BLIND TO GLORY

 

John 6:28-40

 

Esquire magazine carried an article entitled "How to Live Forever." The article said that if all genes that affect the rate of aging are deactivated, if cancer and heart disease are conquered, if genes can be tricked into regenerating organ tissue, and if all causes of old age are eliminated, the average life span will increase to 1,200 years! The fact is because of the Fall, our sin-filled and fallen bodies were never intended to last forever; and we were never intended to spend eternity on earth. Jesus told us how we can live forever, but many are blinded to the glory of God in His Son. Paul wrote that the Christian is not to lose heart; despite the fact many are blind to see the glory of Christ in the gospel. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor 4-3-6

 

The unsaved have their minds focused on the things of this world and cannot discern the spiritual truths of the kingdom of God. Man’s sinfulness and disbelief, blinds them, to see the glory of God in His Son, who came to save sinners from spiritual blindness. We can only understand spiritual truths by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit who reveals Christ to those who are being saved. Jesus as Messiah is the key to understanding Bible truth of the gospel and the for the "veil to be removed." Satan, keep people's minds on the things of this world, preventing them from understanding Christ and this keeps people's minds veiled. The greatest lie from Satan though is that we need to work towards our salvation, instead of receiving the free gift with thanks-giving. Sadly, we see people today are trying to attain or work towards spirituality in the church when it comes to eternal life! As one study said “It’s proven that the majority of people who attend church come just for themselves, or for their children and grandchildren to interact. Historically people don’t come to church to watch others, or to be a blessing and to help others grow in their walk with Christ! Most people come to church full of their own motives.”

 

Sadly, this is what we would call “man centered gospel” Why do I say all this? These people were confused and misunderstood what Jesus was saying; because they asked Him a question. (v28) They thought they needed to work for their salvation! Again, blinded to the truth of the gospel. They felt they were on the wrong path or road; and that something else was required of them to attain salvation. They misinterpreted what Jesus meant by the word “labour” or “work” there thinking was “I need to do something in order to attain eternal life.” Many institutions and false religions still believe that you must do something in order to attain salvation. All false religions or ideologies involve some kind of works salvation, which is a man-centered gospel. Why? Because the sinfulness of man loves to shape their destiny and eternal rest. This is in stark contrast with the Gospel; who says that's there is nothing we can do to be saved. Our works can't bring us to God. Even our best of days and motives are tainted in unrighteousness, apart from Christ doing the work in and through you. ”We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Isaiah 64:6

 

We must recognize that even our righteous acts come as a

result of God within us, not of ourselves.

 

On our own, our “righteousness” is simply self-righteousness, and vain, hypocritical religion produces nothing more than “filthy rags.” The New Testament is clear about the nature of saving faith. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Romans 3:28 Paul wrote, “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus . . . since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Galatians 2:16. Paul wrote, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:4-5. According to the Scriptures, salvation is by faith in Christ alone through God’s grace alone. Salvation does not come from human effort, achievement, or moral works. But by faith that inevitably produces good works. ”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10. A faith that doesn’t not produce fruit is dead, meaning that it is not really biblical faith at all as James writes. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” James 2:26

 

When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, He declares you righteous, not because you are, but because He imputes His righteousness to you. And because He paid the penalty for your sin. Christ bears our sin, and we receive His righteousness. That is the indescribable glory of the doctrine of justification found in the Gospel. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21

  

Don’t get me wrong, we should be doing ‘good’ towards one another,

but what does your heart say when you do it?

 

Is it out of love for Christ because He saved you from the bondage of sin; or is out of a sinful heart motived out of duty to win favour with God? Which in a sense minimizes the need, and the finished work of the cross, by the way. This will be your answer if you think the way they did in the next verse! (v29) The only “work” required is that people [you and me] believe the Messiah, God who came in flesh. J C Ryle said “If any two things are put in strong contrast, in the New Testament, they are faith and works. Not working, but believing,….not of works but through faith which are words familiar to all careful bible readers. Yet here the great Head of the church declares that believing on Him is the highest and greatest of all ‘works’! It is ‘the work of God.’ Doubtless our Lord did not mean that there is anything commendable in believing. Man’s faith, at best, is feeble and defective. Regarded as a work, it cannot stand the severity of God’s judgement, deserve pardon, or purchase heaven. But our Lord did mean that faith in Himself, as the only Saviour, is the first act of the soul which God requires at a sinner’s hand. Till a man believes on Jesus, and rests on Jesus as a lost sinner, he is nothing.”

 

When we recognize and cast our righteousness aside and simply trusts in His Son, there is newness of life that is stamped for eternity with Him. What Jesus is saying is that faith in Him is the root of His saving faith, there is no life in a man till God raises the dead to see the glory of God in His Son.

 

Remember as a redeemed child of God, we

are now a blessed people!

 

Why? Because you believe upon the only one who can save your soul from eternal Hell and Judgement.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. [Matt 5:4-11; Matt 11:6; 13;16]

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

 

Sadly though, these people still didn’t get it! But again, let me remind of what John already wrote! “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” John 1:10-11

 

Look how they responded to Jesus simple gospel (v30-v31) “So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?”

 

It is pretty brazen to ask the Lord this, considering what He has done before them previously.

This gives evidence to their think-mindedness and spiritual blindness that engulfs the unregenerate man and woman.

 

Did you already forget what I did the day before?

The miracle of the bread and fish.

 

You tell me the story about Moses and the Israelites, when they wandered the Desert, but you forget one important truth! Take your eyes of Moses, and focus on Yahweh, who sent the true Life giving bread in the person of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t Moses who supplied the food it was Almighty God [Jehovah], the same one who stands before you now! So here is your sign or proof. (v32-v33)  “the One who is standing before you, is that life giving Bread. What was their response? (v34) “give us this bread” Sadly, again this response is to get their physical needs to met. This is the same marking of a shallow, temporary follower of Jesus who fills local churches, looking for their needs and desires to be met today. There are many churches that accommodate this style of behaviour. As John MacArthur says “They are often the places that draw the largest crowds, but have the lowest percentage of true believers.”

 

So not only did they insist that He give them proof; they insisted that He give them what they wanted daily. (v34) This crowd didn’t believe in Jesus, they were still focused on their physical needs being met, meaning they were spiritually blind to their OWN SIN. They failed to grasp the spiritual implications of Jesus’ miracles and what He is saying to them here. And as we look at last week misplaced affections only lead to selfishness, blindness and separation.

So how did Jesus respond to their unbelief and dullness of understanding? (v35-v40) Jesus responds with this simple statement! “I’AM the bread of life” Now, we need to stop here for a moment and park the car; because what Jesus is saying will strike a chord with the religious leaders of that day. The term that Jesus refers Himself too “Bread” has great implication in lives of His people then and now. Why? Bread is considered a staple food……… a basic dietary item. A person today can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes equal for food in general. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. And we know by (v31) “Bread” was one of the blessings the Jews received when they were wandering in the desert for 40 years. God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation. Exo 16:4. This is the first of seven “I’AM” statements that we will be looking at over the course of John’s gospel.

 

So, we can’t afford to overlook the importance of this statement! Why? This statement is declaring, affirming His deity, and truth to His people. Just as Jesus who was the Pre-Incarnate Christ who spoke to Moses at the “burning Bush” is the same one who stands before the people here in John’s letter. Jesus was declaring to them words of comfort, hope, peace and the gift of salvation as they stand in the presence of God, incarnate before His people. By saying “I’AM the bread of life”, He’s not referring to Himself as a loaf of Bread you buy in a market. But that, He was the one who nourishes people spiritually and satisfies the deep spiritual longing of their souls for eternity. He wanted them to see that physical food only satisfied hunger temporarily, but He was the One who could satisfy them spiritually before the Father. He was saying He is the bread that provides life.  Those who trust in Him will never hunger again! Isn’t that statement true in your life and in mine? Jesus came not only for Israel but to save sinner out of this world. And He came, not to just sustain life, but to give life eternal.

 

What does it mean to a Christian today [a believer] when Jesus says “I’AM the Bread of Life”? In other portions of Scripture, it is the foundation that the Word of God rests upon; by which man truly lives out his life.  "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matt 4:4. Which Job treasured more than his necessary food. “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” Job 23:12. Which David valued more than gold and fine food - Ps 19:10; 119:72,103:11. Which Jeremiah found to be the rejoicing of his heart. “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” Jer 15:16. Which causes rebirth, and endures forever. “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-25

 

“I’AM the bread of life” What’s so beautiful about this statement is that whoever comes to Him will never be cast out. (v37) This means that Christ will not reject anyone who sincerely and submissively comes to Him in the gospel call. True saving faith can never be exercised in vain, but only by the prompting of the Father. (v44) In (v37) Jesus affirms and complements this truth first by saying, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.” The true believer, will not be lost, but guarantees that nothing will be lost by the Son as He raises us up from eternity past to eternity future. (v39-v40)

 

A person should never think that “maybe I’m not chosen by God and therefore Jesus may reject me when I come to Him.” The person who is thinking this way is the One whom God is calling to salvation, the unsaved isn’t concerned about their sin or eternal state. Only broken sinners are concerned for their eternal soul. The opposite of this is questioning the Son here in the text; so blind to see the glory of God in the Son. Jesus promises to receive everyone who comes to Him and that trust Him for salvation through genuine repentance and faith.

 

Why is this true? The gospel call upon your life, is effectual and

God is the One who is at work drawing you to Him.

 

That’s why Paul said “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Rom 1:16

 

Let me ask you a question! Are you completely satisfied in the Bread of Life? Or are you still searching to get your fill of the bread?

 

According to Jesus you must believe in Him alone!  The only one who can satisfy your soul that gives eternal life? Because in the last days we will be raised with Him, in the fullness of His glory; all because we believed in the Bread Of Life who came save sinners. 

“It is told of Sadhu Sundar Singh, a converted Sikh, who became a Christian missionary in India many years ago, was distributing Gospels in the Central Provinces of India and he came to some non-Christians on the railway train and offered a man a copy of John's Gospel. The man took it, tore it in pieces in anger and threw the pieces out of the window. That seemed the end, but it so happened, in the Providence of God, there was a man anxiously seeking for truth walking along the line that very day, and he picked up as he walked along a little bit of paper and looked at it, and the words on it in his own language were 'the Bread of Life'. He did not know what it meant; but he enquired among his friends and one of them said: 'I can tell you; it is out of the Christian book. You must not read it or you will be defiled.' The man thought for a moment and then said: 'I want to read the book that contains that beautiful phrase': and he bought a copy of the New Testament. He was shown where the sentence occurred-our Lord's words 'I am the Bread of Life'; and as he studied the gospel, the light flooded into his heart, he came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he became a preacher of the gospel in the Central Provinces of India. That little bit of paper through God's Spirit was indeed the Bread of life to him, satisfying his deepest need.”

 

I hope it’s been made plain to you this morning that… Jesus is our deepest need through the gospel in order to attain eternal life. There is nothing you or I, can do, in ourselves to attain eternal life. God is the one who calls us to repentance and faith and believe that He came to give eternal life to those who are His. Those who seek the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Removing our blindness to see the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Life giving bread that will last for eternity that Came to save sinners. Just as the Apostle Paul said "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." 1 Tim 1:15

 

Jesus Christ is the Only…“The Bread of Life”