If not for Bread, Why Follow Him?

If not for Bread, Why Follow Him

John 6:35-40

Last week we had studied that there were three main reasons why people were following Jesus. Some wanted to see the miracles, others wanted some physical benefits while the third set came to follow Jesus to know Jesus.

For those who turned their backs on Jesus, we can understand that without the healings, miracles and bread these people lost interest in following Jesus. But if our realistic needs are not being met, what is the purpose of following Jesus?

Modern Christians have a tradition passed to them that all will be well with us. Our welfare will be taken care of. Initially, Jesus was doing this with the multitudes, but then He stops. He doesn't give them bread but tells the multitudes that He is the bread of life.

Bread and water is necessary for us to live. Jesus tells the people that the bread of life will satisfy. Jesus will give bread that takes care of the spiritual and the physical needs. Yet, all Christians will tell you that they still hunger for physical food and we have needs and wants. We do not seem to be at the Revelation lack of hunger.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
Revelation 7:16 ESV

It is not only our physicals needs that continue to be in want, our spiritual needs are yet to be satisfied. We struggle with sin and make mistakes which are not pleasing to God or put God first.

There are three reasons why we should continue to follow Jesus even though it seems we are still in physical and spiritual want.

1.  We are to follow the Lord as Christians with the understanding that we enter the Commonwealth of Lord. We are under the protectorate of God.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
John 6:37‭-‬39 ESV

In Exodus 16, the Israelites entered the wilderness without knowing how God would provide. God provided in a unique way that the Israelites could not really understand. But God did this to allow the people to build their trust. The food was beyond their understanding and they named the food from heaven as "What's this?" ; however, as we grow in our understanding of God, we need to change our motivation to follow God, or we may become disillusioned. We may end up following God only when our situation is well.

2.  We ought to follow the Lord because the Lord will protect us as members of the body of Christ.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
John 6:37‭-‬38 ESV

We are brought together as a group but as individuals we are sustained as individuals. The will of the Father is that no one will be lost. Jesus will deal with us individually. There will be a variety of ways to bring us to where we need to be. This may include hard times or tragedy. The good news is that we will not go beyond our ability to withstand.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:2‭-‬8 ESV

3.  Jesus provides according to His will and not our will nor our understanding. Jesus follows God's will and God's will is to see us saved. Jesus will keep the promise of God to raise up those who look to Jesus and believe they will have eternal life.

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:40 ESV

Let us not lose heart when our situation leaves us in want, but rather remember that Jesus wants us saved and will raise us because we believe in Him to do so.