the primary passage for the sermon, covering the walking on water and the bread of life discourse
14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.”
15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
17 and they entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
18 The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.
19 When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.
20 But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
22 On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone.
23 However boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
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.”
66 At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”
parallel account of the feeding of five thousand and Jesus walking on water, including Peter stepping out of the boat
1 At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”
3 For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.
4 For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
5 When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
8 She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
9 The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
10 and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
11 His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.
12 His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14 Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15 When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to me.”
19 He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
20 They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
29 He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”
34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
35 When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick;
36 and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.
parallel account of the feeding and walking on water, noted as drawing on Peter's own telling
1 He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.
2 When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands?
3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were offended at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5 He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.
6 He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching.
7 He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
8 He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse,
9 but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics.
10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.
11 Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent.
13 They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.
14 King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.”
16 But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”
17 For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her.
18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t,
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
21 Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
22 When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
23 He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.”
25 She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”
26 The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.
27 Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
30 The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.
31 He said to them, “You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32 They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
33 They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him.
34 Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
35 When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day.
36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat.”
37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?”
38 He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go see.” When they knew, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39 He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate, and were filled.
43 They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.
44 Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.
46 After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.
47 When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,
49 but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
50 for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”…
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message came from John 6, working through the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus walking on the water, and the long discourse on the bread of life that followed. Pastor Carl traced a single question through all of it: Jesus walks, and the question is whether we will walk with him. The sermon closed at the moment when the crowd had thinned out and only the twelve remained.
What was said
The immediate context matters. Jesus had just heard that John the Baptist was killed, and he withdrew to grieve. The crowd followed him anyway, and rather than sending them off, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He taught them, fed them, and ended up with twelve baskets left over. That is the ground everything else grows out of.
After the feeding, the crowd began to see Jesus as the prophet Moses had promised in Deuteronomy, the one who would deliver them from foreign oppression the way Moses had delivered Israel from Egypt. They intended to take him by force and make him king. Jesus walked away. He had already turned down that same offer from Satan at the beginning of his ministry, and he turned it down again here. He went up the mountain alone to pray.
While the disciples crossed the sea in a boat rowing against a contrary wind, Jesus came to them walking on the water, about three miles out from shore. He intended to pass right by them, though he had been watching them the whole time. He got in, the wind stopped, and they were, in Mark's words, utterly astonished, because they had not gained any insight from the loaves. Their hearts were hardened even after they had been the ones handing out the bread.
The crowd that had eaten the bread eventually tracked Jesus down on the other side of the sea. He told them plainly that they were looking for him not because of the signs but because they had gotten a free meal. He pressed them toward something different: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he has sent." They responded by asking for another sign, which is almost comic given what had just happened.
The bread of life discourse turns on that same problem. Jesus said he is the bread that came down from heaven, that whoever comes to him will not be hungry and whoever believes in him will never be thirsty. The crowd heard "eat my flesh and drink my blood" in the most literal, earthly way possible and was offended. But Jesus was describing the same thing he had said several times already: taking him in, believing in him, receiving the life he offers. They were only there for what he could do for them in an earthly sense.
The result was that many of his disciples left and would no longer walk with him. Pastor Carl called that the saddest verse in the Bible. The crowd had gone from thousands down to twelve, and Jesus turned to the twelve and asked if they wanted to leave too. Peter answered for the group: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the very words of eternal life. We have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." That confession is where the message landed, with the invitation to walk with Jesus rather than simply looking for what he can provide.
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 Carl opened with the image from Amos 3:3, 'Can two walk together unless they be agreed?' Where do you see agreement or disagreement in how people around you understand what it means to follow Jesus?
When the crowd tried to make Jesus king by force, he withdrew to the mountain alone to pray. What does that tell us about how Jesus handled the gap between what people wanted from him and what the Father had sent him to do?
Speaker 1We're gonna sing them in. If you would stand with us, We're gonna sing come thou fount of every blessing and I'm gonna check and see if my microphone's on. Are you hearing it, Blake? Okay, good. Hymn number 11, if you've got a hymnal in front of you.
Speaker 2Come now, fountain of every blessing to my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some that, Lord, your son, it sung by flaming tongues above. Praise his name.
I'm fixed upon it name of God's redeeming love hitherto thy love has blessed me thou hast brought me to this place and I know thy hand will lead me safely home by thy good grace. Jesus saw me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be. Let thy goodness like a feather bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart. Oh, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.
Speaker 1Y'all sound good this morning. Oh, how I love Jesus. Hymn number 92. I can hear the lilt already. Just a balloon.
Just a balloon. I saw it five minutes ago and I thought that thing's gonna pop. Just a balloon. Hit it, Maestro. Sorry.
Speaker 2There is a name I love to hear. I love to sing its word. It sounds like music in my ear. The sweetest name on Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus.
Oh, how I love because he first loved me. It tells me of a savior's love who died to set me free. It tells of him his precious And though I tread a dark sun path, yield sunshine all the way. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus.
Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Have a few announcements. Monday nights, normally, we have Monday nights. This should have a red line and slash through it, red circle and slash through it.
We're not doing Monday nights this week. We're just not. You've ever run a machine so long that you just feel like we gotta stop this thing and lubricate and take care of it. So, that's what we're going to do. Would you pray for us about Monday nights?
It's meal, music, and a message, and we would like for it to be something where it was always that there was somebody to do the meal that they just couldn't wait. You know what I mean? Like, Felix in Guadalupe, they do a great job one time a month. But we've got three or four other Mondays in a month, and we don't have people just beating down the door to feed us. Okay?
So meal, music, and a message. We'd like for Carl to be able to do the music part and message part and then kind of facilitate the discussion. But we really need folks to take care of that meal. So that's Monday nights. We're not going to do it tomorrow night.
We're not going to do it on Labor Day. We'll let you know next week whether we're going to do it in between. Connect hour. That is something that happens down the hall in between the services. It was fantastic this morning.
Nancy T. Put on quite the spread. And that's good. If you want to be feeling connected to the earlier service, then come on in between at 10:00 and just sit down and partake with them. Jackson Hole Women's Bible Study is starting up September 7.
This is a multi church thing. It's kind of valley wide. So Wednesdays from ten a. To twelve noon right here in this room, Deborah Buckingham will be teaching. And I think Lissa Hunter from Tribe is going be doing the music.
So that's the fall study that's starting up September 7. It'll go September and October, I think. Sound booth volunteers are still needed. If you feel like you have a particular inclination towards techy type stuff, computer and sound, would you let Nick Stair know? Nick's back there waving his hand.
If you'd let him know. We'd love to have a deeper bench so that we could nobody's going anywhere. You don't have to worry. But we also would like to have more, hands, to the work. Nancy Traziano or Nancy T also.
I don't know what that was. Blake's looking at me like I did that. I don't know what that was. The first Friday of the month is covered already by the first Friday fellowship. It's a craft night but all of the other Fridays in the month, Nancy is planning on screening The Chosen.
It's a series about the the ministry of Jesus, the last three years of Jesus' earthly life. And so that is happening on Fridays at six p. M. She set the table and she will there'll be some form of meal and then there'll also be a screening of The Chosen. That's been really good.
Do you all know what Old is? Most of you probably do. If you're visiting, Old Bills is a it's a community foundation of Jackson Hole way of amplifying giving. There are Mr. And Mrs.
Old Bills and a lot of co challengers that have given a lot of money towards whatever the community wants to support. And so for every dollar that's given to a five zero one(three) nonprofit, they will amplify that giving. Usually it goes in a dollar, it comes out a dollar and 0.5. Sometimes more, sometimes a little less. But it's almost always about $1.50 Sometimes it's closer to 2 So if you want to give to say, First Bees Benevolence Fund, you can give through Old Bills and it'll amplify that gift.
If you wanted to give to the Good Samaritan Mission or Turning Point Pregnancy Resource, you could do that and it would amplify those. Giving seasons opened just August 12 to September 16. We're right in the middle of that. And I think that's it. Does anybody else have anything?
In the first service, Matt Lutzeman, one of our elders and leaders here, came forward and said, If you're not involved in a small group, you're missing a blessing. And would you consider being a part of a small group? And if you'll let us know, we'll try to facilitate you getting into one or kind of arranging that for you. But I think that's all though. Anything else?
Okay. Would you stand with us and we're going to sing. I agree. It is. There's a river in your chest.
That's good. Let it flow, brother. It it, I heard him play this this morning. Day by day and with each passing moment. It's so good.
Would you sing with us?
Speaker 2Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here. Trusting in my father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what he deems best lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure mingling toil with peace and rest till peace. Wait a second now.
Speaker 1Where did that additional slide come from? The The hymnal. Okay. But we'll skip that. We're going to skip that one.
If you need a little print, don't read the fine print. If it comes up like this, go for that,
Speaker 2alright? Every day, the Lord himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour. All my cares, he fain would hear and cheer me. He whose name is counselor and power. El Mignon, talent treasure is a charge that on himself he lay.
As your days, your strength shall be in measure. This the pledge to me he may. Help me then in every tribulation so to trust your promises, oh Lord, that I lose not faith sweet consolation. Authored me within your holy word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meet he, heir to take as from a father's hand.
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting till I reach the promised land. Amen.
Speaker 1Amen. And how about higher ground?
Speaker 2I'm pressing on the upward way, New heights I'm gaining every day, still praying as I'm onward bound. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's table land, a higher plane than I have found. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay, though some may dwell where these abound.
My prayer, my aim is higher ground. Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's table land, a higher plane than I have found. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. I want to live above the world, though Satan's guards and me are hurled. For faith has called the joyful sound, the song of saints on higher ground.
Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's table land, a higher plane than I have found. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. I want to scale the utmost high and catch a gleam of glory bright, but still I'll pray till heaven I found. Lord, lead me onto higher ground. Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's table land, a higher plane than I have found lord plant my feet on higher Amen.
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat And the ushers are gonna come forward and would you pray with me? That God would bless the the worship that we are offering through giving this morning. God, I I pray that metaphorically, we would put our whole lives in these plates. That we recognize that our life is found in you, that it's hidden in Christ with God. Lord, I I'm thankful to be one of your family, humbled by the the thought of it, that you, lord, have extended your grace, that you've removed anyone who has believed, that you just removed them from the kingdom of darkness and placed them into the kingdom of light.
So Lord, we we pray that we would be reflecting that light. We pray that we'd be advancing your good gospel through the advance of your word, Lord. Would you propel us by your spirit into whatever work you have for us? You you you tell us, Lord, that you have steps that are already set in advance that we should walk in them. Lord, what we come together today to say is we want to be walking in those steps that you've established for us.
May we not stray to the left nor to the right. In Jesus name, we pray that you would multiply the resources that go into these plates, the the monies that go into these plates. We pray that you, lord, would take them and do with them as you will in your way and lord that you would multiply them to do your kingdom's work on earth, Lord, as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 3We are grateful to be here worshiping God through music. Amen. This week, I called mister Bob and said, I feel like we should sing and worship God together. And in a second, mister Bob suggested this beautiful song says, he liveth me, oh blessed God. He is in charge of our everyday steps in life.
Amen? And big steps, small steps, as long as Christ is in our ways with us and what we do, then we feel his blessing in this journey. Amen? Amen.
Speaker 1Thank you. It's good. Jesus walks. He leadeth me. He's walking.
He's leading. I know that I'm a pastor and sometimes pastors miss cultural phenomena that happen. I know that this is the name of a Kanye West song. I don't know how many of y'all know that, but it is, and there's a refrain in that song that is pretty good actually. The verses I could do without, but the refrain is pretty good.
Jesus walks. I'm concentrating today on this because where we are in scripture, it's interesting. Things can go a lot of different directions but Jesus walks out perfectly what the father wants by power of the spirit and we are empowered to do that by the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Peripateo. Peripateo is the word for walk in the New Testament.
And if you've heard of peripatetic teaching, have you heard of that? He was a peripatetic rabbi or peripatetic minister means he was a walking itinerant minister. Jesus was a peripatetic teacher. He walked and as he walked, he taught. And so his disciples walking with him in his steps, they're learning from the master that way.
So I walk and in the Hebrew thought it is in an ethical sense to conduct your life a certain way or to live in a certain way. That is your walk. To make one's way, to make progress because time doesn't go backwards. Time goes forwards and you need to be walking forwards. I often will say when folks come in, especially marriage counseling, when folks will come in and they just can't get over something that's happened in the past.
I said, Listen, when you ride down the road, do you look out the windshield or do you constantly look in the rearview mirror? If you are always looking in the rearview mirror, you are going to run-in the ditch. You have to look out the windshield going forward. And to conduct your life, you have to look forward to make a due use of the opportunities. These are all the dictionary definitions from Thayer's Lexicon of Greek.
Parapateo is to walk, to live, to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself. And so that word's used 96 times in the New Testament. And that's not including where he went somewhere. It's just when he walked and where it says that. I I am starting here.
This is what we're covering today. Actually, it's John six fourteen all the way through 69, which is a lot. We're going to go over the discourse on the bread of life, which is kind of in the middle of this and we'll end up with this. John six, just 66 through 69, and we'll close. But I want to start by thinking about walking.
In Amos three three, Amos three three, I wrote specifically for Tim and Wendy Williams. When they got married several years ago, I wrote a sermon for their wedding. I've used it a couple of times since then for folks that I didn't know very well, but I knew they got together by walking together. Tim and Wendy loved to hike. They still hike all the time And they like to go out walking.
And when they were dating, what they were doing is walking side by side on a path. And it's a really beautiful thing. So I was thinking about that. In Amos it says, Can two walk together unless they be agreed? And it's a hypothetical or rhetorical question, not hypothetical, but a rhetorical question from God through his prophet to his people and he's saying, listen, some of y'all are following after me and some of you are not and you're not in agreement on what that is.
I I don't know of another time in my lifetime. I don't think we've ever been as divided as we are right now in the country but can two walk together unless they be agreed. Jesus is walking still and as the body of Christ, we should be walking in his steps still and we need to be agreed. So, this today, I hope will be helpful because it helps in our context but remember, the immediate context of what we're going into in Matthew 14 and John six and Mark six. Jesus has just miraculously fed 5,000 men plus women and children.
So probably 10,000 maybe more people were fed to their field, satiated completely, and had 12 baskets left over. That's what immediately happened. But go back one step before that. He did that when he had withdrawn away from the crowds, and he was going because he had just gotten news of John the Baptist's death. And it was his friend, his cousin, his baptizer had been mercilessly killed by an evil earthly king.
On a whim. And Jesus withdrew. We know that Jesus often withdrew in the wilderness to pray but we see him withdrawn and when he withdrew, crowds followed after and it said and seeing them, he had compassion on them and he started to teach them because they were as sheep with no shepherd. So, think about all the context. That's Jesus' immediate context.
Think about the disciples. They had been sent out and that's what got word to Herod Antipas. Excuse me for coughing here. That's what had gotten word to Herod Antipas and he was afraid John the Baptist had resurrected because so many miracles were happening and he was the one that caused John the Baptist death. So, the disciples had been sent out by Jesus to 12 of em and six groups of two and they were doing all kinds of miracles and they came back to report to Jesus and then, all of a sudden, there are 10,000 people there.
And Jesus has compassion on him instead of saying, y'all come back some other time. I need to grieve for a while. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach and then when evening had come and it was past supper time, he does a miracle for 5,000 men plus women and children. That's what's immediately happened.
Think about the fame of Jesus growing and think about the fact that now there are 12 ordinary men who are out and they're doing miracles. Rabbis, peripatetic, itinerant ministers who have a following where all of a sudden their disciples are able to do miracles. You think that's gonna draw a crowd of people who want to do miracles? Yeah. So why were they after Jesus?
Was it after Jesus for Jesus or after Jesus for themselves? The immediate context says, it was for themselves. Immediately, Jesus had his disciples get into the boat. This is right after the feeding, after they've gathered the baskets, after the crowd is satiated, and probably getting sleepy. Immediately, Jesus had his disciples.
Y'all get in the boat. Go ahead of me to the other side to Bethsaida or with in Bethsaida while he himself dismissed the crowd. So, Jesus put them on the boat and said, y'all get out of here. I'll disperse the crowd. He dismisses them and after saying goodbye to the disciples, he left for the mountain to pray.
Well, that was his original destination anyway. Matthew says, immediately afterward, after this feeding of 5,000 men, he compelled the disciples to get into the boat. Y'all go ahead. Go ahead of me to the other side. I'll catch up.
Don't worry about me while I'll send the crowd away. After he had sent the crowds away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Jesus walks. He needed to go up on the mountain and when it was evening, he was there alone. Wow.
We need to retreat sometimes. John tells it this way. John says, and this is the last thing I covered last week. So, it's dovetailing, keeping a wet edge on our painting right here. Therefore, when the people saw the sign which he had performed, they said, this is truly the capital p, prophet who has come into this world.
Now, if you'll remember, I explained last week from Deuteronomy eighteen fifteen. When before they entered into the promised land, and this is Moses saying this to God's people after the wilderness generation had died off and they're just about to enter into the promised land. They've been delivered from Egypt in slavery. Moses says, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. Now, what was Moses to them?
A deliverer. He delivered them from foreign oppression and he brought them into right to the edge of the promised land. Though he himself was not gonna enter in, they brought him right to the edge of it. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen. He's gonna be one of us and to him, you shall listen.
So truly, they said, truly, this is the prophet that Moses was talking about who's coming to this world. I can't wait for this guy to deliver us from Roman oppression. I can't wait for this guy to take us to where God has promised us. Good things for us, bad things for our enemies. So Jesus, aware that they intended.
This is the crowd who just ate the bread. This is the crowd who just listened to him teaching. This is the crowd that just saw what was left over. Man, if he can multiply like this, he could probably multiply weapons too. He can multiply whatever we need to overthrow this kingdom.
So, Jesus aware that they intended to come and take him by force to make him king. He withdrew again. He walked. He walked. Now, this to me when I was reading it, I thought, you know what?
Satan had given him the same temptation. At the very beginning of his ministry, Satan said, I'll give you all the kingdom of the world. You can be king of all of this. Well, he already is the capital k king. They're gonna try to make him a small k king.
But he walked. He withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone. He shunned worldly power. He knew better. So, walks and if you go on, Jesus walks.
Now, most of the time, when you present this passage, it's Jesus walks on water because that's the that's the miracle, right? The miracle is Jesus walks on water. Let's see what they have to say about that. Mark and Matthew and John all talk about it. 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, at about the fourth watch of the night, he comes to them. That little asterisk is a historical present. It's just a rhetorical device. He comes to them walking on the sea. Jesus walks.
That's funny because Jesus walks while they're in a boat rowing against a strong wind. Jesus comes to them walking on the sea and he intended to pass by them. That cracks me up. They're out there rowing for all their worth and he was just gonna walk right on past, but he was keeping an eye on them. He intended to pass by them.
And 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 were all terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.
And then they... Then he got into the boat with them and the wind stopped and they were utterly astonished. Why were they utterly astonished? Do you remember just about a month ago when we were covering, he's going across the sea and the storm raises up and he says, peace be still and it goes down. Jesus, don't you care about us?
You're sleeping at a time when we're about to die. Don't you care that we live or die? Well, of course he does. Calm down. The winds calmed down, so do they.
They're utterly astonished still. This in Mark is Peter's story. Okay? So Peter, by tradition, it doesn't say that anywhere in the text, but Peter's story Mark wrote down. He got into the boat with him.
The wind stopped, and they were utterly astonished for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves. They didn't get that. They were there. They were the ones distributing. They knew there was no trick involved.
And they didn't gain any insight at all from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. That's a weird statement, isn't it? They had not gained any insight from it. Thinking about this being Peter's story and Mark's telling it, Peter skips one big obvious thing that Matthew tells. We'll get to that in a minute.
When they had crossed over, they came to the land at Gennesaret and they moored at the shore. It's not too far from Capernaum. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him. He was gaining fame all over. And they ran about the entire countryside, began carrying here and there on their pallets those who were sick to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he entered villages or cities or countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces, and they were imploring him that they might just touch the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched it were being healed. That is kind of a reminiscence of a little ripple from the lady who had touched the hem of his garment. We studied that a few weeks ago too. And their faith was making them whole. All who touched it were being healed.
Matthew tells it this way, but the boat was already a long distance from the land and it was battered by the waves for the wind was contrary. I'll just have to say, do y'all feel any contrary winds blowing? Yeah. And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them and he was walking on the sea because Jesus walked. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified.
They 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. Fear not. And Peter responded.
Now, this was not in Peter's version of the story. I wonder why. Maybe maybe he had learned a thing or two about bragging by the time they wrote it down. I don't know. Or maybe he was embarrassed by it still.
Who knows? Could've been either. But Matthew tells it this way. Peter responded and said to him, Lord, if it is you, actually, it can be if it is you. It also could be since it is you because he just said it is I.
Lord, if it is you or since it is you, command me to come out to you on the water. I wanna be where you are. I wanna follow you just the way you're doing it, Jesus. I wanna do it. And so he says, come on.
Peter got out of the boat and 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 and took a hold of him and said to him, you have little faith. Why did why did you doubt? There are plenty, there's plenty of sermons that could be preached just on this little instance. I'm not going to preach that one today.
You have little faith. Why'd you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped him saying, you are truly God's son. And when they had crossed over, they came to the land at Gennesaret and when the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding region, 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.
Now, Jesus said to the lady who touched the hem of his garment that it is your faith that has made you whole. There was not anything magical about Jesus's clothing but they were reaching out in faith and Peter reached out in faith and he said, lord, save me And he did. John, this is how John tells it. John six fourteen to 25. 16 says, 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, other side.
Now, contrary winds being what they were, they were headed towards Capernaum. Both of the others say they landed at Gennesaret, but it had already become dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. In addition, the sea began getting rough because a strong wind was a blow and a strong wind was blowing. Contrary winds were blowing. The winds were blowing against them from all three.
And then when they had rowed about 25 or 30 stadia. Do you all know how far a stadia is? Anybody? Anybody? 607 feet.
About. 607 feet. So if you do the math, it's 2.87 to 3.44 miles. Now for me, when I think of Jesus walking on the water, I think he kind of just appeared there off in the distance from the boat and they just saw him. It's almost like a parlor trick.
But apparently, Jesus had walked to the middle of the water. Three miles. He's walking, and he was gonna beat them to the other side. Have you all ever done the oxbow? You start at the dam and come down to Pacific Creek, and when you get to the oxbow, you paddle for all you're worth, and it's almost always a contrary wind right there.
Water's only about this deep. You can get out, walk faster, and pull the boat behind you than you can paddle, but you're paddling for all you're worth. Anyway, it's not two miles. But that to me was interesting. So he's walking steadily and they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat.
And they were frightened. But he said to them, it is I. Do not be afraid. So they were willing to take him into the boat. John doesn't tell the story about Peter either.
And immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. The next day, the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea. So these are the folks who had eaten the bread. It says that further down in the text. These are the folks on the Northeastern side of the Sea Of Galilee and they were standing there on the other side of the sea, saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus had not gotten into the boat with his disciples.
So they knew that Jesus sent the disciples away and then dispersed the crowd but there was no boat for him. They knew he had not gotten into the boat with disciples but the disciples had departed alone and other small boats had come from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples, they themselves got into small boats and they came across to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 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?
Jesus walks on water. That's how he got there. And he'd gotten there with his disciples. And then this happened. It says so in the text in just a minute.
But this happened in Capernaum at the synagogue in Capernaum. So that's the meeting place. It's the assembly place. It's the place where Jairus, the guy whose daughter he had raised to life from death, it's the same place. So he's got kind of special access in Capernaum to the synagogue.
And he is going to teach a discourse on the bread of life. I will try to just read this. Okay? But I think it's important. From 26 down to verse 65, this is the discourse on the bread of life.
Jesus knew why they were seeking after him and he's going into it right here. 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 got what you need in an earthly sense from me. 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.
That's me, Jesus is saying. My miracles authenticate the message and the message is seek after me. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be added. But seek the kingdom of God. Therefore, they said to him, what are we to do so that we may accomplish the works of God?
Like I said, he's doing miracles to authenticate his message. He's sending out his disciples and they're doing miracles and authenticating his message and he's gaining in fame and popularity But now people see the miracles and they think, I wanna do that. He says so. Right here. They ask, what are we to do so that we too may accomplish the works of God?
And Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God. Right here. Get this if you don't get anything else. This is the work of God that you believe in him who he has sent. Believe in Jesus.
Now, by John chapter six, we have heard they he came into his own and his own did not believe him. They didn't accept him. We heard in John two at the wedding that his disciples came to believe in him there at the wedding at Canaan. We hear in John three that for whosoever believes will be saved to Nicodemus, right? In John four, we hear the woman at the well.
The guy that you're talking to is the Messiah. Y'all have been waiting for. Believe me and she does. It's amazing how much belief shows up in the gospel of John. 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? They just ate the bread. It's so crazy. Even the disciples that said, learn nothing from that incident.
These people are asking for a continuing sign. What work are you now performing? We wanna see you do another one, Jesus. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness as it is written. 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 be giving us this bread. If that's an earnest prayer, it's really, really good. If it's an earthly prayer, it's really sad. We're going to see which one it was.
Jesus said to them, 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 seen me and yet you don't believe. 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've come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me empowered by the spirit. And this is the will of him who sent me that of everything that he's given me, I will lose nothing, but I will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. There's the gospel. And I myself will raise him up on the last day.
So then the Jews were complaining. Oh, now they're sounding like they're following Moses, aren't they? Because that's what they did about Moses for forty straight years. Oh, we had it better in Egypt. So then the Jews were complaining about him because he said, I'm the bread that came down out of heaven.
And they were saying, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? There's a little derision in there. Illegitimate son. How does he now say, I've come down out of heaven? Jesus answered and said to them, stop complaining among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I'll raise him up on the last day. You know what? We're lifting Jesus up because he said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me. I think he meant it metaphorically and physically. He was lifted up on a cross, and that draws people that understand it.
That he laid down his life, that he walked it out. It's written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. And everyone who's 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. There it is again. I am the bread of life. Believe in me.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. But this is the bread that comes down out of heaven so that anyone may eat from it and not die. Eternal life. 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 rest, for the for the life of the world also is my flesh.
Uh-oh. This is this is gonna go in one ear for them and just confuse them all. Then the Jews began to argue with one another saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Sounds like cannibalism. It doesn't sound like...
They're thinking in a purely earthly sense. They're not taking it metaphorically. But he is saying, I have come. I've... I mean, we can say now because of Philippians and various other texts that he left the glories of heaven and humbled himself and came and walked it out on earth.
And he has taken the role of servant on. He's taken a humble role on. Though he is the capital k King, for sure, he has taken on human flesh and he's walked it out in complete humility, surrendered to the spirit. They begin arguing with one another saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? So Jesus said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you do, take me in the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.
The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. He's said three times now already that the one who believes in me, really, for my sake, Jesus' sake. The one who believes in me has eternal life. Now, he's saying, the one who takes me in, eats my flesh, 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 and I in him.
Just as the living father sent me. I live because of the father and the one who takes me in, eats me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down of heaven not as the fathers ate and died but the one who eats of this bread will live forever. These things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. So then many of his disciples, people who had eaten this bread, people who had been following him, maybe for a distance from some for some while.
That's a small d instead of a capital d, not just a 12. We'll see the division in just a few minutes. But so then many of his disciples, when they heard this, they said, this statement is very unpleasant and who can listen to it? I don't get it. But Jesus, aware that his disciples were complaining about this, he said to them, is this offensive to you?
What then if you see the son of man ascending to where he was before? It is 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. You're only here for what it can do for you.
You remember Simon the magician in the book of Acts? He's Simon the magician. He's used to tricking people, but when he sees the disciples really performing miracles, he wants that. And he says, how much is it gonna cost for me to get that? He's pointing out that what they want is just fleshly.
But there are some of you who do not 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 has been granted him from the father. And this is saddest verse in the Bible, I think. As a result of this, many of his disciples left.
They cut ties. We thought you were going to be the guy. This is a hard teaching. I'm not about to do that. As a result of this, many of his disciples left and they would no longer walk with him.
Jesus walks. Are we going to be walking with him? Actually, Jesus walked. Are you going to be walking with him? That's the application point for today.
He's walking but are we walking out under the power of the spirit directed by the father the life of Jesus, or do we have our own way and we're asking for his seal of approval? Are we going to walk with him? So it's not just each of us individually, but we fit into the body of Christ. Are we going to be agreed that we are eschewing worldly power for transcendent peace? Like Jesus, he walked.
When they were gonna make him king, no less. '67 through '69 says this, so Jesus said to the 12, can you imagine? All of those people, all of those people that have been fed and then some of those people that crossed over the sea, it's like, they wanna lift him up on their shoulders and make him a king. And now, he's cut the crowd back down to the 12 and he's like, y'all don't want to leave too, do you? And Simon Peter, always willing to jump out of the boat says, Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the very words of eternal life. We're with you. We've already believed. It's past tense. We've settled this question, and we've come to know it certainly that you're the holy one of God.
Now that's the end of the text I'm gonna go for today. There's a little explanatory note about Judas below that, but I want to stop right there and go back to this. So Jesus, aware they intended to come and take him by force to make him the king, they were looking for earthly power over anything and everything that oppressed them, anything that they felt was not right with the world. All we gotta do is get him in power. But he withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone to commune with God and receive direction.
He knew that wasn't the answer. When Satan had offered the earthly kingdoms, Jesus said, it's not right to tempt the Lord your God. He answered it with scripture and he was meditating and being alone with God. So, Jesus walks. I think the question for us is, are we going to walk with him?
Actually, our hymn of invitation today is savior like a shepherd lead us. Would you would you come and play that, Florine? Would you stand with us and think about Jesus being the bread of life? Are we gonna walk with him?
Speaker 2Savior like a shepherd lead us much we need thy tender care in thy pleasant pastures feed us for our use thy faults prepare Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us thine we are. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast bought us thine we are. We are thine, do thou befriend us, be the guardian of our way. Keep thy flock from sin defend us. Seek us when we go astray.
Precious Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hero, hear us when we pray. Blessed Jesus. Blessed Jesus. Hero, hear us when we pray. Early, let us seek thy favor.
Early, let us do thy will. Blessed lord and only savior with thy love are being filled blessed Jesus blessed Jesus thou hast loved us love us still Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, thou hast loved us, love us still.
Speaker 1I have one more invitation. That's always in my little church growing up. That was always the hymn of invitation. You can come down forward. I'll pray with you.
I'll turn the microphone off. Altar's open for prayer but I have one more invitation today. We have a full baptistry here. I came in to baptize someone this morning that ended up not showing up. And I think by the providence of God, another family called in and said, Bridger...
The lamp is... Bridger wants to be baptized today. Can we do that? I'm like, we got the baptistry full. It's already warm.
So if there is anybody who here who has already received and accepted Christ's offer of the bread of life and you've taken him in but you haven't taken the step of baptism and you want to, I'm ready. And here's water. What hinders you? Anybody? Anybody?
Alright. Let's sing the doxology and and close then. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Speaker 2Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.
