2 years ago

I AM – The Bread of Life
John ch.6; Exodus 3:14; Matthew 6:13-20;

• CONTEXT:
• Jesus has Just Feed the 5000 men (plus women and children)
o John 6:1-15 [ also: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17]
o Jesus was trying to get away to spend some time alone (John The Baptist had just died)
• He has just walked on water to catch up with His Disciples!
o John 6:16-21
o It is full-on Beatle Mania!
John 6:1-71 – I AM The Bread of Life
“22 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. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 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.
• It is full-on Beatle Mania! - Bunch of Super Sleuths deduce, “He’s taking that fish fry trick on the road!”

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
• Mooch ‘friends’ - don’t actually appreciate you, just what you do for them.

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.
• Not even interested in the miraculous signs (still not great) just the grub!
o Matthew 12:39 – “He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!”

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.”
• Even when you are stuffed to the rafters … You gotta eat tomorrow!

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
• You even see a dog that predicts the trick/command to get the treat!
o That is religion – Christianity is not essentially a religion!

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE in him whom he has sent.”
• The WORK is to BELIEVE!
o This is revolutionary – Christianity is wholly unique among all world views here!
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
• Have you seen Pixar’s “The Incredibles?” Where the boy on the tricycle wants to see “Something amazing!”

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” [[[ Exd. 16 ~ esp. vs4 ]]]
• They give an example of the kind of thing they are looking for!
o Do you realize that even that exercise was an examination of faith?

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

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.
The original hearers of this, “I am,” statement of Jesus would have had three things in mind:
1. They had just seen Jesus miraculously feed a massive, teeming, ravenous crowd using nothing but a few loaves and fishes.
2. God had miraculously provided bread in the desert for the people of Israel. (Ex. 16)
3. The VERY strange way that he said “I AM” ( Exodus 3:14 “I am that I am” )
• Ego eimi (Ancient Greek: ἐγώ εἰμι Greek pronunciation: [eɡɔ̌ː eːmí]) "I am", "I exist", is the first person singular present active indicative of the verb "to be" in ancient Greek.

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
• John knew what he was saying here: “Grumbled”
o It was in response to their grumbling that God sent the Manna (Exodus 16)
o And they grumbled against the God’s provision of the Manna (Numbers 11)

42 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’?”
• They think they know who JESUS is but they DON’T!
o Remember what Jesus asked the disciples in Caesarea Philippi???

Critical Concept:
Jesus is the great I AM!
When he describes Himself as bread,
Jesus is saying he is essential for life.
Not merely physical life, but for eternal life.

THE CRAZY THING:
• Both the feeding of the crowd and the manna in the wilderness were intended to point to a greater reality. JESUS!
• Jesus tells them not to long for physical bread, even if that bread is provided by God himself. Rather, they are to long for and live for the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. JESUS
• What is this bread of life? It’s JESUS himself.

#NathanDeisem #FathomChurch #IAmTheBreadOfLife

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