Why Look to Jesus? - John 6:22-35

 

John 6:22-35 NIV

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. ²³ Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

³² Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Why Look to Jesus?

This passage of Gospel is a transition of dependence on God. How’s that? Jesus has just fed the people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Something that on the surface of all is impossible. Jesus didn’t just feed a few people. No, He fed thousands of people with more left over than what they had to begin with.

So, here we have God in Jesus feeding people, in what they believed was a physical feeding. It was a feeding that was needed to sustain physical life. But was it really? Jesus blessed and broke bread and people were satisfied. Many people were satisfied. But how many really looked beyond the physical?

It reminds me, once again, of my catechism teaching from the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. This is a prayer in which Jesus teaches his disciples, and all people how to pray.  Here it is:

The Fourth Petition

Give us this day our daily bread.

Luther’s explanation:

What does this mean?

God indeed gives daily bread to all, even unbelievers, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that he would help us to recognize this so that we would receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?

Daily bread includes everything required to meet our earthly needs, such as food, drink, clothing, home, property, employment, necessities; devout parents, children, and communities; honest and faithful authorities, good government, seasonable weather, peace, health, an orderly society, a good reputation, true friends and neighbors, and the like. (End of Luther’s Explanation)

You see, how Jesus had just met the needs of the crowd of thousands with daily bread? But Jesus has met this need not only in a physical sense as we witness in Luther’s Explanation.

This passage of scripture leads us to see how Jesus feeds us in ways beyond our physical needs. Even in Jesus moving to another location, is difficult to understand physically. We witnessed just this past week how Jesus walked on water to get into the boat with His disciples to cross over and continue in ministry to the crowds of people in need.

In this Gospel lesson for this week, we witness not a physical feeding of bread, but also a spiritual feeding of the “Bread of Life.” What? Yes, this “Bread of Life,” IS Jesus. And this Jesus feeds us salvation.

Jesus real purpose was not just to fill our guts, and heal our illness, but to save souls. Jesus shows us in the Gospel passage that life is more important than physical needs. Jesus shows us the “Bread” that we need for new life.

In this Gospel passage we see how Jesus begins and how we respond in the end. What did Jesus do when he fed the thousands on the other side of the lake?

He gave thanks to God for the food freely given to feed the thousands? Jesus gave thanks! Giving thanks for a celebration of a supper freely given to us all at this Lord’s Supper in front of thousands. This giving thanks and this celebration is the very meaning of Eucharist. OK, big word for most of us. What? Well, that is the same feast we celebrate that Jesus celebrated with his disciples before his suffering, death and resurrection. This is what we today commonly call Communion.  Many churches commune with Jesus in bread and wine, which are also the body and blood of Christ, receiving Jesus’ nourishment into body and into soul as well.

And in this is the bridge of this Gospel reading between the physical and the spiritual needs we all have in God.

Look at the passage. At the beginning… Where did Jesus go? The crowds surely had to ponder this. Only one boat and Jesus didn’t get into that boat. Where did Jesus go and how did He get to the place that they found Him?

Well… Jesus had fed the bodies of the thousands… Now… Jesus feeds the souls.

There’s that transition again….  Body to Soul… Physical to Spiritual.

So, the people are looking for Jesus.

Why do we today look for Jesus?

Do we look for Jesus so that we can get all hyped up? If so, I don’t think that would impress Jesus. Jesus doesn’t need my over-the-top expressions of how great He is.

Do we look for Jesus to sustain us? Come on! Jesus doesn’t need that from me. He already has given me all that I need.

Do we look for Jesus to give us BIG numbers in the church in which we attend? Big deal! Jesus doesn’t care about our attendance, that’s peanuts!

I really think that we may hurt Jesus when we come to Him for material issues or comforts, or our own prosperity even. God didn’t send Jesus into this world for my comfort or your comfort. In my opinion, for what that is worth, I think, Jesus is disappointed by my coming to Him for my selfish material needs.

What difference does all this stuff in my life or your life make?

Why not come to Jesus for something different? Something more to the point. All this material stuff and selfish need ranks low compared to what we really need.

We are a pitiful lot as we press forward for more food, more money, more power, more influence, more this, that, or anything else that may satisfy us for the moment or a moment longer.

Look back at Luther’s Explanation to the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer… Give us this day our daily bread. --- God gives daily bread to ALL --- Even unbelievers!

So, the question is back. Why look to Jesus?

Look to Jesus for much more than daily bread. Look to Jesus for eternal food, eternal bread, and eternal water.

How?

Consider… What are we here for?

We are here to glorify God. To glorify God in Jesus.

How?

Look at what Jesus has done. Think about what God has done through Jesus. Believe that Jesus was the Bread sent by God to give all people everlasting life. Yea! That’s life beyond the physical needs and life in spirit with God in Jesus.

We use the faith God freely gives to us and believe in Jesus’ salvation for ALL people.

That’s why we look for Jesus. We need Jesus to live.

We move from food for the soul to doing God’s work. Receive this “Bread” from heaven, this Jesus, the gift of faith, AND believe!

Look beyond the needs of the body to the needs of the spirit. Manna from heaven fed the Israelites for a moment. Bread feeds us today for a time.

But here and now God gives Himself in flesh, in Jesus, to give us all we ever need, forever and ever.

All of this? Direct gifts from God for body and soul.

Look back at verse 35. Jesus makes it bluntly clear. This transition from God meeting our physical needs to our spiritual needs.

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Did you see that? Jesus said I AM! It’s Jesus that is the Bread, the Manna, sent to us from heaven. Jesus IS the “Bread of Life.” Jesus is the ONE that gives eternal life. You can count on Jesus. So, why not, turn and believe?

Why look to Jesus?

In Jesus we see God’s gift for all the world.

 In Jesus we see God’s grace for all the world.

 In Jesus we see God’s love for all the world.

In Jesus we see God’s salvation for all the world.

In Jesus we see God’s communion with all the world and with each one of us.

In Jesus we receive God’s Bread of Life.

In Jesus we see God’s I AM.

This is the Great Thanksgiving, the Eucharist, the Communion with God in which we take and eat and believe!

Yes, crave nothing else! After all, there’s nothing else to crave that matters anyway.

Lord, in the midst of my selfish grumbling, You feed me Your Bread. You open your hands and give me what I need, when I need it. You feed me Jesus. Jesus is enough for all my needs. Thank You God, that Christ descended to make me and all those who turn to you ONE with you and in communion with one another… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen

As I pondered Communion, this YouTube music video, spoke to me.

Enjoy…

Bread of Life and Cup of Hope