Study inJohn’s Gospel

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TwoMannasChap 6v36-59

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IntroductionMany years ago, a Scot purchased a passage on an ocean liner to America. Being of modest means, he thought he could save money on food by stocking up on crackers, cheese and fruit before his departure. The ship sailed and he coped fairly well with his Spartan diet for the first four days. As the ship drew closer to New York the crackers became increasingly stale, the cheese mouldy and the fruit spoiled. He decided to go to the dining room and have one good meal before the ship docked.

Imagine his surprise when he arrived in the dining room to discover that the lavish spread of food before him was included inthe price of his ticket!

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IntroductionUnfortunately, the Scot’s behaviour illustrates the way in which thousands of men and women act towards the true Bread of Life. The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s free gift to men. He is the source of rich spiritual satisfaction. His provision is quite unique.

Sadly, this rich provision is rejected by many who would rather feed on the dry crackers of human philosophy and the spoiled fruit of materialism than come andeat at Jesus’ table!

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Jesus’ ClaimJesus said, ‘I am the Bread of Life’. This is the first of seven famous ‘I Am’ sayings in the gospel. What is interesting about the construction of these expressions is that the force of the original Greek text implies that Jesus is saying, ‘I and I alone am uniquely qualified to be…’

In these verses Jesus contrasts his provision, his manna, with that which was provided by Moses. Moses’ manna satisfied the physical appetites of God’s people all of whom [with just two exceptions] eventually died in the wilderness. However, the bread Jesus gives, brings with it everlasting life.

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Jesus’ ClaimJesus’ claim to be the Bread of Life is a claim to satisfy our deepest needs but not to satisfy man’s every want. The two things are not necessarily the same. Let me illustrate. As children become aware of the world around them, they think they know what they need. It may be a can of Coca Cola every half hour, choosing to eat sweets instead of coming to the dinner table, staying up late until their jig-saw is finished etc.

These are needs from the child’s point of view. If his parents indulge him, he will turn into a spoiled individual, who will inflict his unrestrained desires on everyone else. There is a difference between what a child needs and what he thinks he needs!

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Jesus’ ClaimSimilarly, our real needs often differ from our imagined needs. And it is our real needs that Jesus is uniquely qualified to satisfy. In him, we find eternal life and experience the forgiveness and loving acceptance of God. In this passage, Jesus gradually draws back the curtain to reveal himself as the Bread of Life. He had previously spoken of ‘bread’ from heaven that the Father provided v32. In v35 he identifies himself as that Bread. And finally, he indicates that the bread is his body, which will be given up in death for men and women v51.

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Jesus’ ClaimJesus teaches that without his death he is of no use to us. We can admire his example, marvel at his teaching, be encouraged by his miracles but they all fail to meet our deepest need. A Christ without the cross is of no use to us! The cross is the place of our reconciliation and acceptance, the place where we find forgiveness and are clothed with Jesus righteousness.

At the cross the process of spiritual healing begins. Here we discover the door into eternal life. Jesus is truly and uniquely the bread that came down from heaven and without him we cannot access spiritual life.

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersThese verses not only contain a great claim made by Jesus, they also point to an important requirement. That requirement is that we feed on him. Jesus is not saying, ‘remember to attend the Lord’s Supper’. To feed on him means much more. It means to enter into a trust relationship that unites our lives to his. To be a Christian is to be indissolubly united to Jesus. There is no substitute for that. Taking bread and wine in a communion service is no substitute for a faith union with Jesus. Indeed, the bread and wine are intended to symbolise that very faith union!

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersJesus’ language is purposefully graphic. First, notice the necessity of such a spiritual exercise - feeding on him! In daily life, eating is not an optional extra; our physical bodies need to be nourished. So too, in our spiritual lives feeding on Christ is absolutely necessary.

How do we feed on Christ? We do so as we digest the scriptures and its truth becomes a part of the spiritual fibre of our lives. When we hear God’s word preached, we are feeding upon Christ. When we read our Bibles we are feeding uponChrist.

It is impossible to have an appetite for Christ and not have an appetite for the scriptures and for preaching that that magnifies him.

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersThe second requirement laid upon Jesus’ hearers was that they recognise their need. A spiritual appetite is something that is common to all men. The problem is that many fail to recognise that the inner restlessness and lack of satisfaction that marks their lives is spiritual in nature. Therefore, they try to feed it other things.

Young children are sometimes taken to farm parks where they can feed the animals; a bag of bread for the ducks and some sweet, fresh grass for the ponies.

Sometimes the children get it wrong and try to give grass to the ducks and bread to the ponies. They quickly learn that appetites can only be satisfied, when appropriate food is given to each.

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersOnly Jesus can satisfy the spiritual appetite of man’s heart. This was Augustine’s experience. He lived in North Africa in the C5th and tells us of the great lengths he went to in order to try and satisfy his innermost longings. He tried sexual promiscuity [cf. like the woman at the well in Jn. 4], he tried philosophy and he tried eastern religions. Indeed, everything except the faith of his mother Monica, who was a Christian. As his spiritual restlessness became more acute he frantically shovelled all sorts of fuel into the furnace of his yearning appetite.

Then one day he responded to the words of scripture that he overheard being read. His conversion followed and he penned his famous words:“My heart was restless till it found its rest in you”.

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersThere is a third and final requirement. It is not enough to recognise that we have a spiritual appetite, which only Christ can satisfy and to understand the theology and the mechanics of the process. Knowledge is not enough. We need to make it our own.

Those of you who are parents will know the experience of trying to get a toddler to eat. They are seated in their high chair and you have in your hand a plate of appetising food.

The child is not yet convinced of that fact! Telling him that the food is good is not enough to make him open his mouth!What do you do?

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Jesus’ Requirement of His HearersYou may pretend to eat a spoonful of food to show him how tasty it is but he is not fooled; children are far smarter than you think! He wants to see you swallow and then examine your mouth afterwards to make sure that you did. However, you know that you must not eat all of the food on the child’s plate or he will not benefit from it. He must eat. No one else can do that for him!

And that is also true for each one of us regarding our relationship with the Lord Jesus. You cannot have your spiritual appetite satisfied by proxy! People ask, “If my husband believes, if my wife believes, if my parents believe, is that not enough?” No!

The question is do you believe? Are you feeding on Jesus?

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ConclusionNotice the context in which Jesus offers himself as ‘The Bread of Life’. You see it is not a matter of a little bit of satisfaction versus greater satisfaction, or a little bit if happiness versus greater happiness. What then is the issue? Jesus makes it clear; it is ‘life’ versus ‘death’. Feeding upon Jesus - having a faith union with him - results in an abundant life now and eternally in the presence of God.

Refusing Jesus, rejecting him, is spiritual suicide. It is what the N.T. describes as ‘the second death’ Rev.2v11; 20v6, 14. The result of which is remaining estranged and separated from God, not only in time, but throughout eternity .

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ConclusionWhen the prodigal son abandoned his father’s home it was with the intention of ‘living it up’. But did he find life? No! He ended up living a life, which for a Jew was a symbol of death – he fed unclean animals! When then did life begin for the prodigal? Only when he saw his need and left his sinful past behind him and returned to his father.

After his return, when his father spoke to his otherson, what language did he use to describe the prodigal’s return?

“This brother of yours was dead and is alive again” Lk.15.32.

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ConclusionJesus came to facilitate that return for us. He will not force feed us. He offers himself and in return asks for the commitment of our hearts. And it was a refusal to give that kind of commitment that caused many of his disciples to turn their back on the Bread of Life. They rejected the only one qualified to bring spiritual satisfaction to their souls.

A significant number of professing Christians approach the Lord’s Table and while they may understand the significance of the symbolism employed - their participation will be meaningless if they fail to bring with them a real heart commitment to Jesus.