Clueless in Capernaum
June 5, 2022
I have three questions for you today. All three are pretty weighty questions: First, Do you know why you’re never satisfied? Do you know why the things you consume never seem to fill the emptiness you feel inside? Second, Do you know how faith works? Do you know what you need to do to receive eternal life? And thirdly, Do you know who Jesus really is? Do you know why God sent His Son Jesus, into the world? Now, the reason I ask you these questions, is that most people think they have the answers, but they’re actually clueless. They’ve convinced themselves that they know the answers, but in reality, they are oblivious to the truth. Let me tell you a story to illustrate this:
When I was a Youth Pastor, I took my students on a mission trip to California where we were equipping them to share their faith with strangers on the beaches around Santa Cruz. The mission was called SEMP, Students Equipped to Minister to their peers. On the second day of our mission, after a morning of training, an afternoon of street witnessing and an evening of worship, we gathered to debrief our day. That’s when one of my students, David, stood up and shared his frustration. He had been sharing his faith that afternoon with a man who was in his 50’s. As he began talking to him about Jesus, this man began to tell him that he had no business talking to people like him about Jesus. He said to him, “You don’t know what he you’re talking about. Your Christianity is irrelevant, and Jesus isn’t who you think he is.” Now, what I loved about listening to David was this: As he shared about this encounter, he got pretty heated. This man had questioned David’s faith and ridiculed his Jesus. And he wasn’t happy about it. And what I saw that night was a young man who realized, maybe for the first time, how important Jesus was to him. And although this man had tried to throw water on David’s faith, what really happened was that he set fire to it.
Now, I tell you this story because this man thought he had Jesus all figured out. But in reality, he didn’t have a clue about who Jesus is or what He has to offer. Kind of like the people in the story we’re going to dive into today. They thought they had Jesus all figured out. But they were not only clueless as to who Jesus was, they were also ignorant about life and faith. So, if you brought your Bible with you, let me encourage you to findJohn 6:22-40, where Jesus exposes their ignorance about life, about faith and about Himself. So let’s pick up the story where Jesus reveals to us how they were
Clueless about Life (John 6:22-29) The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” John 6:22-25
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. John 6:26
Ouch. Jesus doesn’t open his arms and give everyone a big welcome. Rather, he cuts to the chase and exposes their ignorance. At first glance, he seems almost rude. But in revealing their ignorance, we see that his truth telling is one of the most loving things he could do for them. Why?
Because he’s exposing their shallow agenda for life – their materialistic agenda – a selfish agenda and that caused them to seek Jesus for what they could get from him. So, Jesus sets them straight. And as he does, I’m pretty sure there were those who in the crowd who were immediately offended by his words. But Jesus wants them to know that life is more than the temporary satisfaction of a full stomach. So, he says, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal.” John 6:27
Jesus hits them right where they were living. He does the same to us. Most of our life is consumed with working for food that spoils – satisfaction that doesn’t last. We live in a culture that continually works to convince us that we need what they’re offering. We are the targets of marketers whose job is to awaken our desires so we will believe that “we can’t live without” whatever it is they want to sell us.
The goal of marketers is to play on the empty longings of our hearts: our intense longing for God – by telling us that if we work hard enough, smart enough, or long enough, we can satisfy those longings by filling our lives with food or sex, fancy cars or stylish homes or elaborate vacations. But just like bread that satisfies for a moment and then were hungry again, marketers know that if they continue targeting the cravings that give temporary satisfaction, then we will keep coming back to them for life. Even though it’s life that never truly satisfies.
So, Jesus tells them that they have their priorities all wrong. They’ve been pouring their time, effort and energies into making sure their physical hunger is met. And they’ve neglected putting any effort into making sure their spiritual hunger is met. He wants them to know there’s more to life than filling their bellies. He wants them to know there is a life that endures – an alternative life to what the world offers. A life that can satisfy their souls – a life that can fill the emptiness within. And He calls this life, eternal life. But we can’t buy this life, nor earn this life. For eternal life is a quality of life that is given to us from Him. That’s the first truth He wants us to know. The things in this world were never meant to give us complete satisfaction. Oh, you can try to amass a fortune. You can try fill your life with food, sex and fun. But no matter how you try to satisfy your longings – you will still have this emptiness that only God can fill. This is what the ancient Philosopher Pascal was referring to when he said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”
Now, this made sense to them. And it should hit home with us. If God gives this kind of life, most of us would want to know what we need to do to get it. And that’s what we see next: Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” John 6:28-29
So, what must you do to receive the gift of eternal life? Jesus says, “believe in the One He has sent.” If you want a life that fills the emptiness inside, you must believe in Jesus. You want this life that endures, you’ve got to trust in the One God has sent. Now this sounds simple enough. But as Jesus begins to speak about having faith in the One God has sent, he immediately exposes a second area they are clueless about. They are
Clueless about Faith So, they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” John 6:30-31
Now, the crowd now wants Jesus to do something for them to convince them to put their trust in Him. Even though they’ve just witnessed a miraculous sign from Jesus in the feeding of the 5000, they still want Jesus to prove himself by doing something miraculous right then and there. They want to see Jesus do something to convince them that He is the One sent from God. They want him to do what they mistakenly believe that Moses had done. They believed that Moses was the one who gave God’s people bread from heaven. “Do what Moses did and we will believe.” But there’s a problem in what they were asking Jesus to do. In making this demand of Jesus, they reveal that they were clueless about how faith works.
We don’t demand God prove Himself to us. To demand God to prove himself by doing something for us is the opposite of faith. It’s like saying to God, “I’ll believe in you if you heal my cancer.” Or “I’ll believe in you if you make my life easier.” Or “I’ll believe in you if you answer my prayers.” That’s not faith, that’s manipulation. That’s bargaining with God. It’s asking God to serve your agenda, not His. And it’s tantamount to making yourself God. And if we’ve learned anything about how Jesus does miracles, it’s not when people demand something of him. No, Jesus only ever healed the blind, fed the hungry, or drove out demons in responded to those who believed He could. This crowd had just witnessed a miracle in the feeding of the 5000 and they didn’t believe Jesus was who He said he was. So he wasn’t’ about to cave to their demands. In other words, we do not determine the basis of faith, God does. Instead Jesus speaks truth to them, Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32-33
So right here, Jesus tells them the basis for genuine faith. Faith is based upon what God has done. Faith is based on what the Father gives. When the Jews were wandering in the desert, it was the Father who gave them bread from heaven. It was the Father who satisfied their physical hunger. It was the Father who kept them from dying. Now Jesus tells them that the same God who satisfied their hunger the day before, is the same God who now gives them “true bread from heaven.” The sign they are looking for is standing in front of them. God has given them the true bread from heaven. And it’s him. He says, “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” The bread God gives is a person – and that person is Jesus. If you want the eternal life God gives, then believe in the One He has sent. He is the true bread that satisfies the soul.
Now, whether this all makes sense to them or not, the crowd responds. “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” John 6:34 The English Standard Version translates their request: “Sir, give us this bread always.” And it’s at this point, they still don’t get it. They’ve been clueless about life; they’re definitely clueless what it takes to believe and know we see that they’re clueless about who God has sent. They want what God provides. But they don’t know who they are to put their faith in, for they are Clueless about Jesus!
So once again, Jesus is going to set them straight. And what he’s about to tell them is the truth about who He is, and what He can do for them. Here now Jesus declares the good news to them: Then Jesus declared,“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. John 6:35-36 The Jews wanted to see a miraculous sign so they would believe. Right here, Jesus declares, God has already given them a sign. He is the bread of life. He is the true bread who has come down from heaven. The Father has sent Him to give them what they’ve been longing for, what they’ve been hungering for. The Father has sent Jesus to satisfy their souls. The Father has sent Jesus to give them eternal life. But they’re clueless about Jesus. So, Jesus spells it out for them – what they will receive when they believe in Him. He says, All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day.” John 6:37-40
Talk about a fire hydrant. Jesus lays it all on the line. He is saying, this true bread, this life satisfying bread is right here in front of you. This bread from heaven is a person. I am that person. “I am the bread of life.” Again, Jesus uses the Covenant Name of God – “I am” “I am the One who is for you.” “I am the one who exists to prosper you, care for you and provide for you.” Jesus is the great “I am” in the flesh. Jesus declares in this passage the good news of eternal life is found in Him. He declares right here that, I am the giver of life. I am the only one who truly satisfies. I am the bread of life. If you come to me, you will never go hungry. If you believe in me, you will never be thirsty. I will never drive you away. I will never let you go. And I will raise you up the last day.
Jesus declares here that He is the sign they need to see. But these Jews have not seen Jesus for who He truly is. Oh yes, they think they have him figured out. They’ve seen the miracles. They’ve heard the teaching. But they have not believed in Him. No, they are clueless to who He really is. So, Jesus tells them who He is: I am the bread of life. And He promises what He will do for them if they would just come to Him and believe. And what He promises them, He promises you:
All who come to Jesus find satisfaction He says, that when you come to him “you will never go hungry… you will never be thirsty.” In other words, if you are willing to come to Jesus, Jesus will fill the emptiness inside. He’ll set you free from seeking satisfaction from the things of the world that never satisfy. He will satisfy your spiritual longings for when you come to Him you will know God. He will quench your spiritual thirst. No longer will you have to work to find contentment. No longer will you have to keep working to satisfy your longings. No longer will you say, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” For Jesus will fill your life with His life, His peace, His truth and His love. No longer will you need to search for acceptance, for you’ll find approval in His presence. No longer will you need to earn His favor, for you’ll rest in His grace. The promise he made then is still valid today: He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. For all who come to Jesus will find satisfaction for their souls.
All who come to Jesus find safety Jesus promises that “whoever comes to me I will never drive away” In this world of broken hearts and broken relationships you can count on Jesus. When you believe in Jesus, you will be safe. You will never have to fear that he may stop loving you, stop forgiving you, stop being there for you. You will never have to worry that he’ll turn your back on you. For the good news is that he’s come to you, not just to rescue you from the condemnation your sins deserve; but to forgive you and set you free from all your sin, guilt and judgment. That means when you come to Jesus you will in the safest place in the universe. For anyone who comes to Him, He promises to never let go. All who come to Jesus will find safety for their souls. And finally,
All who come to Jesus find security Jesus promises “I will raise them at the last day” When you come to Jesus, when you put your trust in Jesus, your future is secured by Jesus. You not only get the presence of Jesus now, but He gives you the hope of eternal life with Him. The Bible calls this hope “an anchor for the soul.” So that no matter what chaos you may face in this life, He guarantees eternal security for your soul. He is the author and finisher of your salvation. He is the resurrection and the life. And anyone who comes to Him – anyone who trusts in Him will never die. Therefore, Jesus is our blessed hope. This world and its trials are only a blip in the scope of eternity. Life doesn’t end here. It begins with Jesus, the bread of life. Your future is secure with Him. All who come to Jesus will find security for their souls.
This is who Jesus is. This is the Jesus He wants you to see. He wants you to see that He’s the One who can satisfy your soul. He wants you to see that He is trustworthy, so you might come to Him and believe. And He wants you to know, that when you come to Him, you will never be hungry or thirsty again. For when you come to Him, He will never let you go and will bring you safely home.
I’m not sure if Jesus gives us a clearer description of the good news that’s found in Him. So, my question this morning is simple: Do you know this Jesus? Do you want the life He promises, the safety He guarantees and the security He gives? Jesus is the bread of life – who has come to give you life. So, do know this Jesus? And do you want life He offers you? If you do, then the work that God requires of you is this: Believe in Jesus. Come to Jesus and put your trust in Him.
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