The Bread of Heaven

Introduction.� Let�s begin this morning by setting the stage for some words that Jesus makes about Himself in John 6�

�      Jesus feeds the 5000 (John 6:1-14).

�      They want to make Him king (John 6:15).

�      He goes by Himself to the mountains, the disciples cross to the other side. He come later walking on the water (John 6:16-21).

�      The people are amazed that He is somehow on the other side (John 6:22-25).

�      He tells them about food that does not perish and He tells them about bread that will give them eternal life (John 6:26-29).

�      They ask for a sign like the sign of manna.� (John 6:30-33).

�      They want such bread. (John 6:34).

�      He identifies Himself as the �bread of life.� (John 6:35).

�      As they misunderstand what He is teaching He speaks further of Himself as the bread which comes down from heaven and the manna in the Old Testament (John 6:48-51).

This morning I would like for us to talk about this comparison and look at seven parallels.� We will see just how Jesus, like the manna given to the Israelites, is the �Bread of Heaven.�

I.� God gave the Israelites bread from heaven� (Exodus 16:1-4a).

�      Jesus came down from heaven.� (cf.� John 6:33 - �For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world�� (John 3:13-17).

�      Sing no. 117 Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, verse 1.

II.� This bread was a test of Israel�s faithfulness� (Exodus 16:4b-5; 16:22-30).

�      Jesus� life and teaching tests mankind� (John 6:52-57, 60; 1 Peter 2:4-6). �Why was Jesus rejected? Because men love darkness�men love following the imagination of their hearts.

III.� This bread saved their lives in the midst of the wilderness (Exodus 16:6-8; 16:35).

�      Jesus saves us from the wilderness of sin. Note: �Wilderness of SIN� - Sin in Heb.� �thorn or clay� It is only coincidence that the English word �sins� sounds like this place. The English word comes from the Anglo-Saxon words synd meaning �guilty.� In English it has lost its final d. Even so, we are in a wilderness of sin in which we are starving spiritual without Christ (2 Peter 1:2-4).

�      As a diabetic there is a unusual phenomenon that can occur.� If my sugar levels get high it doesn�t matter how much food I may have eaten, without the proper insulin in my body the energy that is provided by food that I eat can�t get into my cells and it literally starves my cells of energy.� In our world many people feel full, but they are starving spiritually.

IV.� The people called it manna meaning �what is it?� �(Exod. 16:13-15; 16:31).

�      People did not understand Jesus (John 6:41-42).

�      People still do not understand Jesus.

V.� They were to remember how the Lord saved them with manna� (Exodus 16:32-34).

�      We are to remember the death of the Lord (Luke 22:14-20).

VI.� Those who ate manna died� (Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:6).

�      Those who �feed upon� Jesus will live forever (John 6:58).

VII.� The manna would not last forever� (Exodus 16:16-22).

�      Jesus� offer of salvation will not continue forever� (Matthew 25:1-13).