Sermon Audio

Reading of God’s Word

“So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.” (John 6:41–48, ESV)

Introduction

Our family as been reading, rather slowly, through C.S. Lewis’, The Chronicles of Narnia. We get to it once or twice a week, and we are currently in the middle of the second book in the series called, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.  This is the one that was made into a motion picture a number of years ago – perhaps you’ve seen it.

I would imagine that most of you are somewhat familiar with Lewis’ work. These books are, of course, fictional.  But they are filled with Christian symbolism. It’s hard to miss, I think.

In this particular book there are four children: Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmond. They are staying at a large home in the countryside and come upon a wardrobe which leads into another world. It is a frozen world with talking fawns and beavers, dwarfs, and great white witch.

I obviously will not take the time to tell the whole story, but I do want want to say a word about the way that Lewis develops his characters.

It it obvious, at least at this point in the story, that there is division that exists between the children.  Peter, Susan and Lucy seem to be of a particular spirit – they are generally nice children. But Edmond seems to be of another kind. He is portrayed as being rather nasty. He lies to the others. He is cruel to his younger sister, Lucy. He seems to look out only for himself.

Edmond’s wickedness is apparent, not only because of the way that he treats his siblings, but also because of the things that his heart is drawn to – the things he loves.

All of the children have, at this point in the story, encountered the witch, either by meeting her face to face or hearing about her from others. The three are of the opinion that she is indeed wicked and to be avoided and feared. But Edmond is drawn to her. He insists that she is not really bad, as all of the creatures in Narnia say.

Consider also that when the name Aslan is mentioned for the first time – Aslan being the one who will represent God in this story – we are told that,

“a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment that the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different… At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside… Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.”

But Edmond felt something different. We are told that, at the name of Aslan, he “felt a sensation of mysterious horror.”

Edmond, at this point in the story, is portrayed as a cruel young man. He is rather fond of the witch. And the name of Aslan fills him with dread.

But there is one other thing to notice about Edmond as it pertains to our study of John 6 today.

Edmond is portrayed as sensual young man. By that I mean he is driven and controlled by his senses. He seems to live for fleshly, worldly, pleasures.

When he first met the witch she acted in a most cunning way. She asked the boy if he was hungry. Of course he was. He was wandering in a frozen wilderness. She asked him if would like something to eat. His food of choice, as it is for most children, was a dessert – he asked for Turkish Delight. And so she gave him a whole cake, several pounds worth. The more he ate the more he wanted. It was the best thing he had ever tasted! He ate the whole thing.  When it was gone, he desperately wanted more. But the witch would not give it.

She promised that if he would go and get his siblings and bring them to her house she would give him more. She spoke to Edmond saying,

“It is a lovely place, my house… There are whole rooms full of Turkish Delight, and what’s more, I have no children of my own. I want a nice boy who I could bring up as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I’m gone. While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish Delight all day long.”

Your are beginning to wonder what this has to do with John 6.

I actually hope that it is clear.

The way that Lewis describes his characters in this wonderful little story is not all that different from the way that the crowd of John 6 is described.

The multitude of men and women following after Jesus in the wilderness seems to have much in common with this boy, Edmond.

They too are sensual. They want more bread! They want power and prestige!

Instead of being drawn to the name of the Eternal Son of God, the true and heavenly bread given by the Father, they are offended by him. They find his words repulsive.

We are beginning to see in John’s gospel that Jesus is a divisive figure. Some are drawn to him, but others find him offensive. By the end of John 6 we see clearly that, not only do some reject him – most do.

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (John 6:60, ESV)

“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66, ESV)

The question that looms large as we consider this narrative is this: Why do these not come? Why do the majority of these men and women remain in their unbelief?

This passage gives a most direct answer to that question. The answer, to borrow the language used in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, is that those who reject Jesus have been born of the flesh only, and not of the Spirit of God.

Verses 41-42: they have been born of the flesh 

That they have been born of the flesh only is evident as we consider verses 41-42.

Vs. 41: “So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:41–42, ESV)

It is obvious that they have been born of the flesh in that they are living and breathing. This is what it means to be born of the flesh. All who are born into this world are born of the flesh.

And what to the scriptures tell us about the condition of all those born according to the flesh?

“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:9–18, ESV)

That they have been born of the flesh only is evident given the way that they respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How do they respond?

They grumbled because he claimed to be bread that came down from heaven.

They could understood his human origin, but could not comprehend his divine origin.

They grumbled. This should remind us of the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness under Moses.

“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”” (Exodus 17:1–3, ESV)

“Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”” (Numbers 14:1–3, ESV)

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.” (Numbers 14:26–27, ESV)

Just as many in Israel who were under the Old Covenant did not have faith, but grumbled, so to this multitude, though they were externally following Jesus, did not believe in him from the heart.

Paul hones in upon this same principle and makes application for us.

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–11, ESV)

Verses 43-46: they have not been born of the Spirit

That they have not been born of the Spirit is clear from Verses 43-46.

Listen to Jesus’ words concerning them.

Vs. 43: “Jesus answered them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves.’” (John 6:43, ESV)

D.A. Carson:  “The grumbling was not only insulting, but dangerous: it presupposed that divine revelation could be sorted out by talking the matter over, and thus diverted attention from the grace of God. ‘So long as a man remains, and is content to remain, confident of his own ability, without divine help, to assess experience and the meaning of experience, he cannot “come to” the Lord, he cannot “believe”; only the Father can move him to this step, with its incalculable and final results’ (Lightfoot, pp. 160–161)”.

Do not grumble amongst yourselves. It will do no good.

Vs. 44a:“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44a, ESV)

What needs to happen in order for these people (or anyone, for that matter) to come to Christ and to believe in his name is for the Father to draw them to the Son.

Remember that a connected idea has already been communicated in verse 37: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37, ESV)

So we have already been told, in positive terms, that everyone given to the Son by the Father will come to faith in Christ. And everyone who comes to faith in Christ will certainly be saved – none will be lost.

Here the idea is stated in a negative way: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44a, ESV)

The teaching is that no one is able to come to Christ unless the Father draws that person to Christ.

To state it another way, it is impossible for someone to believe in Christ, to trust in him for salvation, unless the Father has given that person to the Son, and draws that person to Christ.

The word translated “draws” is really quite strong. It’s basic meaning is this: “to pull or drag, requiring force because of the inertia of the object being dragged—‘to pull, to drag, to draw.’” (Louw Nida 15.212)

It appears six times in the New Testament, five of those occurrences being in John. Bedside this passage it also appears in:

John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people [all the peoples of the earth – Jew and Gentile] to myself.” (John 12:32, ESV)

John 21:6: “He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.” (John 21:6, ESV)

John 21:11: “So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.” (John 21:11, ESV)

John 18:10: “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)” (John 18:10, ESV)

Act 16:19: “But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.” (Acts 16:19, ESV)

The word is rather strong, then. It speaks of the need of God the Father to effectively bring sinners to faith in the Son. Without that drawing, wooing, effective calling – whatever you want to call it – no one will be saved.

As you know many professing Christians struggle with this teaching. They claim that it is unfair and unjust for God choose some our of the world for salvation. Their opinion is flawed for a number of reasons.

One, they have thrust upon God their opinion concerning what is right and wrong for him to do.

Two, they have underestimated the severity of our sin. We cannot say that we deserve God’s love and mercy. He would be right and just to judge all. In his mercy and grace he has determined to save some.

Three, the teaching of election is just to clear in the scriptures. It is clear in this passage that God has given some to the Son. Those given to the Son will come and be raised up on the last day. And they will come as the Father draws them to the Son, and thus to himself.

Notice that this is a not a drawing that everyone experiences. Were it something that everyone experience, then everyone would be saved given that it is perfectly effective. According to verse 44, those drawn by the Father are certainly raised up on the last day.

We are not told exactly how the Father goes about drawing people to himself in this passage. The rest of John makes it clear, though. The rest of John is clear that it is the Holy Spirit who draws.

That is what Jesus said to Nicodemus. John 3:3, 5-7:

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…’ ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:5–7, ESV)

This is what Jesus says later in the gospel. John 16:7–8:

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:7–8, ESV)

And it is in the following passage as well.

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all…” (John 6:63a, ESV)

The drawing of the Father is done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 45 Jesus shows that this was promised from long ago.

Vs. 45a: “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ (John 6:45a, ESV)

This is a quotation from Isaiah 54:13. Here that prophet speaks of day when all of the children of God will be taught by God. This is important for a number of reasons.

One, it tells something about how the Father draws sinners to himself. He teaches them. Sinners are brought to faith in the Son through the proclamation of the gospel, through the teaching of the word. The Spirit of God himself opens blind eyes and enlivens dead hearts so that the word of God might be received. God draws us to himself through teaching us his words.

Two, this quotation from Isaiah 54 is significant in that it brings to remembrance the promise from long ago that the day was coming where all of the covenant people of God would know God and be taught by him. You see, although the Old and New Covenants are indeed connected, there are also differences. One of the major differences is both believers and non-believers were rightly said to a part of the Old Covenant. Jacob and Esau were both under the Old Covenant. They were both circumcised, and rightly so. But God loved Jacob and hated Esau. As we consider the multitude that followed Moses out of Egypt and into the wilderness we would have to say that, though some believed, many did not – they grumbled and complained against God – but all of them were under the Old Covenant. The males received the sign of the covenant, circumcision, and rightly so. They were apart of the covenant community even if they did not believe – many were circumcised according to the flesh, but not according to the heart.

Jesus is here saying that the time has come, just as Isaiah had promised, where all of the children of God would know him truly and from the heart. It is those who believe in Christ who are apart of the New Covenant, made in Christ’s blood. This is why we give the sign of the covenant – baptism – to those who believe, and not to our children as they did with circumcision under the Old Covenant.

Three, this quotation from Isaiah 54 helps us to understand why Jesus sent these men and woman away. Think of it! Jesus and Moses are compared with one another throughout this text. Moses put up with the grumbling and unbelieving multitude there in the wilderness. They were allowed to go on eating the physical bread, though many who ate did not believe. They drank from the rock with hearts of unbelief. The nation of Israel was preserved through them so that the Christ might come. But now that he has come, Christ does not receive these unbelieving ones as apart of the covenant community, but rather he sends them away. “Jesus answered them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” (John 6:43–45, ESV)

Notice the confidence of Jesus in verse 45:

Vs. 45b: “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” (John 6:45b, ESV)

The gospel has been preached to the multitude. The free offer of the gospel has been given, Jesus has said to them again and again – come to me, believe, partake, eat, drink, be satisfied. He has said this, not to a few, but to all. And now he confidently says, “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” (John 6:45b, ESV)

All have heard the gospel with their physical ears. Is is those who hear the voice of the Father in those words by the power of the Holy Spirit who will come.

This is what Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 2:!4: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)

And then in verse 46 we read these words:

Vs. 46: “not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” (John 6:46, ESV)

Some have been puzzled concerning the meaning of this verse. I think it is important. There has been all of this talk of the Father drawing people, the Father teaching people. Here it is clarified that the Father is in fact drawing and teaching through the Son. It is Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who comes from God, having seen God as he is, and therefore, Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified to reveal the Father to us. The Father draws through the Son and by the Spirit.

So what have we learned so far?

As Jesus interacts with this crowd he teaches that some have been given by the Father to the Son. They will come to him. They will believe in him. They will by no means be lost. They will be drawn to faith in the Son, by the Father, through the word of the Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. They will be raised up on the last day.

This is doctrine of election, or predestination. The is the doctrine of irresistible grace. This is the doctrine of the perseverance, or preservation of the saints. It is here in no uncertain terms.

I find it interesting that one of the complaints that I often hear from those who deny the doctrine of predestination is that the doctrine has a way of killing evangelism. The rational is that if some are predestined by the Father, and if they will indeed come, then why preach?

Tell me, what do you notice about this entire dialogue between Jesus and crowd as it pertains to evangelism, or the free offer of the gospel? What is Jesus constantly urging people to do? He is urging them to believe! He is offering the gospel freely! He is saying, come to me, partake, believe.

Verses 47-48: Notice that Jesus still offers himself freely in the gospel

Notice in verses 47-48 that Jesus still offers himself freely in the gospel.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.” (John 6:47–48, ESV)

From beginning to end Jesus is compelling the crowd to come, to believe, to have faith in him. He offers himself to them as the bread of life. He pleads them with to partake.

This makes it clear that a biblical understanding of the doctrine election is by no means opposed to the free offer of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christ himself is our model. He, in the same dialogue, managed to do both. He taught that some were given to him by the Father, and also continuously compelled the crowds to come.

Application and Conclusion

Present the gospel freely.

Pray for the lost and for your own soul.

Are you ruled by the flesh or the Spirit? Walk by the Spirit.

Reading of God’s Word

“On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ’ Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’” (John 6:22–40, ESV)

Introduction

John 6 follows the same pattern as John 5. Both chapters present, first of all, a story of a miracle preformed by Jesus followed by extensive teaching from Jesus which explains the true significance of the miracle that was preformed.

In John 5 the sign was the healing of the invalid; the significance was that Jesus has life in himself. Men and women were urged to look to Jesus for eternal life.

In John 6 the sign was the multiplication of the bread and the fish. The significance, as we will see, is that Jesus is the bread of life. Men and women will be urged to partake of him by faith in order to have eternal life – in order to be eternally satisfied.

John 6:1-21 tells of the sign. 6:22-71 reveals the significance of the sign. The structure of 22-71 is really simple. Verses 22-24 are traditional as we are told of the movement of the crowd form the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee up to Capernaum, located on the northwestern shore of the sea. Once there were hear of a back-and-fourth between Jesus and the Jews. They ask a question, and he answers. This repeats six times before they go their way. Jesus then asks his own disciples a question, and they respond in 60-71. So what we have is a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews, followed by a dialogue between Jesus and his own disciples. There is much to learn from this dialogue.

Let me state briefly my plans for John 6:22-71. Today we will consider 6:22-40. Lord willing, we will consider 6:41-59 next Sunday, and then 6:60-71 the Sunday after that. These three sermons will be exegetical in nature, meaning that we will consider the text rather methodically, verse by verse. After that I plan to devote one sermon to the doctrine of salvation asking the question, how does John 6 contribute to our understanding of the salvation of man? That sermon will be topical or theological in nature.

This particular passage (6:22-40) is divided into three parts. Verses 22-25 contain transitional material, as I have already said. In verses 26-36 we will observe Jesus’ most penetrating assessment of, and appeal to, the will of man. And in verses 37-40 we are exposed to Jesus’ most revealing statement concerning the will of the Father and the Son. This passage is indeed revealing. It is penetrating. It gets to the heart of the issue, if you will, laying bare deep and hidden truths concerning the heart of man and the heart of God.

Verses 22-25: Transitional Material – The Zealous Pursue Jesus

Let’s consider briefly the transitional material found in 6:22-25.

I do not want to linger here to long. In a way the passage is utterly simple. The people were eager to meet with Jesus after he had fed them with the bread and fish, but he is nowhere to be found. They saw his disciples leave in the boat, but Jesus was not with them. In verse 23 we are told that, “Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.” Some have taken this to mean that these boats were blown to the eastern shore by the storm that almost ruined the disciples the night before. This is entirely possible, but uncertain.

At any rate, the crowed that remained got into the boats and headed to Capernaum. We are not told how many of the 5,000 remained and made the journey. It would seem that there was still a good number, for they are still called a crowd, but not all of the 5,000 were still present. Some had gone home.

The crowd that remained chose to go to Capernaum because this was Jesus’ home town and base of operations at this point. If they were to find him, this would be the most likely place.

If anything beyond the historical details is to be gleaned from 22-25 it is this: These people were serious about finding Jesus. They had walked deep into the wilderness, and now they were traveling by sea to find him. They were far from half-hearted and apathetic in their pursuit of the man. They would rightly be called zealous for Jesus.

Vs. 25: “When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’” (John 6:25, ESV)

This is their leading question for him. They are curious how he had made the journey so quickly given that he did not leave with his disciples. You would think that this would be a perfect opportunity for Jesus and his disciples to tell of his having walked upon the water and his bringing of his disciples safely to shore after the storm had threatened them in that most terrifying way, but he does no such thing. The reason, I think, is that for some, miracles are in fact a hindrance to true faith, instead of an aid to it. This will prove to be true for these as they are the type who are more concerned with the signs themselves than the significance of the signs.

Verses 26-36: A Most Penetrating Assessment of and Appeal to the Will of Man

What follows is a most penetrating assessment of, and appeal to, the will of man.

He saw through their superficial and misdirected faith and called them to task on it.

Vs. 26: “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.’” (John 6:26, ESV)

Notice that he does not even answer their question. They come to him saying, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” This should remind us of the way that Nicodemus approached Jesus in 3:2. He approached him saying, “Rabbi…” after which he made a statement (which was really a question, I think). And Jesus responded to Nicodemus in the same way that he responded to these! He brushed aside the initial statement and addressed the heart of the man. Here he addresses the heart of the crowed. He calls them to task.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (John 6:26, ESV)

This seems to, at first, contradict what was said in 6:14. There we are told that “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” (John 6:14, ESV) And so the people did see the sign. And having witnessed the sign they came to confess that Jesus was the Prophet who was to come into the world. This was all good and correct.

What Jesus is criticizing here is that the crowed saw the sign, but failed to perceive the true significance of the sign.  They saw the sign – they witnessed he multiplication of the bread and fish – but they did not see the sign, really and truly. They did not comprehend, or perceive, the truth signified by the miracle preformed.

They wanted more bread. They want a second Moses. They want an earthly King.  They want a free and reestablished Israel.

These people were worldly and fleshly, thinking in mere human terms. They were failing to grasp the spiritual, heavenly, and eternal significance of Christ’s works.

And so Jesus responded, saying,

Vs. 27: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:27, ESV)

Jesus offered the woman at the well living water – “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” (John 4:13–14, ESV). 

Jesus offers these food that endures. 

The water of the world cannot satisfy permanently. It cannot provide eternal life.  You drink of it, and you must drink again.  The same is true of bread. It cannot provide eternal life. You eat of it, and you grow hungry again. The bread of this world perishes. It grows stale. It molds and rots. It perishes in that when we eat of it we grow hungry and must eat again.

You are beginning to see this consistent theme in John, that he is again and again persuading us to see beyond the stuff of this world – to lift up our eyes that we might see that Christ has come to to give eternal life, to bring eternal satisfaction, to establish an eternal kingdom. And yet man in his natural state is unable to discern these spiritual truths.

Vs. 28: “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’” (John 6:28, ESV)

This question is understandable. Jesus has just said, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…” and now they want to know what work is required – what they must do to have eternal life.

Vs. 29: “Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”” (John 6:29, ESV)

Here is what God requires – that men and women believe in Christ.

This would have been a most surprising response. The Jews who asked the question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”, undoubtably expected to hear, keep this law, or do this thing, but instead Jesus says,  this is the work that God requires, that you believe in the Son whom he has sent. 

Belief is the way that men and women are to partake of the food which endures to eternal. We partake of earthly food by way of the mouth and digestive system. We partake of the bread of life by the instrument of faith.

To believe in Christ is to know what is true concerning him. To believe in Christ is to confess that those things are indeed true. To believe in Christ is to trust in him, confessing that no good thing exists within us that could possibly earn eternal life, but that life eternal is found in him alone.

This is “work” that God requires, that men and women believe in the one whom Christ has sent.

Vs. 30-31: “So they said to him, ‘Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” (John 6:30–31, ESV)

Two things are made clear by this request.

One, these men and women will never be satisfied with signs.

They will go on forever wanting to see more and more. They had witnessed Jesus’ multiplication of the bread and the fish, and they had witnessed who-knows-how-many signs before that, and yet it was not enough. “…what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?” Give us more, and more, and more. No sign – no proof – no matter how spectacular will be enough to open their their blind eyes and awaken their dead hearts.

Two, these men and women cannot comprehend the difference between Moses and Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

They are correct to make the connection between the two. Jesus was the Prophet promised from long ago. He was the one like Moses who would arise from amongst the people – the one to whom the were to listen, according to Deuteronomy 18:18. They were correct to see the connection between the giving of manna in the wilderness under Moses and Jesus’ multiplication of the bread and fish. They were correct to make the connection between the two!

However, they failed to understand that Jesus was so much greater than Moses.

When they ask for another sign in verse 30, and go on to point out in verse 31, how their “fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”, they are urging Jesus to do the same thing that Moses did – that is to feed the people bread, not once, but perpetually.

Under Moses the people were given bread, not once, but daily. The people are are pursuing Jesus by land and sea urging him to feed them, not once, but time and again as Moses did.

They are right to see the connection between Moses and Jesus. They are wrong in that they have failed to recognize that Jesus is so much greater.

Here is how the writer to the Hebrews puts it:

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” (Hebrews 3:1–6, ESV)

Jesus came, not feed the people with earthly bread, but to give them the bread of life from above.

He explains:

Vs. 32-33: “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’” (John 6:32–33, ESV)

Three things are stated here:

One, the manna given to Israel in the wilderness did not come from Moses, but from God the Father. Moses was a servant in God’s house, a mediator. Though he was indeed significant, he was nothing more than that.

Two, the Father has always been concerned that the people eat, not only of the bread of this earth, but also of the true bread which comes from him alone – “my Father gives you the true bread from heaven”, Jesus says.

Three, Jesus is that true bread. He is “the bread of God… who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Vs. 34: “They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’” (John 6:34, ESV)

I see this, not as a legitimate declaration of faith, but as a sarcastic reply to the offer of bread from heaven. The woman at the well responded in the same way.

“‘…The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’  The woman said to him [I think with a smirk and a chuckle], ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’” (John 4:14–15, ESV) So too the people say, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Vs. 35-36: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.’” (John 6:35–36, ESV)

This is the first of the seven great “I AM” sayings of Jesus in John’s gospel.

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12, ESV)

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9, ESV)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, ESV)

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” (John 11:25, ESV)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” (John 15:1, ESV)

The message is clear. What we have throughout John, and particularly here in this passage, is an appeal to the will of man. These men and women were looking to earthly, worldly, fleshly things for life. Jesus is calling them to look to him, to believe in him, to have faith in him. “…Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV)

But look at Jesus’ assessment  of the will of man. “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” (John 6:36, ESV)

Summery: 

And so verses 26-36 tell this story: A crowd has followed Jesus. We might even say that they were zealous for him, traveling by land and see to find him. But their motives were worldly, their hearts and minds set upon the things of this world. Jesus called them out. He condemned their worldliness and urged them to see him as the bread of life, the bread from heaven,  but they do not believe.

Verses 26-36 prove to be a most penetrating assessment of and appeal to the will of man.

Transition:

Let’s pause for a moment. We’ve been moving rather quickly through this text, considering each verse. But I would invite you to put yourself in the midst of this event as it happened. I think it would be particularly beneficial if we were to look at it through the eyes of the disciples of Christ. See it from their perspective.

They had left all to follow Jesus, who they believed to be the Messiah. Their understanding of the what the Messiah would be was still forming. This was relatively new to them. We know that they also tended to see things from a worldly perspective – it would seem that they too wanted a political Messiah, an earthly kingdom, and the fame that would naturally come with it. They saw the miracles. They even took part in feeding the multitude! They distributed the food and gathered up the fragments. They had been saved from certain doom by Jesus as walked across the sea and brought them safely to shore.

I would imagine that from their perspective – their worldly, human, and earthly perspective – things are going quite well. 5,000 men journeyed a great distance into the wilderness to be with Jesus. Many of those also pursued him all the way back to Capernaum. It would seem as if Jesus’ ministry is finally flourishing! He has at his disposal what amounts to a small army. But what does Jesus do? He does not receive these men. He rebukes them. Why? Because he unwilling to be their Christ, their Messiah, made in their own image.

Seeing this story from the perspective of the disciples helps to understand what follows.

Verses 37-40: A Most Revealing Statement Concerning the Will of the Father and the Son

What we have here in 37-40 is a most revealing statement concerning the will of the Father and the Son.

Christ gives us a glimpse into the purposes of God. Man has his purposes, and they are tainted with pride and selfish ambition. But God has his purposes. Jesus here reveals them to us. He makes the hidden purposes of God known.

Vs. 37: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37, ESV)

Christ has just called this unbelieving crowd to come to him. Verse 35: “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” There is here a general call to come to Jesus and partake.

In verse 37 we are told that, “all that the Father gives me will come to me…”

And so the principle of election is set forth: Some have been given by the Father to the Son. God the Father, in his infinite and unsearchable wisdom, has given some to the Son. We are not told who they are. We are not told how many. We are only told that from amongst the unbelieving masses, some have been given to the Son by the Father.

Furthermore we are told that “all that the Father gives [to the Son] will come to [him]…” And so not only is some particular group of people given by the Father to the Son, but it is guaranteed that those given will come. There is certainty concerning this. 

Beyond that we have this promise that, “whoever comes to [the Son] will never [be] cast out.”

Jesus has delivered this general call to the crowd – come to me, partake of me, believe in me. And now he reveals this, that it is those whom the Father has given to him who will believe in his name, and those who believe in his name will never be cast out.

How can this be? Jesus tells us in verse 38:

Vs. 38: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38, ESV)

This is a certain thing because it is the will of God. Christ came to do, not his own will, but the will of the Father. He came to accomplish the Fathers will established from eternity past.

Vs. 39-40: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:39–40, ESV)

Here the will of the Father is stated in no uncertain terms. The reason why the Father has sent the Son is so that all whom the Father has given to him would be raised up on the last day. The will of the Father is that all who look to the Son and believe in him should have eternal life and be raised up on the last day.

The teaching is clear. Christ came to accomplish the Father will. The Fathers will is to redeem a particular people for himself from every tongue, tribe, and nation. These are the ones given to the Son by the Father from eternity past.

That was his mission – not to gather a a great multitude to himself in the wilderness – not to establish, or reestablish, a nation – not to feed men with bread – but to redeem, to save, to raise up a particular people – those given to him by the Father. That was his mission, according to John 38-40.

And how important it was for Jesus’ disciples to hear this. They, of all people, needed know what the mission of Christ was. They needed to have this settled in their minds so that they could walk faithfully with him while he was on earth, and so they could serve him faithfully after his death and resurrection.

If Jesus mission was to save all, or to gather a great following and establish an earthly kingdom, then he certainly failed. But if his mission was to pay for the sins of those given to him by the Father, to draw them to faith, and to raise them up on the last day, then we can say with complete certainly that his mission was accomplished. It is finished.

John 6 is one of those passages that gets to the heart of things. It moves us beyond the appearance of things.

From a human perspective this was the hight of Jesus’ ministry.

From the divine perspective this was nothing more than mob a of worldly, sensual, and idolatrous people eager to make God in their own image.

Application & Conclusion

Let’s apply this text briefly before we conclude.

Partake of Christ. I am to do the very thing that Christ did when speaking to the multitude, and that is to call you to faith in Christ.

If you are concerned only with worldly things, may I urge you to see that these things perish with time. They cannot give life.

If you are concerned about eternal things, yet looking to something or someone, other than Christ to save, may I urge you to look to Christ alone, to abandon all, confidence in the flesh, and to confess him as Savior and Lord.

If you have believed in Christ, may I urge to remain in him. Feast upon him perpetually!