02APen11.OUT "Jesus - THE Bread of Life" (Isa 55:1-5; Rom 8:31-39; Mat 14:13-21)

I INTRODUCTION

A. Today there is a great deal of concern being expressed over what we eat and drink.

1. Nearly every magazine or newspaper that you pick up, has an article or two, which makes a suggestion for a diet or diet supplement. A few magazines in fact, are entirely devoted to making suggestions about what we should or should not eat and drink which change monthly.

Undoubtedly we have a great concern for improving our physical health and longevity. We think that physical health is important, other wise we wouldn't even give these articles passing notice and they would quickly fade away.

2. Surely, we must believe that what we eat, impacts who we are now... and how we will live in the future.

transition: The question is... what are we eating ? The question is... what part of us are we concerned with feeding ?

B. Brief Synopsis of today's Scripture Lessons

1. In our OT lesson today, Almighty God gives us a clear invitation to eat what is good and wholesome. He makes us an offer, we dare not refuse. He says, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; & you who have no money, come, buy & eat! Come... buy wine & milk without money & without cost. Listen, listen to me... & eat what is good, & your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear & come to me.... hear me, that your soul may live. [Isa 55:1, 2b-3a]

2. In our Epistle lesson we receive a revelation that God gives us his very best to 'eat' in Christ. In Christ, God gives us himself.

What is the Benefit ? God chooses us, justifies us, intercedes for us where we can now have true life. And Paul maintains, that nothing can break that relationship with God through Jesus Christ, outside of our own abject rebellion and refusal, to continue to eat, believe, and receive Christ.

3. In our Gospel reading, we see Jesus revealing his incredible power as the Son of God. Jesus wants his disciples & the crowd to see him as their great provider and provision. Jesus wants the crowd & his disciples to see him as the true Bread of Life which comes down from Heaven. Yet, only those who believe Jesus is the true Bread of Life through the witness of his Word, receive Jesus as the true Bread of Life.

transition: The question still stands before us.... what are we eating ? ... What part of us, are we concerned with feeding ?

II. PROBLEM

A. Myopic concern over physical life

1. We show a great concern over a physical diet, but we show no interest whatsoever in a spiritual diet. We are concerned with feeding our bodies...but we feed our souls 'nada'.

2. Some questions... How much time do you spend in fellowship with the Lord each day ? How much time do you spend in prayer and Bible study ? How will you have the strength to stand up to the spiritual temptations which surround us, if you are not feeding your soul with the Bread of Life ?

If you are not continuously in God's Word, then how will you know the voice of the master, when he speaks to you from his Word and says "this is the way, go here"?

B. Eating Junk Food

1. We wouldn't dare feed our bodies junk food... but we don't mind feeding our souls trash.

2. Again some questions... What are we reading ? Watching ? Listening to ? What are we thinking about ? What is our goal in life ? Are we excluding God from all those important aspects of our lives ?  Then how can we possibly expect to stay out of the ditch or keep anyone else out of the ditch ?

3. Where does Almighty God promise to be found ? He promises to be found in his Word & Sacrament. Are you meeting him there ? Are you walking with him there, daily ?

III SOLUTION

A. Who Jesus is... What Jesus does...

1. Notice how the OT reading links food and drink... to the "him" and "you" of the person of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus, God's Son, the salvation resident in him, which is truly "good...the richest of fare... " [Isa 55] 

There is nothing we have, there is nothing we can do, to secure the food Christ provides in and of himself. What Christ provides is the free gift of Almighty God. There is no other place to go to get the provision, Christ makes in and of himself. There is no other provision, like the provision of the person and work of Almighty God.

Jesus says of himself in John 6; For the bread of God, is he who comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." [33] 

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. [35] 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." [51]

2. Forgiveness, reconciliation with the Father, a life of new beginnings...that is what we really need.  And that is exactly what Jesus provides us when we eat and drink of... believe in... him.

Only what Jesus provides us, has the power to bring us from the dead of sin & start us again. Only what Jesus provides us in his person and work... through faith in his Word, and the eating and drinking of his body and blood in Holy Communion, gives us an eternal meaning and purpose in life.

B. Jesus wants us and he wants others to 'eat' of, 'receive', 'believe' in him

1. Jesus wants the crowd & his disciples to see him, and receive him as The Bread of Life. He wants that for a very good reason.

Jesus says again in John 6; 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." [40] Jesus said... "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [53]

2. No eating, no drinking, no believing in Jesus... there is no life. The new life, the eternal life, in relationship with the Father, is only present in Jesus.

Jesus says, Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. [56]

Jesus is not speaking of cannibalism. Jesus is not speaking of eating his physical flesh & blood. Jesus is speaking of the eating & drinking of faith. Jesus is speaking of eating his spiritual flesh & blood... in, with, and under bread & wine.

Jesus says, The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. [63]

IV CONCLUSION

A. Jesus feeds the 5,000

1. Jesus feeds 5,000 men here. Some estimate the total number including women and children to be more like 15,000. That was truly a miracle.

But the main purpose of that miracle was to point the crowd & the disciples, to Jesus.  Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Provider, the Provision ! Jesus wants to feed all men with himself, with who he is and what he has done. Jesus wants all men to look to, lean on, and believe in him... and thus be forgiven, reconciled to the Father, and have eternal life.

But when Jesus tries to explain that fact in the verses we just read from John 6, all leave him but the Twelve. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." [66-69]

2. If that rejection happened to the very Son of God in his ministry, then we can certainly expect that to happen in our ministry... whenever we get down to the real 'bread & fish", 'meat and potatoes', body & blood doctrine, of God's Word, Jesus Christ.

Yet that rejection should not divert us from speaking and living the truth, anymore than it diverted our Lord from fulfilling that truth with his own body & blood.

B. US

1. In continuously eating & drinking of Jesus in faith, we truly do, have everything that we need, not only for this life but for the life to come. Joined to Jesus, we don't just receive temporary physical health, we receive eternal spiritual health. In Jesus, we receive the very favor of God.

2. God's real presence is with us in Jesus. In Jesus absolute and total victory is assured. We gladly come to Jesus' table, partake of Jesus' body and blood, and thus receive the life, salvation, and renewal secured for us by Jesus Christ our Lord. In that reality we can rejoice and live anew in relationship with God.  AMEN.