About this sermon
The crowd crossed the sea to find Jesus, but they came for another free meal, and he called them to labor for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man gives. When they asked what works they must do, Jesus answered that the work of God is to believe in him whom he has sent; the Father gave the manna, and he now gives the true bread from heaven. Jesus is the bread of life, and whoever comes to him hungry will never hunger. All that the Father gives him will come to him, he will never cast out anyone who comes, and he will lose none of them but raise them up on the last day.
Sermon transcript
If you would remain standing, our text this evening is going to be taken from the Gospel of John. John 6, verse 22 through 40 will be our passage of consideration this evening. John 6, verse 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. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you come here?
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. 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 his seal. Then they said to him, what must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered them, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. So they said to him, then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They said to him, sir, give us this bread always. 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. But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 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. 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. May God add his blessing to the reading of his word. Let’s pray now for that blessing. Father in heaven, we come to you needy, hungry, We ask, Lord, that you would give us true spiritual hunger, that we would come and seek the true bread and not the bread that perishes. We ask, Lord, that you would give your spirit in the preaching and the hearing that this word of yours might be effectual to giving life to us. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen. You may be seated. The title of my message this evening is, Who Can Come? How much do you love Jesus or cheetahs? My mom overheard a conversation between myself, my brother, and our friend, Amelia, when I was probably around seven or eight, and they were each five and six.
Isaiah, I love Jesus 50. Amelia, I love cheetahs 100 miles. Isaiah, I love Jesus 200. Amelia, I love cheetahs 500 miles. Josiah, Amelia, Amelia, I love Jesus five. This illustration connects to our text because what we have in our text is a incongruous conversation. Jesus is talking on one level, and the Jews keep responding. And Jesus responds to them, and they keep missing the whole point that he’s making. Jesus is talking about the true bread, the bread that comes down from heaven, which is himself. And the Jews keep referring back to Jesus. We want another handout. We’re hungry. That was great. You gave us 5,000. You fed 5,000 people. How about you do that again? In fact, every day we would love some free bread. And so that’s what we have in our passage. You might have gotten that same sort of impression if you overheard this conversation in John 6, where Jesus is offering life in the crowd.
Great. What do we have to do? And while we’re at it, could we get some more free bread? The crowd had crossed the sea to find Jesus, and they came, but they had come, Jesus says, for the wrong reasons. So tonight we’re going to try to tackle our text with five points. We’ll have to make them a little quicker than my normal three. But we’re gonna look at not everyone who seeks Jesus comes to him. No one comes by working. Whoever is hungry can come. Everyone who comes is given by the Father. And everyone who comes is kept. On the first part of our passage, verses 22 through 27, we see that not everyone who seeks Jesus comes to Him. To set the scene, we see The previous passage that we looked at last Sunday night was Jesus walking across the water.
The crowds had seen Jesus go into the mountains. Maybe some of them had seen the disciples get in the boat. They’re a little curious. They show up on the shore, and Jesus and his disciples are gone. But there’s a pile of boats there, and so they decide to jump in those boats and go across the sea. This would have been no small endeavor. I don’t know if all 5,000 of them crossed the sea in those little boats, but it would have been quite an endeavor, a lot of work. And they came across the shore. Jesus couldn’t get away from them, seeking Jesus. And when they got there, verse 25, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you come here? It’s not clear whether they had a suspicion that something miraculous had happened or not. Either way, their real question is not when he came there, but can we get us some more free food.
And Jesus points this out in verse 26. Jesus answers, 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. What he’s saying is, you’re not even seeking me because you saw miracles. You’re not even impressed with my power necessarily. You’re actually looking for a free meal. And verse 27, Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal. Verses 26 and 27 express Jesus’ whole message for the passage. And it could have just ended there if the Jews had actually got the point. Jesus tells them, I know what’s going to happen. You guys are here for free food.
And actually, what you need to do is come to me for the source of eternal life. But this crowd is coming and they’re not seeking Jesus truly. He sees right through their motives. Jesus exposes it. You’re seeking me because you ate your fill of the loaves. They want the gift rather than the giver. They had followed the miracle, but they had missed the meaning. And so Jesus is redirecting them. He says, don’t labor for the food that perishes. It was a lot of work to get in those boats, get all the way across the lake, and here they are. That probably took them most of the day, just to get one more free meal. But Jesus says, don’t work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. And that food, he says, you don’t actually have to work for, because the Son of Man gives it to you.
Verse 27. We could think of The analogy or the illustration of, imagine the fan who wants an autograph, goes down to a Steelers game to catch one of the players afterwards, waits hours outside the stadium for a signed jersey, just to get the jersey signed. And the next day, he’s selling it online for as much as he can get for it. He didn’t want the person, he didn’t actually want to see the player, but only what the player could benefit him. by giving him that signed jersey that he could sell. Very mercenary. And Jesus is seeing through the people. He’s seeing through their seeking. They spent all this effort to come here, and Jesus says, actually, I know what you’re about. You’re just about some more free food. You’re about the gifts, the blessings I can give you, but not about me.
And that’s worth asking ourselves this evening. Because sometimes we can start coming to Jesus for his blessings, or his comfort, or his community, but never come to him. So asking ourselves, what am I truly seeking? Am I seeking Jesus? If Jesus gave you everything you could ask for, but never gave you himself, would you be satisfied? Well, number two, no one comes by working. We see in verses 28 through 33, the crowd asks, what must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus had just said, you’re actually just coming because you’re hungry, but do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. And immediately, the Jews’ mindset goes to works. What can I do? The crowd asks, what shall I do?
And they assume that salvation is a task to complete. They assume there must be something that I can do to earn this eternal life. But Jesus says, this work is that you believe. in him whom he has sent. The work doesn’t end up looking like work at all because it’s receiving the gift of Jesus. Imagine someone hands you a birthday present and your instinct is to pull out your wallet. What do I owe you? How would that feel if you’re the one giving the gift? Rather insulting, of course. And Jesus is saying, the Son of Man will give you this bread that endures to eternal life. And their response is, oh, what do I do to be doing the works of God? And Jesus answered, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.
So then they said to him, then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? They had just seen him feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread. They weren’t actually looking for another miracle that would help them believe. Their motivation was some more free food. And they’re thinking, maybe we can trick Jesus into doing another feeding of 5,000. But Jesus had already exposed their motives. And they demand a sign, and they go even further. Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. But once again, Jesus turns it back, turns the conversation back, saying, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
So they’re saying Moses was pretty impressive. He fed the children of Israel for 40 years with manna every day. Think you can top him? Just a question. But Jesus is correcting them and saying, No, no, no. You don’t understand. The Father gave that bread from heaven, actually. And in fact, the Father is giving the true bread from heaven. The Father sent me and I am the true bread from heaven. You keep missing the point because you’re just looking at the physical realm. Moses didn’t give the bread, the Father gave it and he’s giving the true bread from heaven. And we see here in this passage that religious effort sometimes can be another way of avoiding Jesus. They’re coming, they’re asking, what do I need to do to earn eternal life? They’re trying to trick Jesus on the one hand, but then they’re also asking that question, what must I do?
Is there something, a way that I can work my way into eternal life? But Jesus says, coming is to trust, to believe. It’s not about something you’re working, something you’re doing, but the doing, the working is to come and believe in the one whom he has sent. The most exhausting religion in the world is the one where you have to earn what Jesus is offering for free. And there’s so many people today, and even each one of us can subtly slip into that feeling, that sense of, well, I’ve got to make sure I’m earning God’s favor. And Jesus is telling us to come, come Number three, whoever is hungry can come. Verses 34 and 35, they said to him, sir, give us this bread always. So in one sense, this would have been the right question.
Let’s have Jesus all the time. But once again, their mindset was still in the earthly. They were saying, give us something physical, give us this physical bread always. And so then Jesus brings it out crystal clear in verse 35. He can’t be any more explicit. And we have in John’s gospel, the first, what we call the I am statements of the gospel, where he says, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. The crowd is saying, give us this bread, give us this physical bread, and they’re thinking of merely the physical tangible. But Jesus is focused on spiritual hunger, and he’s trying to bring that out to their minds. And he says, He gives this invitation as an open invitation. He says, I’m not excluding.
Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. Whoever believes in me shall never thirst. He tries to strip away the analogies, strip away their misunderstanding, and says, to eat this bread is to believe. is to drink. Trying to open their eyes, help them understand what is really going on. He says, to come to me is the same as believing. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. Whoever believes in me shall never thirst. He’s tying it back in all together to make his point. I am the bread of life. I didn’t just come to give blessings, to give bread, but to be the bread. To be the bread of life that you come and you eat. And that eating means believing, means putting your trust. But you have to have a hunger. He says, if you come to me, you will not hunger.
I will be that satisfaction of your hunger. But only those who are hungry will come. And these are pictures of real need, hunger and thirst. The only requirement, Jesus says, is that you know that you need him. And when you come with that need, he will be utterly satisfying. Imagine a child at the fridge, child at home, never wonders whether they’re allowed to come to the table for supper. They come because they’re hungry and they know that they belong. It’s the guests that come and are wondering, am I imposing? Can I get something from the fridge? But the child comes and takes and eats. And Jesus says, we are to come like that to him to satisfy our hunger. And so Jesus is inviting all of us, inviting the weary, inviting the doubting, the guilty, the empty.
He says, no one is too far gone and no resume is needed. Hunger is not disqualification, but it is the qualification, he says. But it must be a spiritual hunger, is his point. And number four, we see in our passage, Jesus says, everyone who comes is given by the Father. Verses 36 and 37. But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. But Jesus has been making his point to the Jews And they keep missing it time after time again. Jesus had revealed at the beginning in verse 27 and 26 that He knew their hearts. He knew their real motivations. He wasn’t fooled by anything. And here again in verse 37, He reminds them that this unbelief of theirs is not a surprise to Him.
He says, you know what, I know why you aren’t getting it. I’m explaining it as clear as clear could be. I could not explain it any better. After all, it’s God himself who invented language, explaining it to these people. And yet, they do not believe. And he says there’s a reason for that. The reason is that you haven’t been given by my Father.” And he goes and he flips it around saying, because perhaps the disciples, perhaps others might look and be discouraged, saying, here’s Jesus explaining his heart out and no one is getting it. No one’s understanding. Poor Jesus. People aren’t getting it. And Jesus says, I’m not worried, I’m not threatened. You know what? Every single one that the Father has given to me, they’ll come. They’ll hear my words. It won’t fall on deaf ears to them.
They won’t remain stuck in the realm of the physical. they will hear it and they will come. Unbelief is not a surprise to God and Jesus’ mission is not in jeopardy because of it. Unbelieving man is dead in his sins, completely unable to respond to the gospel, devoid of any spiritual hunger, of any desire for God, for a relationship with Christ, his Son. But belief is the gift of a sovereign God. And Jesus says, no one who has been given to him by his father will not come. Every single person who has been given by the father to the son will come. There won’t be anyone that was given by the father, the father saying, well, I’d really hope this person believes. And Jesus is explaining, explaining, and they don’t get it. But Jesus says, no.
Everyone that the Father has given me, they will come. They’ll hear. My spirit will work in them. And we call this sometimes in Calvinistic circles, the doctrine of irresistible grace. Because there’s not a single person chosen by God from before the foundation of the world that will fail to come to Jesus. Even if that means on their last breath, they will come to Jesus and believe. And so Jesus offers this as a comfort. He’s not putting it up as a barrier, saying, well, you’re not allowed to come because I don’t know if the Father’s given. But he’s saying, everyone that the Father’s given me will come. There’s no doubt about it. And if you come, It’s not based on something you can boast in, but it’s based on the father has given you to me.
And if he gives you to me, I won’t let you go. Imagine a parent searching a crowded mall, finds their child finally crying by the food court. And the child says, I found you. And the parent gently says, no, I was looking for you the whole time. The child thought they were doing the finding, but the parent’s search came first. And so Jesus is saying, if you come to me, if you can understand what I’m saying, if you get it, the Father has given you to me. And so this ought to produce in us, of course, humility and gratitude. You didn’t out-think or out-will the others to make your way to Christ. But you have been given by the Father to the Son. And for those of us doubting, wondering, do we have that strength and that faith?
God has given you to the Son. If you’re coming to Jesus with a need and a hunger, the Father has given you to the Son. And He says in verse 37, Whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. Which is point number five. Everyone who comes is kept. Whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. Jesus says, there’s not going to be any single person who comes to Jesus saying, Lord, Lord, please save me. And Jesus says, no, no. In our passage, Jesus gives this in a strong double negative. Now, in English, if you do a double negative, it becomes a positive. But in Greek, you can add negatives and they add emphasis. And so Jesus is saying, I will not ever, never cast out the one who comes to me. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out.
And that’s the point that he’s doubling down on in verses 38 through 40. For I have come down from heaven to my entire mission, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. And what is that will? 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. For this is the will of my Father, the sovereign, immutable will from before the foundation of the world, 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.” Jesus says the security of His promise rests in His mission. He came down to do only His Father’s will, and His Father’s will from before the foundation of the world was that He would have people chosen.
They would come to the Son with hunger. They would come to the Son and believe, and they would have eternal life. The Father’s will is that Jesus lose, He says, none of them. but raise every single one of them up to the last day. Death itself is not a barrier. As Paul says in Romans 8, I am convinced that nothing, neither death nor life or anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of Christ. And that’s what he gets from Jesus saying that right here. None of the ones who come to me will perish. I will never cast anyone out, and I will never lose any of them. From beginning to end, Jesus is saying, we are secure in His hands. We come because the Father has given us to the Son, and the Son holds us securely all the way to the end.
The full ark, Jesus receives you, He keeps you, and He raises you up on the last day. Both the beginning and the end of the salvation are in His hands. We sometimes talk about our grip upon Christ, like the child crossing the busy street, hold my hand. Many times children will let go. They’ll try to squirm loose, but the parent holds them tight. And that’s what Jesus is saying. He has a hold of us. And this is, of course, assurance for any of us with anxiety. Your grip on Christ is not what holds you. His grip on you is what holds you secure. You can’t wriggle out of his hand. The same hands that received you initially will also keep you and raise you up on the last day, is what Jesus is saying. So Jesus is asking, or we’re asking as we come to this passage, who can come?
Who can come to Jesus? And of course, anyone who’s hungry, he says. But we come for him, not just for his gifts. We come with empty hands, not with works, earning our salvation. And we can come confidently, he says. Because He will receive us and He will never cast us out. So, end with an invitation. If there’s anyone here tonight or listening, perhaps later online, wondering, is there room for me? There is. You can come to Jesus. All that have been given, that spiritual hunger, all you need is to see that you need Him. and he will receive you and he will never cast you out. So if you can see your need for Jesus, come. Come to him, not just for his gifts, all his benefits, but for him, for himself, and he will be your satisfaction.
Amen. Let’s pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ. We thank you for the gift of us who have come in faith that you have given us to the son and that he will never cast us out. Thank you for that assurance, for that confidence that we can live our lives in. Lord, we ask that you would give us greater strength of faith greater confidence in this Savior who will never cast us out, never cast us aside, and will raise us up on the last day. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen. Well, in response, let’s turn and sing hymn 441. Let’s stand and sing hymn 441, Jesus Sinners Death Receive.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.