The Bread of Life Sermon

The Bread of Life Sermon

In Jesus's day, the hope of all Israel was to have their Messiah come down to restore political power to the tribes of Jacob. Then the kingdom of Israel would be restored to the glory it had once obtained. This was the united hope and prayer of all Israel for centuries, even millennia. They raised their children on this hope; they built their faith around this hope; they prayed every day for this hope.

During the Bread of Life sermon, when Jesus knew that the time for testing and trial had come, He chose to challenge the people with this common misconception of a political Messiah.

Prior to this sermon, Jesus had miraculously fed a multitude of five thousand people with five barley loaves and two small fishes. Because of this, the people desired to make Him their King, for He had fed them without any effort on their part. This was the type of Messiah they were hoping for. Jesus, knowing their desires were not consistent with reality, left them and departed for Capernaum.

Those that were miraculously fed sought after Jesus. And when they found Him, Jesus said to them: "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles,"—not because ye believe in the work of God—"but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled... [But] this is the work of God, that ye believe on [me]."

"They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert." In essence, they were saying: "The Messiah we are looking for will feed us delicious food all the time. We will reap the harvest without sowing the seed. This Messiah will restore Israel to the political throne and give us a life of complete ease. What sign do you show us that you are the Messiah we seek?"

Jesus avoided claiming this type of Messiahship. He said, "My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. I am that Bread which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world."

"The Jews then murmured at him [saying], Is not this... the son of Joseph?"

The people had said, "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert." Jesus again challenged their expectations. He said: "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead... I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh."

"The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." In essence, Jesus was saying, "I am not going to give you physical bread. Stop thinking of the Messiah in this light. I am not come to give physical bread but spiritual bread. I am not come to save and restore Israel physically but spiritually! Israel's political kingdom will not be restored at this time. Your long-held hopes of a temporal Messiah are misplaced."

Jesus challenged one of their deepest hopes and desires. God was not going to grant them every wish they desired right away. They would need to learn patience. "Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?"

Then Jesus "said unto them, Doth this offend you? ...It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." In essence, Jesus was saying: "The spiritual restoration of Israel is far more important than the physical restoration." Jesus was again challenging their expectations and testing their loyalty.

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Their temporal hopes were dashed. They saw no more value in Jesus's work, for they saw no value in spiritual things.

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?"

What a moment is this! Though His words were hard to understand; though the path of discipleship suddenly became far more circuitous and painful; though many of their deepest religious hopes now seemed doomed to be cast by the wayside; though all of this—and more—confronts them and stings deeply at their souls, yet Jesus still asked for their loyalty and discipleship.

In this critical moment, the Lord asked, "Will you also go away?" What will the apostles do? How will they react? They have now seen that some of their long-held hopes run divergent from the plan of God.

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:25-70)

In our day, we also must stay true to Jesus, He who has the words of eternal life. He pleads with us at all times and in all circumstances: "Tarry ye here. Stay with me. Watch with me. Abide with me. Do not abandon me." Let us strive to be His truest and most loyal disciples and friends, no matter what deeply-held hopes we may have to temporarily abandon.