Who Is Jesus — John 6

0:00 That was a grace filled singing today, wasn't it? It's always a worry when the singing leader starts off before you're ready to speak singing about a sinner saved by grace. I am a sinner. I am saved by grace, and I'm thankful for it. So let's pray.

0:20 Father, we we're grateful that you've given us this opportunity to open your word. We pray that those words that you would have spoken will be spoken, that the message that you have intended will be heard. Lord, we pray that I'll get out of the way and let you speak through, and we just thank you for this opportunity. It's in your son's name we pray, amen. Father, or excuse me.

0:48 Maybe it'd be better if I just continued that way, but we're gonna continue in our study of John chapter six. We're gonna pick up where Ray left off a couple weeks ago. But before I do that, I'd like to just ask you one question. Because I think this is the question that's attempting to be answered here in this chapter. And that question is a simple one, one that has been asked, will be asked, you should ask, and that we need to answer.

1:17 And that question is, who is Jesus? Who is Jesus? That's what they're trying to figure out here. Just who is he? Now, I'm going to give you we're going to read in Matthew chapter 16 real quick here, and starting in verse 13.

1:34 I wanted to sort of set the stage a little bit here for you as we go forward. Verse 13 of chapter 16, Matthew says, When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked the disciples, saying, who do men say that I am, or say that I, the son of man, am? There it is. Who is Jesus? Who am I?

1:54 So they said, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. So I'm going to give you a little bit of a spoiler alert.

2:28 That's where we're trying to go today. Okay? If we don't get there, you've heard it already. Okay? Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.

2:38 And if we don't get anything else out of this message, please try and get that out of this message. What Peter has exclaimed is what he's gonna exclaim at the end of our portion today, but let's move on with that. So let's think from a high level point of view. Where have we been in John so far? You know, Jesus was foretold by and exalted by John the Baptist.

3:05 He had drawn some disciples to him, some close disciples, turned water into wine. Quick summary. Confused and challenged Nicodemus, you must be born again. He greets and amazes the Samaritan woman at the well. Water that takes away thirst is what he offered for them or for her.

3:26 Teaches several things that are hard to understand, and he's really attempting to explain who he is. He he tells about these witnesses. Does this keep popping? Do I have to move this down just a little bit? Is that a little better?

3:40 Well, let's see how it goes. Maybe I'm just too too wound up here. But he teaches that there there were many witnesses, several witnesses that that foretold who he was, not just what he's saying, but look at these other witnesses, John the Baptist, his signs, etcetera. He heals the nobleman's son, heals the man by the Pool Of Bethesda, feeds 5,000 with just a few loaves and fishes, walks on the water and calms the sea. You know, we're only six chapters in, but he's moving along pretty fast.

4:12 And, you know, if you read the other gospels, to this point, you find a lot more detail. There's more information baked in there, boiled in there. And in only four more chapters, we're going to be at chapter 11, where he raises Lazarus from the dead. And then it's the last week of his life for chapters, what, number 12 through 20. Okay?

4:51 He wrote it later than the other gospels. He he'd probably read and and and certainly had been amongst the apostles and knew what had been written. But but but then John writes this gospel, and and he moves pretty quickly in a in sort of, I... What I call a testimony. It's almost considered and rehearsed.

5:11 It's a focus on Christ, and and yet John writes very humbly. He writes in the third person. He doesn't name himself as the one that had put his head on the Lord's breast or the one that had beaten Peter to the tomb. You know, he writes about himself in a humble way. But the testimony is in the sense that, you know, just as we have a testimony.

5:36 Okay? If you can have a testimony of your life, you can have testimony to where you came to the Lord, or, you know, how you came to the Lord. And when we give our testimony, we don't go back and say, listen, you know, there was this minute and this... The next minute, and then the next minute. It's really about, you know, there was this point in life, and something changed.

5:57 And then that point, and and, you know, I realized. And then this point, I was humbled, and I learned. And at this point, I finally could say that Jesus is Lord. And so so that's the way our testimony is. And I think that's the way John's stepping through this.

6:15 He's saying, look, here were some things that, you know, it sort of changed my way of thinking to bring to me to understand this is the Christ, the son of the living God. So you could consider your testimony. My testimony goes something along the lines of, I can remember the Lord tapping my shoulder way back in Sunday school, when I was a young man. My mom and dad don't go to church now. They didn't for much of that time.

6:42 But when I was young, I was in Sunday school, and, you know, you could feel the Lord tap. And then in sixth grade, there was a teacher who witnessed to me. You know, he would he was involved in Bible studies, and then, you know, he was calling, calling. I went into high school and had several friends that said, let's go to Young Life. Let's get involved in Fellowship Christian Athletes.

7:06 Okay? And then and then finally, on that one day, 16 years old, I don't remember the exact day, but I remember sitting in study hall and saying, you know, for all that I know, I know it's not about me, and I know I can't do it myself. Lord, I need your help. I can't I can't walk this way alone. And then several weeks later, I can remember being at the Young Life retreat and saying, you know, them giving sort of that that gospel message again, and and me realizing really directly then, that's what I did.

7:40 That's what I had committed my life to the Lord at that moment. Now, that's a real short summary, and there's much in between there, and there's been much since there. And I... My testimony, I can I can go on to tell you about how I I really, am convinced more and more, day by day, as I see the Lord working in and amongst you, in and amongst the body here, in and amongst the world, and how I can be more and more convinced of his his reality and who he is and what his claim is on my life? So we know a lot about John.

8:20 But the one thing we do know is that John wasn't the flashy one. Right? He didn't jump up and and and be the one to say, this is what we believe. This is where we're going. I'm gonna swing this sword.

8:34 Right? He wasn't the one like Peter, but he wasn't the one like Paul either that that had the lightning bolt that came down and said, why are you kicking against the goads? There wasn't some fantastic exclamatory point in what... Which John finally changed, but we do know that John had a long life. He's considered...

8:57 Or he calls himself the elder late in life. Late in life, he was exiled to the Isle Of Patmos and and received the revelation. Right? And and there's something to be said for a long history with the Lord, and a long consistent walk with the Lord that gives a testimony to who He was and what He did. You know, I appreciate things like, or men like Billy Graham, who have a long history.

9:27 And you could say that his ministry, we know a lot about because we're in this country, and he's an historical figure. He's written a lot about him. But, you know, he he gave a major testimony in his events throughout the world, and we could say that was great. He was counselor to presidents, and I think through his own admission, George W. Bush would say that Billy Graham was instrumental in his coming to the Lord.

9:54 That's excellent. But he was faithful to the Lord and consistent over a long period of time. Something that many can't say, and we all hope that we can say at the end of our lives. That's priceless. And I think the same thing with John, and the way that he writes and and what he has to offer and the advice.

10:36 Right? I mean, he can feed us. He's done these... What we've seen so far, looks like he'd be a good king to me. Let's forcibly take him.

10:44 And and the Lord walked away from that and said, no, that's not not what I'm here for. It's not not what it's about. He responds by basically saying, you're missing the point. This is not about the physical body. It's not about the physical things that you see here.

10:59 It's not about me being a king. It's about the spiritual sense here. I'm not here to provide bread in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense. And that can't come from a man. It must come from God.

11:13 He said, I am God. Came from heaven to do God's will. And you need to believe that's true. So let's read Matthew chapter six, starting in verse 41 to the end of the chapter. The Jews then complained about him, or grumbled, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

11:31 And they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says, I have come down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said to them, do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall be taught by God.

11:58 Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the father except he who is from God. He has seen the father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.

12:15 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat it, eat of it, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

12:44 Then Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up the... At the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

13:09 As the living father sent me, and I live because of the father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven. Not as your father ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever. These things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum.

13:30 Verse 60. Therefore, of his disciples when they heard this said, this is a hard saying. Who can understand it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples complained about this, he said to them, does this offend you? What then if you should see the son of man ascend where he was before?

13:48 It is the spirit who gives life. Flesh brings... Profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.

13:59 For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe and who would betray him. And he said, therefore, I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father. From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. Then Jesus said to the 12, do you also want to go away? But Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

14:25 You have the words of eternal life. Also, have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the 12, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the 12. Typical format here for this chapter, know, Jesus makes some teaching, and the people that are there listening to him respond with, let's kill him.

15:01 Let's make him king. We can't understand. You know, it goes back and forth like this. It's really confusing. It reminds you of Nicodemus, and he said, what do you mean I need to be born again?

15:12 I I don't understand that. And the whole point is the the same thing with the Samaritan woman. Living water that that that never allows me to... I don't understand it. So so we got to understand that we're taking physical lessons here or something in the physical world and trying to make it an example or or translate it into a spiritual teaching.

15:33 Okay? Over and over again, that's where people are getting confused. Now we're going try and break this down into bite sized pieces. I don't know about you, but when I first read this passage or this section, I, you know, I might as well have read it this way. You know, I have to keep reading and rereading and picking it apart and seeing if I can understand it a little bit more.

15:54 But I would tell you that while it's all there, it's all true, and there's so much packed in there, I don't believe that the Lord expected everything to be understood at this moment. You know, it reminds me back, you know, in Luke 24 after he's been resurrected, and he comes back, and he he teaches them a little bit more. Okay? And he says, listen. This is what I said.

16:31 How many of you here over 40 years old can honestly say that now that I'm at this stage of life, I understand what my parents were trying to say. You learn some things. Right? We do. Experience is a great teacher.

16:47 You know, I can remember my dad teaching my brother and I when we were, you know, from this big to probably whatever, how big I am now. He built his own house, and he told me, he says, you know, the next house I build is going to have a concrete floor with a drain underneath the kitchen table. And you know what? I didn't really believe him or understand it until I had three boys sitting around the table. And I wish I had that garden hose that I could wash down the kids and then the floor.

17:19 So so it's a it's a funny one, but my point is I can understand better after I've experienced something. And so the Lord is laying down layers here and and and just piling it on, and he taught it at the appropriate time, we have the benefit of biblical hindsight. We've seen the whole thing. So we can take it and look back and understand and try to unpack some of this. I'm sure I won't get it all today, but let's hope we can unpack a little bit of it with our hindsight, too.

17:51 So remember what they're confused about when they first start off this section. You know, you're from heaven? He's just a man. He's just the son of Joseph and Mary, right? And Jesus doesn't launch into a dissertation about the virgin birth and how Mary and Joseph and He didn't start.

18:12 He didn't go back. He just said, let's move on. Okay? There's more for you to learn. There's more for you to learn here.

18:19 And basically, what he says next is not... This isn't a message just from the man. Okay? I'm a man, but it's not just a message from the man. I've had witnesses before, but now I'm telling you that you've heard this someplace else.

18:37 You are hearing something else. You are hearing from the Lord. The Lord is going to draw you in. The Lord is going to reach out and make what you're listening to, what I'm saying, understandable. He is going to reach.

19:04 Now bread in the physical sense is wheat, beaten into a fine grain or fine powder, combined with water, many times baked. It's nourishment for the body or the flesh. Right? In spiritual sense, Jesus's body was broken, right, tested in a fiery sense, if you will, and used for everlasting life. Okay?

19:28 The provision of the bread was something very special. You remember the manna that was provided in Exodus 16? They talked about how the Israelites were complaining. Right? They, oh, man, you brought us out in the wilderness just to kill us.

19:46 Right? We don't even have anything to eat here. And and and Moses says, no, Lord's going to provide for you, and here's how He's going to provide. Every morning, you're going to go out. You're going to be able to get that manna.

19:58 You're going to be able to take it, and you're going to be able to make it into bread. Okay? And on the Sabbath, you're going to get twice as much, but don't keep any extra. Because if you get any extra, what happened to it? It smelled.

20:14 It had worms in it. It it rotted. Right? It was no good. He was going to provide what you needed for that day.

20:21 The thing... And he keeps repeating this this example. And he reminds them that, look, do you think you'd like to see that? And they were like, yeah, that would be great. Something like that is what we're looking for.

20:35 We'd like to see bread. Right? We'd like to see you provide bread for us. And and he's saying, well, you know, you're you're still not getting it. But he's trying to break this misconception.

20:49 Right? That it's not just about physical sense. Okay? It's about the spiritual message that I'm trying to do, trying to come up with. You know, he didn't just come to heal.

21:02 Many remained ill. He didn't just come to feed. On a good day, it says he fed 5,000 people, but there were millions on the earth. Right? He didn't come to be used by the people.