Title: Christ, true bread unto life eternal, for you!
Text: John 6:26-27, 35 (ESV)
26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
The following letter was found in a baking-powder can wired to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across Nevada's Amargosa Desert:
"This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll git water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller … signed Desert Pete. P.S. Don't go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you'll git all you can hold." Keith Miller and Bruce Larson, The Edge of Adventure.
Dear friends,
Have you ever been that thirsty where you might rather just take a sip of the little bit of water that was left rather than priming the pump for all you could get? The crowd in our Gospel lesson today had been. They were looking for Jesus; not because, as Jesus said: “you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
The feeding of the 5000 was truly a miracle … the text in John’s gospel tells us that Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed the multitude and here they are seeking Him out. They are out looking for the man who fed them. They were aware that the disciples had departed and that there was only one boat, so on the next morning they were a bit perplexed at not finding Jesus and wondered where He was. They saw a few other boats that came near from Tiberias and figured to go look for Him and upon finding him the question asked was, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Their concern was, “How did he get away from us with no boat?” And more importantly, “What’s for breakfast!”
We can almost hear their thoughts … “That was a pretty sweet meal last night! So, if we stay close to Him … maybe there is another feeding in store for us?” To which, Jesus knowing their thought says:
27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Christ, true bread unto life eternal, for you!
For you and for me we work for food that perishes every day. Our lives are consumed by things we want and we despair over things we don’t have. I’m just like you or maybe you’re just like me? The lust of the eyes can consume … a consumer! My car is 9 years old and it would be nice to get in one that isn’t starting to show its age so bad. You know with 103 thousand miles things don’t work quite so well and there are a few more noises and glitches.
For example: When I go through the drive thru to order a coffee … sometimes the power window doesn’t work. Sometimes it goes down in short bursts but then it won’t go up. But, I figured out how to make it work! After I get my coffee, if I move up just a foot or two and open the door about six to eight inches … I can get the power window to go up!
Yes, I would like a newer car but I have more pressings concerns at this time and if you remember from last week, I am my father’s son … so it will have to be a used car that looks pretty good. You have pressing needs as well I’m sure but can get so caught up with the things of this world too, whether it be a car, home job or a specialty cup of coffee from the drive-thru instead of the run of the mill home brewed stuff.
Jesus is talking to you … just like he was talking to those who were fed by the five loaves and two fish. Seek … the food that endures to eternal life.
Now, you might ask as they did: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Or, what is the work that endures to eternal life? Or, while we’re on a fast food analogy … “Where’s the beef?”
We all want to know … “Have I done enough for my neighbor and worked to advance God’s kingdom?” And the answer always is no! You haven’t done enough and you can’t do enough. No matter what you think about faith and no matter how little faith you believe you or someone else has, the bar of the Law has been set too high for us in our fallen sinful state and Jesus sets the record straight for you and me as well when He says:
“This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
Quite the gift! No matter how little or how much faith you have the gift has been given to each one who believes. That is the work of God … to bring to faith those, like you and me, who have their eyes aimed at the things of this world … the things that rot and spoil like the bread from my bread box that I threw out the other day or maybe they’re things that rust and wear out, like that car of mine - I do need to address that one day!
St. Augustine had this to say about faith. He said:
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. St. Augustine.
Christ, true bread unto life eternal, for you!
So the question comes again to Jesus in our text from His followers:
“Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? (Can you believe it? They just ate the loves and the fish. What more confirmation do they want? And then they throw the kicker at Him …) 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” … Bread from heaven ...
What did they just experience? This is the same old grumbling we’re hearing from them, that was heard from the children of Israel in our Old Testament lesson today:
“You should have left us in Egypt! We could have died by the hand of the Lord there and been happy … at least we had meat and bread there and were full … not being brought out into this wilderness to die of hunger!”
But notice … they don’t quote that part of the Old Testament lesson to Jesus. They just bring to Him the fact that Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat to which Jesus says to them and to us:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father 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.”
Christ, true bread unto life eternal, for you!
So again:
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And again:
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
God, gives you Jesus!
He gives you His very Son to stand in your place.
God gives you Jesus!
He carries your sins upon Himself to the cross.
God gives you Jesus!
He points you to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit given you in baptism.
God gives you Jesus!
He sustains you by the power of His Holy Spirit, pointing you away from the things of this world that decay and perish and He points you to the bread of life, Jesus Christ, Himself who sustains you and preserves you unto life eternal.
In our opening story about Desert Pete, He said, “Don’t drink the water … but if you prime the pump you’ll have all the water you need from that old well.” The good news for you and me is that the pump has been fully primed and the water that we receive is living water given us in baptism that washes us clean of our sin, creating faith in Him who is the true bread of life, bringing eternal life to all who believe.
God comfort you with this good news now and forever that:
Christ Jesus is the true bread unto life eternal, for you!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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