Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church

Full Life only in Jesus

John 6:1-15

March 22, 2020 anno Domini

Preached on line. No church. Cancelled for Corona Virus

Who wouldn’t be happy with Jesus the bread baker? Everyone gets a belly full of fish and bread and the disciples each get a sack lunch for tomorrow. It’s like a central Minnesota fish fry during Lent. You’re going to go home stuffed and the workers likely will get a good helping of leftovers. Imagine how people would flock to someone on the corner of 33^rd and Division handing out toilet paper and hand sanitizer and never running out. There was always more than anyone needed.

This multiplication of the loaves and fish is one of the great signs of Jesus – that’s what John calls the miracles – they’re signs. They are signs that declare Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. He does things only God can do. The first sign in John’s Gospel is Jesus making water into wine. Who wouldn’t love a wine-maker and a bread-baker god? Evidently most people because by the end of John chapter six we hear, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (66)

Why wouldn’t people want a god who makes water in wine and multiplies bread by the bushel basket? Why? Because Jesus is more than wine and fish and bread. Yes. He healed the sick, cast out demons, saved a wedding from a wine shortage, and made sure this great crowd was fed full. But He didn’t do all that for their bellies. He did that for their souls, for them. He did all this so that they would look to Him as the Son of God, believe in Him and would have eternal life and be raised on the last day (John 6:40). This text presents us with a question, especially in the midst of a declared pandemic. Are we content with part of Jesus – a wine and bread Jesus (if you will) or do we cling to the whole Jesus – the suffering, death, and resurrection Jesus?

Would you have come to church this Sunday if God had promised everyone in church on March 22 will never get infected with Corona virus? Would you have come if we gave a twelve pack of toilet paper and a gallon of hand sanitizer to everyone who sat through a sermon? Repent if you’d be happy with that sort of god, for that’s only part of what Jesus does for you.

The next day after the miracle of the fish and bread the crowds were still running after Jesus like people are running after toilet paper. Jesus stopped them in their tracks when He revealed the whole truth of Himself. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

I am the bread of life. I (and no other) am the (only) Bread of Life – not just a meal for an evening, not just a quick belly filling, but a feast for an eternity, filling your empty soul with the fullness of God’s love and mercy. Once Jesus spoke those words the crowd walked away. They began to choke on the bread God sent. They grumbled against Jesus because all they wanted was bread for their bellies, but the Father wanted to fill them full with Jesus so that they would live forever.

This past week with the input of the council and deacons I decided to cancel church services at Redeemer. It was the hardest decision I have ever made as a pastor. It was the right decision and the worst decision at the same time.

Do you know some of our members were criticized by their coworkers because we still held church on Wednesday? Others were scolded by their families for coming to Evening Prayer. Would they have been criticized for going out to Wal-Mart to get toilet paper? From that errand they might come home heroes, especially if the supply was running low. You would think people would flock to churches in a pandemic. Here is the Bread of Life. Who cares about a virus? I want to live forever. If you have an antidote to death – I’ll drink it down. But the majority of people are not saying that, and sadly not even us Christians.

I am not saying that we should do foolish things that would endanger our lives. I’m not encouraging us to book a tour to Italy to see the sights. The one sensible reason not to have church is that it might endanger the lives of our members, but this moment and this text provides us a great opportunity for self-examination, “Am I only looking to Jesus simply to fill my belly with bread, or do I believe Him to be the Bread of Life?” What danger would you endure to get Jesus?

The crowds turned away when Jesus preached these words, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Your life is not your stomach. Your life is not your health. Your life is not toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Your life (whole life, full life, eternal life) is Jesus, the whole Jesus – conception, birth, life, suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Only Jesus. All of Jesus. For you.

Only Jesus accomplished forgiveness. Only forgiveness of sins leads to life. Only Jesus can feed you the righteousness and life it is starving for. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured His cross and despised its shame for the joy set before Him. (12:2) Do you know what joy kept Jesus going? You. His great joy is bringing you into His Father’s presence, seeing you fully alive and resurrected without sin. The joy of heaven is not some grand party where we can indulge our appetites or be on permanent vacation with no limit on our credit cards. Our joy is Jesus. What we hunger for in the midst of this world should not be earthly manna. That will never satisfy you. In case you haven’t noticed – the shelves are empty. Everyone has more than enough and they’re still scared to death.

It should not be so among us. I don’t know what this week will bring. I hope it brings us back to church. I hope I can give you Jesus, not just in your ears, but in your mouth because whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life. This I do know. Jesus is enough for whatever happens this week. He doesn’t do things halfway or for the short-term or simply for your belly. He was willing to offend the crowd, lose disciples, carry your sins, hang on cross, suffer hell and die. His cross worked. His death worked. He rose again and now there is fullness of life for all who believe, for you. Not just a full belly, but a soul fully cleansed by His righteousness, a life fully forgiven by His blood, a body full of hope in the resurrection, and a heart full of faith in God and love toward our neighbor. I hope you’re full and satisfied – body and soul – in the name of Jesus. Amen.