lord, give us this bread always. what do you mean? It looks like they are still seeking only food for the body to supply the bread of the body.
dear fellow classmates
The great crowd's unbelief in one word, verse 36, said, "You see me, but you don't break me!" Those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah who fills their body's stomach are those who do not believe in Jesus!
application and practice
A disciple must always be hungry before God's spiritual word and will. When I am spiritually hungry, I can meditate on the Bible, pray, and preach the gospel. Because we live in the flesh, we live only for the belly of the flesh, so we cannot comfort God's pain and live the life of discipleship. Let's repent. A believer is a disciple. Jesus is the political Messiah! He did not die on the cross to fill the belly of the flesh. Let's all live the life of a witness and a life of discipleship. When we first seek the kingdom of the Lord and the righteousness of the Lord, our fleshly belly is also abundantly filled with the best things. We earnestly hope that you will become disciples of the blessed Lord who spread the gospel to each of our evangelists for one week.