Temple Baptist Church - 2-1-2023
John 6:30-59
Introduction:
A. Verses 53-58. This passage represents a problem to some today as it did in Jesus’ day. The first problem comes through the statements made by our Lord concerning eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The bread and drink used here are metaphors: symbols or comparisons used to convey truth. You will never rightly divide the Word of Truth until you read every verse within its context.
1. The errors of Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation.
a) Transubstantiation: Used in the Roman Catholic Church. Teaching the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is also called Holy Communion, a phrase that many churches use.
b) Consubstantiation: Used in Episcopal, Lutheran, and other “reformation denominations”. Teaching that the substance of the bread and wine co-exists with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.
2. These verses teach the importance of covenant and communion through sacrifice, the finished work of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
a) In the Old Testament, we find atonement, God’s people entered into the Lord through a covenant … by sacrifice.
Psalms 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Israel placed their faith in the coming of Messiah, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Their communion with Christ or the Messiah came through atonement, the sacrifice of the innocent for the guilty.
b) In the New Testament, we find propitiation, God’s people enter into Christ through the finished work of the cross in Propitiation. Our communion with Christ comes through His sacrifice and is both typified and remembered through the Lord’s Supper.
Matthew 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Christ took actual bread and fruit of the vine which was then given to His disciples while His body remained both present and unbroken. The bread and fruit of the vine were metaphors of what would soon transpire, the cross of Christ.)
1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (Communion – empathy, unity or closeness.)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: (24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. (The bread and cup were metaphors for the body and blood of Christ and the Lord’s Supper, or Communion is done in remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ, not actual eating His body and drinking His blood. When the disciples ate this bread and drank of that cup, Christ did so with them. He had not died on the cross.)
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
B. The second area of confusion comes through not understanding how we come to the Bread of God, Jesus Christ. A breeding ground for Reformed Theology or Calvinism.
1. The Reformed Theologian cites these verses. John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
2. The Reformed Theologian does not cite this verse. John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
3. Manna was the type but Christ was the Antitype or fulfillment.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
C. As the Eucharist is not a problem in our church, I will look at these verses to refute the Reformed Theology, AKA Calvinism. Now, let us break down some of these verses so as to get the chronological order of how salvation takes place.
1. Verse 29, 32, 35. Jesus is the Source. The first step in salvation is knowing who Jesus Christ is. For the first time, Jesus Christ referred to Himself as the “true bread … the bread of life. The only true source of eternal life.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
2. Verse 35-36, 44. Jesus is the Bread of Selection not Election. This verse states two responses: one by the unsaved and one by the unsaved:
a. The Saved is Drawn.
1) He chooses Christ by coming to Christ. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
2) He chooses Christ by believing on Christ. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
b. The Unsaved is Drawn.
1) He is drawn to Christ. John 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
2) He rejects Christ. John 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (The called heard but neither came to or believed on Christ. The chosen came to Christ and believed. This John, chapter 6, does not reflect election. It teaches selection or personal choice.)
3. Verse 35. Jesus is the Bread of Satisfaction.
a. Shall never hunger. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
b. Shall never thirst. John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
4. Verses 37-40. Jesus is the Bread of Security.
a. Secure in approach. “no wise cast out” Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
b. Secure in life. “I should lose nothing” Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
c. Secure in death. “raise it up again at the last day” 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
d. Secure in eternity. “have everlasting life” John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
5. Verses 41-50. Jesus is the Bread of Surety.
a. Assurance in the life. Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
b. Assurance in death. 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
c. Assurance on eternity. Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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