Ecclesiastes 1:12 - I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and
I lived in Jerusalem. 13
devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by
wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt
a tragic existence to the human race. 14 I observed everything going on
under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
Why did Solomon pass this verdict on human effort? Because
work, he felt, produces nothing of lasting value.
This includes toil (1:14; 2:11, 17; 4:4, 7–8), wisdom
(2:15), righteousness (8:14), wealth (2:26; 5:10; 6:2), prestige (4:16),
pleasure (2:1–2), youth and vigor (11:10), life (6:12; 7:15; 9:9), and even the
future after death (11:8).
These are man’s work. This is what we strive after. And
Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, concludes that at the end of life, none
of these has value.
Although Solomon had a great start early in life with
riches, fame and wisdom, he became restless and unsatisfied with life.
Here is a guy with basically unlimited resources -
unsatisfied.
That brings us to our section here in John.
The masses have just been miraculously fed.
Jesus took a small amount of food and multiplied it so that
5000 people had enough to be stuffed to the fill with left overs.
Obviously this act has a certain appeal. Endless supply of
food - for free!!
They were attracted
to Jesus because he satisfied their hunger for a day, and now they want more.
In this section Jesus
is going to teach us that there is more to life than the temporal satisfactions
of the flesh.
That is where Solomon
was in life. He realized there was more to life than empty pursuits of the
flesh. We work hard to obtain and what do we get for it at the end?
He tells us an
important principle when it comes to pursuing stuff in this life…
3:9 - 9 What do people really get for all their hard
work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God
has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see
the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
Jesus came to show us the whole scope of God’s work from
beginning to end.
John 6:22
[22-25]
The first thing we
notice is that the crowd is frantically searching for Jesus.
The people were looking for something - they thought they
found it in Jesus.
We can seek Jesus for all the wrong reasons.
They were looking for a comfortable, soothing, indulgent
Savior.
They were empty and they partially knew it, that is why they
were seeking him.
But they sought him for the wrong reasons, they wanted more
temporal satisfactions to be met by this miracle worker.
[26-34]!
Next, as Jesus responds he will point out two things he
notices about the crowd.
1. He points out their carnal nature.
“You are seeking me because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
• They were delirious over bread.
• People sometimes rant and rave over bread.
• Pan dulce.
Is Jesus concerned with our physical needs? Yes, but he is
trying to get people’s thoughts to rise higher than their physical needs!!
But these folks were so caught up in their physical needs
that their thoughts could rise no higher…
“You’re not really
interested in Me. You’re only interested in what I can do for you.”
Application: when we are so focused on the temporal we often
times miss out on the
eternal.
Jesus says later on in John 10 - I have come to give you
life, and life more abundant.
2. He points to their true need.
“I know you what you WANT but I’m not gonna give you what
you WANT but what you NEED”
Errors in their thinking -
28 - what must we do? thinking salvation is something you
can earn. (grace)!
Humans crave to do something for their salvation.!
“What shall we do, that we might do the works of God?”
Fast - says Islam!
Do penance - says the Roman Catholics!
Earn indulgences!
Torture your body says Hinduism.!
Learn the 4 noble truth says the buddhist.
30 - what sign do you do? Thinking that seeing would lead to
believing. (faith)!
Jesus is not ready to go deeper just yet.
So he addresses the easiest thing for them to understand -
They were wrong in thinking Moses gave them bread - so he
corrects them.
My Father is the one that actually gave you bread.
The source and supply is God.
They were under the wrong impression about the bread of God.
The bread of God is not a what but a who.
[35-41]
Sermon on the Bread of Life!
verse 35 - key statement!
35- a personal response is necessary!
36- it is neglected!
36- rebuked for a lack of faith!
37, 39 - assurance of eternal security
38 - I am the sign!
40 - key to understand eat my flesh and drink my blood.
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