“I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:25-40) - The God We Can Know II -

“I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:25-40)

- The God We Can Know II -

“Yes” to Every Prayer?

Have you watched the movie, “Bruce Almighty”? Bruce Nolan played by Jim Carrey continues to suffer unfortunate events. He has relationship problems and gets fired from his job. After a series of other misfortunes, Bruce complains that God is the one that should be fired. Then, he is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. God tells Bruce that he cannot tell others he has God's powers, nor can he use the powers to alter free will. Bruce ignores God and uses his powers for personal gain, not for helping people. But then he has a hard time to answer all the prayers he receives. So he ends up setting the program to automatically answer “Yes” to every prayer. As Bruce looks around, he realizes that the city has fallen into chaos due to his actions. And he asks God to take back His powers and let his fate be in His hands.

The Miracle Chasers

In today’s scripture we find a second Bruce Nolan, a miracle-chasing crowd. The day before, Jesus performed a miraculous sign and fed more than five thousands people. They were all completely satisfied. But now less than 24 hours after this great miracle, the crowd is asking another miracle. They say to Jesus in verse 30, “What can you do for us now?” And they continue, “Our ancestors ate manna in the desert. Give us this bread all the time, so that we don’t need to worry about tomorrow’s problems.” A Samaritan woman said exactly the same, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have keep coming here to draw water” (John 4:15). Too often we want things instead of God. We are more interested in the gift than the giver. We are more thrilled about what God has in His hands than Himself. But God wants to give us Himself. God wants to impart Himself with His gift. So Jesus declares, “I AM the Bread of Life… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life!” God fed the Israelites with manna to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Deut 8:3). Jesus fed the crowd with five loaves and two fish to teach them that Jesus is a source of true satisfaction. But the response of the crowd is shocking. When Jesus said, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood,” many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. They wanted the gift, blessing, and things from Jesus but were not interested in Jesus Himself.

Eating the Flesh of Jesus?

What does Jesus mean by “eat my flesh and drink my blood?” It means to become one with Christ. Christ did not die on the cross to just save us from hell; rather, he died on the cross so that all of us could become one with him. Jesus says in verse 56, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” The life of eating the flesh of Jesus is to die with him and to live with him. The key verse for this is Galatians 2: 20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The life of eating the flesh of Jesus is the crucified life. A.W. Tozer said, “The crucified life is a life absolutely committed to following after Christ Jesus. To be more like Him. To think like Him. To act like Him. To love like Him.” But many of us are just content with the fact that someday we are going to die and go to heaven. Yes, we have been saved and renewed by the grace of God, but we are not pursuing our spiritual growth. We are halfway in between two worlds: the kingdom of God and this world, the Promised Land and Egypt. We are not influenced or led by the Holy Spirit but rather are controlled by our desire. After twelve men explored the Promised Land, the ten of them spread a bad report and said, “Let’s stay here in the wilderness. Although it isn’t the best, we are already free of Egypt and not slaves anymore. Why take unnecessary risks?” But the purpose of God is not to save us from Egypt. The purpose of God is to save us in order to enter the Promised Land. That is why Jesus says to his people, “How long will you waver between two worlds? Stop wandering! Come eat my flesh and drink my blood. Come die with me and live with me!”  

The Cost of Discipleship  

What is then the cost of living the crucified life? The answer is it costs us everything. Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died a martyr under the Nazi Regime, said, “The grace of God is costly because it cost Christ His blood, and it will cost us everything – maybe even our lives. Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace.” North Korea is the most hostile place for Christians around the globe, according to the annual “World Watch” list from the Open Doors Organization. Few years ago one mission organization leader met North Korean underground Christians, and he asked them, “How can I pray for you?” with deep concern in his voice. “You pray for us?” they said with a gentle smile, “We pray for you! And if you pray for us, please do not pray that we would escape suffering. But please pray that we may continue to stand firm and endure persecution to spread the Good News.” When the early church Christians were persecuted, they didn’t pray that God would take away their suffering. Instead, they fervently prayed that God would give them courage and strength to continue to peach the Word of God boldly in the midst of their persecution (esp. Acts 4:29-30). Recently, 21 Christians in Libya were killed. But because of this, Egypt is now experiencing revival. Libya’s martyrs spark largest outreach ever in Egypt. The Bible Society of Egypt made an evangelism track right after this incident, and they were able to distribute more than 1.65 million copies. Church history is witnessing to us that the blood of the saints is the seed of the Church. Apostle Paul says to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2Tim 1:8b). He continues, “No one serving as a solider gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer” (2:4). Those who live the crucified life seek no place, no comfort, no wealth, no things, only Christ!

The Crucified Life

There is nothing wrong with the payer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This pray must come after the prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done!” What matters most in the world is not whether we live to be 100 years old. What matters most in the world is whether we eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood. What matters most in the world is whether we are crucified with him and live with him. Romans 14:8 says, “If we live, we live to honor the Lord; and if we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (ISV). Whether by life or by death, whether by wealth or by poverty, whether by health or by illness, if Christ is exalted in our lives, we are living the crucified life (cf. Phil 1:20). Lastly, I want to share with you how hymn writer C.F. Butler describes the joy of the crucified life with Christ:

Since Christ my soul from sin set free,
This world has been a Heav’n to me;
And ’mid earth’s sorrows and its woe,
’Tis Heav’n my Jesus here to know.

What matters where on earth we dwell?
On mountaintop, or in the dell,
In cottage, or a mansion fair,
Where Jesus is, ’tis Heaven there.

Oh, hallelujah, yes, ’tis Heav’n,
’Tis Heav’n to know my sins forgiv’n;
On land or sea, what matters where?—
Where Jesus is, ’tis Heaven there.

Amen.