Last week we took a first look at the I Am statements of Jesus. This weeks we will take a closer look at those statements.
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life, John 6:35, 41,48, 51.
Please note these things, to wit:
- The bulk of the I Am teachings come down to us from John’s gospel. John’s gospel is the only non-Synoptic Gospel. John’s gospel gives us theological information and, indeed, is often called The Theological Gospel. His information begins with the Logos statement in John 1:1-14, rather than with historical details of a genealogy, as in Matthew, look ahead as in Luke or a call to immediate action as in Mark. John starts in eternity and works from there to human history That is to say, John’s gospel gives us the Why behind the How, while offering us a lot of the What.
- John has Jesus repeating His Bread of Life statement four times in John, Chapter Six. His repetition means whoever hears this series of statements and explanation first is deeply impressed. Jesus often uses the teaching method “Tell them everything and repeat the important parts.” There is something about His Bread of Life statements He wants His hearers to assimilate.
- What does Jesus want HIs original hearers to get? The text indicates He does not want them to follow Him for what they can get to live on in this world. This is the danger of modern “Prosperity Preaching,” or of ministries based on “Supernatural Happenings,”: Soon the Getting becomes the God. Jesus will not allow this to happen to His saving work. He insists they see Him as their spiritual Savior, the One and Only, their means to Heaven.
- We should incidentally note this fact; miracles do not satisfy for long Humans are like this, aren’t we? We always need one more sign. We require a little god who will work out a way for us to see what we want to see, the way we want to see. Beloved, beware of the material temptation to chase off after what you want, all the while insisting God behave according to your whims. A dear person once told me if God would only do a miracle in front of her she would fall down on her knees and worship God forever. I had to reply, “Who knows? You might be the very first to honor God forever because of some supernatural act. The evidence of Scripture and of personal experience says that is not going to be the case.” Jesus acts miraculously, still, but the late, great Dallas Willard was right when he said, “The earliest followers of Jesus did not follow Him because of His miracles. They sought Him out because He had information they have never heard.”
- When Jesus presents His I am the Bread of Life statement, He is stressing that He is what His hearers need. There is just no other like Him. Jesus possesses (and makes available to us) all we need to have a life of meaning for now and hope for later.
Yes, I do go on awhile.
We started this subject because I felt frustrated with preachers who were not spending much time on the great subject of the Christian faith; Jesus, the Christ. If you have Jesus you have what you need. If you do not have Jesus, it does not much matter what you do have in your life.