"Heaven's Leaven: Rising with the Living Bread"

WorldWide Communion Oct.5/03 Jn.6:25-58

The Virtual Shopping Cart

When you arrive at the mall, there's already one waiting for you. When you enter the grocery store, you automatically push one along. When you're ready to order something online, you look for the "add to..." link. Add to what? Shopping cart. As consumers, we're used to using shopping carts as a means of conveying whatever it is we want to the checkout.

             Shopping carts aren't meant to be used empty; they're meant to be filled. Look deep within yourself and you may discover you have a shopping cart inside. Kind of a virtual shopping cart of the soul, built to be filled with necessary items. To be alive and human, to be breathing, is to have wants and needs. Christian counsellor Larry Crabb has identified significance and security as the top two needs people have. We might add to these, satisfaction and strength - help to get through the day. Throw in a little insight, top it off with some spark, a little zip for life - that sounds pretty good.

             In John 6, Jesus claims to be real bread, true drink - genuine nourishment for our hungry human condition. In fact He promises those who believe in Him all six of these items we crave: significance, satisfaction, security, insight, spark, and strength. The Son of God is custom-tailored to fill our soul's shopping cart, and in such a way that we'll never need to go shopping again!

Significance: What are You Working For?

After Jesus miraculously fed the 5000, the crowd wanted to make this magic provider king. He withdrew from them but they eventually tracked him down. In John 6:27 Jesus warned them to watch their objective: "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" He answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

             We drag ourselves out of bed on Monday morning (or just before the midnight shift) to earn a living, to provide for our families, to put bread on the table. That's good and right. But some part of us cries out, "There's got to be more to life than this!" Making a living does not make a life. Our soul cries out for more significance than just to work 40 years then retire with a golden handshake, or clean the house and prepare meals and send kids off to college to retire to an empty house, then an apartment, then a nursing home. We long for significance, some lasting meaning for our lives, some attestation that our existence really mattered. Besides working for "food that spoils", that leaves us someday 6 feet under, Jesus said we could work for food that endures to eternal life. Life beyond this daily humdrum existence, bounded by bills and pills. He said that He, the Son of Man, will give us this eternal life. The work God requires, He insisted, is not "work" at all - but an act of the will: to believe in the One God sent. Jesus offers significance, meaning, by giving us eternal life - life beyond life. "Human effort accomplishes nothing," He said in v63; it's got to be God's doing, the Spirit gives life.

             What gave Jesus purpose in life? V38, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." It was finding out and doing what God the Father wanted that turned Jesus' crank. That's what made life significant for Him. Not trying to make a bigger name for Himself than the local Emperor.

             Until recently, some of the most powerful posts in the province were occupied by those in the premier's office. Then along came an election. The polls didn't look good. Sept.27, 5 days before the election took place, the news was reporting that staff from the premier's office were already posting their resumes with hiring agencies on the internet. The Day of Judgment hadn't come, but already they sensed the end was in sight. They were preparing for their life to take on radically different significance; the food was spoiling, passing away.

             Believers in Jesus realize that, like transitory political regimes, this world too is passing away. Lasting significance doesn't come from working for temporal goods, but by believing in the Son of Man and accepting what endures (what remains or lasts) for eternity.

Satisfaction: Are You Spoofed by What's Fake?

Jesus challenged the crowd to look for more out of life than just an endless supply of free carbohydrates. In v49 he points out that even though their ancestors ate manna in the desert, they all nonetheless died. Now, because they'd "had their fill" the day before (v26), they were after Him to do it again. Instead He was offering them true satisfaction, something that went far beyond filling their rapidly-digesting stomach. V33, "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." And then He comes out with one of His classic "I am" statements, reflecting the Hebrew name for God and with the emphasis on the "I": v35, "I am the bread of life.He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Strong double negative in the grammatical construction here, "shall not (no way!) become hungry...not be thirsty EVER." He's not referring to hunger of the stomach, but of the soul, real satisfaction in life; not just form meal to meal. V55, "My flesh is REAL food and my blood is REAL drink." Certified genuine, lasting, not a passing imitation.

             God spoke through Isaiah in chapter 55(1-3), "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." It's RELATIONSHIP God's talking about here, not RELIGION. Walking with and knowing the Creator of the universe. Fellowship with the Almighty, who cares for us as precious children.

             The Prince of this world, Satan, offers counterfeits to try and steer us away from God's genuine means of satisfaction. We buy this and that and seem content for a day or year, but sooner or later we're back to the store for something bigger and better. Or to another Harlequin romance. Or to the LCBO with our empties looking for "liquid refreshment". The advertising makes big promises, but how often do we feel like we've been hoodwinked? Our purchases never quite live up to our expectations.

             We're "spoofed". Just this past month I fell prey to a computer virus that works by the technique known as "spoofing": the email was carefully constructed to look like it came from MicroSoft with a system update, but it really wasn't from MicroSoft. (Later I found out that MicroSoft never sends attachments.) But it REALLY LOOKED like it was from MicroSoft - professional graphics, accurate hyperlinks, the works. I scanned it with my AntiVirus program and it checked out OK (because I hadn't updated my virus definitions for 2 weeks!). So I infected my computer, and then my laptop on the network, with the "Swen" virus. Then things started working funny. Thankfully there was no real harm done, just a nuisance getting rid of it and loss of time. But isn't that just like Satan's decoys in life? What the world offers is pure "spoof" - not what it purports to be. Jesus is the bread of life that alone can keep us from becoming "hungry" in our soul.

Security: What are You Counting On?

Another key need people have is to feel safe and secure - that they're going to be looked after. Jesus offers this in vv37&39: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away...And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." When we come to Jesus and put our trust in Him, He says He will never drive us away, never chuck us out the door. We have a place with Him. He will lose NONE (not a one!) of those the Father has given him. As 10:28 says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Jesus is "the Resurrection and the Life" (11:25); four times in this passage He declares He will "raise [believers] up at the last day" (6:39,40,44,54). Plus in vv51,58 He says those who feed on Him "will live forever". He is "Heaven's Leaven", we will "rise" with Him if we "knead" Him into our lives! Surrendering our lives to Him releases us from fear of death and judgment. We have a hope of a far better place to look forward to when we pass from this earthly order.

             People try to find security in all sorts of things. Money is a biggie. Proverbs 18:11 says "A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination." Two symbols of security are a Kryptonite bicycle lock and a Canada Savings Bond. The Kryptonite lock is formidable - especially when one of my offspring lost the key and it was left on the bike! I tried sawing it with a hacksaw. I tried my special metal blade in my jigsaw. Neither made a dint in the Kryptonite. I ended up having to take the handlebars off the bike to get it off! Now, how useful is this lock without the key? Not at all. Its helpfulness in life has evaporated. (I'm "out'a lock"!) Might make a stirrup for a horse's saddle, I suppose.

             There are some parallels here with a Canada Savings Bond. Money can be useful in certain circumstances. But each week as chaplain in the hospital I meet people to whom money is useless as far as helping with their medical condition. That day comes for all of us. Then we'll find the bonds and funds in which we placed our sense of security are as useless as the Kryptonite lock without the key. Only Jesus is the One who will never drive us away, who can raise us up after death. He's our Security.

Insight: To Whom are You Listening?

It would be difficult for our life to have meaning and purpose if we weren't also getting direction and input from some source. For this need, Jesus provides Insight. He says in vv45-46, "It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father." Jesus provides us with distinctive and unique teaching because only He has come to us directly from God. In v27 He acknowledges that "God the Father has placed His seal of approval" on Him. This week I took in to the township office a letter from the Property Assessment office saying a reduction in my assessment had been approved as requested. The clerk took a copy but explained she had to wait to adjust my taxes because it wasn't the "official" letter: that one will have an actual stamp or imprint from the assessment office. Jesus is saying He has God's "stamp", His seal of approval, He's certified genuine official 100% Son of God. The only, exclusive edition. He's the only human that can convey to us eternal truths because He's "been there"! V63, "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." Not just ordinary, day-to-day words; Christ's teaching carries the punch of eternity. One commentator notes, "The breath of God and the life of God is in these words of Jesus...There is life in His words today."

             It's so important to make Bible reading, memorization, and meditation a part of our daily routine - even just starting by grabbing a few minutes. As you continue, obscure passages will have more light thrown on them by other parts. Unfortunately many people these days get their daily insight and direction from horoscopes. Don't even look at them for interest or amusement; you're giving an invitation to the wrong spirit guides. Horoscopes are based on astrology, which the Bible warns us to avoid. The World Book Encyclopedia concludes its article on astrology this way: "Some people who believe in astrology support it in terms of magnetic fields, solar storms, and other natural occurrences. Others, though they also believe in astrology, claim that it cannot be supported scientifically. They consider it a set of power symbols that can provide a deep understanding of human beings. They defend astrology by pointing out that, in many cases, it works." [end quote] Why does it work? Because they believe it, it becomes "real" for them, and the Enemy's powers are only too pleased to use this doorway into their life to create a base of operation. Get your insight instead from Jesus who exclusively has seen the Father, and wants to reveal Him to us! (3:34; 8:47; 17:8)

Spark: How to Not be a Deadbeat

The crowds followed Jesus because they could tell He had something special, He was extraordinary. He identifies the ingredient in vv47,54: "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life...Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Note the present tense: "has" not "will have". Eternal or everlasting life is something that starts NOW, not at the resurrection. The person who hears Jesus' teaching and believes "has eternal life...he has crossed over from death to life." (5:24) Eternal life is a relationship, knowing God and Jesus intimately (17:3), that begins the moment we through faith receive the Holy Spirit. It's not something you have to wait until you die to start. V63, "The Spirit gives life." For emphasis, by contrast v53 says that unless you eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood (spiritually speaking) "you have no life in you." The lungs and heart are pumping but, as far as God's concerned, you're a deadbeat. Following Jesus, though, we can say with Paul in Galatians 2(20), "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Or in Ephesians 3(17), he prays "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." You're never alone, the Holy Spirit puts the spark of God in your life through Jesus' constant companionship. Today.

             Consider the lowly egg. The cartons of eggs you buy in the store have not had any involvement from a second parent so are unfertilized. It's an egg, not a zygote; it's nourishing, it's food, but it's not alive. However, a fertilized egg is completely different. It contains a living, growing, baby bird. Put the store egg in an incubator and eventually you'll have a stink, hydrogen sulfide, as the egg rots. Put the live egg in an incubator and soon you'll have a fluffy, breathing chick ready to develop and produce more eggs.

             In some people's religious lives, they're just eggs. Not much happening here. That's religion - leave it in the heat and it stinks. But if you have Jesus inside, relationship not religion, you're truly alive - set to grow and multiply as disciples. Spark that gets you out of your shell and sets things hopping.

Strength: What Keeps You Going?

Last, in addition to Significance, Satisfaction, Security, Insight, and Spark, Jesus supplies us with daily Strength. V57, "Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." Jesus drew His strength from God the Father; the Son depended on Him, so could say, "I live because of the Father." But note what He says next: "So the one who feeds on me will live because of me." Jesus will pass on His strength to those who stay connected to Him, who draw their direction from and walk with Him. The New Living Translation puts it this way: "I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me." When our own human resources fail, we can plug into Jesus' supply to get us through.

             A spider plant illustrates the nourishment a relationship with Christ can supply. Each of the "babies" is independent and could survive and grow if they had to when cut off. But as they develop there's a strand that connects them to the mother plant and provides nutrients and moisture. Jesus lives because of (or through) the Father and expects us to likewise depend on Him for strength.

A Gift Greater than Raising the Dead

Dale Lang is to speak this week at area schools and at Brussels and Auburn. His son was killed in a shooting in 1999 at a high school in Taber, Alberta. The assailant was a troubled youth who'd been a victim of bullying. Now Dale, an Anglican priest, in addition to local outreach, has a ministry travelling the country speaking on forgiveness and the need for respect to counteract bullying.

             I'd like to close with Dale's wife Diane's account of the day the shooting occurred, from the moment she entered the hospital room where her son had recently died. You might think the greatest gift she could ask for was for Jesus to raise up her son. But Diane Lang discovered God was going to use this tragedy for much greater good, and bless her life as well.

             "It came as a surprise to me to see my son lying on the table, looking as if her were asleep. Everything seemed so unreal at the time. I had an intense desire to tell him that it was time to wake up, get off the bed, and come home. He didn't look dead to me at all. He looked like he was sleeping and I wanted him to wake up. I stood for a while, not knowing if I should go close to him. I felt as if I was intruding where I didn't belong.

             "The nurse said that we could touch him and hold his hands. Dale moved to the far side of the bed and began to stroke Jason's hair. He wept and prayed over him quietly. I felt as if he were praying for him the way Elisha prayed over the widow's son, 'eyes to eyes, nose to nose, mouth to mouth.' I was hoping that God, in His mercy, would raise Jason form the dead as he had done for that boy. In that moment I was given an incredible gift of faith to believe that God could actually raise my son from the dead! Even though I believed this was possible in that moment, I came to realize that it was not going to happen. I realized God was doing something much more incredible and all encompassing than any of us could imagine!

             "In the midst of the pain and sorrow during this time, I cried out to Jesus for my son, my family, and our community. I sensed an awesome peace in that room and I knew that I was not alone. I felt I had no choice but to totally trust God. I knew He would get us through whatever lay ahead. One of the hardest things that I have ever done was to leave my son in that hospital room. It was so hard to step out into the world totally putting my faith on the line and surrendering all to Jesus. God's amazing love and grace have poured into my life as a result of that step. I can and will praise God and give thanks even in the death of my son, Jason, because of this. I am a different person today than I was on April 28, 1999. I have learned that God does keep His promises. I have also learned that if you let Him, He will take the tragic events of your life and pick up the pieces. He will fashion them into something that will be a blessing to you and to others and will bring honour to His name!"

             Jesus is the living bread. He will raise those who believe in Him at the last day, and supplies strength and meaning for our life here and now. Let's pray.