“The Bread of Life”
John 6:1-14
In the name of the Father of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit
St. John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down, and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
Dear fellow redeemed in Christ our Lord… None of my former parishes celebrated the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. At best it was twice a month, and there was something called “non-Communion Sundays,” which is a term I now find foreign and strange. I thank God, and I know you do as well, for the faithful teaching of Pr. Russell many years ago that led to this congregation doing the right, biblical, and Godly thing of offering Jesus’ body and blood every Lord’s Day and at other times.
It would be odd if today was one of those “non-Communion Sundays.” I say that because today we have a Gospel text that begs the preacher to preach about the Sacrament of the Altar. No preacher worth his salt can deny the text; I certainly won’t. And I offer this preaching today simply for this reason – that all may all hunger and thirst for this Sacrament all the more and look forward to taking advantage of the many opportunities we will have to receive this marvelous gift in the weeks to come. So let’s go.
After God had delivered the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt, they traveled in the wilderness for 40 years. In this barren wasteland they would have died if God had not miraculously provided bread for them from heaven. Each morning when they awoke they found a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. This thin bread they called manna, which in Hebrew means, “What is it?” God provided that to sustain them until they entered the Promised Land.
Here in this sixth chapter of John, Jesus compares Himself to manna and says that it was a sign of His coming. Jesus proclaims, “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35); “and again, “I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (6:51). Jesus Himself is the bread of God, the bread which we feed on through faith, the bread which nourishes and sustains us in this world, and gives us to share in His eternal life in the Promised Land of heaven.
So when we hear of a miracle like the feeding of the 5000 in which Jesus multiplies bread for His followers, we know that the significance of this miracle goes beyond the earthly bread of that time and place. Ultimately, it has to do with Him who is the Living Bread, the Bread of Life which He continues to bless and distribute to us in the Sacrament of the Altar, His body and blood given for the life of the world.
It was Moses who led Israel during its 40-year journey. In this Gospel Jesus demonstrates that He is the New and Greater Moses, the eternal leader of God’s baptized people. Just as Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea, so also John records that Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (6:1), and a great multitude followed Him. And why did they follow Him? Because of His signs which He performed on those who were diseased (6:2), just as Moses had performed and announced great signs in Egypt, the 10 plagues. And just as Moses went up Mt. Sinai with the elders of Israel, and they saw God and ate and drank, so also Jesus here ascends a mountain with His disciples, and in Him the people would see God, and they would eat and drink (6:3).
Furthermore, it is written here that the Passover was near (6:4). In this way the Lord seeks to teach us that He is our greater Moses. He alone is the One who sustains and leads us safely across the wilderness of this fallen world through death into eternal life and the Promised Land.
Seeing the multitudes coming to Him, Jesus asked Philip a question to test him: “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Philip replied somewhat hopelessly, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them.” In other words, “We couldn’t even come close to having enough money to feed this huge group of people.” But Jesus didn’t ask this question to extract some information in order to make an informed decision. Jesus asked this question to show us that the bread of life which He has to offer cannot be bought. We cannot purchase this heavenly bread or pay for it, for God freely offers it to us in the ministry of His Word and Sacraments. His forgiveness and salvation are granted to us without cost. They must be received as a gift from Him. As Isaiah says, “You who have no money, come, buy and eat” (Isaiah 55:1).
Only those who acknowledge their spiritual bankruptcy before God, only those who recognize that their worthiness doesn’t make them deserving of God’s eternal gifts – only those can receive the bread of life. Those who try to “buy” their way into heaven, so to speak, clinging to their own works and spiritual qualifications, will not be given life from this Living Bread, for they seek a righteousness of their own making. Only those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ will be satisfied.
So it is that Isaiah says, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2). In the pursuit of a full life, in pursuit of peace and happiness, we are constantly tempted to invest ourselves and our time and money in the things and the pleasures of this world. But those things do not satisfy. In the end they leave us hollow, they leave us empty. Therefore, Jesus says, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you” (6:27). It is written, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). For those who come to Him shall never hunger, and those who believe in Him shall never thirst.
One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” On the surface it appeared that this bread and fish would be of little use to help feed the people. But with Jesus it was more than enough to do the job.
So it is in the Sacrament of the Altar. Someone might ask, “What good can a little bread and wine do? How can these elements help my soul or give me any eternal blessings?” But with Jesus, such elements are more than enough. For what counts is not the impressiveness of bread and wine; what counts is the miracle that our Lord has promised to perform with them. We must focus not on the elements only but on the Lord who stands behind them with His gracious power.
Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place.” The Lord bids you also to do the same whenever the Sacrament is offered, for the Psalm says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Ps 23:1-2). The grassy pasture in which the Lord makes you sit is this very place, right here in the nave of this church. For it is here that He calls you to come to Him for rest. It is here that He leads you beside the still waters of His living Word. And it is here that He prepares a table before you, a table spread for you with heavenly food.
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” Here is the great miracle, that as the disciples handed out this food given to them by Christ, there was always more and more. The more they handed out, the more there was. First there were five loaves in the basket. Then, as this was distributed, the disciples would reach in and find more and more loaves ready to be given out. And likewise with the fish. Thousands of people were fed, and the food never ran out. In fact, everyone had as much as they wanted. They were thoroughly filled. By His loving power, Jesus had multiplied the bread and fish so that all the multitude would be fed.
This is also how it is with the gifts that Christ gives in Holy Communion. In bread and wine He multiplies His body and blood, and through His ministers He distributes them to His people, that you may receive all that you want of Him who is the Living Bread from heaven, and that your souls may be thoroughly satisfied. There is always more and more of this Bread of Life to be given out. For Christ’s gifts of life and forgiveness are without limit, and they are eternal. The more He gives, the more that He has to give.
So when you come to the Lord’s table in penitence and faith, you need never fear that the sin you bring is greater than the Lord’s forgiveness. Jesus has much more forgiveness than you have sins. His mercy is without measure. When you receive the Living Bread from heaven in the Sacrament, you receive the fullness of Christ’s life and pardon; it is all that you could ever need or want. And there is still more even beyond that. For you cannot put a boundary around our Lord’s love. It never fails, it never runs out. There is always more.
This is so because the gifts of Christ are distributed to you from His holy cross, which is an everlasting storehouse of love and life. For it was there that the Passover Lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. Jesus said, “The bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (6:51). As the eternal Son of God offered up His own flesh and blood on Calvary, He won for you eternal salvation, forgiveness without limit, and life without measure.
There is no confining these gifts of Christ. The Bread of Life continues to come to you in abundance from the cross, delivered to you in the blessed Supper of our Lord. What you are given at the altar is nothing other than this living body and blood of Christ that was offered up for you on the cross and raised on the third day. Therefore, Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed” (6:54-55). Truly, Jesus is the Living Bread from heaven, come down to you from above.
Brothers and sisters of Christ, the feeding of the 5000 is not only a temporary, one-time miracle. It is an eternal miracle that is still going on in the Church, for you. God grant you ever to receive Him who is the manna from above and to be filled with His life.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
