MPC 20th November 2005.November 20 - John 6 - "The Food for Life"
Garnet Swann MPC 20th November 2005.
When you think of good times with family or friends - what event do you remember? I think for most of us the event probably involves food. It might be at a picnic, it might be around the kitchen table or at a Christmas - but food makes for good times, for happy times. A memory that sticks in my mind is from just this year. Kirsty and I went to our favourite place to eat - Weis' Seafood Restaurant. Now I know some here don't like seafood but that's a good thing because it just leaves more for the rest of us. But there in that restaurant was a buffet of delicious food. After a couple of hours we happily waddled out of there - our belts a bit tighter than when we first came in.
Food makes for memorable occasions. But it's not just individuals who can remember a meal time. Sometimes, a whole nation can look back and remember a meal. It was like this with the Jewish nation. The meal the Jews looked back to, was when God miraculously fed them with bread. Let me paint the scene - see, the Jews were in captivity, under slavery in Egypt. But God frees them and God appoints Moses to lead them from Egypt to a new land, a new home. It's all there in the book of Exodus - the second book of the bible. But we read there that while in the desert, traveling between Egypt and this new land, God miraculously gives them food, gives them bread.
Let's read a bit from the book of Exodus.
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day...
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
It's an amazing event. It's an amazing time in the history of Israel! And the Jewish nation of Jesus' day, remembered this time - that God miraculously took care of them and provided for them. That God showed them that he was their God.
For Australians - what events do we proudly look back to? - I guess a game of soccer - but for the Jewish nation - this miraculous feeding of bread - was something that they remembered with pride.
Well, today - we're going to look at another meal time. It's the time when Jesus feeds a group of people. It's an extraordinary event as well. But what we'll see - is that when you compare what happened to the Jewish nation all those years ago in the desert, and the meal that Jesus gives - it's the food provided by Jesus that is much bigger, and better and is just so important for you and me. It's important we spend a bit of time this morning understanding what this meal is and what it means for us.
Let's have a look at this event of Jesus feeding some people. It's there in chapter 6, v1-13. We see there that Jesus is by the Sea of Galilee. And he's gone to a fairly isolated spot along the shore of the lake. But we're told in v2 that because he's been performing miracles - the crowds can't get enough of him, they follow him. Think celebrity. Think crazed fans. And we're probably near the mark of what it must have been like.
But this causes the problem. See the crowd is in the middle of nowhere, it gets to dinner time and there's no food. And the problem is even worse than we think. The little title that's been put in your bible for this section says, 'Jesus Feeds the 5000'. But that title put in is misleading. Verse 10 tells us it was 5000 men - so add to that number, women and children as well. And so we've got all those 1000s and 1000s of hungry people. And all they've got is a little boy's lunch box - a few loaves and a couple of fish.
That's the problem - but then Jesus brings the solution. Verse 10 - he tells the people to sit down. And Jesus gets those few loaves and those little fish, he prays and he transforms it into a feast for everyone. Notice it says in v13 - afterwards they filled 12 baskets with the pieces that were left over. There's no holding back here. Jesus provides an over-abundance of food.
I don't know if you've even been to a fancy restaurant where you pay around $50 for the main meal. But the waiter comes out with this big plate. And there in the middle of the plate is this piece of meat so small you've got to squint to find it!
But there's nothing miserly about the meal that Jesus lays on. Jesus puts on a feast. And everyone just tucks into what's been served up. And everyone's eats till they're full.
Now the thing about the miracles that Jesus performs is that they mean something. They're signs. They point to something. They have a sign-ificance. But it seems it's so easy to miss the sign - that's exactly what the crowd does.
See - what's the first thing they want to do after they're given a free meal? Verse 15 - they want to make Jesus their king. And their logic sort of makes sense - if Jesus can turn a few loaves into a feast - he can probably turn a few coins into a fortune! Or a couple of men - he can turn into an army! What a leader he'll be! - a king who'll get us what we want. But that's not what the sign is about, and Jesus doesn't want a bar of it - he withdraws from them we're told. And have a look at v26 - later on the crowd catch up to him in the town of Capernaum and Jesus says - I tell you the truth you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
The crowd have got something from Jesus - that's all they see. They're not seeing the sign.
Actually, those Jews are pretty much like us, I reckon. See, all they're concerned about is getting something that will make them better off - that's why they want Jesus to be their leader. But what's the reason we vote for a politician? - often because they say they'll add to our hip pocket. Why do we like a government policy? - often because we ourselves will gain from it. We're so often worried about what will make us better off.
And it's just the same with the crowd here. They got a free meal. They want more free meals. And they don't really get the sign that Jesus has given.
Well that's what this feast was not about - Jesus isn't trying to show he's some fantastic catering business. But Jesus goes on to say what is the real sign-ificance of this meal. There's 3 things that take us to the heart of what this sign is about.
The first thing that this miraculous sign points to is that Jesus is the one who gives true life.
See, he says to the crowd in v27 - Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life. What's this food that gives such life? Well, it's actually a person - v33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. And we see who it exactly is when Jesus says in v35 - I am the bread of life.
You know we need food to live. Bread made of dough and yeast can sustain us. But in calling himself the bread, Jesus is saying - he's the one who gives true life, that is life with meaning and value and purpose. Sure - you can fill your empty belly. But Jesus is saying - 'I come to fill your empty lives'. Sure - you can satisfy your stomach. But Jesus is saying - 'I have come to satisfy your very soul'.
So Jesus in calling himself the bread of life, he's saying he's the one who can give life, life filled with purpose and meaning and value.
You know, I remember when I was at uni - the general thing that came through again and again in my classes is that we're all simply products of time, and random chance. We're really just pieces of meat - with cells and nerves and bone and muscles. You can talk about things like emotion but when we're happy - it's just because our nerves fire off and make our muscles work in a certain way. When we cry - we do it just because it's our conditioned response to certain circumstances. Really there's nothing to life - there's no big picture - there's no purpose, there's nothing to direct us - we just 'are' in this lonely and pointless universe.
And when you have that view point - what is there to live for? What does life really consist of? Basically it consists of filling the emptyiness of life.
It might consists of a house - always trying to make it more beautiful, always trying to make it better.
It might consists of a relationships - wanting the perfect partner - pursuing the perfect sex life.
It might consists of experience - traveling just to find that experience that will give your existence that extra buzz.
It might consists of work - gradually climbing the corporate ladder and trying to achieve something there.
But when it's all said and done - we are still left with a hunger for meaning and purpose. We feel there's got to be more to life than this. I don't feel I'm just meat - with nerves and muscle. Life's got to be more than homes, hormones and holidays. What is the point!? We want something that satisfies our desire for life and meaning.
Well, Jesus says, 'I am the Bread of Life'. Jesus is the one who came to give life. Jesus is the one who satisfies our real hunger. As we come to know Jesus and learn what it means to follow him, he is the one who gives us value and purpose. Jesus is the giver of true life.
Jesus has come to give life. And it's a life of meaning and purpose. But the second thing Jesus goes on to say, is that it's not just a life for the here and now. It is eternal life.
And here we have the comparison between what Jesus does. And what happened all those years ago with the miraculous feeding of the people at the time of Moses.
See, there are similarities between what Jesus did here and what happened with Moses back then -Jesus is out with the people in the middle of nowhere, just like the people were with Moses. Most obviously, Jesus miraculously gives bread, just like what happened with Moses. And notice in v4, Jesus gives bread around the time of the Passover Feast - the celebration to remember how the people were rescued out of Egypt, under the leadership of Moses. There are so many links.
But Jesus wants to show he has come to do better than Moses. In v49-50, Jesus says,
Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert (manna's the name of the bread), yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
See - Jesus is saying - sure - your great ancestors ate some bread in the desert. It was a great miracle. But in the end what good did it do them? See - the bread back then may have delayed death. But I have come to destroy death. I am here to give life forever.
And did you notice how Jesus keep repeating a phrase. v39 - I raise them up at the last day. v40 - I will raise him up at the last day - and there's a couple other times as well. Those who take the bread Jesus' offers - though they physically die - they will be brought to life again. The life that Jesus gives endures. It goes on forever. The power of death is destroyed.
You know - we should think of the bread with Moses and Jesus giving bread like two movies. There's part 1 and then there's the sequel. Now, the normal way it works is that the sequel is always disappointing, it's never half as good as the first. The actors look like they're just going through the motions. It looks like the half baked plot was written in 5 minutes on the back of a napkin.
But here with Jesus - the sequel is so much better. In fact it leaves those who ate the bread with Moses - for dead. Jesus comes to give bread. A bread that gives life for eternity.
Well - let's keep going. This miracle points to the reality that Jesus is the one who gives true life. This miracle points to the reality that Jesus offers eternal life - so much better than what given with Moses. And thirdly, this miracle points to the reality that to have true life, the bread must be received.
Jesus is fairly clear about how the true bread should be received. He says in v29 - the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. Or v40 - For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. Or v47 - I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. Physical bread is received through the mouth - the true bread from heaven - Jesus, is received as we believe in him.
You know, Jesus does get a bit weird there in v54 when he says - Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. But given he's just said - you need to believe, believe, believe - he's not talking about some weird cannibalism. In eating Jesus' flesh and drinking Jesus' blood - it's shocking imagery to make us sit up and take notice of what it means to believe.
See, when is Jesus' flesh and blood exposed? - at his crucifixion.
When do we see Jesus' flesh and blood most clearly? - as he's hung naked and beaten on the cross. To believe in Jesus is not just to say - I believe Jesus was a guy who walked on earth. To believe is to trust in Jesus, even as he died on a cross. We receive true life, when we receive Jesus, when we take him, by faith - even as the one who died.
You know, back at the shore of the lake, the crowd wanted to make Jesus' king. It was his miraculous giving ability - that they thought was fitting for a king. "Gives us what we want and we'll follow you!" But it's ironic, that Jesus kingship will be shown not through impressive power, but through tragic weakness.
It's through his death on a cross and then being raised to life again - that he shows that he's the king, the ruler of all. To receive the bread of life - we need to believe in Jesus, even as he goes to the cross and his flesh is laid bare and his blood poured out.
By this miraculous sign of giving bread, Jesus is showing:
- He's the true bread that gives life.
- He offers eternal life, life beyond death.
- And he's the true bread that must be received - that is to be received by faith as he goes to the cross and is punished in place of others.
You know, - these are huge claims that Jesus is making. And you can ask - how can he say those things? He's a guy who grew up around Galilee with his mum and dad and brothers. Come off it!
But it reminds me of that movie Cocoon. I don't know if you've seen it but it was one of my favorites as a kid. It's a movie about a bunch of aliens who are living on earth - they're the friendly, nice variety of alien! But what I liked about the movie - is that these alien people made themselves to look and speak and behave just like us - they seemed completely normal. But in a great scene, one of the aliens peels back just a part of his skin around his eye - to reveal who he really is - and this dazzling, bright, almost blinding light shines out. See underneath the surface of what people could see, his man was powerful, and awesome.
And it's sort of like what's going on here with Jesus. On the surface, Jesus is just a guy. What's so special about him? But at the same time Jesus says - I'm the bread that comes down from heaven and gives eternal life to all those who would believe in me.
You know, food so often is liked or is disliked - it divides people down the middle in terms of what they will eat and not eat. I've got to say that Kirsty's and my favourite food is sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish. And we love it. We just wish it wasn't so expensive. But slice up a raw tuna any day and we'll devour it. But for my parents, they are horrified by the thought. Spag Bol is about the extent of their exotic taste and they'll as likely eat a bowl of worms as eat some raw fish.
And it's like what happens with the way people respond to Jesus. Jesus has said he's the bread from heaven. And people are repulsed by him or they're attracted to him.
We see the repulsion in v42:
They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
And we see the negative side in v60,
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?
But we see the attraction in v67-68. After a bunch of disciples turn away from following Jesus, he says to the 12 disciples, You do not want to leave too, do you? And Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.
There are those who are repulsed and turned off Jesus by the things that He says, but there are also those who have their belief in Him.
And the question we all need to face up to is - how do you respond to Jesus? Can you accept that Jesus is like the man who's peeling back a bit of his skin - to reveal his power and glory. Jesus is saying he's the true bread from heaven who gives eternal life. Or does this seem just too far fetched, too hard?
In this part of John's gospel, people respond to Jesus in two opposite directions - rejection or belief . And I guess there's perhaps those two sorts of people even here this morning.
But you know - it was great to hear those words of Doris earlier. Doris is a follower of Jesus. She's been a Christian for years. And for Doris, life has not been a bed of roses. Lots of Christians here could tell us that for themselves. Life can be hard. There's times of struggle and heart break. But even so - Doris and many others here have stuck with Jesus. They haven't given up on him. Those words are true for us - Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
And that's what we know. As we come to know Jesus. And put our trust in him, believe in him. He gives us a life of meaning and value. He makes life worth living. And we have great hope. Death is not the end. We will be raised to be with God forever.
Jesus will divide a group of people down the middle. But Jesus is calling us all to consider him. He is the true bread from heaven who give eternal life.