Jesus has just fed the 5,000. Now they believe that he is the Messiah--the Prophet greater than Moses.

This is a problem! In fact, it's such a big problem that Jesus takes off into the mountains without waiting for his disciples!

Wait a second. Why is Jesus bothered by this? Isn't it true? Isn't Jesus the Messiah? Isn't he the Prophet greater than Moses? Then why does he run and hide?

You see, the people had misunderstood who the Messiah was. They were expecting a political Messiah who would defeat Rome and set up the Kingdom on Earth. Jesus wants nothing to do with that, so he goes up the mountain alone. His disciples, meanwhile, get into the boat and start across the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum. As they cross the lake, a violent storm hits. As they are tossed by the waves, they see Jesus walking on the water toward them, and they were afraid.

Why does John tell this story here? John leaves out all sorts of things that the other gospels include; and includes all sorts of things that the other gospels don't mention. Jesus has just fed the 5,000 And in the rest of the chapter, he will explain what that means. How do these verses (15-21) fit into the chapter?

Well, what does Jesus do? Does he still the waves? Does he speak to the wind? He does that in Matthew and Mark. But John doesn't report that. All John reports is that Jesus said "I am. Do not fear." "It is I" is an okay translation so long as you realize that Jesus is saying-- "I AM"--the same thing that God had said to Moses at the Burning Bush.

You see, the people were confused. They thought that Jesus was merely a prophet like Moses. Jesus here tells his disciples, no, I am not merely a prophet like Moses. I am Yahweh. I AM.

So after feeding the 5,000 and demonstrating to his disciples that He is God himself, Jesus now is ready to explain these things to the crowds.

When the crowds come over to Capernaum seeking Jesus, they ask "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Does Jesus answer their question? No. Jesus moves past the superficial question, and addresses their hearts: [v26-29] These people are not true believers. They are merely camp followers, expecting another Moses. They don't understand the signs that Jesus has done, they are merely interested in being fed like their fathers in the wilderness --but as Jesus will point out in verse 49-they died there! You don't want another Moses!

And so Jesus says, You need the food which endures to everlasting life, and the only way to get that food is to do the work of God-- and that work is to believe in Jesus Christ.

So the people ask him (v30)

Can you believe that? Jesus has just fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish--and they are asking for a sign? Why? Are they blind? Actually, no! They are asking a legitimate question. After all, Moses didn't just feed 5,000 people. Moses fed hundreds of thousands of people for 40 years with bread from heaven! They are saying, okay, Jesus, if you are the one whom God has sent, then you'd better be prepared to do something BETTER than Moses. This feeding of the 5,000 was good, but you've got a long way to go before you catch up to Moses!

This is why Jesus says, [v32-33]

You've got it all wrong, Jesus says. You are confusing earthly things with heavenly things. The manna in the desert was not really bread from heaven. The manna in the desert was *a picture* of the bread from heaven. The TRUE bread from heaven is not manna--but is he who comes down from heaven.

They are interested in that! The people like what they are hearing! After all, they can understand that earthly things point to heavenly things. All Jews believed that. So they say, okay Lord, give us this bread always!

So Jesus says [v35-40]

Jesus IS the Bread of Life. There are three things that you need to understand about the Bread of Life. 1. You must come to Jesus and believe in him as the Bread of Life 2. God must call you and draw you to Christ 3. You must continue to feed on Christ if you wish to have eternal life These three things are taught in three sections: 35-40 43-51 53-58 Each section states all three, but focuses on one at a time.

vv35-40 focus on the first one: You must come to Jesus and believe in him if you wish to have eternal life. But v37-39 makes it clear that God must work first in giving us to Christ. Have you ever thought of that way? God the Father has given you to his Son, Jesus Christ. Out of his great love and for his own glory, God the Father has taken you, and has given you as a gift to Jesus. God has sent his Spirit to change your heart, so that you might SEE Jesus and believe in him. Remember what Jesus says in v36. "You have seen me and yet do not believe" There are people who have seen Jesus, and yet their eyes are darkened. They look straight at him, but having blinded eyes, they do not see their Messiah. But God the Father has opened your eyes so that you might see Jesus, and believe on him so that you might have everlasting life.

The Jews then start grumbling. Before this, they were called "the people"-- but once "the people" start grumbling, they are called "the Jews" Just like the Israelites grumbled against Moses in the wilderness, so now their descendents grumble against Jesus--who is himself the I AM, the Yahweh whom they had grumbled against in the wilderness. They can't believe that Jesus is the one who came down from heaven, after all, they know his parents!

But Jesus says [43-51] Again we see all three things: 1. You must come to Jesus and believe in him as the Bread of Life 2. God must call you and draw you to Christ 3. You must continue to feed on Christ if you wish to have eternal life Jesus says, "stop your grumbling!" If you would listen to Moses you would listen to me (just like the end of ch 5) If you have learned from God through the Scripture, then you would love me. But here he focuses on the work of the Father. It is the Father who draws us to Christ (v44) NO ONE can come to Jesus, NO ONE can believe in him, unless the Father draws him. The Jews are acting like their forefathers. They are rejecting the Word of God and turning away from the Bread of Life. And so Jesus says in v49. If you partake of me, Jesus says, then you will live forever. This launches the final quarrel. How can we eat this man's flesh? What on earth is this man talking about!!!????

What does Jesus do? Does he help make everything clear? Actually, he does--for those who have eyes to see! listen to his words (v53-58)

Jesus very carefully explains the third point: you must continue to feed upon Christ if you wish to have eternal life. This eating is not merely a one-time eating. It's not as though one bite of Jesus will make you live forever! Jesus is teaching something difficult--yes, but once you grasp it, it becomes very simple.

V56--"he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." If you wish to understand this, listen to the next verse: "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me." Okay. Jesus had just said back in 5:26 "As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself." Just as the Father gives life to the Son, so also the Son gives life to US. How does the Son receive life from the Father? Well, as we've seen, the Son is ONE with the Father. They are ONE God--they share in ONE life--one essence. Even so, when we are united with Christ, we share in his life. As Paul says in Gal. 2.20, "I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Christ's life must become yours. And the only way that Christ's life can become yours, is if his death also becomes yours. This is why we must partake of his flesh and of his blood. I have told you before about the sacrifices of the OT. The animal would be killed, and then the people would partake of the animal. In that sacrifice, the death of the animal would become their death by virtue of their participation in the sacrifice. So if you ate of the lamb, then God would place your sins upon that lamb, and that's lamb's death would replace your death. But there was a problem with that system. The death of the lamb became your death, but you still died. The manna in the wilderness provided temporary sustenance, but they died too. The problem is: how can you live forever, when all your sacrifices keep dying?

This is where Christ's body and blood are different from all the others. Because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. This is why Jesus keeps emphasizing that he will raise us at the last day. HIS flesh and blood have the power of eternal life, because HE will be raised from the dead. Therefore, if you partake of Jesus's flesh and blood, then you will live forever. And, he goes on to say, [v53] You MUST partake of the flesh and blood of the Son of Man. And this partaking must be an ongoing feeding. In v57, "the one who feeds on me" refers not merely to a one-time feeding, but to an ongoing feeding. In other words, as Jesus puts it in v56, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him. Those who believe in Christ, those who have been drawn by the Father, must also abide in him.

It is not enough merely to believe once. Christ calls us to abide in him--to remain in him--to feed upon him. We do this every Sunday in our worship. Indeed, we do this every day in our own private and family worship. But we do this especially in the Lord's Supper. Because it is in the Supper that we receive the clearest picture of this glorious truth! When we come to the Table, we are called to partake of the Living Bread. And as we eat the Bread and drink the Cup, we are participating in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. we are participating in his death and resurrection. His life becomes ours once again.

How many of you come to church every Sunday feeling a bit weary? How many of you have had an exhausting week? How many of you have fallen prey to temptation in the last few days? How many of you are weak and feel as though you're ready to collapse?

This is why Jesus gave us the Supper. It is spiritual food--like the Word of God and prayer. In the Supper Christ offers you himself. In the Supper, Christ comes to you and abides with you. It is here that you find the grace and the mercy to continue through the next week. Because the Supper is a means of grace. It is an instrument which the Holy Spirit uses to unite us more and more with Christ. Of course, apart from faith, apart from God's work of drawing you to himself, the Supper can do nothing! But to those who believe, the Lord's Supper is one of the means that God uses to strengthen us and nourish us with Christ.

When his disciples hear this, they are confused. At this point Jesus has hundreds of disciples. There are many who expect Jesus to be their political Messiah. But Jesus hears their grumbling, and says "Does this offend you?" Are you bothered by hearing this? "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where he was before?" In other words, there is NOTHING that Jesus can do to keep these people with him. Only the Spirit can give life. The words that Jesus speaks are spirit and they are life, but apart from the faith that comes by the work of the Spirit, there is NOTHING that will prevent these people from leaving. As Jesus says in v65, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my Father." As if to prove this, many leave. so Jesus turns to the 12--Do you also want to go away?

Peter's response needs to be the response of our hearts: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Does Peter understand everything? No. You don't need to understand everything to believe in Christ. You simply need to know that there is nowhere else that you can find eternal life. You need to believe and KNOW that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that HE alone is the bread of life who gives life everlasting.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!

Is that the cry of your heart? Do you despair of all else? Do you realize that this life is entirely futile and empty apart from Christ? Are you like the man in Pilgrim's Progress, who when faced with temptation, closed his eyes, and starting running full speed, crying out "eternal life, eternal life"? Brothers and sisters, Your Lord Jesus is calling you to find your rest and hope in him. He calls you to remember him throughout the week. He calls you abide in him--to live your life in his grace and by his power. If you will trust in him, and partake of his body and his blood; of his death and of his resurrection life, then you will find eternal life.

Copyright © 2003 Peter J. Wallace