JOHN 6:30-33
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Can you detect a false motivation in the request of these people? They want Jesus to believe that if He will only show them a sign, they’ll accept Him as the Messiah, when in all actuality, they are merely hungry for more bread. No doubt there were among this crowd men who had previously seen the miracle of multiplying the loaves and declared Jesus to be “that prophet” (that should come, as Moses foretold; see DEUT 18:15).
But now it seems that they aren’t entirely convinced and ‘need’ another miracle, a sign to prove Who Jesus claimed to be and this was after the LORD admonished them to seek after the spiritual food that grants eternal life rather than the temporary food that only feeds the body (JOHN 6:27). They even give the LORD a not-too-subtle hint on the sort of miracle He should perform – something akin to what Moses did in the wilderness: manna from heaven.
While there is nothing in any of the biblical texts, there is reason to believe that Judas Iscariot was a member of one of the several Jewish factions that wanted to see Roman rule overthrown and for Israel to regain her autonomy.
For this reason, many believe Judas betrayed Jesus in an attempt to force His hand to use His Divine power against the Sanhedrin and subsequently against Rome when companies of troops were sent in to restore order. He attempted to exploit Jesus and His power.
The people here are attempting the same thing.
People will do this with saints employed with GOD’s authority; pastors are often ‘counseled’ by people who know better and explain why they should do as counseled.
We can easily be influenced by others, even by those with good intentions, but we are not called to please people because of the fact that we are servants of Christ (GAL 1:10). Not to say that we shouldn't be a blessing and please/serve others, but that this is secondary to pleasing GOD as His faithful servant.
We as Christians have an audience of One – our LORD GOD, even while spectators on the sidelines admonish us to do things ‘the way they think GOD would have them do things’. The Word of GOD is our mandate, our faithful counselor, our sure and certain guide and compass, and will never fail us. May we likewise never fail to heed the Sacred Book that clears a path for us to follow:
PSALM 27:11
Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
The LORD Jesus straightens these people out and points out that it wasn’t Moses that provided the manna from heaven; it was the same Person Who has provided “the true bread from heaven” – the Father.
Just as people will attempt to guide you (off the plain path of GOD’s choosing), there are others who will sorrow after you for ruining your life by choosing Jesus. They will bemoan the fact that you’ve thrown your life away when you had “such potential to really make something of your life”.
Yet what does the LORD Jesus say?
MATTHEW 16:24-26
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Let no one dissuade you from choosing this “food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you” (JOHN 6:27b). Such people simply don’t understand: they lack discernment that can recognize GOD’s Truth and see your choice as foolishness and can’t accept it.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
In those days, food preservation looked a lot differently than it does today. One of the staples that had some good staying power as well as dense nutrients was bread (a far different substance than what we commonly eat today!).
In fact the Hebrew word for bread (lechem) as akin to the word for life (l’chaim) – it is no wonder that Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life:
JOHN 6:47-51
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Jesus declares to be the bread of life. During the time period of the Roman occupation of Israel, bread was not a side dish, but the main source of sustenance! So Jesus in referring to Himself as THE Bread of life, He would have been understood by His hearers to mean that He isn’t something to add to your life to make it better, but that you needed Him in order to have and sustain life!
This world is the polar opposite of GOD insofar as their goals and aims are directly in opposition to those of GOD’s. The world wants its needs met now, with temporal things that mean nothing in eternity. Likewise those blessings and edifications that GOD offers (often) mean nothing for the here and now as far as material wealth.
I recall a time when I was out sharing the Gospel and declared in the midst of several homeless persons that what I had in my hand (Gospel tracts) was of inestimable value and would ensure eternal life if received. One of them approached me, asking for a One Dollar Bill. When I said that the tracts I was offering was far, far better, he became irate, started to curse and stormed off.
I felt so terribly sad for the man and wondered morosely what he will have to say on Judgment Day when that scene is played back, should he claim that no one offered to show him the way to eternal life.
An elderly widow who had just lost her life-long partner of some sixty-five years had no more reason for living. All of her children save one had moved out of state, and the only one remaining was a corporate executive that didn’t have any time for her.
Seeing the futility of life, she had set a chair up in the attic, slung a noosed rope over one of the beams overhead and was prepared to place her head in the noose and step off the chair when she heard a strange noise: her doorbell. It been so long since she had any visitors she’d nearly forgotten what the doorbell sounded like.
Irritated, she stepped downstairs and went to the front door and opened it. She was met by a young boy of about twelve years of age, his hair was drenched with rain that was coming down steadily, and with the glowing face of a cherub; a beaming grin and eyes to match fit perfectly with the voice of this lad, so brimming with life. He introduced himself and offered some tracts which the elderly lady accepted, and he proceeded to tell her all about Jesus and the Gospel.
She was compelled to listen to him, this boy that she was convinced was an angel.
She received Christ that night and the following Sunday went to the church, that the boy’s father pastored and shared her testimony.
She partook of the bread of life and found life eternal as well as purpose in the here-and-now life: Jesus and His message of the Gospel.
The homeless man esteemed a single dollar bill over the opportunity to receive Christ and eternal life and if he remains in this mind-set, will remain adrift without GOD’s love, peace and purpose.
And that is the contrast between that homeless man and this elderly lady. Here we see how humanity is divided: those who will cherish and partake of the Bread of Life, and those who won't.
ACTS 28:24
And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Next time we'll get into more about Jesus as the Bread of Life: JOHN 6:34-35!
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