Sermon notes for John 6:51-58.
              

Usually in the church, when we think about and contemplate the meaning of the Last Supper, we think of Holy Thursday in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  It was the Passover Meal.  There was unleavened bread and wine at the Jewish Passover.

But in the Gospel of John, there is no Last Supper on Holy Thursday. Instead, in John’s gospel at the Last Supper, a person hears about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.

To hear the Gospel of John’s account of the meaning of Holy Communion, a person has to read John 6, the “bread of life” chapter. There is much to learn about Holy Communion from the Gospel of John.

Why is Holy Communion so consistently sacred and moving to so many Christians? What is there about Holy Communion which is so special? Why does Holy Communion consistently touch lives so deeply?

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. This is the only time that the phrase, “living bread,” is used in the Scriptures and is parallel to Jesus saying that he was the “living water” to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:10).

Jesus is the source of life, the source of eternal life, the source of the values of our daily lives, the source of love for our daily lives. The basic food staple of the world is bread and Jesus is the basic spiritual staple of the world.

Jesus is never just bread. Jesus is always the bread OF LIFE. Jesus is always the LIVING bread. As we consume bread, it gives us nourishment and energy for our physical lives. As we consume Jesus into our lives, he is the nourishment and energy for our spiritual, emotional and moral lives.

The phrase, “ bread down from heaven,” is repeated seven times in John 6. In John 6, either the bread came down from heaven or Jesus came down from heaven.

Whoever eats of this bread:  We are eat, consume, take in the bread of Christ into our lives.

How do we do this? How do we take in Christ, the bread of life?

Obviously, from Holy Communion and eating the bread and drinking the wine. Eating the body of Christ drinking the blood of Christ.

We take in Christ from reading and digesting the Scriptures. The Bible itself is the bread of life.

We take in Christ from experiencing the Holy Spirit in other loving people.

We take in Christ every day as we encounter scenes and situations that invite us to give ourselves in love by serving the needs of others. As we serve the needs of others, the love of Christ enters us more fully.

- will live forever

A primary benefit of eating this bread of Christ is to live forever. This bread is the soul food for eternity.

Repeatedly, we hear Jesus’ promise that we shall live forever. This text feels like an Easter text. We hear this same refrain repeated a few verses later in John 6:58: “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."

The theme of “eternal life” is synonymous with the theme of “forever.” The underlying Greek words for “eternal life” and “forever” are the same. (zwhn aiwnion, aiwna) The words, “live forever” and “eternal life” are the same words in the Greek language. The words, “live forever” and “eternal life” occur 396 times in the Bible.

Specifically, the English word, “forever,” occurs 352 times in the whole Bible; 302 times in the Old Testament and 52 times in the New Testament. It occurs seven times in the four gospels and five times in the Gospel of John. In other words, the word, “forever,” is important in this gospel.

John 6:51 – I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.

Sermon notes by Rev. Edward Markquart

            Visit our Gallery of images for worship
Pastors should choose the digital imagery used to enhance worship and their sermons.