I. You can be resurrected by trusting that Christ died for you.
A. We read the details of Jesus’ historical resurrection in John 20. It was what John had seen and not seen in Jesus’ tomb that made him believe that Jesus rose from the dead (John 20:8). In John 6:4 we see that Jesus does a miracle during Passover. He feeds 5,000 men and their families with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Every morning, after the first Passover, on the ground there were these little wafers of bread called manna. Now Jesus multiplies bread like God did.
B. Jesus says in vs. 47-48: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.” We also read Jesus say in vs. 51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus then died for you. He died on your behalf and in your place. Jesus died for us so that our sins might be forgiven and we might have eternal life.
II. You can be resurrected by union with Jesus.
A. In vs. 52 we see the people’s confusion about Jesus’ teaching. They knew Jesus was not talking about cannibalism. But what did Jesus mean when he said that if we ate the bread of Jesus, we would have eternal life? Jesus is talking about the same thing in both verse 40 and verse 54. To look on Jesus and believe in him is the same thing as feeding on Jesus and drinking his blood, metaphorically speaking. Trusting that Jesus died for you is like eating Jesus into you.
B. Who is this eternal life for? You can look at two words in our passage for the answer: anyone (vs. 51) and whoever (vs. 54). In vs. 51 Jesus says, “if ANYONE eats of this bread, he will live forever.” Then in vs. 54 Jesus says, “WHOEVER feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Eternal life then is for anyone and for whoever. In short, Jesus offers eternal life to everyone. And that means you.
III. You can be resurrected by listening to Jesus’ warning.
A. Jesus invites everyone to have eternal life. But Jesus also gives a warning to all in John 6. That warning comes through the little word unless in vs. 53: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Jesus is warning people then that without faith in Jesus there is no eternal life in heaven. You gain no benefit from bread by just looking at it. You must eat it. You must take Jesus into your life by faith if you want eternal life. You must trust that Jesus died the death that your sins deserved.
Application:
Feed on Jesus every Sunday. If you haven’t yet done so, ask Jesus to enter your life.
Sources:
The Gospel of John
Commentaries by D.A. Carson, G.K. Beale, Edward Klink, Josh Moody and Richard Phillips.
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) Jesus says in John 6:40 that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. You will never again suffer spiritual hunger or thirst if you feed on Jesus and drink of Jesus. When will you most need to remember this truth in the week to come?
2) How does enjoying a secure eternal life undermine the need for, and any excuse for, grumbling like the Israelites did in the wilderness?
3) How does Jesus’ teaching that he is the bread of life make you love him more?