Message Notes

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL 22 August 2021

Text: John 6:49-59

Subject: Evangelism

Focus: The Bread of Life

INTRODUCTION

1. History

a) Every country carefully archives its history

b) History is vital for many reasons:

i) It explains the origin

ii) It honours the pioneers/heroes

iii) It learns from the mistakes made

2. Biblical History

a) Israel has a special advantage

b) It can speak of a history where God was involved

c) The uniqueness of Israel’s history is remarkable (Psalm 78)

3. Great advantages 

a) To know God

b) To know the Divine Laws He has given

c) To find faith in God

THE PROBLEM OF MISREADING/MISUNDERSTANDING HISTORY

1. The History of the Miracle of Manna

Cf. Exodus 16

a) God provided Manna for the children of Israel for 40 years

b) Moses was the main servant of God during this time

c) The place of Moses in Jewish thought and history surpasses every servant of God

2. Misreading History

a) Moses was credited as the one who gave bread from heaven to eat (John 6:31)

b) This view had to be corrected

c) It was God who gave the bread from heaven not Moses (John 6:32)

THE PROBLEM OF BEING “TRAPPED” BY HISTORY

1. History records

a) People

b) Significant events

c) Milestones

2. These must be interpreted correctly

3. The danger of being “Trapped” by history

a) History is just the past

b) It has no relevance to the present

c) It is just a story

LEARNING VITAL LESSONS

1. The challenge is to apply the Lessons that History offers

a) The Manna God gave

i) It is only physical food

ii) All physical things perish

iii) The ancestors ate but eventually they died (John 6:49)

b) The Bread that God now gives

i) He has given Bread from heaven (as in the past)

ii) But the Bread He gives is not physical bread anymore

iii) This Divine Bread will give life eternal (John 6:50)

2. The same God 

a) He gave Manna

b) He gives the living Bread (John 6:51)

3. The Invitation

a) To partake of the living Bread (John 6:51a)

b) The Bread is the “flesh” of the Lord (John 6:51b)

c) He will give His flesh to the world (John 6:51c)

d) This was a veiled reference to His death

THE PROBLEM OF A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

1. The Jews quarreled among themselves (John 6:52)

a) This was typical

b) Resorting to this was unhelpful

c) The word “quarrel”

i) To argue

ii) To debate

d) The point of debate

i) The statement of the Lord giving His flesh to eat (John 6:52)

ii) This was taken in a wooden-literal sense

iii) The figurative language was lost on them

2. Figurative Language used by the Lord

a) Eating His flesh (John 6:53a)

b) Drinking His blood (John 6:53b)

c) It should have been obvious that figurative language had been used

d) But the Jews chose to think about His words literally

3. The Choice to Consider

a) Not to partake of the Lord is to have no life (John 6:53)

b) To have the promise of 

i) Eternal life

ii) The hope of resurrection (John 6:54)

AN IMPORTANT SUMMARY

1. The Lord Jesus 

a) His flesh is food indeed

b) His blood is drink indeed (John 6:55)

2. Abiding in the Lord

a) Eating His flesh

b) Drinking His blood (John 6:56)

3. Relating to God the Father

a) He is called “The living Father” (John 6:57)

i) He is not just a God of history past

ii) He is God of the living present

b) He has sent the Lord Jesus

i) As the Living Bread (John 6:57-58)

ii) Whoever feeds on Him will live (John 6:57)

CONCLUSION

1. Ponder the glorious Promises:

a) Eternal Life

b) Resurrection

2. Pray much about Feeding on the teachings of the Lord Jesus 

a) Feeding 

i) It takes time

ii) It must be done regularly

iii) Digestion of food is to be considered

b) Abiding in the Lord

i) To learn

ii) To find life

iii) To grow well