Jesus Answers the Murmuring Jews

John 6:41-51

 

INTRO: People murmur for many reasons.  These Jews murmured because of what Jesus said in verse 33. 

By saying that He is the bread of life, the bread that came down from heaven, Jesus is teaching that He is the virgin born Son of God and much more than a mere man.  This really set the Jews off then, and still does today.

How sad that so many today, Jews and Gentiles, deny that Jesus is the virgin born Son of God.  Many say that it doesn’t matter if you believe in the virgin birth or not, but dear friend, it does matter.

 

I.        VSS 41-42, THE JEWS MURMUR AT JESUS

A.       Vs 41, The Old Testament foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah; it spoke of the coming of a virgin born Savior.  One who would satisfy spiritual hunger.  When Jesus identified Himself as the long awaited Messiah, the bread come down from heaven, “The Jews murmured at him.....”

1. Jesus came down from heaven, sent by the Father, in order to bring life to the lost (I Jn 4:9-10, 14).

a. “Out of the Ivory Palaces, into a world of woe, only His great eternal love...Made my Savior go.”  This, the story of the virgin birth, upset the Jews.  This upsets the liberals today.

b. Biologically, we cannot explain the virgin birth, but it is so (Lk 1:35).  The Lord Jesus Christ stepped down from heaven to be lifted up on the cross.

B.       Vs 42, Here we find words of scorn and derision.

1. They thought they knew the father and mother of Jesus, but they didn’t.  His mother– yes; His Father– No!  Joseph is not the father of Jesus.  Jesus is not the son of Joseph.  He is the son of God!  He came down from heaven to be virgin born (vs 33).

2. Pink says: “These Jews were in total ignorance of Christ’s superhuman origin” (335).  They didn’t get it, how could a carpenter, a tradesman, a poor man, be the special messenger of God.

3. Let us be careful that we do not despise God’s messengers.

 

II.       VSS 43-45, JESUS REBUKES THE JEWS

A.       Vs 43, These Jews murmured and argued among themselves.  They were so caught up in what they had to say to each other that they forgot to refer to God and His Word!  They wanted everyone to know what they thought about what Jesus had said, but didn’t care what God had to say about His eternal Son.

1. You and I need to be less concerned about what A&E and the world says about Jesus and more concerned about what His Father has to say in the Word.

2. Search the scriptures: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God....”

B.       Vs 44, Jesus makes it plain, for a man to be saved he must be drawn by the Father.

1. Man likes to think that salvation is in his power, but it is not.  If man is not dealt with by the Holy Spirit, drawn by God, he cannot be saved.

2. The word “draw” is a very interesting word.  J. Vernon McGee says: “Actually, the word translated ‘draw’ is drag.  That is divine election” (406).  The Greek word for “draw” is helkuo meaning, “to draw, drag off, to draw by inward power, lead, impel.”  This knocks easy believism in the head.  Without the drawing of God, the calling of God, man will not be saved.

a. “The favorite notion of man is that he can do what he likes, repent or not repent, believe or not believe, come to Christ or not come, entirely at his own direction.  In fact, man likes to think that his salvation is in his own power.  Such notions are flatly contradictory to the text before us” (Gaebelein 130).

b. John Gill says: “...whilst men are in a state of unregeneracy, blindness, and darkness, they see no need of coming for; they are prejudiced against him, and their hearts are set on other things; and besides, coming to Christ and believing in Christ being the same thing, it is certain faith is not of a man’s self, it is the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit; and therefore efficacious grace must be exerted to enable a soul to come to Christ; which is expressed in the following words, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (Vol 5, 658).

3. To be saved, a man must see his need; he must hunger for the bread of life.  And the only way this can happen is by the work of God.

C.      Vs 45, This verse refers us back to Isaiah 54:13.

1. God’s elect children shall be taught of God.  They are taught because they have listened to the Word (Rm 10:17).  God has opened their ears and hearts to the Gospel.  This is why we pray for our loved ones and friends: “God save them, open their eyes, ears and hearts to the truth....”  This is what God did for us.

2. Those who are drawn by God, those who come to Christ, those who are called, these learn the wisdom of God (I Cor 1:23-24).  The natural man does not receive this instruction (I Cor 2:14).

 

III.      VSS 46-51, ETERNAL LIFE GIVEN BY CHRIST

A.       Vs 46, Jesus had seen God because He is the Son of God “come down from heaven.”

1. Jesus is a member of the Godhead; and because He has seen God the Father, He is fully qualified to reveal Him and speak for Him.

2. Jesus can declare the things of God because of His relationship to God the Father (Jn 1:18).

3. I have never seen God the Father.  Jesus has, and I believe what Jesus says about the Father.  “The only way for others to see God is to see Christ (14:9)” (Robertson Vol 5, 109).

B.       Vs 47, If you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved, and you will have everlasting life.

1. Every believer, all who put their trust in Christ, have as a present possession everlasting life (Jn 3:36; 5:24; I Jn 5:12).

2. If you will believe in Christ, you will receive everlasting life (Jn 3:16).

C.      Vs 48, Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.”

1. “This bread does what no other bread, including even the manna from heaven, has ever done or can ever do: it imparts and sustains life, and it banishes death.  It imparts and sustains spiritual life; it banishes spiritual death” (Hendriksen 240).

2. Jesus is what every sinner needs; and without Him, the sinner will perish.  Jesus is what is needed to satisfy the aching, empty soul.

D.      Vs 49, The fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died, physical death.

1. The manna ministered to a temporal need.

2. The manna fed their bodies, but it did not give them eternal life.  The manna that God gives in Christ fills a spiritual need (35).

E.       Vs 50, Those who trust Christ, those who appropriate Christ by faith shall never die.  They shall live forever.

1. Saved folks will not suffer spiritual death.

2. This bread is living bread, and it gives life to those who believe.

3. This verse speaks of eternal security.  Those who trust Christ shall not die spiritually.

F.       Vs 51, Jesus is the bread that came from heaven to save the lost (Jn 1:14).

1. “If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever.”  Any man who will trust Christ will live forever.

a. Eating is a necessary act if nourishment is to be derived from the bread.

1- To look at it is not enough.

2- To philosophize about the bread is not enough.

3- To analyze the bread is not enough.

4- To talk about the bread is not enough.

5- To handle the bread is not enough.

6- To be nourished by the bread, it must be eaten.  Knowing the truth about Christ is not enough.  The Truth must be received to do any good.

b. The bread must be appropriated.

1- I may look upon a table loaded with food, but unless I eat it , it does me no good.

2- Christ may be set before us in all His beauty; and we may be moved to tears as we see Him on the cross; but unless we receive Him, we will not be saved.

c. This eating is a personal act.  No one can do this for you.  You must do it yourself.