Good morning. Eric, one of the pastors here. Before we get into the sermon, I want to give you a little teaser for an upcoming event. In a few weeks, a team from my sending church is going to be leading an evangelism training here at Garden City called Gospel Storying.

The purpose of the training is to equip you with a simple way to share your faith, which reflects our desire to do whatever it takes for people to know Jesus. We believe Jesus is the greatest gift we can offer a person. So, I just wanted to give you a little taste. We’ll share more details at the end of the service.

We’re finishing up John chapter 6, turn there in your Bibles. We’ll also have this on the screen for you.¹

Last week, we talked about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and walking on water. This morning, we’re picking up where we left off:

[v. 22] – On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did youcome here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

Here’s what’s going on: The crowd who saw Jesus feed the 5,000 watched his disciples leave by boat for Capernaum. The next morning, when they couldn’t find Jesus, they figuredhe must’ve gone there too. And when they finally catch up to him, they ask, “Jesus, how’d you get here?”

But Jesus doesn’t even answer them—which is interesting because sometimes when peoplecome looking for him, he welcomes them in. But other times, he challenges their motives.

Back in John 1, when two of John the Baptist’s disciples start following Jesus, he asks them,“What are you looking for?” And they say, “Where are you staying?” Kind of a weird response. But Jesus invites them anyway: “Come and see.”

But here, with a whole crowd chasing after him, you’d think he’d be thrilled. But instead, he calls them out. He says, “You’re not here for me. You just want more bread.”

Jesus can tell the difference between those who want him and those who want something from him. So before we keep going, let me point out two things about seeking Jesus:

[First] – The title you give Jesus matters.

At this point, Jesus’ ministry is booming. The chapter opens with thousands of peopleshowing up to see him. But by the end, only 11 are truly following him. Which makes you wonder—was his ministry successful?

We’ll talk more about that later, but here’s something that stands out: in this whole 71-verse-long chapter where people are ready to crown him king—Jesus is only called Lord twice.Once by the narrator in [v. 23] and once by Peter in [v. 68].

So here’s the real question: Who is Jesus to you? Because that question changes everything. Is he just a good teacher you respect? Or is he your

Lord? You can respect a teacher and still ignore what they say. But you can’t do that with a Master.

Following Jesus means he’s not just giving suggestions—he’s leading your life. That’s whyPaul often called himself a slave to Christ—not because he was a literal slave, but because his whole life belonged to Jesus.

See, when Jesus is Lord, you don’t just agree with him—you surrender to him. The title you give Jesus matters.

[Second] – What you believe about Jesus will determine what you want when you come to him.

Jesus says the only reason you came here is because you want bread. But I am the bread. See, Jesus isn’t interested in people coming to him for practical reasons. He’s interested in people coming to him because he’s worthy of worship.

You don’t come to Jesus to get more stuff. You come to get him. He’s not just a helpful add-on, like an accessory to your phone. He’s glorious, and he’s calling people to come into his glory.

[v. 27] Jesus says, Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set hisseal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Religious people always miss the gospel. Why?

1. Grace is a stumbling block for the religious.

Religious people always emphasize WORK over GIFT. And when you do that, you end up thinking too highly of yourself and too little of Jesus.

And I get it—it’s easy to get confused here. When Jesus says, “Don’t work for food thatperishes…” it can sound like eternal life is something you earn by doing the right kind of work. But that’s not what he means.

Eternal life isn’t wages you earn—it’s a gift you receive. The “work” Jesus is talking about is believing in the One God sent. The work he’s called you to is trusting him to do for you what you can’t do for yourself.

See, religious people think they can live up to God’s standards. But gospel people know that only Jesus can do what God requires. That’s why they abide in him.

In [v. 35] Jesus says, “I am the bread of life…” That means he’s necessity. You rely on him more than Asians rely on rice, and he’s always enough.

But when you focus on work over gift, you flip the script. You end up making yourself big and Jesus small.

Jesus says, “God sent me to be your daily bread.” And the people say, “Okay, but what does God require of us?” The confidence they have in themselves is crazy because God requiresperfection. And let’s be honest, we messed that up a long time ago.

It’s like when my son tries to act like he’s the dad because he doesn’t want to listen to me anymore. And I’m like, “Dude, that’s awesome. Thanks for taking on that weight for our family. That means you can go to work. You can start paying the bills. Hey, what’s for dinnertonight?” Then it hits him: I can’t do that.

That’s how it is when you trust in yourself. You think you can carry the weight Jesus came to carry for you. But you can’t. And deep down, you know it. Which is why I just want the Holy Spirit to pierce these words into your hearts: “This is the work of God, that you believe in himwhom he has sent.”

That’s the battleground. The fight of faith isn’t to prove yourself; it’s to believe Jesus is Lord. The real work is letting go of your self-reliance so you can hold onto Jesus. And that fight willtake more out of you than you know. Just look at their response…

[v. 30] – So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

Have you ever heard people say there are no bad questions? I generally think that’s goodpractice, but there are exceptions and this is two of them.

[v. 31] – Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them breadfrom heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moseswho gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus says, “Do the work of God,” and they’re like, “We can handle that.” Jesus says, “Thework of God is to trust me,” and they’re like, “Why would we do that?”

Didn’t Jesus just multiply bread for these people? But here’s their issue. They want to bring up the manna again. Moses fed the whole nation of Israel for years with manna. You only fed us for a day. If you want us to believe you, why don’t you just do that?

And Jesus is like, have you guys read Exodus? Moses was great, but the bread came from God. And even then, that doesn’t lead to eternal life.

The crowds’ probably quoting from Psalm 78 when they talk about their fathers eating manna, but then that same Psalm says: [Ps. 78:32] – In spite of all this, they still sinned;despite his wonders, they did not believe.

Just because God performs miracles doesn’t mean we’ll trust him. I hear people say, “I’d believe in God if he did this…”

No you wouldn’t. You’d forget God just like everyone else. In Exodus 15, Israel praises Godfor parting the Red Sea. And then in Exodus 16, they’re already complaining and wishing they were back in Egypt. And the Bible says we’re just like that.

Sometimes its the signs that expose our unbelief. That’s how people could see the miracles Jesus did and still miss the point.

And the point of the sign is this: 2. Jesus is God’s provision for you.

He’s not a means to an end, he is the end. They ask for manna from heaven, but Jesus isthe manna. You say, why doesn’t God give me what I ask for? But have you ever asked for Jesus? Have you ever considered what you have in Jesus?

[v. 35] – Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. He is the bread. And it’s not just that they miss that Jesus is the bread. They also miss just how rich God’s provision is.

Now, John doesn’t record this next part of the story, but it is in Matthew 14 & 15 and it’sworth paying attention to, especially if you’ve ever questioned if Jesus is really enough.

See, just like John, Matthew tells us about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 followed by Jesus walking on water. But then, Matthew includes a conversation Jesus has with a Caananite woman.

And she’s the textbook definition of someone who gets excluded from the kingdom of God. She’s unclean; Gentile; an enemy of God. But she’s staying in Capernaum, where many Gentiles are, and where Jesus is healing people, and she has a daughter who needs healing.

So she goes to him, but here’s the question: Does she want Jesus for what he can do for her? Or does she want him? Jesus is going to test her faith.

Now, think back to John’s gospel. People keep misunderstanding Jesus because they think only in natural terms—Nicodemus is confused by someone needing to be born again, theSamaritan woman is confused by Jesus giving her water water with no bucket. Same kinda thing.

So when this woman comes to Jesus, he says, woman [Matt. 15:24] – “I only came for thehouse of Israel.” She leans in for help. He says, [Matt. 15:26] – “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to dogs.” Now, that sounds like an offensive thing for him to say, but she  says, “Yes, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

In other words, “Even the smallest piece of what you give is enough for me.” And Jesus commends her. He says, [Matt. 15:28] – “O woman, great is your faith!”

Did you notice they’re talking about bread?

Right after that, Jesus goes up another mountain and basically repeats the miracle of feedingthe 5,000 except this time it’s 4,000 people and 7 loaves of bread. And at the end, instead of having 12 baskets of leftovers, Matthew 15 says there were only 7 baskets.

Why would there have been fewer leftovers when Jesus had more loaves to work with and fewer people to feed? Is that a sign that Jesus’s power was getting weaker? Is the magic wearing off?

No. The first miracle had 12 baskets left over—pointing to the 12 tribes of Israel. IOW, Jesus is the bread that satisfies the people of God. But now, with the 4,000—many of thembeing Gentiles—there are 7 baskets, which is a number that often represents completeness in the Bible.

But watch this: Do you know how many nations were excluded from life with God whenIsrael received the Promised Land? We know from [Deut. 7] that there were “…seven nations more numerous and mightier than [they],”

Jesus didn’t come just to feed Israel. He came to feed the nations. [v. 33] says he came to give life to the world; to everyone who comes to him by faith. See, just looking at one of the miraculous feedings is amazing, but when you put them together you see the fuller picture: God’s provision in Jesus is rich.

And then he says in [v. 44] – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will allbe taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

Jesus has Isaiah on his mind. In Isaiah 53, the Suffering Servant dies for the sins of the people. Then in Isaiah 54, we get a promise that God will pour out his Spirit. People will be taught by God. That’s exactly what happens at Pentecost. God breathes on his people andthe Church is born.

And you know the Spirit’s first move? Helping believers speak other languages so the nations could hear the gospel. Jesus is showing that knowing God isn’t about ethnicity orreligion—it’s about trusting him and living by faith.

That’s why Jesus isn’t interested in chasing crowds. He knows the difference betweensomeone who’s been taught by God and someone who hasn’t.

It’s kind of like this online debate I watched recently. One guy was a YouTuber claiming to bean expert in ancient religions. The other guy was a real scholar. And from the moment it started, it was obvious which one was which.

That’s also why Jesus isn’t shaken when people walk away. He knows the Father’s will is always done.

[v. 37] – All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will nevercast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Now, does that mean people only come to God if he draws them? Yes. God draws us to himself, and we’re called to believe. It’s both.

Some people hear that and worry that maybe God will leave them out. But remember the Canaanite woman. She should have thought that too. But that wasn’t her posture toward Jesus.

And if you are asking those questions, let me just add that maybe you’re hear this morningbecause the Spirit prompted you. God is drawing you to himself, but you still have to believe.Instead of questioning him, why don’t you pray a prayer like this:

“Lord, open my eyes to see the work of Jesus in my life. Draw even someone like me to yourself.”

See, maybe the problem isn’t that God won’t draw you—it’s that you won’t let go of control.You don’t receive grace because you don’t think you need it. You need to put your life inJesus’ hands so you can open yourself up to receive grace. We do that because…

3.  Jesus is the only bread that satisfies.

See, the crowds wanted manna 2.0, and they were frustrated Jesus didn’t give it to them. And maybe you’ve felt that too. You hear people say you

just need to be satisfied in Jesus, but what does that even mean? And how does that meet my real life needs?

You might think, “Yeah, I need Jesus, but I also need food on my table.” “I need Jesus, but I’d also love to see justice in our political system.”

“I need Jesus, but what I really need is a breakthrough with my UNHCR status.”

Jesus says: [v. 35] – I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

But what does it mean for my soul to be full in him?

See, being full in Jesus doesn’t mean you stop struggling with sin or never experience negative emotions. If that were true, then I’ve never met a real Christian.

Here’s what being satisfied in Jesus means: It means waking up each morning knowing that you’re a beloved child of God. That you belong to him and he belongs to you. It means knowing that God’s promises in the gospel are yours to hold by faith. And when doubt creeps in, it means holding on to his Word and remembering that Jesus is still faithful to you.

There’s an influential psychologist many Christians have been praying for. Over theyears, his interest in Christianity has grown—he seems to be genuinely moved when he talks about Jesus and the Bible.

Well, he’s never professed to be a Christian, so in a recent interview, someone asked him,“Where do you stand on that? Would you call yourself a Christian?” Which he typically seems annoyed when someone asks him that and this was no different. He said, “Where do you think I’m at?”

The interviewer said, “Honestly, you seem like a God-fearing man who’s trying to find hisway. You’re seeking truth, and I’ve benefitted from some of

the things you’ve taught, but when people ask you if you’re a Christian you don’t answer and it genuinely confuses me.”

To which he seemed to appreciate. He said, “That’s a good answer. I don’t know that I’d add anything.” It’s like he’s seeking, but he’s not satisfied.

Later in that same interview, one of the other interviewers shared her experience of recentlycoming to faith. And he asked her, “What’s changed about your life since becoming a Christian?”

How would you answer that question? That you’ve become a better person? That you’remore generous? You go to church more often? You care about the poor? Like, what is it?

Well, her answer hits at what I think it means to be satisfied in Jesus. She said, “I have peace with God.” That’s the biggest difference. I have the Holy Spirit alive in me. I haveassurance in what he’s done for me in Christ I never had in myself. I’ve feasted on the death and resurrection of Jesus and found a peace that outlasts all the fears.

But see, to really feast on the gospel, you have to move past its offense.

4.  The gospel is offensive, but only those who receive it live.

The crowds grumbled at Jesus just like their ancestors grumbled in the wilderness. Why?Because the gospel is offensive and sooner or later, it confronts you.

The crowds of people experienced that in Jesus’ teachings—and we shouldn’t expect it to beany different for us. But what was it about Jesus’s teaching that was so offensive to them?

[v. 41] – So the Jews grumbled about him…They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph,whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

[v. 49] Jesus says, Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died…[51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

You’d think, at this point, Jesus’s public relations guy would step in to smooth things over. Like, I know you’re asking for bread and it sounds like Jesus wants you to eat him, but that’snot really what he means. Jesus, tell them.

So Jesus says [v. 53] – “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Three offenses:

First, they’re offended by his purpose. Jesus won’t do what they want. They want food.They want political change. They want miracles. But that’s not why Jesus came.

Second, they’re offended by his authority. Jesus wants them to trust him. He wantscontrol of their lives and they’re just not willing to do that.

Third, they’re offended by his message. And this is where I want to lean in. The idea that Jesus says eat my flesh and drink my blood. You gotta remember, Jesus is talking to people under the Old Covenant.

They can’t eat pork, let alone prophets. They don’t have a non-halal section to look through. They’re not enjoying char-siew. So when Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, it goes against their religion. For them, blood is off-limits, and let’s not even talk about cannibalism.

But the real issue is what’s at the center of his message, which means you can’t ignore it. “Flesh and blood” means sacrificial death. It means that Jesus came to die and dead Messiahs are useless.

So they walk away. They’re not interested in this version of Jesus.

[v. 61] – But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?

And I’m sure the thought crossed the disciples minds, “Jesus, why did you say that? They think you want them to eat you.”

But I think what Jesus is really trying to do is show us: If you get offended by lesser things, how will you ever get over the offense of the most important things?

In [v. 62] Jesus says if this offends you, Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

If you think Jesus being bread from heaven is offensive, how are you going to handle the reality that Jesus’ path to glory is by being humiliated on the Cross?

How are you going to get over the fact that it was the Father’s will that Jesus lay down his life to save sinners? And the only way you can come to God is by believing in the Son. See, thegospel is offensive, and you can’t soften the offense without reducing the message.

Now, that doesn’t mean we always understand what Jesus is doing…[v. 66] – After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

Have you ever had moments when you asked God, “What are you doing?” I don’t understand this. Why are you letting this happen?

A few years ago, I was helping with a performance review for someone at my old church. We started the meeting by asking: “How are you doing?” And he said, “Honestly, I’ve been struggling.”

He shared about a close friend who went through a painful divorce years ago. His struggle surprised me. But that season really shook his faith. He said, “I prayed so hard for God to do something—and nothing happened. Ever since then, I’ve struggled to believe prayer reallymakes a difference.” That kinda stuff can wreck you.

But that’s also why I love the way this chapter ends. So many people leave, so in [v. 67] – Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

What they went through would discourage anyone. But how often can we still say, “Jesus, Idon’t understand this, but I know my story doesn’t end in pain and sadness”?

If the resurrection is true, then there’s life after this death—there’s a joy on the other side of this sorrow. And that hope brings us back to what God’s called us to do. We don’t work to earnour salvation—we trust the One who laid down his life to save us.

[Call up the band]: As we close, I stumbled upon Psalm 42 in my devotional reading earlythis week…[v. 11] – Why are you cast down, O my soul,

    and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for Ishall again praise him,

    my salvation and my God.

The Psalmist does the work of fighting to believe in God with the strength he provides. He says to himself, why are you downcast, soul? Sometimes I ask myself, “Why do I feel thissadness?” But the Psalmist, he

doesn’t just listen to himself. He preaches to himself. He says, “Hope in God.”

Maybe you wonder, why should I do that? Because even when you don’t understand what God’s doing, you know what he’s DONE. He sent Jesus—the true bread from heaven—todie for your sins. And he promises that everyone who believes in him will be saved.

He’s where my hope comes from. He’s where true peace is found. And God always has more grace to give to those who receive him by faith.

¹ Works Consulted:

• The Gospel According to John – Carson
• “I Am the Bread of Life” – Greear
• “Do You Believe Even When the Doubts Creep In?” – Martin