discourse on the bread of life, assigned as homework
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 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. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who 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.”
41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.”
42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
43 Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.
47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves.
54 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me.
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.”
59 He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”
61 But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?
62 Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
64 But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him.
65 He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The message traced the Greek word peripateo, "to walk," through John 6 and its parallel accounts in Mark and Matthew, asking whether we will walk with Jesus the way he actually is rather than for what we want him to do for us. Pastor Blake used the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus walking on water, and the Bread of Life discourse to show a single through-line: crowds followed Jesus for the wrong reasons, and when he refused to be the king they wanted, many walked away. The question he left with the congregation was the same one Jesus put to the Twelve: will we go too, or will we stay?
What was said
Peripateo means more than physical movement. It carries the sense of conducting your life, making progress, using your opportunities well. Pastor Blake pointed out that the word appears 96 times in the New Testament, and that walking together, as Amos 3:3 puts it, requires agreement. You can both be walking and still be walking apart, and the further apart you get from one another, the further you drift from God.
The immediate setting in John 6 is important. John the Baptist has just been beheaded. The Twelve had been sent out in pairs and came back having done miracles in Jesus' name. The crowd that showed up for the feeding of the 5,000 saw what his disciples could do and wanted to be part of it, but they were drawn by the power on display, not necessarily by the message behind it.
After feeding thousands of people, Jesus did two things in a row that the crowd never expected. He dismissed them, sent the disciples ahead by boat, and walked away from what would have been an easy coronation. The people literally intended to take him by force and make him a small-k earthly king, and he simply withdrew. Jesus, the capital-K King of the universe, walked away from earthly political power.
While the disciples were rowing against a contrary wind in the dark, Jesus came to them walking on the water. John's account notes they had rowed somewhere between 2.87 and 3.44 miles, which means Jesus had been walking on the sea for a long stretch, not just a few steps. He intended to pass them by, yet he kept an eye on them, and when they cried out in fear he got into the boat and they were immediately at their destination. Pastor Blake noted that Christ could relieve the contrary wind at any moment, but that there may be something worth gaining from the rowing itself before he does.
The Bread of Life discourse at the Capernaum synagogue is where Jesus made plain why so many people were following him for the wrong reasons. He told the crowd directly: you are seeking me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. He pressed them toward the work of God, which he defined as believing in the one the Father had sent, not performing miracles themselves. When he went on to call himself the bread that came down from heaven and said they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, they were stuck reading it in a purely earthly sense, the same mistake they had made with the water-walking and the loaves.
The saddest verse in the passage, Pastor Blake said, is the one where many of the disciples simply left and would no longer walk with him. A large following shrank because the teaching was hard and did not give them what they came for. Jesus then turned to the Twelve and asked whether they wanted to leave as well. Peter's answer is the hinge of the whole text: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."
The sermon closed with that same question put to everyone in the room. Are we following Jesus for what he can do for us, or are we willing to walk with him wherever he actually leads? Pastor Blake recalled stopping before a pastoral visit that week to ask what the actual purpose was before walking in, and held that moment up as the practical shape of the question: are we listening for what Jesus is really saying and watching how he is actually walking, or are we trying to make him say what we already want to hear?
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Pastor Blake pointed out that the crowd wanted to make Jesus king because of what he could do for them, not because of who he is. Where do you notice that temptation in your own life, wanting Jesus for what he provides rather than for himself?
Mark tells us the disciples gained nothing from the feeding of the five thousand, and their hearts were hardened, even after watching Jesus calm a storm before. Why do you think it is so hard for us to carry forward what God has already shown us?
Alright. It got quiet in here. How how are you? Hey.
Would you stand and sing with me? From Psalm one fifty, it says, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Since that's you and I, what do you say we start by singing song in my soul?
Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements. Monday nights this week, we are going to call an audible and cancel Monday nights. You ever run a machine for so long and you just feel like you're wearing it out?
We have run that machine for a while and we feel like we're wearing it out. So, we're going to take some time to just lube things up and keep moving. So no Monday night, tomorrow night here at First B. Florine said he'd come hang out. If anybody wants to come hang out with him, you're welcome to.
So there will be that, but it's not going be the full Monday night treatment. No meal, no music. But there's a message right there with that little guy. Connect hour is on today, and it is on in a big way. So there's a lot going on at the other end of the hall between services.
It's free food and a chance to connect, and Nancy T set it up. So, it's it's it's it's there. It'll be fun. There's a fall Bible study starting September 7. It'll be right here at First B.
It's the Jackson Hole Women's Bible Study. So, it's multiple churches. Deb Buckingham is teaching. I think Lissa Hunter is doing the music and that'll be right here from ten to twelve. First B's on Wednesday, September and October.
Sound booth volunteers. We have one up there. We have somebody that has helped. Hey, that's good. That's right.
And we promised that we'd train you, right? So we're doing that this morning. But if you think, you know what? I I didn't say anything last week, but I want to this week. Talk to Nick Stair.
Nick, would you wave your hand? He'll let you know when and where to show up to start receiving some training for that. And it's good to have extra people available. Dinner and a movie. The first one of these happened on Friday night.
The Chosen. Have you heard of this series? The series of Chosen. So we've started screening those with the permission of everybody that needs to give the permission. On Friday nights, except for the first Friday of the month, we already have something going on on the first Friday.
There's a there's a craft night going on first Fridays. But all the rest of the Friday nights, we're doing that. The chosen. Old Bills, do you all know what this is? I love it when everybody knows what's going on.
I could just move through these. Old Bills giving season is August 12 through September 16. So we're in the middle of that right now. And yes, let me move. That if you would like to give through to First Bees Benevolence Fund, you can give through Old Bills and it will amplify your giving.
And that's it. Do I have any more announcements? There's one more, small group. And I'll just hold my mic up against your face over here, Matt.
Thank you. My name is Matt. I I serve as part of part of the leadership team here. I just wanted to encourage you all, if you're not already a part of a life group or a small group in this body, would you please consider that? I've been meeting with three or four guys on Wednesday morning for nearly a year now since we started, and it's been super impactful.
We've been able to encourage one another, hold each other accountable, just doing life together, some service together, but it's it's really where we're able to disciple one another. We can it's just it's just an amazing thing to be able to speak into each other's lives and train each other in in the things of the Lord. So if you're not purposefully doing something like that, I would really encourage you to be a part, get ahold of myself, Ray, Brad Yates, church office, but please get get connected. It's it's really where we're we can make a difference.
Amen. Thanks. Thank you. And I'm gonna invite up Todd, Lampa, and Bridger. I'm gonna move some stuff out of the way.
The baptistry is full. I am in a bathing suit. They are too because they're going to be baptized in Bridger this morning but if you have accepted Christ already and you want to make a public declaration of that and you would like to take that first step of obedience. I'm here and willing. Here is water.
What hinders you? Okay? Todd, go right ahead.
Good morning. So yes, my name is Todd Lampa. This is my son, Bridger. He's going to be 14 here in October. As of last week, baptism was not on the agenda.
As of this week, it was a maybe. And as of this morning, it was a dad, I want to get baptized. Really happy. Le Bridger say a few words.
It's a I guess baptism is a physical way of telling you guys that it's a I believe in Jesus Christ, and I'm ready to show that.
Amen. Amen. Thank you. Amen. That's awesome.
If there's anybody else, it's full, it's warm, I'm ready. You have till the end of this service or between, either way. Would you stand with us and we're going to sing who you say I am? Praise praise the Lord.
And we're not making that up. That's right out of Jesus' mouth in John eight thirty six. If the son sets you free, you are free indeed. Thank you, Jesus, for freedom in you. And that is the key to it.
We are free in you. Amen. Amen. Do you know that Jesus is your good shepherd?
Yes. Amen.
From Psalm 23, it says, even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil. Why? Because he is with me. Amen. His presence is what drives out fear.
Yes. Amen. Your rod, your staff, they comfort me. God, I thank you that you are the great comforter. Jesus, that you are the good shepherd, that you lay your life down for the sheep, and then pick it up again.
Thank you, God, for resurrection power that raised you from the dead and also that lives in us. Amen. Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment. This is the worship through giving part of the service.
I'll invite the ushers to come on forward. Florian's gonna play just a little instrumental piece. And Ray, would you you pray?
Lord God Almighty, we're so thankful for you, Lord. Yesterday, right here in this room, we had a funeral for a dear beloved saint. And that was church for me, Lord. Just to recognize how you walk out your life with human agency, the way that you are we are the continuing body of Christ and you are walking it out, Lord, through us. Would you use us this week, Lord?
Would you use the way we walk, the way that we talk, the way that we act in and among this group of believers, but also, Lord, outsiders? Would you would you direct our steps, Lord? I pray that this morning you'd direct us as to actually what it is that you would have us to do. That, Lord, what we would put in these plates metaphorically, what would we put in these plates actually literally to. But God, I pray that you would have us giving of what you have given to us so that others may know you.
Lord, to know you and to make you known, to love you, to know you, to serve you. It's the greatest thing in our life. In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray that you would allow us to sense your presence in a way that is very, very real and allow us to accept your direction, Lord. Would you guide our footsteps? Would you guide our the way that we use our words?
In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray for two unspoken requests this morning for people who have reached out for help. God, would you meet their needs? Lord, would you allow us the grace to overcome? In Jesus' name, Lord, we pray that you'd bless and multiply all that we give to you to do your kingdom's work, your will, Lord, done in your way. Amen.
Okay. Alright. It's time for children's church. I love to hear that sound. Thank you.
Jesus Walks. Yes, I missed it. That's the name of a Kanye song. I blew it. Did the old pastoral thing where he just doesn't know what's going on in the world right now?
No. I I actually did know that it was happening, but this is what stood out today. The the message for most of the the text is going be Jesus walking on the water. And so Jesus walks on the water is the norm, but Jesus walks is before that. And I think it's really significant.
I think it's really important. I think in our time it speaks that Jesus walked on some things. He slipped away. So, here we go. Peripateo.
Peripateo is a great Greek word. Peripateetic teaching, you might have heard. Peripateic is that which is taught while you're walking. And so being in a place where we all love to hike and get around, most of us like to hike and get around. Peripateo, it means to walk.
And in an ethical sense, it means to conduct your life. If you look up all the definitions and all the ones to make one's way, peripateo, it's to make your way, to make progress, to keep moving forward, to make a due use of opportunities. That is your walk. And to live is to walk, to keep moving forward because time doesn't go backwards, it only goes forward. And you need to be looking down the road instead of looking backwards.
If you drive your car and you're looking in the rearview mirror the whole time, what do you do? End up in a ditch, if you're lucky. To regulate one's life, to conduct oneself. I love it. It's used 96 times in the New Testament.
So in the 27 books of the New Testament, they're doing a whole lot of walking, and that's just the word for walk. When it says, and he went, that's not the same word. If you if you did that, it'd be thousands of times but 96 times, parapateo. When I did a wedding ceremony for Wendy and Tim a while back, they started their walk together by walking together everywhere that they went and so, I I wrote this sermon for them. I've used it a couple of times since then for people I didn't know very well.
But I wrote it for them because they walked together and walking together is really important and as a body, we need to be walking together. You know, Amos three:three says, Can two walk together unless they be agreed? And it's a rhetorical question, but the answer is no. You have to be agreed if you're going be walking together. You may be walking, but you're not going to be walking together, and you'll be walking further and further apart.
The further apart you get, the further you get from God. So, here we go. This is what we're covering today. It is that portion and then the discourse on the bread of life, which there's a lot of that. I'm not going to cover this in detail.
This was given in Capernaum to a synagogue assembly, and it's about Jesus being the bread of life. So we won't cover that thoroughly. I've already covered it in the book of John. It was ten years ago, but that's alright. You can read it.
And then we'll get to, so it's John six twenty six-sixty five. If you've got a homework assignment, this is it. Go read the discourse on the Bread of Life. It's not necessarily an easy teaching, especially if you are drawn into the arguments of the world. It's not an easy teaching.
And we are continually being berated to be persuaded to choose a side, right? Discourse So on the bread of life is important. Six twenty six to 65, then we'll cover 66 to 69 in John, and then we'll close. But here we go. Remember the immediate context.
Now, Jesus has been doing what Jesus has been doing since John baptized him two years prior at this point. It's about two years and a couple of months probably since John the Baptist baptized Jesus. In the immediate context, what we've seen is the news that John the Baptist has been beheaded by an evil king. Jesus retreats and then is met with a crowd and he has compassion on him. He keeps on working.
The disciples, they had just been sent out. 12 disciples sent out in six groups of two and they went out and they had all kinds of things that were happening in Jesus name with his power, with his authority. They're healing the sick and they are spreading the message. The miracles are authenticating the message and the fame of Jesus is growing. The fame of Jesus particularly as a rabbi is growing because his miracles authenticate his message and now his disciples have miracles at their disposal and they can do great things.
And so how what do you think it looks like for people when they see, Those are just normal people. I mean, they're fishermen. One of them is a tax collector for crying out loud. And they're doing all these miraculous things. I want to be a part of that because of the miracles.
Not necessarily the message. So Jesus just miraculously fed 5,000 men plus women and children. That's what we covered last week. If you didn't catch it last week, can go back and listen online if you want to. But that's the immediate context, and then we'll start in Mark.
I usually start with the shortest and I go to the longest. So Mark says, and immediately, this is immediately after they were all filled to the max and they had 12 baskets of food left over and immediately, Jesus had his disciples. Y'all get in the boat. Get going. Go ahead of him to the other side.
We'll meet back up on the other side of the lake. I didn't put a map up there this week but they're from Bethsaida which is up here and they're going over here. The Sea Of Galilee. While he himself dismisses the crowd. So, Jesus is nothing to see here.
Move along. And after saying goodbye to them, he left for the mountain to pray which is what he was doing already. He was retreating. He was stepping back from the crowd. When he was met with a a crowd and he had compassion on him because he felt like they were sheep without a shepherd.
So, Matthew, what does Matthew say? And immediately, it's right after. Afterward, he compelled the disciples. Y'all get in the boat. Y'all go ahead of me to the other side and while he sent the crowds away, after he'd sent the crowds away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening, he was there alone. Jesus walked, right? He had this whole crowd of people that were satiated and adoring what was going on, amazed, wondering, and Jesus disperses the crowd, sends the disciples away, goes up on the mountain, and he's there alone. John says it this way, therefore, when the people saw the sign. So, is the end.
This is the last thing we closed with last week. Therefore, when the people saw the sign which he had performed, they said, this is truly the prophet who has come into the world. Now, if you remember, all the way back to Deuteronomy, Moses said in Deuteronomy eighteen fifteen, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. Okay. Now, who was Moses?
He was the leader. What did he lead him out of? Oppression in Egypt. Oh, he was a great leader. We love Moses.
Remember what the people said about Moses when Moses was leading? They murmured against him. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. Be looking for him. He's going to be from among you.
He will be of this line and from your countrymen and to him, you shall listen. So, truly, this is the guy that Moses was talking about. He's gonna be our deliverer. He's the one that's gonna deliver us from this Roman oppression. And the next verse says, so Jesus, aware that they intended to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew.
He walked. He walked away from earthly power. Although he's the most powerful in the universe, he walked away from earthly political power. So Jesus aware that they intended to come and take him by force and he has miracles at his disposal but he also understands the will of the father. He knows what he needs to do.
And in humility, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone. So Jesus walks. He just walks. To take him by force and make him king. It was a small k king, by the way.
Just an earthly king. He was the capital k king already. Jesus walks. So, he walks and now he walks on water. Alright.
Jesus walks on water. Mark, when it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars for the wind was against them. Oh, do you feel like the wind is against you? Yes.
At about the fourth watch of the night, he he comes to them. He's walking on the sea and he intended to pass by them. I think that's hilarious. He intended to pass by them. Can you imagine?
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and they cried out. For they all saw him and they all were terrified but immediately, he spoke with them and said, hey, hey, take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. Then he got into the boat with them and the wind stopped.
Now on their way across recently, they had had the winds. Don't you care about us? They've seen this scene before. Don't you care that we are dying? And he says, peace be still and it all calms down.
He gets in the boat with them and when the wind stopped, they were utterly astonished. Why were they utterly astonished again? Does Jesus have to keep doing the same thing over and over for you to actually recognize that he has the power to do so? For they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves. Think about that.
They had not gained any insight whatsoever from the incident of the Loews, but their hearts were hardened. These are his disciples. These are the ones who've been with him for a couple of years and 5,000 people show up, 5,000 men, probably 10,000, maybe more. Women and children included and they just saw this. They just distributed.
There's a basket left over for each of them and yet, they gained nothing from it according to Mark. Mark, by the way, tells Peter's story. Mark, traditionally, we have believed that Mark was sort of the scribe that took the dictation. Peter told his story, Mark wrote it down. So, when they crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
They moored at the shore. And when they got out of the boat, immediately, the people recognized them. Fame and notoriety. And ran about the entire country and they began carrying here and there on pallets those who were sick to wherever they heard that he was. And wherever he entered villages or cities or a countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces and imploring him that they might just touch the fringe of his cloak.
That sounds familiar too. Right? When he was in Capernaum or near Capernaum, there was Jairus that was saying, come please and heal my daughter, please. And a woman touched the hem of his garment and was healed of her disease, and he turned to her and said, it is your faith that has made you whole, saved you. And so they hear this and they're like, we gotta get close.
We gotta get close by and we've gotta do this so that they might just touch the fringe of his cloak and all who touched it were being healed. It was faith that was healing him. It was not just faith. It was faith in the right person, Jesus. Makes all the difference in the world.
Alright. What does Matthew have to say? But the boat, so that was Peter's story as told through Mark. Now, we're going listen to Matthew. Matthew says, but the boat was already a long distance from the land and it was battered by the waves for the wind was contrary.
I feel like we have some contrary winds blowing, not literally but metaphorically right now. And then the fourth watch of the night, he came to them and he was walking on the sea. Jesus walks. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, it's a ghost and they cried out in fear but immediately, Jesus spoke to them saying, take courage. It is I.
Do not be afraid and Peter responded to him. Lord, if it is you, actually, if I were to translate that, I'd say, since it is you. He just told him it was him, right? Since it is you, it it it can be either if or since. That's both within the range but I think it sense makes more sense.
Lord, since it's you and not some ghost, command me to come out there to you on the water. I know what you command, lord and I want for you to command me to be able to be right there with you and he said, come and Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water and he came toward Jesus but seeing the wind, he became frightened and when he began to sink, he cried out saying, lord, save me and immediately, Jesus reached out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, you have little faith. Why did you give bit bit a a a and those who were in the boat worshiped him saying, you are truly God's son. Amen.
And when they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and when the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding region and brought to him all who were sick and they pleaded with him that they might just touch the border of his cloak and all who touched it were cured. Faith in Christ was making people whole. Faith in Christ still makes people whole. John, what does John have to say? Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.
And after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum and it had already become dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. In addition, the sea began getting rough because a strong wind contrary against them according to the other two was a blowing. And then when they had rowed about 25 or 30 stadia. Now, do you all know how much a stadia is? It's 607 feet.
So if you do the math, it's about 2.87 to 3.44 miles. Think about this. When you think about Jesus walking on water, how long did you think he walked? I always just thought, you know, not not quite parlor trick, but, you know, he's Jesus. Maybe he just appeared right where he was and they saw him and he's walking on the water, but he's been walking on the water for he's been hiking.
Two and a half, three miles, three miles, he's walking. And he intended on passing them because there's a contrary wind blowing. Have you all been up to the Oxbow from the dam down to Pacific Creek and you think, I'm going to play in the Oxbow for a little while, and you start turning and you're paddling for all your worth and you feel like I'm still going backwards. Contrary wind. But Jesus is walking.
It's faster actually in that portion if you just walk and pull your boat. When they rode about 25 or 30 stadia, they saw Jesus. He's walking on the seas coming near to the boat, and they were frightened. Jesus actually intended to pass them but he still was keeping an eye on them. Right?
They were frightened and he said to them, It is I. Do not be afraid. So they were willing to take him into the boat. I bet they were. And immediately the boat was at land to which they were going.
So miraculously, he's walking on water and then when he gets in with them, boom, they're right where they're going. So he can do that. And it sounds like because they gained nothing, because Peter sank, because he needs to keep on showing them, boom, they're right at land. No more contrary wind and they're there. He can get them there.
I think that when we're rowing and it feels contrary and we're going that there's something to be gained from that experience. Christ can relieve it immediately, but it might be better for us if he doesn't. The next day. Next day, the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one. So this is on the other side of the sea.
This is near Bethsaida. This is on the Eastern side of the Sea Of Galilee. And so that crowd that had been there for the feeding of the 5,000, they saw, hey, wait a minute. There was no other small boat there except for that one that they came on And that Jesus had not gotten into the boat. Remember, he sent the disciples out and then he turned, dispersed the crowd, and went up on the mountain to pray.
He didn't get in the boat. His disciples had departed alone. There were other small boats that came from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread and after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples, they themselves got into other small boats and they came to Capernaum, which is his hangout. That's his normal home place during this ministry time where Peter and Andrew are from around there.
Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you get here? I think what they meant is, how did you get here? We know you didn't get in the boat. It takes a long time.
Took us this long to walk across. So Jesus walks on water. When did you get here? Now, the discourse on the bread of life. This is at the synagogue in Capernaum.
Would you all mind? I'm going to try to just read this and not preach all the way through. It's a lot of text. I don't want for you to fall asleep. We might stretch in the middle.
Okay? Jesus answered them and said, truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate some of the loaves and you were filled. You're not seeking me for me. You're seeking me for you. Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life which the son of man will give you for on him the father God has set his seal.
I'm showing you that I am who I am. Therefore, they said to him, what are we to do so that we may accomplish the works of God? See why they're there? They had heard that the disciples can do the miracles and now they want to be able to do the miracles. Therefore, they said to him, what are we to do so that we may accomplish the works of God?
Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God. Right here, get this. If you get nothing else, this is the work of God that you believe in him who he has sent. That is the book of John right there. It's the gospel of belief.
This is the work of God that you believe in the one whom he has sent. So they said to him, what then are you doing as a sign so that we may see and believe you? These are people who ate those loaves yesterday. What are you gonna do? What work are you performing?
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness as is written. He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. And Jesus said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, it's not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread out of heaven for the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world and then they said, lord, always give us this bread. Always be giving us this bread and Jesus said to him, I am that bread. I am the bread of life.
The one who comes to me will not be hungry. The one who believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have indeed, you have seen me and yet you don't believe in me. You're only believing in what I can do for you instead of actually believing in me. Everything that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me, I certainly will not cast out.
For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will of of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that out of everything he has given me, I will lose nothing. But I will raise it up on that last day. For this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself, I will raise him up on the last day. It is a certainty.
Something's not clicking here, Blake. So then the Jews were complaining about him. Oh, it is kinda like Moses, isn't it? They were complaining about him because he said, I'm the bread that came down from heaven. And they were saying, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
How does he now say, I have come down out of heaven? We know how he got here. There's a little bit of derision in there. Right? We know how he got here illegitimate son of Mary.
Jesus answered and said to them, stop complaining amongst yourselves. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day. It's written in the prophets and they shall all be taught of God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me, not that anyone has seen the father except the one who's from God. That's me.
He has seen the father. Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. How much more plain can he make this? Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.
This is the bread that comes down out of heaven. So that anyone may eat from it and not die but live eternally. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever and the bread which I will give for the life of the world also is my flesh. Oh gracious.
Wow. I'm walking it out. I'm walking out the love of God in humility, and what y'all wanna do is lift me up and make me king. A proud position of power, and I'm not taking that. Then the Jews began to argue with one another saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?
That doesn't make any sense. So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. You have to really, you have to take me in. You have to internalize all that I am. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, abides, remains in me, and I in him just as the living father has sent me. In that same way, I live because of the father. The one who eats in me, he will also live because of me. I am the way, the truth, and the life. He's already, he's going to say that in John 14 but this is the bread that came down out of heaven not as the fathers ate and died but the one who eats of this bread, the one who takes me in will live forever.
These things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. So then, many of his disciples when they heard this said, this statement is very unpleasant. Who can even listen to it? I mean, if we back off for just a minute, it does sound like cannibalism if you take it in a purely earthly sense and their problem was they were taking things in a purely earthly sense. They only were allowing their senses to tell them and not their spirit and not the spirit to tell them.
Who can even listen to that? But Jesus aware that his disciples, these are people who have been following him, were complaining about this. He said, is this offensive to you? Is this offensive to you? What then if you see the son of man ascending to where he was before?
It's the spirit who gives life. The flesh provides no benefit. The words that I've spoken to you are spirit and they are life, but there are some of you who do not believe. There were some who did, but there are some of you who just don't believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were, who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.
And he was saying, for this reason I've told you that no one can come to me unless it's been granted him of the father. The father must draw you to me. And this is the saddest verse in the whole Bible,
I think.
And as a result of this, many of his disciples left and they would no longer walk with him. Jesus walks, and we have the capacity. The father is drawing. If we lift Jesus up, he will draw all men, he says. We're lifting him up.
The father is drawing. But as a result of this hard teaching, many of his disciples left and would no longer walk with him. Jesus walks. So are you gonna walk with him? Are you gonna issue earthly power for spiritual peace?
Are we gonna walk with him? Are we gonna really pay attention to Jesus for the sake of God, for the sake of Jesus instead of for what he can do for us? 67 through 69 says this, so Jesus said to the 12, now many of them walked away. Many, many of them walked away. And Jesus said to the 12, y'all don't wanna leave too, do you?
Can you imagine? You don't wanna leave also, do you? I mean, I just lost John the Baptist. Right? It's heartbreaking.
And then to have such a big crowd, it's exciting when there's a big crowd. It's easier to preach to a big crowd. But if you have a whole bunch of people just walk away and it's kind of a light crowd now and say, y'all don't wanna leave too, do you? But Simon Peter answered, Simon jumps out of the boat, Lord, to whom shall we go? You've got the words of eternal life.
We're hanging on every word you say. We don't want to be anywhere except for with you. And we've already believed and we've already come to know that you are the Holy One of God. That's the end of the text that we're going over today. But I want for you to go back and read over that discourse from the Bread of Life and see why am I in this?
I actually went this week with a buddy who's a counselor, a drug and alcohol counselor, and we were going to see if we could help somebody. And before we left, I said, would you go with me? And he said, I will go with you. But before we go, what's our purpose? I was like, I hadn't thought about that.
I'm just going to check-in. What is our purpose? Are we trying to take Jesus by force and make him say what we want him to say so that we can be on the side of the king? Or are we listening for what he's actually saying, and are we watching how he's actually walking? So Jesus walks.
Are you going to walk with him? And since I've started off with Amos three three, can we be agreed that we're going to walk with him? Wherever he leads, we'll go. Alright. Would you stand with me?
We're going to just sing the doxology to close today. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.
A quick prayer benediction. Lord, would you forgive us for any time that we've ever just wanted, what we wanted, and didn't pay attention to what you were actually doing. Lord, when we are rowing against the contrary wind, may we be looking for you and not afraid of you. May we invite you into the boat and find ourselves transported. In Jesus' name, Lord, we gather and in Jesus' name we go out.
