Today’s message is from the gospel of John chapter 6:30-40. We find Jesus and his disciples at Capernaum after he left those that were following him knowing that they would take him by force to make him King. This was after he had taken 5 barley loaves and 2 fish and fed the multitude of them. He told his disciples to take the boat and go to the other side of the sea and he followed them later by walking on the sea. When the multitude saw and were amazed that Jesus was not there, they followed him to the other side of the sea. Our scripture resumes at the point where the multitude has now found Jesus and were asking him to pretty much give them food again. Jesus said to them that they are not looking for him because of signs and miracles that he did but rather, they were looking for the bread that he gave them yesterday again.
John 6:30-40 (ESVST)
So they said to him, “ Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat. ’”
In verse 30-31 above, it was as if they simply ignored what Jesus was saying. All they wanted was bread and the way they went about it was to ask Jesus what sign was he going to perform for them so that they may believe. Just to make sure that Jesus understood the specific sign they were looking for, they then said, our father ate manna in the wilderness as it is written, he gave them bread from heaven. So, in a way, Jesus must also give them bread. That is all they wanted. Jesus knew this and that is why he said to them in verse 27:
John 6:27 (ESVST)
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.”
Jesus was saying that they are looking for the wrong food instead of looking for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give them. God has set his seal on him, that is, he has approved him of this. So all they wanted was the same bread he gave them yesterday.
32 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. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Jesus says to them, unless you are confused about this, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven (referring to the manna), but it was my Father. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. Jesus is saying don’t think that it was Moses that gave you The bread, it was God. It is God who is now giving you the true bread of life. This true bread of life is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Manna gave you physical,life but the true bread will give you spiritual life.
34 They said to him, “ Sir, give us this bread always.”
Of course they would say this because that is what they wanted after all. They just don’t want this bread today but, they want this bread always. Remember that during those days, it was very hard for the poor to obtain food. People had to work very hard to obtain food. Now, here is someone who has given them bread for free and says he can continue to give them bread.
35 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. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Jesus now reveals who he is and tells them, I am this bread of life that has come down to give the world life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall not thirst. Jesus says to them that although they have seen him, they do not believe. What he is saying here is that althought they have seen the miracles and signs he did, they still don’t believe that he is the Messiah, the son of the living God whom they were promised. Then Jesus makes a statement that all believers should find comfort in, Jesus says that all that the Father has given him, will come to him. By this Jesus refers to those that will believe in him, the elect. He then says and whoever comes to him, he will never cast out.
This statement raises a very important point of “once saved always saved”. Some people believe that a believer can lose his salvation. This is completely incorrect and it is because of statement like this that we know that once saved, once truly saved, Jesus will never cast you out. How then can you lose your salvation if our Lord has said he will never cast you out. Once saved, always saved. This has nothing to do with once a pirates always a pirates. Lol. Jesus here gives us a solemn promise that he will never cast us out once we have come to him. This should be a comfort to all believers.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
In this verse Jesus explains why all that the Father gives him, will come to him and why he will not cast out any. Jesus says that the reason is that, he has not come down to do his will but to do the will of God who has sent him. So, Jesus will not cast us out those who believe in him because he has not come to do his will but the will of God who has sent him. He then continues to explain what this will is in the next verse.
39 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. 40 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.”
Jesus says that the will of God is:
1) that he should not lose nothing of all that he has given him. All those that the Father has given him, he must not lose. All those believers, the elect, all those that have come to Jesus, he must not lose a single one.
2) that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him, should have eternal life and he will raise him on the last day. It is God’s will that we believe in Jesus so that we should have eternal life. We will have eternal life if we believe in Jesus. This is the same thing that Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:16
John 3:16 (ESVST)
16 “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Now apart from the first promise that Jesus gave us that he will never cast us out, he gives us the second promise and this time he says it is also the will of God. The promise is that he will raise us up on the last day. Now if there was any doubt about what would happen yo us, those that believe in Jesus, those that have faith in Jesus, we now know that Jesus will never cast us out and he will raise us up on the last day.
What we as believers and non believers alike, we should stop looking for the bread that perishes and seek the bread of life. We always look for the wrong things instead of looking for the bread that will give us eternal life. The riches and the fame of this world only last for a while but, Jesus is forever. The riches of this world can only send you to death and eternal hell but Jesus send you to eternal life. Let’s look and seek for God and all shall be given. Let’s set our mind of heavenly things and not on earthly things. God loves you and Jesus loves you. That is guaranteed, they loved us even though we did not deserve to be loved and Jesus died for us while we were sinners. Imagine how much more God will love us when we come back to him through his son Jesus Christ.
God bless this word and those that will read it. In Jesus name, amen.