Bread of Life
August 10, 2003
John 6:35
9th Sunday after Pentecost
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
back to our church home page
John 6:35
Then 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.”
In the first part of John chapter 6
Jesus performed an amazing miracle:
he gave food to over 5,000 hungry people.
Right after that
new people started to follow him.
In John 6:26 Jesus spoke to those new people and said:
“I tell you the truth, you are looking for me,
not because you saw miraculous signs
but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.”
It was pretty obvious.
Some of the people following Jesus
didn’t really care about what he said.
They just wanted free food.
People were flocking to Jesus,
just like seagulls.
Here is something really amazing.
You can be at the beach,
without a single bird in sight.
Throw something small, up into the air a few times.
In minutes, entire flocks are circling overhead.
That’s what happened to Jesus.
In John 6:35 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.”
Dear ones,
there are hungry people all around us.
People are hungry for friendship.
They are hungry for meaning.
They want answers to hard questions.
Some people have a deep desire
to be involved with something that makes a difference.
Other people are sick
and need a healing touch
in their body, mind, or spirit.
Every single one of these hungers
brings people into our church.
If we want them to stay more than a Sunday or two,
we MUST give them Jesus.
Only a living, personal, forgiven relationship
with Jesus Christ
can satisfy every hunger in the human heart.
AND only living, personal, forgiven relationships
with Jesus Christ
can grow this church.
That’s what today’s Scripture lesson is all about.
This is one of seven great “I AM” passages
in the gospel of John.
In the Greek language,
the words are “ego eimi”.
“ego eimi - I AM - the bread of life.”
ego eimi ha artos tace zo-ace (my own transliteration)
In the New Testament,
you hardly ever see the personal pronoun “I” “ego”.
The word “I” is almost always
assumed because of the way the verb is spelled.
Jesus used the words, “ego eimi” “I AM”
because... he is God.
It was an amazing thing to say. But he was telling the truth.
Jesus is God.
He is the only person uniquely qualified to say,
“I am the bread of life.”
J. Sidlow Baxter, the British Bible teacher,
put it this way:
Quote.
Fundamentally, our Lord’s message was Himself.
He did not come merely to preach a Gospel;
He himself is that Gospel.
He did not come merely to give bread;
He said, “I am the bread.”
He did not come merely to shed light;
He said, “I am the light.”
He did not come merely to show the door;
He said, “I am the door.”
He did not come merely to name a shepherd;
He said, “I am the shepherd.”
He did not come merely to point the way;
He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
End quote.
The message of Jesus Christ
is Jesus Christ.
He is the great I AM.
In Exodus 3:14 the Bible says:
Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of
your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?'
Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is
what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
When Jesus said,
“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.”
his Jewish disciples got the message.
Practical application
How do we put this scripture to work
in our church? TWO POINTS
1) STOP - LOOK - LISTEN
just like the old Rail Road signs used to say
People are hungry,
it is up to us to detect what they are hungry for.
My opinion:
I think the Galena community is hungry
for educational opportunities for children and adults.
I think the Warwick community is hungry
for fellowship opportunities for children and adults.
2) GIVE THEM JESUS
If we teach, we are teaching for commitment to Jesus Christ.
That’s what Alpha is.
That’s what Sunday School is.
That’s what the Youth Group does.
If we provide fellowship opportunities
we are encouraging our friends to make
a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
That’s what United Methodist Women is.
That’s what Senior Center in the church hall is.
In our preaching
in our teaching
in our stewardship
in our programs
in our budget
in our Bible Study
in our singing
IN EVERYTHING WE DO
we strive to bring people to Jesus
because he is the bread of life.