The Meal You Need Most (John 6:35)

Introduction

Let’s talk food. Daniel mentioned lunch. Already got you in that vein. I’ve been talking food a lot lately. In fact, just before services began, Robert mentioned to me that it was because I recently mentioned peanut buster parfaits from Dairy Queen that he and Martha decided last night they’re going to go get one. It had been a long time. These companies, Dairy Queen, all the Tex Mex places, need to be giving me money for the free advertisement I’m doing for them. And this is somewhat borne out of the discussion Wednesday night as we were talking about an undue attention to this world’s stuff, even food, as it relates to gluttony. And that immediately reminded me of Sunday a couple of weeks ago during the meeting when Phil was here, and we were invited to lunch at Nelson and Judy Lynn’s house.

And we had the perfect Sunday lunch, at least as far as I’m concerned. It was roast potatoes and carrots. And we started eating, and Phil looked at me like we are going back for seconds, aren’t we? And yes, we were going back for seconds. And I tell you, after it was over, I had eaten plenty, but I could have eaten more. It was delicious. Now I know this is cruel, isn’t it? To do and a little bit after 11, after Daniel’s already mentioned lunch, to talk food and to see that image. I don’t know if you saw, I didn’t notice this when I first saw the graphic. It says a beast for the eyes. Right there in the graphic itself. And so while I can acknowledge the cruelty of this is to make a point, this succulent, beautiful lunch.

How many of you have a roast ready? Waiting on you when you’re not probably nobody. Okay. Well, all we’re going out to eat. So our minds are somewhat focused on the food that we are about to consume. We’ve already consumed some food during our worship today, right? And so I want to talk to you from a spiritual perspective about the meal that you need the most. Because as wonderful as that meal was at the lens, I’ve eaten a good number of times since then. That did not hit the spot for the rest of my life. Maybe for 24 hours, but not the rest of my life. I want to talk about a meal this morning that can satisfy you for the rest of your life and into eternity.

That’s how important this particular meal is. And I want to start by saying before we get to the actual text. This is why we’re here. Sometimes I think we can lose sight of why we have come to this place. It can become habitual. We’re supposed to do it. It’s been ingrained in us, it’s been taught to us. This is what you do on the first day of the week as God’s people. This is what we do as we function as a church. But I want to talk about why we’re doing it. And that ought to always be foremost in our minds. This is critical to sustaining life. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed. We will also be revealed with him in glory. Our life is hidden with him.

Paul says in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 4, so enmeshed we are with Christ. He is our spiritual nourishment. These gatherings are a part of providing the meal that you need the most. Because as we get to one of our two texts this morning, Jesus is, as we have sung, very good, Daniel, the bread of life. This great discussion in John 6 has been one of my favorites for a long time. But before I get to that, I immediately think of, as we talk about the meal we need the most, the story of Esau. As it is mentioned, he is a godless and immoral man. That’s the summary. What a terrible way to be thought of after your life is over. The Hebrew writer says, Esau, godless and immoral man.

What a horrible epithet. Why? He sold the birthright, full of spiritual implications, promises, and blessings for his whole family. He sold that birthright for a single meal. I love the statement of Genesis 25, verse 32, after Jacob barters. He wants the birthright. I’ll sell you this meal for your birthright. As Esau came in, he was famished. He looked at that red stuff that was there. That’s how he also got the name Edom, which means red. Tragic name selection based on you selling the birthright. Or the red stuff. I love his comment when he says, Behold, I’m about to die. You ever been prone to exaggeration? Behold, I am about to die. So what use is this birthright to me? It’s everything. That’s what use it is.

It’s everything that means anything in the life of Esau. That’s how valuable it is. What is it, what use is it to me? So many people say that about the most, the meal they need the most. What value is it to me? It’s everything. It’s absolutely everything. And then the tragic words that end this chapter, thus he despised his birthright. We need to get our attitude right in regard to the meals that we consume. And so we come to John 6, one of our two texts today. And what I want you to see, we’re not going to read all of this, but what I want you to see in this context, this is right after he has fed the multitudes, the 5,000. Okay, so this is the backdrop or the setting for this whole discussion about what that miracle really means.

That he has fed the multitudes. And he says, You seek me because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Work for the food that does not perish, that endures to eternal life. And this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent that has preceded all of this. As he comes to verse 35 of John chapter 6, and he says these simple words. I am the bread of life. He will say it again in verse 48. I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall not hunger. He who believes in me shall never thirst. He’s also the living water. We saw that in John 4. Verse 33, two verses earlier for the bread of God is that which comes down of heaven and gives life to the world.

And he draws a contrast between the manna that satisfied the physical need for food in the wilderness, also provided by God, but that was only temporary. The men ate of the manna, the people of Israel ate of the manna, and guess what? They still died. It had a temporary effect and purpose. He said, but I’m supplying bread to you that will last forever. That will satisfy your hunger and thirst. This is the meal you need the most. As he says in verse 41. Let’s get the picture here. I am the bread that came down out of heaven. How many times is he going to say that? Verse 50. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

This is an answer to man’s greatest issue. I am the living bread. Again, verse 51. You know, when God repeats himself this many times, you really should pay attention. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. Are you eating that bread, the meal that you need the most? And the bread also, which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. What Jesus is about to do at Calvary will provide will be the answer for man’s spiritual sustenance. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourself. Verse 55, my flesh is true food, and my blood is true. Well, that would be enough this morning to make the point and give you something to take home and think about all week long.

How can being consumed with the Christ, consuming Christ, is the meal that you need the most.

It is the Father who draws people to Jesus. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. He says in verse 44. And in verse 65, he says, For this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father. Now here’s the thing about this meal. You can only come and partake of it, the ultimate feast, better, I’m sorry, better than Judy’s roast. You can only, but it was delicious. The only way you can partake of the meal that you need the most unless it is granted you by the Father. Now, that’s not teaching predestination as that false doctrine would suggest that God elects only certain individuals. And this context even bears that out in verse 40.

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life. That is the Father granting us the right to the meal in that we believe to them who believe he gives the right to become his sons. According to John chapter 1, verses 12 and 13. To believe in Jesus as the bread of life and to consume him, that belief is what grants us access to this wonderful meal. Another point that I want to make a pass. There’s so much here, boy, we’re going through this verb. Again, when God says something over and over again, pay attention. There are four times in verse 40, we’ve already read, but in 39, 44, and in 54, the phrase, I will raise him up on the last day, is mentioned.

And I think that’s significant. But what all of this is pointing to is the ultimate resurrection of the body unto a spiritual and eternal dwelling with God. Everything points to the ultimate and final bodily resurrection, where this material will put on immaterial, when this corruptible will put on incorruptible. That’s really just the introduction. I want to get to you this verse. Right in the middle of all of this about partaking of the bread. This verse 45. It is written in the prophets, and they all shall be taught of God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Right at the heart, as he’s talking about himself as the bread of life and consuming this meal, as I’ve already indicated, it is those who believe who have been granted by the Father to come and partake.

What does that mean? It means they all shall be taught of God. No one will be aligned with his cause in ignorance. Partaking of the bread, the meal that you need the most, has to do with coming to him in knowledge of what he is providing. They all will be taught of God. They will have heard and learned of me. Jesus says.

And says, no fool will wander therein. This doesn’t happen. Whoa, how did I get on this road? No, it will be the result of choosing that way, of walking that way, and everyone who consumes of this meal will do so because they have been taught of God. And they have heard and learned from him. But what is curious to me is the statement that this was taught in the prophets. Where exactly was this taught? In the prophets. Would you turn to Isaiah chapter 54 as we get to our second text that further illuminates why we need this meal the most? Jesus says, What I’m telling you has been anticipated by the spokesman of old. Isaiah spoke of this time, of this moment, where the ultimate things of God are going to be delivered for you to consume.

Isaiah 54, 13. Notice this. In anticipation of the great things that are coming. Remember, the picture of the suffering servant is in the previous chapter, Isaiah 53. Isaiah 54, 13. And all your sons will be taught of the Lord. Now we’re going to get to the significance of that hopefully in a minute. And all your sons will be taught of the Lord. I love this. And the well-being of your sons will be great. They’re going to have it good. Now, Jesus is providing some illumination to that when he says, You’ll not hunger or thirst anymore if you eat the living bread. You’re going to have it good. It’s going to be well with your sons when they have been taught of God. What a rich context this is.

And before I delve into it any further, I want you to notice that rough times have transpired with God’s people, or about to transpire, as Isaiah talks about. In verse 7, he says, For a brief moment I forsook you. Boy, that doesn’t sound really good, does it? Things have not gone well. For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. Isaiah is anticipating destruction by the Babylonians. 70 years of captivity, though Jeremiah is going to be the one that specifies that bad days are coming in verse 8, and I think this is an anthropopathism, but I’m not going to explain that now. In an outburst of anger. Verse 8, I hid my face from you for a moment. Okay, you don’t want God to hide his face from you.

This is bad. This is God’s displeasure. But with everlasting loving kindness I will have compassion on you. For this is like the days of Noah in verse 9. This is like the days of Noah to me when I swore that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor will I rebuke you. So, this is a very unpleasant time as it’s about to unfold. I forsook you for a brief moment, but I gotta tell you, I’ve got some great plans for you on the other side. That’s what he’s saying in Isaiah 54. And part of that is our verse 13. That Jesus is quoting the great plans that God has in store ultimately is going to be Jesus Christ coming into the world to save sinners.

1. Recipients of God's Unfailing Love

But I think we can appreciate this better if we see what surrounds Isaiah 54 and verse 13. If we see what surrounds it, perhaps we can appreciate even more what Jesus is saying when he says, I am the bread of life. Eat this bread and you’ll live forever. What are all the implications of that? When Jesus said, it is written in the prophets, all shall be taught of God. There’s a lot more going on than just that simple quotation. So often, when the Old Testament is quoted, we need to go back and get the flavor of the entire context. And I want to share five things with you. I know it’s not going to take very long. The first thing that he affirms is that you are the recipients of God’s unfailing love.

He mentioned that in verse 8. He mentions it again in verse 10 when he says, For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but my loving kindness will not be removed from you. We must never get over it. Regard it as a small thing. That we are the object of God’s love. Why is Jesus present in John 6 to begin with? Why has the living bread come down out of heaven? Because God so loved the world. That’s why. John 3 and verse 16. And I would suggest this, and it’s the only point that I want to make in passing. God’s love is the only reliable constant in this world.

2. A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

Everything else is inferior in things. Secondly, there is a perpetual covenant of peace. That’s eating the bread of life. What’s so good about it? Well, and my covenant of peace, verse 10 shall not be shaken, says the Lord who has had compassion on you. You’re in this predicament. He forsook you for a moment because of your own doing. But I have loved you. I have had compassion on you. I am true to my promises, and I’m going to provide in the future a great covenant of peace. This was a war-torn and conflict-plagued people. So great peace is coming. That’s one of the great messages of the prophets. A time of peace is coming. Now, he’s not talking about national peace or a world without conflict. But I think there have been some bombs flying around this week.

He’s not talking about world peace. But he’s talking about peace. What was the announcement? Glory to God in the highest peace on earth among those with whom he is pleased. That was the announcement of the angels at Jesus coming. The God of peace is with those who eat the living bread. A peace that surpasses all comprehension. What a covenant of peace that you can’t even fathom the depths of such peace. A peace that surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ. Jesus. I quote that verse all the time because I realize what incredible implications there are to that verse and what a wonderful blessing it is.

A peace that surpasses comprehension. This is what those who consume Christ, who eat the meal that they need most, this is what they have. What exactly is it? Why is it styled the peace of God surpassing all comprehension? That couple of things. We have fellowship with God, and that’s help like no other can provide. We have present health and vision. And what I mean by that is we see, we see. That’s what I mean by that. We see what we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. Like Jesus said, I know where I’m going, but you don’t know where I’m going, and you cannot come. We get to come. We have health and vision. Beyond that, we have a future that is secure and reliable.

3. You Will Be My Glorious City

No, that’s not one saved always saved. But that is if we live and walk the life of faith and persist in it, despite ups and downs. We can have every confidence that I have eternal life. I have a future that is secure and reliable when everything else may go up and smoke. My own circumstances may go up and smoke. My pigs, as we talked about Wednesday night, may dive off the cliff. But I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day. That’s what I know. That alone is enough. That’s not all. Look what follows. Oh, afflicted ones, storm toss, and not comforted. Okay, that’s not good. That’s where they’ve been.

Better times are coming. I will set your stones in antimony, the new American standard says, and your foundations I will lay in sappires. If you have another translation, it uses the words Lapis Lazuli. Lapis lazuli. Now, I worked on pronouncing that, and I think I still butchered it. But you know how we say that in Texas. Lapis lazuli. That’s just not something we use very often, but it sounds beautiful, isn’t it? That’s the point. It’s beautiful. Sapphire. That gives you the idea. I will make your battlements of rubies, precious gems, and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones. Hmm. That sounds eerily similar to something else, doesn’t it? You’re already thinking it, right? Revelation 21, the city that’s described there. He says, I will put an impenetrable fortress around you.

4. You Will Be Established in Righteousness

You will be my glorious city. It’s going to be my mission. I think the rest of my preaching days is to get people to see. This is more than just a future anticipation when we read about the city of Revelation 21. This is God’s view of his people now, the apple of his eye. This will be your city. Protected, secure, having God’s favor. It’ll be precious. And then he says, You will be established in righteousness. Now go back to the city of Revelation 21. Now what? When that city’s described, what does it say? The unclean shall not enter in it. Those who come into the city have what? Wash their robes in white. The Spirit and the bride say, Come and take the water of life without cost.

You see, we’re eating the living bread. We have come to Jesus in faith, and thus we are pursuing his righteousness, which gets us back to the phrase of John chapter 6. In contrast to many who were about to withdraw from Jesus and follow him no more in John chapter 6, he says, Everyone who eats this bread shall be people who are taught of the Lord. They have heard and learned from me. We’ve been talking about the failures of the Jews this morning in our class. The religious leaders. What’s their problem? They may be the covenant people of Israel, but they have not heard and learned from God. Nobody gets into this kingdom until they come knowing Him and the righteousness to which He calls us. In righteousness you will be established, verse 14.

5. No Weapon Fashioned Against Us Shall Stand

And speaking of the city that He’s just described, you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear, and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you, it will not be from me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I myself have created the smith who blows the fire of the coals and brings out a weapon for its work, and I have created the destroyer to ruin. Hey, this looks familiar. No weapon that’s fashioned against us shall stand. Isaiah 54, verse 17. And furthermore, in conclusion, and every tongue that accuses you in judgment, you will condemn. If you imbibe of the meal that you need the most, it really doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks about you or says about you.

They can belittle you. They can think that you’re an intellectual pygmy. They can mistreat you. But know that mistreatment does not come from the Lord, and that there’s not anything really that they can do to harm you. Because you belong to the Lord. We always know, regardless of violent and turbulent circumstances, who we are. The precious. Unconquerable sins. If God be for us, who then shall be against us? In all these things we are more than conquerors, not even death, life, powers, none of it can take away that most important meal that you have consumed. And one day, tragically, sadly, everyone who has eaten roast and potatoes and carrots to the fill. Many of those will look at you on the last day. And envy the meal that you’ve eaten.

Conclusion

And wish that they would have done so. And so the appeal of God in chapter 55. Ho! I like that exclamation. Ho! That’s an attention-getting exclamation. Ho! You got that? Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. You don’t even have to have any money. Buy any. Milk. Wine. Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me. Be taught of the Lord. Heard and learn. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good. And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to me. The Father will grant it. Incline your ear and come to me, listen that you may live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you.

Verse 6, seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. George sent me a link this week of a sermon preached by Ralph Walker that I finally got around to listening to yesterday. It was great. I sent Ralph an email and said, that’s the best lesson I’ve heard in a long time. I’m including my own.

The first word of the gospel was not grace. You know what the first word of the gospel was? Repent. Isn’t that interesting? What did John say? Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What did Jesus say? Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You see, you’ve got to turn your hearts in the right direction. Why did you come out to me, John says?

Who told you to flee the wrath of God that is to come? What is the message of repentance? People want to talk about the love of God and the grace of God, and it’s all a part of this package, but we’ve got to turn our hearts to the Lord. That’s where it starts. It’s always started there. Implied of the turning the hearts of the fathers back to the children and all of that. We’ve got to turn our hearts in the right direction to get any benefit of this. And that’s what Jesus is appealing to. First word of the gospel is repent. Talked last week about everyone gets a trophy. It’s interesting, Ralph mentioned that. Wait a minute, don’t I get a participation trophy? We’re an honor family.

He went on to say.

But the message is this turn or burn. Turn or burn. Jesus said hard things in John chapter 6, and as a result, many went through, but not follow him anymore. And I don’t see Jesus. He wasn’t. Oh, please go back, please come back, please. You gotta want it. Told the disciples, will you also go away? His closest followers. Of course, Peter said, To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Come to Jesus while there’s time. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. And let him return to the Lord. And he will have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly part.

Let’s stand and sing.