True Or False

TRUE OR FALSE

John 6:22-27

Every one of us has at some time taken a “true or false test.” Is that true or false?

If you have never taken a true or false test let me give you one.

First question: The letter H is between the letters G and J on a keyboard? True

Camels have 3 sets of eyelashes? True
There are 5 zeroes in one hundred thousand? True
If you add the numbers on the opposite sides of a dice together the answer is always 7? True
Potatoes are considered to be vegetables? T.
Jesus Christ is alive and well in this bottle? F.
- How did you do?

I stuck this last question in because most people think He is or at least they treat Him like He is a genie in the bottle. And let me tell you why.

Remember why John wrote this gospel? John 20:30-31: Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Do you see the reason for the miracles that Jesus performed?
This is the purpose for the miracles. This is what they were intended for.
And for a lot of people, and hopefully for all of us that is how we see the miracles.

But, that is not the way most people feel about the miracles. For most people the miracles draw them to Christ, but for all the wrong reasons.

And we see that here in John 6. Look at the passage that was read.

In vs. 22 it says that “the next day”, that is the day after Jesus fed 20 to 25 thousand people who had followed Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

And the verse says that that same crowd “stood on the other side of the sea.” They are still there. They are still on the eastern side of the sea. They have been there all night. Why?
Why didn’t they go somewhere else?

John tells us. They are still there because “there was no other small boat there, except one. And Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone.”

If you remember, and you can read about it in the first 15 verses of this chapter, but Jesus had performed this massive miracle and fed everyone, and then He told His disciples to “get in the boat and go” and they did because that is what disciples do. They obey Christ.

So they leave Jesus behind where the people are.

And the crowd knows that Jesus didn’t leave with His disciples.

That is why they stayed all night!

But they wake up the next morning after the miracle the night before and Jesus is not there!

And even more people are there now because vs. 23 says that “other small boats from Tiberias had come near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.”

So, why are there more people there?

Apparently the word had gone around the sea about the miracle that Jesus had performed the night before and all these additional people came to be where they thought Jesus was.

Now, look at vs. 24: When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

That sounds good doesn’t it? They are seeking Jesus!
That is exactly what Jesus wants! All these people coming to Him.

Vs. 25: And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

“Rabbi?’ “Rabbi?’ What does that say about them? Had they learned what they were supposed to from the miracles?
The miracles were intended to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and not that He is just a Rabbi.
They had seen this massive miracle the day before and they still didn’t believe.
How about you and I? Have we learned who He really is from the miracles?

So, they ask this question and Jesus never answers it. He ignores it.

He doesn’t tell them that He walked on water; He doesn’t tell them about the incident with Peter; He doesn’t tell them about the miracle of calming the storm and the boat immediately coming to the shore.
He doesn’t tell these people any of that.
And some people would say, “He should have told them! They might have believed who He was then.”
If they didn’t believe who He is after the miracle the night before they aren’t going to believe any additional miracles that He has performed.

So, they ask Jesus, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” and instead of answering their question Jesus gets right to the point. Look at vs. 26:

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, (Here is the truth! Jesus is making a critical statement here) I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs (not because you saw the miraculous feeding and healing that took place and those things have convinced you that I am the Son of God. You are not here because you followed the signs that pointed to Me as Savior and Messiah and Lord).

You are here; vs. 26: because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.

They only wanted the free food and the healing of their sick.
They only wanted their desires met on the spot by Jesus; they wanted Jesus to give them whatever they wanted.

Out of all of these people apparently no one learned what the miracles were intended to teach them; that He is the Son of God and that by believing you can have life in His name.

And this still goes on today. People still treat Jesus as though He is a genie in a bottle who is supposed to give them what they want when they want it.
And what is sad is if He doesn’t give them what they want they are quick to leave.
In fact, if you look at vs. 66 many of His disciples abandon Him.

I am sure that most of you have experienced this. And I don’t mean to be negative or critical about people. We often try to help people with the hope that they will come to know Christ but unfortunately the help we try to give them is not what they want.

I can’t tell you the number of times that someone has come to the office during the week and they want help; they need gas or food or help with their rent; or they need some place to stay.

And they will almost always tell you that they “believe in Jesus” and they used to go to church in this town or that town.
And they often ask about what time our services are and “Do you know brother Franklin who lives in Parkersville?”
They think they are saying all the right things.
So, we try to help them and in most cases we should to some extent.

But we know that they will probably never come to our services? Once in a great while you will have someone who will come once or twice. But it is rare for someone to consistently attend.

But the only reason they come, is not to learn about Christ, not because they want to follow Him, it is because they want Him, through us, to give them what they want.
And there have been times when they have gotten angry when we didn’t.

We have conducted a food pantry, a clothing room, and given money to Helping Hands and as far as I know we have not garnered anyone from those efforts.

We don’t help because of who they are, we give because of Whose we are.

I am not against youth groups, or clothing rooms, or food pantries, or Bible camps, or other acts of fellowship and evangelism.

As God’s people we should do what we can to try and bring people to Christ.
But at the same time, in spite of our best efforts, the harvest may be rather small because people don’t want to follow Christ they just simply want Him to give them what they desire.
They want a genie in a bottle.

Here in this passage this huge crowd of people didn’t come to Christ for the right reason. They came just to have their needs satisfied.

And today there are a lot of preachers who misrepresent Christ this way.
“Just come to Jesus and He will make you rich; He will give you financial security; He will make you well!”
Well, Jesus does promise that; but not in this life. He promises the riches of heaven; the security of heaven and a new body that will never die.

And one thing we need to realize about this passage. Jesus knew what was really in their hearts and minds.

Just like He knows what is in our hearts and He knows what our motive is.
And He will not come to man on man’s terms.

So, Jesus knows what is in their hearts and minds; the only reason they are seeking Him is because they “ate the loaves, and were filled.”

Now, look at vs. 27: “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.”

Now, don’t misunderstand. Jesus is not saying here that we shouldn’t “work for our food.”

Jesus has told us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
And the apostle Paul has said that if a “man will not work, let him not eat.” 2 Thess. 3:11.
So, Jesus is not saying, “Don’t work for food; don’t work for what you need to sustain your life.”
We must have food!

But just as Jesus has said, “If a man will not work, let him not work” Jesus also said, “That man shall not live by bread alone” and that is Jesus’ point here.

What good is it if you have all this food to eat; you have fish and loaves; and for us we might have steak, and potatoes and chicken and dumpling and apple pie or German chocolate cake.
But what good is it if you have all these wonderful foods but you don’t obtain eternal life?

Now, look at vs. 27 again: “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life…

Where do you get this food that endures to eternal life?

Well, look at the rest of the verse: Which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.”

The only One who can give this food for eternal life is Jesus.

And this isn’t a hollow declaration. This isn’t a false claim. God has “set His seal” or authenticated Jesus as the source of this food that endures to eternal life.

How did God authenticate Jesus and this promise?
With the miracles. When Jesus took those 5 loaves and 2 fishes and fed all those people; when Jesus healed the sick and made the blind to see and the lame to walk.
When Jesus saw His disciples straining at the oars even though they were 3 or 4 miles out on the sea after it was dark, when He walked across that water and calmed that storm; and when their boat immediately made it to shore.
And when these people came to Him and He already knew what was in their hearts and in their minds; God authenticated Jesus as His Son and gave Him the authority to give the food which endures to eternal life.

And if you look at vs. 35 Jesus tells you what that food is; vs. 35 Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

When you have Christ you have everything you will ever need for eternal life.
He is the one that God has sealed; that God has authenticated.
Some may tell you that need more or someone else; but Jesus has paid it all.

But, if you don’t have Christ you have no hope and that is what these people were doing; they were ignoring who Christ was and the eternal salvation that was in Him, all for a few fish and crackers.

They were literally starving to death!

So, let me give you one more true or false question: True or False: Jesus is Lord and not you or I.

These people in John 6 thought they were Lords. They wanted Jesus to do what they; wanted and they were willing to settle for physical food.

But, if you and I honor Him as Lord He will give us food that endures to eternal life.
These people came to Christ for the wrong reason. Will you come for the right reason?