In this sermon, Pastor Dave Capoccia examines Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse in John 6:22-59. There, Jesus makes three profound assertions about himself as the bread of life so that you will by faith feed on Jesus as your soul’s exclusive food and thereby experience eternal life:
1. Jesus Is the True Bread from Heaven (vv. 26-35)
2. Jesus Will Succeed in His Life-giving Mission (vv. 36-47)
3. Jesus Imparts Life by Sacrifice and Union (vv. 48-59)
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let’s pray together holy God open up your word to us and feed us with the food of Jesus Christ amen here’s a hypothetical question to start us off this morning if you had to eat just one meal repeatedly for the rest of your life what would it be I know that this is perhaps a dangerous question to ask close to lunchtime but think about it which meal would you choose to eat exclusively from now on for me I’d like the answer to be a simple but well-made set of hamburger and fries no it may not be the most cultured meal but I tell you a juicy burger slather with with a nice layer of ketchup and mayonnaise next to a copious collection of crispy and well salted fries it’s a little affirmation of God’s goodness in the world I might choose to eat that meal for the rest of my life but if I’m thinking soberly I know that I would quickly come to regret that choice I think you can understand why for one a steady diet of burger and fries is not exactly healthy all that fat and cholesterol would quickly take a toll in my my body not to mention i’ been missing out a lot of other important nutrients from fruits and vegetables also no matter how tasty a particular meal is I’m sure that I would eventually grow bored of it part of the goodness of food as God has created it is its variety to eat only one kind of food forever even the best food it would soon be like torture in fact I bet that no matter what meal you come up with and answer my hypothetical you could not actually eat it for the rest of your life not exclusively but what if I told you there is one meal that is an exception to that rule this meal is not just healthy it’s lifegiving if you eat it you will never die but live forever more than that this meal is fundamentally satisfying eating it not only removes hunger but also cravings for other food and also the more you eat of it the more enjoyable it becomes for you not less also this meal is absolutely free available immediately to anyone who asks for it but there is a catch this is not a meal for your stomach but for your soul where you actually have a more serious hunger and you in danger of starvation also if you choose to enjoy this meal you cannot enjoy other meals alongsid it anymore you must make this meal your exclusive diet for the rest of your life what is the meal I alluded to it in my prayer it’s the son of man it’s the Lord Jesus Christ who the Bible declares has come down from heaven as the bread of life to the world so that all kinds of persons might feed on him and find life and satisfaction forever how is Jesus the bread of life what does it mean to take him as your only food that’s what I want to look at with you this morning as we investigate the Jesus diet from John 622 to 59 so please if you haven’t already take your Bibles and turn to John 6 it’s a large passage before us today 38 verses so I will not reread the passage to start we instead we’ll read as we work our way through the verses do you recall the preceding context of John 622 to 59 which we see in the first 21 verses of our chapter in verses 1 to 15 we have Jesus miraculous feeding of 20,000 people or more after which a group of impressed Jews you may remember they were about to force Jesus they were going to take Jesus by force and make him King but he didn’t let that happen then in verses 16 to 21 which is where we were were last week we saw Jesus Miracle of walking on the water while the disciples were attempting to cross the lake the Sea of Galilee what happens the next morning is our passage it’s Jesus famous bread of life discourse according to verse 59 at the end of our passage this conversation takes place between Jesus and Galilean Jews in the synagogue at capernium Jesus second Hometown in the conversation we see the first of seven profound I am statements of the Gospel of John this is the first one where Jesus says I am the bread of life and he explains what that means in terms of organization the passage has a short section of introduction and then three sections of of extended conversation focused on particular truths and that’s going to form our sermon outline we can summarize the main idea of the passage in this way in John 622 to 59 Jesus makes three profound assertions about himself as the bread of life so that you will by faith feed on Jesus as your Soul’s exclusive food and thereby experience eternal life let’s see this for ourselves starting with the introduction in verses 22 to 25 the introduction if I can summarize it it is a hungry crowd comes looking for Jesus let’s reread those or let’s read those verses the next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one and that Jesus had not entered with the disciples into the boat but that his disciples had gone away alone there came other small boats from Tiberius near to the place where they ate 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 small boats and came to capernium seeking Jesus when they found him on the other side of the sea they said to him Rabbi when did you get here now these verses are mostly important for setting up the discourse that is about to take place we won’t look at these in great detail but notice a few aspects of this section with me we learn here that the crowd that had previously been fed miraculously by Jesus fed and dismissed they go back to that rural spot on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee to find Jesus again there are even some people who come from tiberias which is a City on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee they also come to look for Jesus and perhaps to get in on that miraculous bread action but the crowd doesn’t find Jesus and they don’t find his disciples which mystifies them because they’re pretty sure Jesus did not leave the area by boat with his disciples verse 24 says that the crowd or whatever portion of the crowd could fit into the boats around tiberias they decide to search for Jesus in capernium and lo and behold they find him and when they do they ask him a question Rabbi when did you get here somewhat reasonable question to ask but we find out Jesus’s response as we get to the main part of this text and the first profound assertion Jesus makes about himself as the bread of life and this covers verses 26 to35 number one Jesus is the true bread from Heaven look at verses 26 to 27 Jesus answered and said Jesus answered them and said truly truly I say to you you seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the Loaves and were filled do not work for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to eternal life which the son of man will give to you for on him the father God has set his seal so notice there’s a bit of an ouch here Jesus as he’s done before in conversations in this gospel he doesn’t answer the question posed to him but he responds omnisciently to the main issue in the heart of The Inquirer and Jesus puts his finger right on the problem of their heart and that is the Jewish people are seeking him not because they rever him not because they believe in him as God’s Messiah because they want more food truly truly I’d say to you Jesus says and we’ve seen that phrase before in other words Jesus is saying it’s shocking I know but you got to believe what I’m about to tell you I know that you’re coming after me for the wrong reasons you like food you like the food that I gave you and you want more of it Jesus then gives some counsel along with his rebuke stop working for the food which doesn’t last but seek the food which does last and even brings about eternal life for the eater no where can the Jews find this food it’s not so subtle it’s with Jesus of of course who notice calls himself the son of man here in verse 27 that’s his favorite title for himself ostensibly highlighting his Humanity but also subtly alluding to his messiahship and even deity so then Jesus is saying in verse 27 the son of man is able to give you enduring food if you seek it and you know you can count on the son of man’s food because on him Jesus says the father God has set his seal now what does it mean to set one’s seal it means to Mark someone or something as approved Jesus says that he as the son of man has God’s seal of approval how do we know that how can he say that Jesus doesn’t explain here but we already heard in John five about how the father gives testimony Supernatural testimony on jesus’ behalf through the son’s works the son’s words and through the Old Testament scriptures well how did the Jews respond to Jesus offer of better food than what they’re seeking verse 28 therefore they said to him what shall we do so that we may work the works of God ah the Jews have not fully understood Jesus words to them understanding that they do need to seek better and more lasting food than literal loaves of bread okay you got us there Jesus the Jews think that Jesus is telling them that they need to seek the lasting food of fulfilling God’s rules see the phrase The Works of God at the end of verse 28 this is best understood as the work which God requires so essentially these Jews like all religious people in the world they are displaying their natural belief in Works based righteousness here they say Jesus you’re right should be seeking that which gives us lasting lasting life and we know where to find it the commands of Torah so tell us what are the works that we need to do to meet God’s required standard notice the proud assumption here that these people can do whatever God says are the necessary works but Jesus gives another resp surprising response to the Jews in verse 29 Jesus answered and said to them this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent you see the irony in Jesus response the Jews are asking which works God requires for eternal life God only has one requirement one little work work which is really no work at all you simply must believe in him whom God has sent and whom did God send what has Jesus been saying all along in this gospel God sent Jesus so Jesus is saying if they would believe in him they will have the food that lasts to eternal life but do the Jews get it look at verses 30 to 31 so they said to him what then do you do for a sign so that we may see and believe you what work do you perform our fathers ate the man in the wilderness as it is written he gave them bread out of Heaven to eat so you see the Jews kind of get what Jesus is saying they realize that Jesus is Calling on them to believe in him for eternal life but incredibly they indicate that they haven’t seen enough miraculous signs from Jesus to believe why do I say that’s incredible because Jesus has been doing sign after sign as he’s been ministering in Galilee including the massive sign just recorded in John from the day before in feeding thousands of people from Five Loaves and two fish it was Jesus most massive Miracle up to this point but it’s not enough for these Jews they want more they want bigger they want more spectacular in fact they notice not so subtly suggest what kind sign would really get them on board the believe in Jesus Train Hey Jesus can you top Moses who miraculously fed the whole nation with Mana bread from heaven for 40 years while they wandered through the Wilderness that was pretty massive right they even quote the scriptures at Jesus to indicate or to assert that this is what God’s promised Prophet would do their quotation uh you read the quotation he gave them bread out of Heaven to eat that’s a kind of a quotation of Psalm 78:24 but probably combined with other scriptures like Exodus 16:4 and exodus 16:15 but do you see what’s so Insidious about this reply from the Jews to Jesus the Jews are now trying to validate as biblically warranted their shallow seeking of perishing food for which Jesus just rebuke them in verses 26 to 27 they’re essentially telling Jesus Jesus we will believe in you as God requires if you will continually give us all the fleshly things that we want then we’ll know that you’re really the son of God if you fulfill all our lusts then we’ll accept the sign how foolish and wicked a response is that and yet do not many people do the same with God today God give me all the things that I want and I will believe in you but that person doesn’t really want God how did Jesus respond to this fleshly request for another sign as we might expect with correction verse 32 Jesus then said to them truly truly I say to you it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven but it is my father who gives you the the true bread out of heaven and notice again we have that truly truly opener Jesus is trying to get the people’s attention and then he offers a double correction Jesus clarifies it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven but God my father but also the bread that God gave under Moses was not the true bread that is it was not the ultimate bread that Mana was merely a type a sh shadow of better bread to come Jesus says this better bread is presently here and available notice the present tense in verse 32 he says my father who gives you the true bread is present Jesus says the father not Moses who’s currently giving the true bread and doing so apart from obedience to Moses law how does Jesus know that this true bread is different and has now arrived well look at verse 33 for the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world really the ancient Mana was pretty special but it only gave life temporarily to one people people of Israel but Jesus says you’ll know the true bread because it gives life to the whole world that is it gives life to the the entire Dwelling Place of mankind to mankind generally it is able to save the human race but are the Jews tracking with Jesus look at verse 34 they then said to himl always give us this bread oh boy they still think that Jesus is talking about physical bread Jesus you got the father’s super bread somewhere that’s the bread we want all the time this may remind you of the woman at the Well’s response to Jesus when he offered Living Water she says oh give that to me all the time I don’t have to keep coming to this well she thought he was talking about physical water well as in that other situation because the Jews still don’t get it Jesus speaks to them plainly in John 6:35 Jesus said to them I am the bread of life he who comes to me will not hunger and he who Believes In Me will never thirst notice the phrase I am the bread of life here again we see that Greek phrase which we’ve often drawn attention to through this gospel ego am me I am this is a clear statement of self-identification but it also especially in this gospel has overtones of deity at times has overtones of deity and here it’s attached to a predicate I am the bread of life Jesus says and of Life attached to bread that would be with the sense of I am the bread that gives life that has life and gives life so Jesus is telling the Jews I am what I’ve been talking to you about I am the enduring lifegiving bread I am the ultimate bread of which Mana under Moses was just a type I am the one who has come down out of Heaven to give life to the the world but how does one enjoy or benefit from Jesus as the godsent bread of life well it’s the same as Jesus said back in verse 29 a person must come to Jesus and believe in him that’s exactly what he says in this verse and notice the promise results the believer will not hunger and will never thirst actually the Greek is even more emphatic than what appears in our English New American Standard 95 translation a more literal translation of the Greek would read something like he could not possibly be hungry and he absolutely will not be thirsty ever how could Jesus speak so confidently well it’s like what Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4 when someone eats by belief the bread of life Jesus the son of man becomes in that person a source of both continual hunger satiation and also thirst quenching it’s not one and done it’s always there like Jesus told the Samaritan woman a spring welling up inside someone so whenever he’s thirsty takes a drink what a revelation and do you notice that this is an implicit invitation from Jesus to to his listeners and even to us today Jesus says to you even now I am the lifegiving souls satisfying bread to everyone who comes to me in believes so will you not partake what a kind what a generous offer yet even in the face of such Jesus realizes that many will not come many will not believe they will refuse to believe yes even among the Jews his own people the people of God supposedly therefore is there some failure in God’s plan to save the world with the true Bread of Heaven well not at all as Jesus will explain in his second profound assertion about himself as the bread of life this one covers verses 36- 47 and it is number two Jesus will succeed in his life-giving mission Jesus is the true bread from heaven and he will succeed in his life-giving mission look at verse 36 but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe this is a sudden shift in the conversation isn’t it especially following that beautiful offer Jesus knows all men and he knows that most the people to whom he is speaking here they have seen Jesus they’ve seen the supernatural testimony of the father on jesus’ behalf and yet they do not believe he told them this before most recently in verses 26 and 27 now he tells them again but Jesus is not discouraged for notice verse 37 all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out hm where does Jesus find comfort and confidence in the face of rejection and apathy the sovereignty of God specifically Jesus notes and he’s even willing to tell his believing disciples and the unbelieving Jews that everyone whom the father gives to the son will come to the son in Saving faith not these persons might come hopefully will come probably will come no they are given as a gift from the father to the son and so those persons will come and Believe In other words Jesus knows that his Bread of Life Ministry will be effective for those chosen by God furthermore Jesus says he is committed to keeping all those given to him and not driving them out why verses 38 to 39 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the the will of him who sent me this is the will of him who sent me that of all that he has given me I lose nothing but raise it up on the last day do you see the reason that Jesus Will cast out no gift from the father because Jesus doesn’t seek his own will but the father’s will what is the Father’s will Jesus spells it out in verse 39 not only that Jesus should not voluntarily cast out a person chosen by the father and gifted to the son but also that Jesus should make sure not to lose any of them to unbelief and condemnation on the contrary Jesus specific Mission from the father as reported here is to ensure that everyone chosen by the father for belief in the son should persevere in faith and be raised up by the son in Resurrection on the last day wow so Jesus is not only confident that all those chosen by God will come and take Jesus as the bread of life but also that none of those who do will ultimately fall away but does that mean that Jesus evangelism his proclamation of the Gospel is therefore useless not necessary look at verse 40 for this is the will of my father that everyone who beholds the son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself will raise him up on the last day what’s this it’s another implicit invitation to come and believe Jesus sees no contradiction in resting in the ultimate sovereignty of God while also freely offering the gospel even guaranteeing to those who hear it that all who are willing to respond in true faith will gain eternal life you see see complete Divine sovereignty and real human choice and responsibility they exist side by side in the Bible as they literally do right here but what are the Jews making of what Jesus has said thus far now verses 41 and 42 therefore the Jews were grumbling about him because he said I am the bread that came down out of Heaven they were saying is this not Jesus or is not this Jesus the son of of Joseph whose father and mother we know how does he say I have come down how does he now say I have come down out of heaven we can see that Jesus was speaking accurately in verse 36 can’t we these Jews have seen they are seeing again but generally they do not believe and just like that Exodus generation that grumbled about the Mana that God had provided so this gener generation of Jews also grumbles at the presentation of Jesus as God’s greater bread now why specifically are the Jews grumbling here well it’s because they know Jesus origin and it’s not from Heaven they think how could Jesus claim to be special when we all know his family we know his mom and dad he’s just a man he’s not Divine bread worthy of our full devotion and belief how dides Jesus respond to this fresh resistance from Jews even his close countrymen in Galilee verses 43 and 44 Jesus answered and said to themo not Grumble about 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 isn’t that interesting in his response first Jesus called calls out the Jews grumbling as unjustified but second Jesus then affirms the sovereignty of God in Salvation even more strongly than he did before back in verse 37 Jesus said that all those given by God to the son will come and believe but now Jesus describes the flip side unless God gives someone to the son or to use the words here unless God draws pulls or attracts a person that person cannot come to Jesus and believe yet notice the last part of it everyone who is drawn thus by the father Jesus will raise that one on the last day nobody but a certain condition will come but those Jesus will raise on the last day so this is Jesus Comfort amid the grumbling of the Jews and it is the explanation for the Jews rumbling did you notice that Jesus does not try to correct the Jews misunderstanding of his Origins doesn’t clarify oh Joseph is not really my birth dad and I was born in Bethlehem under these miraculous circumstances don’t see any of that why not Jesus recognizes that this clarification will not fix the Jews fundamental heart problem the fact that they really want perishing bread over living bread and evidently are not being drawn by God to desire otherwise in fact look at what Jesus says next in verses 45 and 46 it is written in the prophets and they shall all be taught of God everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me not that anyone has seen the father except the one who is from God he has seen the Father Here Jesus quotes isaah 40 54113 and that verse is from a section of Isaiah that’s all about Israel’s future repentance and restoration by God Jesus quotes this verse to affirm a fundamental New Covenant reality that is already evident in Jesus ministry and that is that those drawn by God to saving Faith have God himself speaking to their Inner Man God is revealing himself to them in their hearts by his spirit and writing his law on their hearts he’s teaching them in the Inner Man about him with the result that such taught ones come to Jesus and truly believe in him you see God never drags anyone Kicking and Screaming into the Kingdom no he irresistibly Woos and regenerates the heart so that the person thus spoken to and taught by God cannot help but believe that’s the only thing he wants he must do that yet this process This Magnificent miraculous process it never occurs without the word and revelation of Jesus for as Jesus says in verse 46 no one has seen or knows God except the one who is from God so if the father is teaching you and speaking to your heart he must be doing so by means of the only ordained explainer of God who is the son whom the father sent into the world to say that another way as we’ve already learned from John in John chapter 5 the way the father speaks to the hearts of men and draws them to Salvation is through the words of the son which we have as the scriptures therefore if you like these Jews hear the words of the father through the words of the son and are not moved to believe well then the father’s not drawing you and no extra evidence will be effective in bringing you to the sun you will not come but again this does not absolve you of your responsibility to come your responsibility to believe for Jesus again says in verse 47 truly truly I say to you he who believes has eternal life this may seem like an incredible statement after everything Jesus just said about God’s sovereignty truly you will not believe unless God speaks to your heart through Jesus word and draws you supernaturally draws you yet friend you must believe it is your own momentous choice if you believe you will have eternal life if you will not believe you will not have eternal life but experience Eternal death never excuse your own unbelief or Disobedience by the sovereignty of God no the Bible will not let you do that you are responsible you make your own choice you do what you want yet when others reject God or only show apathy to the gospel as a Christian do not be discouraged Jesus will succeed in his life-giving mission the precious bread of life will not be wasted now there’s more to the bread metaphor for Jesus beyond what we’ve seen thus far basically the fact that like bread Jesus gives life just better life we’re going to see as we move to the third and final profound assertion Jesus makes himself makes about himself as the bread of life why bread is a particularly appropriate metaphor for Jesus so this last point will cover verses 48 to 59 and it’s this number three Jesus imparts life by sacrifice and Union look at verses 48 to 51 first part of 51 I am the bread of life your fathers ate the man in the wilderness and they died this is the bread which comes down out of heaven so that one may eat of it and not die I am the living bread that came down out of heaven heaven if anyone eats this bread he will live forever notice here that after again declaring himself to be the bread of life Jesus returns to the comparison that began this discourse that began this discussion basically the man the Mana under Moses versus the bread of the father now given in Jesus and Jesus highlights for the Jews a fundamental shortcoming of that original Heaven Sent bread those who ate it still died why you claming for that food you’re still going to die they they died but Jesus says if you will eat of the living bread that now comes down from heaven you will not die but live forever and by this point we do understand what Jesus means by eating living bread right Jesus means to believe that’s what he’s been saying the whole time eat equals believe that’s what he’s been calling on the Jews to do but Jesus adds something at the end of verse 51 that certainly raises the Jews eyebrows look at the end there and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh what’s this Jesus now begins to describe more specifically how he functions like bread Jesus says in the future I will give up my flesh as bread to bring life to the world now what kind of description is that what is that reminiscent of give up my flesh for the life of the world that is a description of sacrifice that is the language of sacrifice even the death of one for another now flesh is a pretty visceral term isn’t it when we eat meat today maybe in a hamburger we don’t say m delicious cow flesh why not because that’s way too Vivid that’s too real that’s too much a reminder of the physical existence of another creature whose life has been taken for our sustenance yet this is the word that Jesus chooses to describe how he serves as God’s bread to the world and the Jews are not happy about this as we soon find out in verse 52 then the Jews began to argue with one another saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat and this is worse than before right before the Jews were grumbling now they’re fighting quarreling with one another Jesus cannot be talking about cannibalism right no that’s that can’t be so what does he mean what is this and if you’re feeling a little uncomfortable about Jesus talking about eating his flesh imagine how the kosher Jews feel but then Jesus turns up the discomfort up a notch verse 53 so Jesus said to them truly truly I say to you unless you eat the Flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in yourselves uh what could Jesus be more provocative notice he starts out again with that introductory attention grabbing phrase truly truly I say to you then Jesus declares that the Jews must not only eat the Flesh of the son of man Jesus but drink his blood now that’s a distasteful image isn’t it pardon the pun many people get queasy at the sight of blood but Jesus wants God’s people to drink blood on the first on the surface this act is actually forbidden in the Bible it’s forbidden in the Torah of Moses as a reverence for the fact that God declared a creature’s life is in its blood the Jews were forbidden from consuming blood ever or eating meat with blood still in it those who violated that command willfully they would be executed yet now Jesus says that people must drink his blood and notice the absolute terms of this declaration unless you do as Jesus outlined eat his flesh drink his blood you have no life in yourselves to put it positively the only way that anyone may have eternal life according to Jesus is if they eat the Flesh and drink the blood of the son of man you say Pastor Dave what is going on here and the answer is actually straightforward Jesus is saying that true saving Faith wholly identifies a person with Jesus Christ including with Jesus sacrificial death for Sinners truly if giving up flesh is the language of death and sacrifice how much more is the pouring out of blood and Jesus is not being needlessly gory with this imagery no he is appropriately describing the most shocking truth of the Gospel indeed drawing attention to the two truths that are most bothersome to Proud religious people that number one they despite all their religiosity are terrible sinners in need of Rescue by sacrificial death and and two the only one who could provide that sacrificial death to save them is the king of glory the Messiah the Son of God himself remember as the rest of the New Testament Bears out the bloody cross is the stumbling block to the Jews the Jews can’t stand the idea of a crucified Messiah they don’t think they need a crucified Messiah to pay for their sins they need a living Messiah to commend them reward them usher in that Kingdom of prosperity but Jesus is confronting that proud notion in the most poignant way and perhaps he’s also doing so for you today are you proud in your religiosity do you realize that you must eat the Flesh and drink the blood of the son of man or else you have no life in yourself but could Jesus be talking about something more literal here like the Eucharist or the Lord’s table celebration many assume so when they comes to this passage but that cannot be the case because look at what Jesus says next in verse 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up I myself literally will raise him up on the last day say what are you talking about Dave how does that prove your Point well do you notice how this parallels exactly something we’ve already seen in this passage go back to verse 40 for this is the will of my father that everyone who beholds the son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself will raise him up on the last day it’s the exact same phrasing the first part is just different well is Jesus contradicting verse 40 with verse 54 no he’s just saying the same thing in another way to eat Jesus flesh and to drink his blood is to do what verse 40 says it is to Behold Him and to believe in him because the outcome is the same Jesus is not teaching about the need for the Eucharist for salvation in verses 53 to 54 that is foreign to the context and doesn’t even make sense in the passage but there’s something else here and it’s the whole reason for my sermon title starting at verse 54 and going all the way to verse 59 Jesus starts to use a different word for eating than he’s used up to this point before Jesus used the Greek word ESO but now he uses the Greek word trogo now they do both mean to eat this is not an improper translation but trogo is a word that also includes the idea of chewing food especially in the context of a happy occasion furthermore every time this word trogo appears for the rest of the passage it is in the form of a participle you say what’s a participle don’t worry in English a participle is just an ing verb that describes someone’s continual action characteristic action so to illustrate in verse 54 a more literal translation of this verse would read or at least of the section having to do with verbs the one chewing my flesh and drinking my blood has eternal life so you notice the ing verbs there chewing drinking we see that actually in the Greek for the rest of the passage why does that matter because Jesus is revealing starting at verse 54 that eating him by faith is not just the one one time fundamental act but actually what begins a continual lifestyle you don’t eat Jesus flesh and blood and then move on in your life to eat other food no you are continually chewing you are characteristically drinking him in your heart as you celebrate the gospel I told you that verse 53 and 54 not about the Eucharist of the Lord’s table as being necessary for eternal life yet this truth that I’ve just expressed to you that is the same truth that is being declared in the Lord’s table that Memorial Meal which in obedience we follow because it is prescribed by our Lord it is the symbolic eating and drinking of Jesus as an expression of our faith in him and as an expression of our trust in his salvation work on our behalf you’re saying I fully identify with him I take him in all of him including his death truly to become a Christian is spiritually to adopt the Jesus diet your soul feeds on him alone no longer sin no longer Idols no longer false gods no longer self-righteousness you’ve given up all those Foods because you want the best food you want the only food that gives Resurrection Life Jesus explains a little bit further in verse 55 for my flesh is True Food and my blood is true drink again Jesus is not saying that other food and drink in the world are fake or false but rather that they are just types and shadows they fall short of that who is the ultimate food the ultimate bread the ultimate drink all regular food that you and I eat we’re going to eat after church today that’s just a dim representation of the one who gives true life lasting life Burger gives you life for a little bit of time Jesus gives you life forever it is indeed the sacrifice of Jesus indestructible life that results in life-giving food for all who believe this is why the bread of life metaphor is appropriate he’s giving up himself he’s giving up his body he’s giving up his flesh in death and he says this is so that you might live eat it believe it and gain eternal life keep chewing on it keep ruminating on it so that you may enjoy it and be satisfied always but that’s another aspect of the bread of life metaphor that Jesus begins to explain in verse 56 he says he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him now here’s something mysterious Jesus draws attention to how eating him by faith results in continual Union and fellowship now normally when you eat bread or any other food the food goes in your stomach and it abides for a time until your body extracts all the nutrients it can and then your body gets rid of the food but Jesus said the bread of life is different similar but different he does go into you but not into your stomach he goes into your heart and he has such everlasting life such nutrition if you want to call it that that he always remains you never use him up your body never or your soul never spends him furthermore Jesus says when you take him into you he also takes you into him now no earthly food does that it’s not like when I eat the hamburger it also takes me into it self no that that makes no sense but Jesus is different when you eat him that is when you believe in him he indwells You by his Spirit but also he mysteriously places you in his Spirit now I can’t fully understand that I just declare that because that’s what the Bible says this is the amazing doctrine of of Union with Christ when you believe you become spiritually one with Jesus he and you you and him it is this spiritual Oneness it is this Union with Christ that is the source of all our Salvation blessings eternal life included as Jesus himself explains in verse 57 as the living father sent me and I live because of the father so he who eats me he also will live because of me now follow the analogy here as the living father is the source of all life and as the son is in spiritual union with the Father the father’s life is shared with the son thus as Jesus says the son lives because of the father in a similar way as the son has life in himself and as the son is in spiritual union with a Believer the the son’s life is shared with the believer and thus the believer lives because of the son you see Brethren this is how Jesus functions as the bread of life for his people Jesus imparts his life by his voluntary sacrifice for sin but also Jesus communicates his life to his own by spiritual union therefore those who believe in Jesus as the bread of life they are not only assured of the son’s satisfying Fellowship his presence his Fellowship now and forever but they also know they can know with full confidence that they will indeed overcome death why because the son’s own life is in The Believer and the son’s life cannot be quenched therefore you will will never die you will be raised up on the last day in verse 58 Jesus concludes his discourse by summarizing his final assertion this is the bread which came down out of Heaven not as the fathers ate and died he who eats this bread will live forever that’s what he’s been explaining the whole time right I am better bread don’t seek that bread eat this bread believe in the one whom God sent and you will live forever verse 59 then concludes these things he said in the synagogue as he taught in capernium well Brethren what is the diet of your soul have you as Jesus and John urge from this passage have you come to see Jesus as the bread of life the bread of life upon whom you wholly and continually feed for the eternal life and satisfaction of your soul you say I I want Jesus Jesus is where I find satisfaction Jesus is where I find contentment Jesus is my life is that you or are you instead munching on that perishing bread from the world which cannot save you and cannot satisfy you it was kind of Jesus to warn the Jews don’t seek the bread that is perishing it won’t satisfy you and ultimately its fate will be your fate you will perish your soul in a sense will starve to death take Jesus as the bread of life instead perhaps you say I have well let me ask you this are you cheating on the Jesus diet you’ll eat Jesus sometimes but other times your soul feels like it needs some of Satan’s fast food the slake that fleshly craving and you go for it but like we know from diets in this world that doesn’t work does it doesn’t satisfy that craving so that it doesn’t come back anymore no it inflames it and you feel guilty you feel guilty for what for not eating what you knew you should have eaten maybe you cheat on your diet so much it’s not really a diet is it you say yeah Jesus is my only food he’s my exclusive food but then you look at your life or others look at your life and you say I I don’t think so if that’s the case you need to ask yourself have I eaten the bread of life at all because like I said once you take in Jesus he becomes your continual food if that’s not the case maybe you’ve never taken him in whatever your situation what is the Lord telling you today that it’s time it’s time to really take the bread of life or it’s the time to come back to the bread of life it’s time to commit to Jesus as your only food your fundamental bread of life so that even as you do enjoy other good things in this world you don’t look to them for your ultimate satisfaction you don’t look to them for your Ultimate Security you don’t look to them for your ultimate salvation you say this is just another way of enjoying him who is truly saving and satisfying Jesus Christ yes even physical food it just becomes another way of enjoying he who is the true food may that be more and more true of us as a church let’s let’s close in prayer Lord Jesus it’s so interesting the way you created the world from the beginning you created man to eat in the garden you gave him food not just so he could sustain his physical processes but for enjoyment we know a lot about eating it’s so ever present with us and yet you reveal In this passage yes food that basic necessity that basic pleasure of food it’s a type it’s a shadow it’s a pointer to him who is the ultimate of what all regular food is Jesus you are the True Food you are the real food you are the ultimate food you are the the bread that is life and gives life and you offer yourself freely to anyone who will come and partake Lord God I pray that you would be so kind in your sovereignty which is highlighted In this passage to move in the hearts of the people of this church people visiting with us today people listening online so that they say I want that food I want the food that lasts I’m done with this fake food I’m done with these Idols I’m done with the sin I’m done with the things of the world which are vaporous and cannot satisfy I want the True Food Lord God I pray that you would cause the listeners today to repent and believe and for those who do have you is their food who do believe who have repented and believed already God I pray that they would enjoy you you meant for your people to savor you to chew on you to be continually drinking you celebrating your salvation yes and all its part even your sacrificial death on our behalf that was so necessary for us God I pray that the enjoyment of you as the true bread would be experienced to an even greater way to all those who know you and have heard your truth In this passage today I pray that for myself I pray that for my brothers and sisters Lord where we do indeed momentarily move away from the true food to go back to the fake food the perishing food now Lord forgive us for that but help us to finally learn the lesson and say this will never satisfy me I want Jesus and I pray that you’d sanctify this church sanctify this people so that we in our hearts first but then manifested in how we behave show Lord that you are our bread of life and that we are satisfied only in you in Jesus name amen amen okay