John 6:26-35, 51 / Exodus 16
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, “Rabbi, when camest thou hither?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
28 Then said they unto him, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
30 They said therefore unto him, “What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
32 Then Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”
34 Then said they unto him, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.”
35 And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst…”
51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Jesus Christ is the “I AM” of Exodus 3. He is also the “I AM” of the Revelation (1:8; 21:6; 22:13-14).
Seven times in the Gospel of John, Jesus ascribes to Himself the title of Deity – “I AM.” Each time we learn something extraordinary about our Savior and His work of salvation.
· I AM the bread of life (6:51).
· I AM the light of the world (8:12).
· I AM the door (10:9).
· I AM the good shepherd (10:14).
· I AM the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).
· I AM the true vine (15:1, 5).
· I AM the resurrection and the life (11:25).
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Jesus Christ is God manifest in flesh!
Hebrews 1:8 Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,…
1Timothy 3:16 Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
We read repeatedly in the Gospel of John that we are to believe on Jesus Christ – John 1:7, 12; 3:15, 16, 18, 36; 5:24.
We want to examine today Christ claim, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”
1. THE CONTEXT…
John 6:1-13 – The feeding of the 5,000 plus (all Jews, twelve baskets).
John 6:16-21 – Jesus walks on water. Eccles. 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
John 6:24-29 – Jesus addresses and commends those who are true seekers.
John 6:30 – Jesus begins His discourse concerning the bread of life.
2. THE COMMON ERROR… (v 31-32). Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Moses vs Jesus: Our fathers did eat manna in the desert (v31). Their argument was, “You have fed five thousand with bread and fish; but what is this in comparison to what Moses did in the desert, who for forty years fed several million people daily with bread from heaven: do that and we’ll believe in you as we have Moses.”
Jesus refutes their argument by stating…
· It was not Moses, but God, who gave them Manna.
· Manna was not life giving bread; it was only life sustaining.
· What God has now given them is far more excellent.
· He is the bread of Heaven, and was foreshadowed by the Manna.
His Divine Origin (v 51). I AM come down from heaven. This phrase occurs 7 times in this chapter – v 33, 38, 41, 42, 50, 51, 58.
3. THE COMPARISON… (v 31). Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
This is a direct reference to Exodus 16. The manna…
· Was a supernatural gift (Ex 16:4). Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you… John 3:16
· Came to where the people were (Ex 16:12-14). John 1:11
· Was small (Ex 16:14). Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
· Was white in color (Ex 16:31). And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. A symbol of purity
· Was to be eaten (Ex 16:4). Jn 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:..”
· Was obtained daily (Ex 16:4). Christ is sufficient; He’s all I need
· Was to be obtained in the morning (Ex 16:13). Prov 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
· Was obtained by simple means (Ex 16:4). It must be received.
· Was obtained by stooping (Ex 16:14). Repentance
· What was obtained was not to be used (Ex 16:19). Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;… Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
· Lasted until the Promised Land was reached. Ex 16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
· Was despised by the mixed multitude. Numbers 11:4-6 The mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. John 1:11
4. HE CAME TO…
- Give Us Life! (v 33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (v 51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
- Satisfy Our Spiritual Hunger! (v 35) Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
5. THE CONDITION… (v 51). I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
- Is Universal! If any man eat of this bread,..
- Must NOT Be Refused! …the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
6. THE CAUTION…
Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
