The Bread of Life
John 6:22-35
International Sunday School Lesson
May 6, 2012
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Eternal life, that is the bread that Jesus is offering in the scripture we read today, now who wouldn’t want that? I recently (recent to when I am writing this) watched a video at 180movie.com where an open air preacher by the name of Ray Comfort was asking young adults in the area where he was at, a series of questions. These people had little knowledge about what he was asking them but it was clear they were sincere in their answers. What was also clear was that God was not in their lives but what was also clear was that the idea of eternal life was palpable to them all. You could see it in the expressions of their face that even the most crass and hardened of them changed as the conversation progressed in seriousness.
For some of these young people this conversation turned their thoughts 180 degrees around and thus the name of the video. I still remember how many of them were wearing large sunglasses and I so wanted to see their eyes but that is me being man thinking that then I would know more about what they were thinking. But God being God as demonstrated in today’s scripture knows what is inside. Jesus knew why the crowd was there, knew what they believed and knew who would have a faith that led to eternal life.
We all naturally think we should live forever in eternity but most don’t want to have the faith of a child that would accomplish it. Some think if they go through some motions of faith that they are “in”. Rather like the people of Israel who followed God around the desert day after day for 40 years but died there never seeing the Promised Land.
Many “disciples” stopped following Jesus around as we see later in today’s chapter as the teaching got more difficult. But really it wasn’t complicated or hard for them to do they just didn’t want to give themselves over to God.
These we just mentioned turned from Jesus rather than do anything at all but there are always others who seemingly on the surface are still believing, still faithful. It seems harsh to compare them to him but as we see also later in today’s chapter, that is where Judas was at.
I believe every one of those disciples that turned away that day knew as well as they could who Jesus was. I also believe that Judas knew this as well. I am confident that every one of them wanted eternal life just as everyone in your church and in your daily walk wants it as well.
What I am not confident about is who is in your church because of the bread that fills them, meaning that it is the “right thing to do” and it looks good or for social reasons, and who is there because of the bread that gives eternal life. As in the video I mentioned when we began where I longed to see their eyes as if then I would know their hearts I still wouldn’t have known and neither can you. But that isn’t our call that is God’s. We want everyone to have eternal life just as God does but not everyone, not even most will receive it.
I know I keep going further and further into today’s chapter but so be it. In 10:69 Peter said, “We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” He was as right as Peter the man could be or as we can be. Again I am confident that all of them including Judas believed in who Jesus was but they didn’t all believe IN Him. Am I making any sense?
Peter went about living out his faith every day and Judas was there. You and I go about living out our faith every day also with some who don’t. For us there is a never ending, consuming hunger that is never filled enough in living out that belief. We know that no teaching of God’s is too hard but that we aren’t doing enough to live that teaching. We want eternal life but we know we don’t deserve eternal life. We are ashamed that Christ had to die for us but we live a life now because of it.
We must do as Peter did confident in our own salvation and if we do we will be sharing the gospel knowing that everyone who hears it wants eternal life but only God can say who will live it.
For Discussion:
1. One great way of sharing the gospel is to begin with this discussion of eternal life. Asking people who they think goes to heaven will usually give you an opening to enlighten them that not everyone gets to go just because they are generally good and the need for Jesus flows right into your conversation!
2. The Easter message I wrote for the 4-8-12 lesson is very closely tied to this one as it relates to belief/faith.
3. Discuss in general terms those who might be among you that are simply being filled.
4. How should that type of person in your midst be dealt with if at all? Should the teaching in your church be such that it mirrors how Jesus dealt with them?
5. Just for fun, how about bringing a few different types of bread to class for your group to enjoy?
6. Feeding 5000, healing the sick, driving out evil spirits wasn’t enough for these people just as the miracles weren’t enough for their ancestors in the desert. Yet the people followed Jesus because of those miracles. Discuss why miracles alone aren’t enough for faith.
7. Discuss the danger of following after miracles as it relates to things eschatological.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
5-13-12: The Good Shepherd John 10:7-18
5-20-12: The Resurrection and the Life John 11:17-27 or John 11:17-27, 41-44
5-27-12: The Way, the Truth, and the Life John 14:1-14
6-3-12: Rules for Just Living (Practice Justice) Exodus 23:1-9
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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