I Am The Bread of Life (radio broadcast)

Introduction: The Authority of Christ's Words

0:07 God's word to our nation. With our host, Pastor Albert N. Martin. We believe that the Bible is God's word and the gospel is a message of new life and liberty.

0:19 So keep your Bible open for this broadcast because as Pastor Martin preaches, he would like you to see the truth in your own copy of the scriptures. But you'll need more than an open Bible. You'll need an open heart, ready to receive and obey the word of God. At the end of the program, we will be giving you some information about the church that sponsors this broadcast.

0:43 But for now, open your Bible and open your heart and join us for today's sermon.

0:51 Will you follow, please, in the scriptures as I read a portion of the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John, chapter 6.

1:08 The opening section of this chapter records our Lord's feeding of the Father, 5,000 on one side of the lake or sea of Galilee. And then the record of our Lord visiting His disciples in that night watch as they crossed from one place to another. And then in verse 22, John picks up the narrative. On the morrow, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there save one, and that Jesus entered not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples went away alone.

1:47 Howbeit, there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest Thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

2:26 Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which abides unto eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give you, for Him the Father, even God, hath sealed. They said therefore unto Him, Why? What must we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent.

2:54 They said therefore unto Him, What then do you do for a sign that we may see and believe you? What are you working? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread out of heaven.

3:23 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life unto the world. They said therefore unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that comes to Me, shall not hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.

3:47 But I said unto you that you have seen Me and yet believe not. All that the Father gives Me shall come unto Me, and him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I am come down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that of all that which He has given Me, that I shall not lose, but shall raise it up at the last day.

4:17 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and believes on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews therefore murmured concerning Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, whose Father, and mother we know, how does he now say, I am come down out of heaven? Jesus answered and said unto them, murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every one that is heard from the Father and learned comes unto me. Not that any man has seen the Father, save he that is from God, he has seen the Father. Verily, verily I say

5:18 unto you, he that believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If any man eats the bread of life, he shall not die. I am the living bread which comes down out of heaven. He shall eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Yes, and the bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

5:59 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have not life in yourselves. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, or true meat, or food. And my blood is true drink.

6:32 He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he that eats me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. He that eats this bread shall live forever.

6:58 These things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. All that the Lord Jesus ever spoke was truth. Undiluted, unmixed, pure, unsullied truth. This had to be so because he himself was conscious that he spoke only that which his Father gave him to speak.

7:27 He asserts this many times. Particularly in the Gospel of John. And one of the clearest statements of this is found in John chapter 12 verses 49 and 50. I spoke not from myself, but the Father that sent me.

7:44 He has given me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father himself. He hath said unto me, so I speak.

The Negative Command: No Life Without Eating and Drinking

8:03 There is a negative word, there is a positive word, and then an explanative word. What is the negative? Jesus said, except you eat. And a form of the verb is used which points to a once for all eating.

8:19 Except you may once for all eat of my flesh. And except you once for all. Drink of the blood of the Son of Man. Eat his flesh once for all.

8:36 Drink his blood once for all. You have no life in yourselves. Now imagine how this staggering statement must have fallen upon their ears. They are very much alive.

8:50 They have crossed over from one part of the lake to another in order to be where Jesus is. Their physical life had been sustained. And by his miracle the day before. He says, you ate of the loaves and you come again because you want your bellies filled.

9:06 You haven't seen the significance of what happened. They were very much alive. Eating, breathing, looking, talking. Yet Jesus says, except you eat once for all the flesh of the Son of Man.

9:19 And drink once for all of his blood. You are utterly devoid of life. That's what he said to them. That's what the text says.

9:30 That's the ascension. That's the essential substance of the first part of this word. To those to whom he spoke. But then there is the positive.

The Positive Promise: Eternal Life Through Continual Feeding

9:40 Look at verse 54. Jesus goes on then to say, he that eats. Present tense. And he uses a different word.

9:51 There is a standard word for eat in the New Testament. It is used literally dozens and dozens of times. But here our Lord uses a word that is found four times. In this context.

10:03 Here in John chapter 6. It's found in verse 56, 57, 58. So with its presence here in 54. Four uses.

10:14 Only other two uses in the New Testament. Matthew 24. And again in John 13. And it's a word that means literally to munch.

10:25 It means to nibble. It means to crunch. It is a word you would use. To describe ravenous animals.

10:35 Who continually tear and tear and tear. And consume the flesh. Of the animal which the predatory animals have downed and killed. And Jesus here is saying.

10:49 He who is continually feeding upon my flesh. And again the present tense. He who is continually drinking my blood. He who is continually drinking my blood.

11:02 And now he says two things of such. Has eternal life. Those who continually crunch and munch and nibble and feed upon my flesh. And continually drink my blood.

11:19 Two things are true of them. They have right now eternal life. Eternal life is their present possession. Their inviolable possession.

11:30 They now possess. And will continue to possess. Into the endless eons of eternity. That quality of life that is called in scripture.

11:41 Eternal life. And secondly Jesus said. All who continually feed upon my flesh. Continually drink my blood.

11:51 I will raise him up. At the last day. Then he gives an explanative word. In verse 55.

The Explanative Word: Christ's Flesh and Blood as True Food

11:59 For. With that little particle of logical connection. For. Why is all this true?

12:06 For my flesh is meat indeed. My flesh is true food. Real food. And my blood is real drink.

12:20 He is saying. Whatever you may have known. Of any kind of food. That has satisfied your physical hunger.

12:28 Whatever your fathers may have known. Of that supernatural food. Sent down from heaven in the wilderness. Called manna.

12:37 Whatever you may have experienced. Of the food that came from my hands yesterday. The multiplying of the loaves and fishes. All of that food.

12:46 In terms of the issues that really count. Is non substantial. At best it meets an immediate need. And points to greater needs.

12:55 And to greater fulfillment of need. But all that I have said to you. Jesus said is true. Because for my flesh is true food.

The Weight of Jesus' Words: Spiritual Death Without Christ

13:06 And my blood is true drink. Now that's the substance of what Jesus said. But you say Pastor Martin. No I haven't explained.

13:18 But I've tried to just open up briefly. What those words would have conveyed. If you were sitting there. When Jesus spoke them.

13:26 Now before we move on in the third place. To consider the basic meaning of these words. I trust something. Is happening in your own mind and heart.

13:34 If it isn't. Either I have failed. To open up the seriousness of the issue. Or you failed.

13:41 To receive the right impression of the issues.

13:45 If Jesus is truth incarnate. Speaks only the words of his father. Speaks only truth. Do you see the implication for you sitting here today?

13:57 If you do not eat his flesh. And drink his blood. You have no life. According to Jesus.

14:04 Yes but. No no stop. Back off. It's not a matter of what it means.

14:09 Do you feel the weight of his words? You are spiritually dead. And you will remain dead. Through life.

14:17 And in death. And know the pangs of the second death. Unless you eat the flesh of the son of God. And drink his blood.

14:25 You have no life in you. What is the heart? What is the very soul? What are the central issues?

14:32 To a right understanding. To a right understanding of these words. Verily, verily I say unto you. Except you eat the flesh of the son of man.

14:41 And drink his blood. You have no life in yourself. Don't you want to understand what those words mean? I'm looking out in some people who are dead.

14:51 Utterly dead. You have no life in you. Why? Because you've never once for all eaten of his flesh.

14:59 Nor drunk of his blood. There are others who profess that once for all. You've eaten of his flesh. And drunk of his blood.

15:07 But you're not continually masticating his flesh. You do not feed upon his flesh. In the ongoing living dynamics of persevering faith. You are not drinking of his blood.

15:21 And according to Jesus. Any hope you have of everlasting life. And a blessed resurrection is ill founded. Dear people.

15:30 May God help us to come with a heart that says. Oh God. God teach me what those vital words mean. It is a matter of life and death to my soul.

The Meaning of Eating and Drinking: Embracing Christ Crucified by Faith

15:41 My friend. You have no life. Unless you eat of his flesh. And drink of his blood.

15:48 And that means that you come to embrace from the heart. It is Christ crucified. Who is the life. And the nourishment.

15:56 Of the soul. Not Christ merely sent down out of heaven. Christ as sealed by the Father. Verse 27.

16:07 Christ is manifesting grace and power. In the feeding of the multitudes. But Christ in his flesh. Given.

16:17 For the life. Of the world. You see now why he says. Unless you have eaten once for all.

16:23 My flesh. And drunk my blood. No life in you. All life is in a crucified Savior.

16:33 Outside of him. There is nothing. But death. Present death.

16:39 Continued death. The horrible specter of eternal death. In the lake of fire. You want to put forth endeavor to do what God requires of you.

16:48 And that which will please God. Believe unto one he sent. You don't need to know a word of Greek. You hardly need to know much of the English language.

16:57 Believe on him. Whom he has sent. That's what God requires of you.

The Parallel Between Believing and Eating: One Way of Salvation

17:05 The Lord doesn't stop there. Verse 35. Jesus. Said unto them.

17:09 I am the bread of life. He that comes to me shall not hunger. And he that believes on me shall never thirst. How is soul hunger met.

17:22 And soul thirst met. By believing upon this one who stands before them. Verse 40. This is the will of my Father.

17:33 That everyone that beholds the Son and believes on him. Now note carefully. Should have eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day.

17:43 What is promised to all who believe on him. Two things. They possess eternal life. They will be raised at the last day.

17:52 Now turn over to verse 53. And I think the picture will begin to come into sharp focus. Truly truly I say unto you. Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood.

18:03 You have not life in yourself. He that is continually munching. Feeding upon myself. My flesh.

18:10 And continually drinking my blood. What two things are said to be true of him. He possesses eternal life. He has eternal life.

18:19 And I will raise him up at the last day. You see the strict parallel between verse 54. And the verse that we looked at. Verse 40.

18:28 Who has eternal life according to verse 40. The one who believes on him. He has eternal life. Who will be raised up at the last day.

18:37 The one who believes on him. What is. To believe on him. Unless you come up with Jesus teaching two ways of salvation.

18:44 Some people will get saved by eating Jesus' flesh. And drinking his blood. Whatever it means. Other people just get saved by trusting in Christ.

18:52 Take your pick. If you want to plumb some mystical heights and depths. And get involved in great convoluted mysteries. You go the former way.

19:01 But for me. No. Jesus is not teaching two ways of salvation. Only one.

19:05 And when he promises precisely the same two things. To two different activities. Obviously the activities are one. What is it?

The Manna Analogy: Receiving God's Gift by Faith

19:16 To eat his flesh. What is it to drink his blood? It is simply to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to do what the ancient Israelites did with the manna.

19:30 There they were. In their destitute state. No means of setting up an agricultural economy. As wanderers in the wilderness.

19:39 And in their unbelief they want to go back to Egypt. Kill Moses. And change the thing. But God mercifully.

19:46 He provides manna. They are destitute. They are utterly unable to meet their own need. What does God do?

19:54 In his love and pity. He sends bread out of heaven. Now what did they have to do? Did God say you got to go out every morning.

20:03 And you got to go through 15 different mantras. And then I'll send down a little bit of manna. Do 30 more. I'll send down a second piece of manna.

20:11 Do 50 Hail Marys. And 75 Our Fathers. And I'll give you a dozen manna. What did they have to do to get the manna?

20:19 Nothing. God sent the bread out of heaven. Remember how many times it's emphasized in the passage? This is the bread.

20:27 Yes it came out of heaven. But it was pointing to a greater reality. What did they have to do? Just go out and gather it.

20:35 They couldn't stand around in circles. And jump for glee and say. Oh boy. Manna thus.

20:39 Sorry. Doesn't make your mouth watered down. It'll look good. They'd starve and perish.

20:44 They had to reach out with the hand. Take it. Put it into the mouth. Chew it.

20:50 Let the saliva mix with it. Swallow it. Let the gastric juices work upon it. And what did it do?

20:56 It sustained life through the wilderness.

Christ Received and Fed Upon by Faith: The Life of the Soul

21:01 Now Jesus said. You want to know what it is to believe on me? You do with me. My person.

21:08 As the God man. Crucified. For sinners. Do with me.

21:12 What they did with the manna. Behold me. As God's gift. Out of heaven.

21:19 To destitute humanity.

21:22 Jesus said. Eat this bread. And you'll live forever. Eat of me.

21:28 You'll live now. And you will never cease to live. And I will raise you. At the last day.

21:35 Again verse 47. Verily verily I say unto you. He that believes. Has eternal life.

21:45 Dear people. Can God make it any simpler or plainer? It is Christ received. And listen carefully.

21:52 And fed upon by faith. Who is the life. And nourishment. Of the soul.

22:00 Unless you eat my flesh. And drink my blood. You have no life in yourself.

22:07 And I trust God has helped. Some perhaps for the first time. To see. How simple the gospel is.

22:16 Do you see? It is Christ himself. Who is food and nourishment. Four times.

22:21 I am the bread. I am the bread. I am the bread. I am the bread.

22:26 Sent down from heaven. It is Christ in the uniqueness of his person. I am come out of heaven. Out of heaven.

22:33 Out of heaven. Don't think of me. As just another mortal. Yes he is one of us.

22:39 In the reality of incarnation. But he was holy. Other than. Us from eternity.

22:44 The eternal word. Made flesh.

22:49 Do you see that it is Christ crucified. Who is the true food and nourishment. Of the soul. And are you one who having eaten and drunk.

22:59 Is yet eating and drinking of Christ. If you have never. Never known. What it is to eat and drink of him.

The Present Invitation: Christ Offered in the Word and Spirit

23:09 He stands before you this morning. In the only way. He will stand before you. Until the second coming.

23:18 He stands before you. In the word. And by the spirit. And offers himself to you.

23:25 As the bread of life.

23:29 Do you feel the solemnity of that. I do as I preach. I will not see Christ. In any other way.

23:37 Until the second coming. Other than the way I see him. In the word. By the spirit.

23:43 You will never know Christ. In the graciousness of his invitation of life. In any other way. Any other way than you know him this morning.

23:53 Don't wait for some overwhelming feeling. And goose bumps up and down your spine. Or anything else. Christ says I am the bread of life.

24:04 He that comes to me. He that eats of me. Shall have life. Except you eat.

24:13 The flesh of the son of man. And drink his blood. You have no life. Will you go on trying to find life.

24:20 On the junk food. Of this world. Will you go on trying to find life. In the sand and marbles.

24:28 And gravel. Of the lust of the flesh. In the pursuits of that which dishonors God. When the one who came out of heaven.

24:39 Stands before you and says. I am the bread of life. And I am bread to be eaten. And my blood is that drink.

24:47 Which gives nourishment to the soul. May God grant. That these precious. Words of the Lord Jesus.

24:54 Will not cause us to murmur. Nor cause us to stumble. Let alone never cause us to turn back. But may we say Lord Jesus.

25:06 I do eat. Of your flesh. I do drink. Of your blood.

Closing and Church Information

25:12 That brings us to the conclusion. Of this week's message. You have been listening to God's word to our nation. This program has been brought to you.

25:22 By the Reformed Baptist Church of Riverside. We are a congregation. Committed to preaching and seeking. To understand and apply.

25:30 The doctrines and principles of the Bible. When we gather to worship. The God of heaven. We give central place to the reading and preaching.

25:37 Of God's precious word. Now since the entrance of God's truth. Brings light. We want to encourage you to come this Sunday.

25:45 To hear God's word plainly preached. The Reformed Baptist Church of Riverside. Gathers at 1045 a.m.

25:52 And 6 p.m. Each Lord's Day. Our address is.

25:56 3340 Iowa Avenue. We are located only 100 yards. From the 60 freeway. Beside the Blaine Street exit.

26:04 Our building is on the corner of Blaine and Iowa. You may have a question. Regarding the message you have just heard. Or you may want to receive.

26:12 The free booklet we offer. If so please call us now. At 909-243-9026. That number once again is.

26:22 909-243-9026. Please feel free to call. And do plan to visit us. This Lord's Day.

26:30 When the scriptures of God. Will be opened and explained. On behalf of the Reformed Baptist Church of Riverside. Let me thank you for listening today.

26:39 We also hope that if God spares you. You will tune in again next week. At this same time for another edition. Of God's word to our nation.