• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM JESUS?
What do you from Jesus? Why do you become part of his followers? What do youwant of Jesus?Consider what is the true motive of true Christianity. Jesus had many disciples for aperiod of time when he first started his ministry. Those disciples followed him for various motives. Through out Christendom since that time, the history shows arepetition of what our Scripture reading revealed.Here we have Jesus announcing something that can shock some people. It shockedhis disciples.John 6:65-67 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come untome, except it were given unto him of my Father. 6:66 From that [time] many of hisdisciples went back, and walked no more with him. 6:67 Then said Jesus unto thetwelve, Will ye also go away?How is it with us today? Why are we following Jesus? Why are we Christians?Jesus spoke in a manner that caused a great sifting among his disciples then. Fromthat time after this preaching, many of his disciples went back.I hope that as I present the same truth, that not one of us will be offended and followthe example of the defectors. What was it that offended the disciples? What is it of Jesus that can offend us today? What do you want from Jesus?Enquire into the texts given in John 6, what was so offensive in Christ’s address?Jesus had a great multitude before him and was feeding them with the loaves andthe fishes. Having done all that, they thought, wow, Jesus is an amazing person, if he can feed the thousands of people, he’s going to be a king over us that canconquer the Romans. If there is an army to fight, he’s going to give them food,there’s no logistics involved. They wanted to take him by force to make him a king.6:15.Jesus really had to wake up his disciples and people. He did it. Put yourself in theshoes of a devout follower of Jesus, what ever your motive, you’re really followingJesus and he says this to you;John 6:26-27. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seekme, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, andwere filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat whichendureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hathGod the Father sealed.What is Jesus suggesting here? You follow me not because not because of the factnot because I’m a miracle working person, you followed me because I filled your stomachs. What an affront. Oh Lord, are you serious? Jesus knew. I have madeyou comfortable, I have made you feel secure, that’s why you’re following me. Veryoffensive?
 
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to meshall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.The disciples were followers of Jesus and he says to them, you have seen me, butyou don’t believe what I’m really on about. I’m the bread of life.John 6:38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of himthat sent me.This was offensive to the disciples at that time and to the pharisees that werelistening. Notice what they said;John 6:41. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread whichcame down from heaven.The mind set of the Jews was different to what the mind set of Jesus was. Theycould not comprehend what he was talking about and it was offensive to them. Haveyou ever met something in your experience of following Jesus and something isoffensive to you? And you thought it was a little bit rough because your mind set isnot the mind set of Jesus?John 6:48. I am that bread of life.Jesus is handling something here, which is different, to what their mindset was. Themindset of the church was under the oppression of the Roman Empire and theywanted to be released and Jesus was the one they were looking to. They wereflocking after him so that by his wonderful leadership they would be released fromthe oppression they were under.John 6:60-65. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, Thisis an hard saying; who can hear it? 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that hisdisciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 6:62 [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 6:63 It is the spirit thatquickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] arespirit, and [they] are life. 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesusknew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betrayhim. 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me,except it were given unto him of my Father.Here in this presentation of Jesus, we have seen two sections we will contemplate.1.The loaves and fishes they followed him for.2.The mindset that prevented them from understanding that Jesus was the breadfrom heaven.Loaves and Fishes.
 
Many Christians attach to Christs church to receive its benefits. Like back there,Jesus would save them from the Roman yoke, release them from earthly servitude.That was the benefit they were after.Matthew 20:20-21. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping [him], and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her,What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the oneon thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.What were they disciples for? They wanted to be right Jesus as king. Who werethey? The sons of Zebedee. John the beloved disciple. What was he following for?James as well. Following for the loaves and fishes symbolically speaking. To bepart of the kingdom that would conquer the Roman Empire.Here the disciples had just seen the death of their saviour, Jesus was in the grave,walking home on the road to Emmaus.Luke 24:21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.What did they want? They had trusted in Jesus. They followed him, because theytrusted him for the benefits which were redeeming Israel from the Roman yoke.This is exactly what has been identified before why they rejoiced to be his disciplesafter the miracle after feeding the 5000.John 6:14-15. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said,This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus thereforeperceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, hedeparted again into a mountain himself alone.Did you notice that those who were following Jesus, wanted from Jesus what theywanted and Jesus had to totally disappoint them. What do you want from Jesus?Judas had a motive that Jesus recognised right at the very time when Judas wasfilled with anticipation and said I’m going to follow you wherever you go! Couldn’tJesus had felt this was lovely? Notice how he answered him;Matthew 8:19-20. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered,Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known myFather also. 8:20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in thetemple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.Did Jesus see through him? He saw his motive. He wanted to quench Judasenthusiasm right from the start. Just like he said it in John 6. Unless God has put itinto your heart to follow me, don’t get disappointed. You think you’re going to followme right beside me as the great man to release you from the Roman Empire, forgetit. The son of man has no where to lay his head. Judas wasn’t listening.How many times have I observed this. We hear as we want to hear. Judas wasn’tlistening to Jesus.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...