The True Bread of Life

Context: Seekers (John 6:4-6, Matthew 14:14, Mark 6:34)

• Time: Close to the passover festival
• A great multitude was coming towards Jesus –
  • Jesus had compassion and
    • Healed their sick (Matthew)
    • Began to teach many things (Mark)
• One of those lessons was for Philip and the disciples? (John)
  • Feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish!
    • People thought he must be a prophet and
      • Wanted to make Him a King by force –
• Jesus withdrew and He and His disciples left “immediately” per Matthew and Mark
  • Multitude started searching for Jesus

Why were the multitude searching for Jesus? (John 6:26-27)

• Jesus says that they were not looking for him because of the signs
  • What signs? healing and the feeding the 5000 that they just saw
    • If they focussed on that, they would be closer to eternal life
• Jesus says that they were focussed on just being filled (loaves) – food that perishes
  • Their focus was earthly & self centered instead of heavenly and God centered
    • They worked hard, searching for Jesus, to be filled

Why do we/others search for Jesus? ______________________________________________ 

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How does Jesus respond to the seekers? (John 6:28-35)

• Straight to the point without any hesitancy or sugar coating:
  • You seek me because you ate of the loaves, and were filled
    • Don’t work for the food which perishes
      • But for the food that gives eternal life
• Patiently answered their questions – even though some, in my opinion, sound odd
  • Asking for a sign when they just saw people being healed and 5000 fed
• Each response reorienting them towards Himself and God
  • What must we do, that we may work the works of God?
    • Believe in Him (Jesus) whom He (God) has sent
  • What sign do you show? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness.
    • My father gives you the true bread out of heaven, that gives life
  • Lord, always give us this bread
    • I AM the bread of life

What is God’s will for Jesus? (John 6:36-40)

• Everyone who sees the Son (Jesus) and believes in Him
  • Should have eternal life and Jesus will raise him up on the last day
• I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me
  • Luke 22:42: “… Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Conclusion / Application:

• How do I respond to loaf seekers? Patiently? Speaking truth in love?
• What am I focussed on? Temporal things or eternal life?

Main Passage John 6:26-40 – World English Bible (WEB)

26 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

28 They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

30 They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven[a] to eat.’”

32 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

34 They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. 37 All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40 This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Footnotes

1. 6:31 Greek and Hebrew use the same word for “heaven”, “the heavens”, “the sky”, and “the air”.

Notes / Cross References

John 6:10-15 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. 12 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

John 6:24-25 24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

Exodus 16:4 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
Psalm 78:24-25 24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them food from the sky. 25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.

Matthew 14:14 Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Mark 6:34 Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

John 6:4-6 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Luke 9:11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.

John 6:58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

John 6:60 Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”

John 6:66 At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.