Sermon
Jesus - The True Bread From Heaven
September 19, 2004
Pastor Donald Sheley

I'm going to ask all of you to have a Bible in your hand because eighty percent of our sermon today is Scripture. What we're during doing this fall season we have selected as our theme "From Bondage to Freedom," and we're taking the journey, the Old Testament journey, with the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, which was their land of bondage, and we're going to journey along with them down through the Sinai Peninsula and we're going to stop at various places and we're going to learn spiritual lessons from them.

It's my deep conviction that many of the New Testament doctrinal truths that we rely upon and that we believe as Christians, these truths have their foundation in the Old Testament and therefore if we don't understand the foundation found in the Old Testament, I think we miss much of the beauty of the doctrine found in the New. So we're tying together in this serious Old Testament truths and tying them to the New Testament faith we have as Christians, and I believe it will strengthen our knowledge of God's word and our relationship with God.

For instance - two weeks ago we joined with them as they were making preparation to leave the land of Egypt, and they were informed that they were to kill a lamb, to take the blood of that lamb and put it on the doorposts and the lintel of their home. And that night, when the death angel passed over, if the death angel saw the blood applied to the door of their home he would not take the firstborn, and thus, their house was saved. So we talked about blood in the Old Testament, learned that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, and then we went to the New Testament and found many of the verses that emphasize the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ, and why we sing the great hymns -- What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Christ.

Last Lord's day we joined them as they crossed the river, the Red Sea, on dry land, and we journeyed with them as the pillar of fire led them by night and the cloud led them by day, and we talked about miracles in the Old Testament. And then we went to the New Testament and we talked about miracles in the New Testament. And we came to the conclusion that our God is the God of the impossible, and that we can expect God to do anything he wants to do. He has all power in heaven and Earth.

Miracles didn't stop with the apostles. We don't take that particular position. We believe that God can do anything and we're not going to put him in a box, and we're going to believe him for wonderful things.

Now today we want to talk about Jesus the true bread from heaven, but our story comes out of the journeys of the children of Israel. Come with me to page 49 in your pew Bible, Exodus 16, here's what it says:

And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.

So they are five or six weeks now into their journey.

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

They're hungry. Five weeks into a journey, their knapsacks, their lunch pails are empty and they are complaining, and they said, "Moses, you brought us out here to die."

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."

In other words, they're not to gather on the Sabbath so the day prior to the Sabbath they are to gather twice as much so they have something for Sabbath.

Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?" Also Moses said, "This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord."

Then Moses spoke to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, "Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints."' Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'" So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.

And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 'Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.'"

Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. And Moses said, "Let no one leave any of it till morning." Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, "This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.'" So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none."

Here's the situation -- they are journeying, they are out of food, they complain, God makes a promise...I'm going to send you bread from heaven, and they look when they go out of their tents. Early in the morning the delivery service from heaven had arrived and gone, and all of their food was there. These little cakes, white cakes, and asked one another 'What is this?' And the answer was we don't know. That's what manna means, 'we don't know.'

Now, here are 2 million people and here is the God of miracles showering forth bread from heaven, and delivers it to their tent door. They are to gather just a certain amount, one omer, it's the equivalent of about six pints. You know, one of the things that has always bothered me, even religious people try to do away with the possibility of miracles. We don't.

But you can find all kinds of explanations. One writer says, well really what happened, you see, out there in the middle of the desert there is what is called the tamarix shrub and when you puncture it white stuff comes out and looks like milk and it's sticky like honey, and all they did is run around and punch these shrubs and that's where the got the manna. Well, that's quite foolish.

Edersheim, the great scholar of the Old Testament, said if you punctured all the tamarix shrub in the desert around them, all you get is about 700 pounds, and you've got two million people to feed.

Another writer says that if an omer was gathered for every one of these 2 million -- there are 2 million, you know, in this journey -- and an omer is the equivalent of six pints, there would be 12 million pints or 9 million pounds gathered daily, which was 4500 tons. Now it would take ten trains, each having 30 boxcars, and each car having fifteen tons, would be needed for a single day supply -- and that lasted for 40 years.

When they arrived in the land of Canna, the land of promise, they eat from the produce of the promised land, no longer does the manna fall...miracle of miracles.

Now quickly go with me to Psalms. Psalm, and it's page 399 in your Bible, and the old psalmist picks up this story as he writes in the Psalms. And look at what he says...Psalm 78, look at verse 12. It says: Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers (speaking of the works of God), in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Pause -- as they are journeying through the wilderness God tells Moses to strike a rock and he strikes the rock and out of that rock comes enough water to feed 2 million people plus their herds, their stocks, and their flocks. Ladies and gentlemen, it was bigger, I'm sure, than the Sacramento River - out of a rock. Miracle of miracles, and look at what he says.

But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God: They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people? Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.

Yet He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full.

So that manna is called angels' food. It's the manna from heaven.

Well let's go a little further in our Bible. Let's go to John's gospel, and here again we find the reference to manna. John 6 tells us that Jesus fed 5000 and after the feeding is over He sends the crowd, He disburses the crowd, He sends His disciples back to Capernaum across the lake of Galilee, and Jesus walks across the lake, and here we have the story of Jesus walking on the water. Now we come to verse 22 of John 6.

On the following day (that's the day following the feeding of the 5000), when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone-- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks-- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"

In other words, before leaving they realized there was only one boat that took off, Jesus wasn't in that boat, the disciples were, and they said, Jesus, how did You get here? When did You come? Jesus doesn't even answer the question. Look at what He says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Jesus said you're not here today...you didn't come across this lake just because of what I did yesterday. You got your tummies full yesterday and you want them filled again today, and He turns the subject to the spiritual. He said I'm here to talk about everlasting life.

Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

Jesus said if you really want to please God believe in the One He has sent.

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?

In other words, all right, You've asked us to believe. You show us some miraculous thing. You show us a sign and You give us a reason to believe. And then they went on in their argument and said, look at -- Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."

This is what they are saying: Jesus, You only fed us one meal, yesterday. Now if You're equal to Moses or even if Your greater, just remember, Moses fed them for 40 years. And if You're equal to Moses we're expecting... In other words, we'd like to eat the rest of our lives us to because You're going to do something Jesus.

Jesus corrects their theology. Look at what He does in verse 32. He says, Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread (the word true there is genuine, authentic, real, eternal bread) from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

Jesus says you're looking for the material, the physical. It's only temporal. I want to talk to you about something far deeper, the spiritual need of man. You see man was made in the image of God. Inside every one of us is that hunger for God. Old Augustine the great Catholic theologian put it this way: every man has a God shaped vacuum inside a him, and only God can fill that vacuum.

Jesus said you're chasing me, you want more of the physical food, but I want to talk to you about spiritual food, and then He goes on. Look at verse 48. He says, "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Jesus changes the subject from the physical to the spiritual, and He is saying, what you really want, what you really need to fill that depth, that hunger, you need to put your trust in Me for I am the bread that came down from heaven.

Now look at verse 52: The Jews therefore quarreled. That's an interesting word in the Greek. They'll almost had a fistfight. I mean, this statement of Jesus' when He said I am the bread of life, created such furor in His congregation they were ready to take each other on. It had such depth of meaning to them. They really wrestled with it and they quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"

And Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

Jesus said they ate that bread - it was physical, it was temporal, and it met a physical need. I'm talking to you about the bread that supplies nourishment to the spiritual man, and He said if you'll eat of Me, if you'll absorb Me, if you'll take Me into your life, if you'll trust Me, if I become everything to you, I become your Lord and your Master, I'll give to you life everlasting and I'll satisfy all the hunger that's inside you.

Look at verse 63: It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Jesus said you're thinking of the physical, I'm thinking of the spiritual, and I want to get deeper than the physical need. I want to talk to you about your spiritual need. And ladies and gentlemen, every one of us sitting here today have felt that hunger at times in our life when we've tried every avenue of life to find something that satisfies that, but when the night settled in and the loneliness of darkness crept around us, we were faced once again with the reality that we were still hungry, and that we were still empty. And the next day would be a time when we would try once again to satisfy that hunger.

And what Jesus says is I am the one that you really need. I'll satisfy the hunger of your heart. I'll make you know that you're complete in me, and I'll give to you life everlasting.

Sad, when you read the rest of it, it says that they strove with that and look at verse 66: From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. That means He's speaking and He's lost His crowd. Here He's told them the most glorious truth of time and eternity -- I'll meet your spiritual needs. And what do they do? They walk out on Him.

Look at the next verse. It seems like there are only 12 left in the crowd, and listen to Jesus, He said, "Do you also want to go away?" Boy, I try to feel that depth of that meaning. Here's Jesus the giver of life...they walked out on Him. The bread of life and they won't listen, and He turns to His twelve and said, would you like to go away too?

I like old Peter. He often sticks his foot in his mouth, but boy he didn't do it this time. Look at what he said. But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." God bless you Peter.

Peter said look at Jesus, there's no place else to go. We've tried everything else. You're the answer.

Now you say, Pastor, is that the end of the story? No. Go in your Bible with me to one more verse; at least one or two. Go with me to Revelation. And John is receiving these messages from Christ. Christ is telling each church in Asia minor and He's sending the messages, and they are written in the first two chapters of Revelation.

And to one of the churches he said...look at verse 17 chapter 2: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna." Manna in heaven. Past, in the wilderness; present, in person of the Christ; in the future, manna in heaven. Look at what he says. I will give you some of the hidden manna to eat and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. What's the occasion?

Well there's going to be a big supper in heaven. Did you know it? Go with me to Revelation. Just a few more pages back. We're in Revelation chapter 19, Revelation 19:5, Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready."

The Lamb speaks of Christ; the wife, the church is called the bride of Christ. And so what we have here is that final scene when the Christians of all the ages join with Jesus in the skies, and we're going to have supper together. It's called the great marriage supper of the Lamb.

Some years ago I walked into a Christian bookstore and I saw this beautiful painting. It was like a cloudburst. Light streams were everywhere, and out of that cloudburst came this beautiful table and it seemed like it stretched into eternity. And on that table was the most beautiful finery, the utensils, and chairs - it was gorgeous - and underneath, the setting, for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Now John tells us that when we come to the marriage supper of the Lamb, first of all, he said we'll see there at our place or position a white stone. I know this is symbolic, but in the symbolism it's beautiful. So why the white stone? And our name written there, because when we get to heaven we'll all have a new name. And it says that on that white stone our names will be written.

You know there was an ancient custom in the courts in Jesus' day when you were called to be on the jury of a trial. When you walked into the courtroom you were given a white stone and a black stone. You put them in your pocket. Now you listened to the case, all the witnesses, and when it came time to make the decision you made your decision by dropping either the black stone, which was for condemnation, or the white stone for acquittal.

And there is that beautiful symbolism. We'll sit at that wonderful table, not under condemnation, but totally forgiven. And then the food will be angels' food, manna. I can just imagine what that's going to be like. I love to eat. I'm glad they didn't leave food out of heaven. But on that wonderful day what's the menu? It's manna.

You say what's unique about that? Well there was a rabbinic legend that there was something very unique about that manna, and that is when you tasted it, whatever you imagined it to be, it was. So you could be eating manna, but you're eating steak in your mind. Or you can eat manna and you're still eating ice cream. Whatever it is...I mean, whatever, the legend was whatever you dreamed it to be it was.

I can imagine, ladies and gentlemen, that the angels are baking the manna now, and one of these days the table is all set. And one of these days the trumpet will sound, and in the twinkling of an eye you and I are going to be waft into His eternal presence, and we're going to sit around that eternal table in the skies with all the saints of the ages and with Jesus, and we'll eat angels' food. It wasn't delivered to our door in the tent. He came to our tent door and forever, forever more we'll eat with Him. Isn't that an amazing thing how the Bible ties together from one and to the other? What a marvelous book we have. Amen.

Father, thank you for Your book. Thank you for Your word. One of these days...one of these days, Your trumpet will sound, the journey will be over, life's heartaches and its tears will end, and You will allow us to sit around that great table of the marriage supper in the skies. Thank you. Thank you for the hope that we have as Christians. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless you folks.