Sunday, February4, 2018 - New Heights Christian Church, Kent, WA - Pastor Micah Adamson

Sunday, February4, 2018 - New Heights Christian Church, Kent, WA - Pastor Micah Adamson

Title: Communion: Eating is believing

Text: John 6:1-71

John 6:47-48 (NIV84)

47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.

Series Introduction:

This year we’ve been studying Martin Luther in the 500th Anniversary year of the Reformation.
I’m preaching Galatians since it influenced Luther’s concern that gospel be correctly preached.
Luther also cared almost as much about the Lord’s Supper being correctly practiced.
This year we are devoting our sermon the first Sunday of the month to reflecting on communion.
The most common argument for only eating the Lord’s Supper once a month is to make it special.
But, it’s easy to end up just eating the Lord’s Supper less often, without making it any more special.
This has been a good reminder to remember why we are doing what we do while we do it.
Following Luther’s outline from his catechism, our series on the Lord’s supper has covered:
Ex. 20 –God’s Law: The 10 Commandments (God’s definition of sin).
1 Cor 15 –The Gospel: The Apostles’ Creed (God solution in Christ to remove our sin).
Matt. 6 – Confession: The Lord’s Prayer (Our request for God to take care of our sin problem).
Then, we returned to look at the similarity of the institution of the Passover and the Lord’s Supper:
Ex. 12 – Passover Instructions: Remember God’s salvation from Egypt with a meal.
1 Cor. 11 – Lord’s SupperInstructions:Remember Jesus’ death to save us from sin with a meal.
Today, we’re looking at another connection between Passover and the Lord’s supper:
John 6 – Eating is Believing: Jesus fulfills the promises in the OT to establish a New Covenant.
The reality pictured in the life-giving eating of a sacrifice in the OT is fulfilled in the NT by the eternal life-giving eating of Jesus as our sacrifice by believing in Him.

Review of John/Intro to John 6:

The four gospels are biographical sermons that tell us the good news about how Jesus came as the fulfillment of the OT:To be God and Man, to live and die, and to riseand ascend as our savior.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are parallel and cover the main events of Jesus life in chronological order.
John is unique in that it arranges Jesus’ story in a different order and doesn’t try to cover everything.
Except for Jesus’ resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle found in all four gospels.
John is the only gospels that doesn’t tell the story of Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper at Passover.
Instead,in Johnthe feeding of the 5,000at Passoverincludes Jesus’ teaching that eating is believing.
John contains three sets of 7sthat teach us about Jesus, with John 6 falling into all 7 categories:
7 “I am” statements of Jesus
Statement #1John 6:35I am the Bread of LifeLike the manna in Exodus 16
7“Signs” of Jesus
Sign #4John 6Feeding the 5,00 Jesu’s 3rd of 4 miracles in Galilee
7 “Feasts” Jesus attended
Feast #4John 6Feast of PassoverJesus’ 3rd of 4 Passovers,32 A.D.

Outline of John 6:

John 6:1-8– The setup (A question from Jesus)
The setup of the miracle as part of the New Covenant story echoing the Passover/Exodus story
The setup of the miracle as a sign designed to teach the disciples a lesson
John 6:9-12– The miracle by the lake
The miraculous sign like Moses feeding the people in the wilderness
John 6:14-21– The escape across the lake
A bonus miraculous sign like Moses escaping across the sea
John 6:22-59– The teaching on the other side of the lake (Questions for Jesus)
The explanation of the miracle as a sign designed to teach a lesson
John 6:60-71 – The teaching after everyone else had left (Questions from Jesus)
The disciples’ reaction to the lesson the miraculous sign pointed to

John 6:1-8 (NIV84)– The setup(Part 1)

The setup of themiracle as part of the New Covenant storyechoing the Passover/Exodus story

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),
2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

John’s introduction of Jesus as a leader with a crowd of followers going up a mountain around Passover should make us think about Moses and the Exodus.

John 6:1-8 (NIV84)– The setup (Part 2)

The setup of the miracle as a sign designed to teach the disciples a lesson

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

At the beginning of the story Jesus asks the questions and the disciplegive the answers.
After the miracle, the crowd will ask questions and Jesus give the answers.
In the final conversation, Jesus will ask the questions and the disciples give the answers again.
John introduces this miracle as a sign designed to point us to Jesus.
Let’s not get distracted by the sign (the miracle) and miss the thing that the sign points to (Jesus).

John 6:1-12 (NIV84)– The miracle by the lake

The miraculous sign like Moses feeding the people in the wilderness

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

This miracle is just as amazing as all the Israelites eating manna in the wilderness with Moses!
Jesus started with 5 loaves and 2 fish and ends with 12 baskets of leftovers… with everyone eating as much as they wanted in between. That’s a lot of food!

John 6:14-21 (NIV84)– The escape across the lake

A bonus miraculous sign like Moses escaping across the sea

14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

The crowdcorrectly identifiedJesus as the promised prophet like Moses(Deut. 18:15) and the promised king like David (Jer. 30:9) because of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.
But, instead of listening to Jesus as prophet and obeying Him as king, they want to use Jesus.
An unlimited food supply like this would be very useful in defeating the Romans.
Walking on wateris one of the strangest miracles Jesus did since it didn’t directly help anyone.
But, upon close inspection, this looks like an escape miracle like many found in the Bible.
Moses crossed the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians.
Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to escape the crowd.
Jesus escaped without killing everyone He was escaping from.
Neither the Egyptians chasing Moses nor Peter’s prison guards were so fortunate (Acts 12:19).

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake

The explanation of the miracle as a sign designed to teach a lesson

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.

Jesus’ escape was only temporary. The crowd caught up to Jesus and started asking him questions.

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Question 1

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

26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs 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. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Jesus said that the crowd was missing the sign value of the miracle. They just wanted food.
Jesus offers not just food to keep us alive for today, He offers food that will give us eternal life.
The crowd called Jesus “prophet and king”, but they didn’t understand what that would mean.
Jesus calls Himself the “Son of Man” which is a title for the Messiah emphasizing His role as judge of the final judgmentand the one who is worthy of worship as God (Dan. 7:13-14).

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Question 2

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.”

After the manna started falling everydaywith Moses in the wilderness (Exodus 16), the next thing that happened was to receive the law (Exodus 20).
The crowd asked Jesus for a new law, and Jesus said to believe in Him.

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Question 3

30 So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” [Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24-25]

32 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 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 he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Thecrowd is still trying to get Jesus to keep feeding them.
They say they’ll accept the sign value of Jesus’ miracle and believe in Him as long as He keeps it up.
Jesus reminds the people that Moses wasn’t really the one who gave the manna, God did.
Jesus says He is the bread from heaven that God has given to feed them and give them eternal life.

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Question 4

34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The crowd missed that Jesus is talking about Himself and just kept asking for daily bread.
Are we in danger of missing out on eternal life in Jesus even while trusting Him for daily needs?
Jesus clarifies that He is “the bread of life” and invites them to both eat and drink Him.
Eat/Drink me = Come to me/Look to Me/Believe in me. Eating is believing!
Jesus came down from heaven to do God’s will, which is to not lose those who believe in Him, but raise us from the dead on the last day.
God the Father gives people to Jesus, these people look to Jesus,and Jesus doesn’t drive them away.
Do you hear echoes of John 3:16 here?

John 3:14-18 (NIV84)

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. [Numbers 21]

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:16 is connected to an Exodus story and the point is to believe in Jesus to receive eternal life.

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Response 1

41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ [Isaiah 54:13] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

The Exodus story is full of a grumbling crowd (Exod. 15, 16, 17, Num. 14, 16, 17, Deut. 1).
The first thing the people object to is not Jesus telling them to eat him, but Jesus telling them that He came from heaven.
Believing that Jesus is both God and Man is difficult. Jesus says we can onlydo it with God’s help.
Jesus says that one of the marks of the New Covenant (which would come after the exile for disobeying the Old Covenant) is that everyone who is in the New Covenant will be taught by God.
Jesus says that God’s work inside us will be displayed by putting our faith in Jesus and the result will be to have eternal life.
Jesus called himself the “bread of life” again and pointed out that eating manna didn’t keep the Israelites alive forever. They still died.
But, Jesus says that He has come from God and will give His flesh to give eternal life to the world.
Last week, in Galatians 5, we say that Paul used the word flesh to refer to the sinful part of us, but the word “flesh” can refer to the physical part of a person that even Jesus had (John 1:14).
Jesus is a saying that even though He came from heaven (is God) that it’s Jesus’ flesh (his humanity) that is going to save us by enabling Him to die for us; His perfect flesh in place of our sinful flesh.
Jesus answer focused on the act of eating/believing in Him, which leads the people’s next question.

John 6:22-59 (NIV84)– The teaching on the other side of the lake – Response 2

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”