More Than Bread

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In this episode I'm going to tell you about the day, my son Jake, told me to get a life! Dad. Get a life! Probably not that uncommon to be told to get a life and definitely not uncommon to be desperately seeking for more life.  Far more important than my get-a-life story is the story told in John 7 about Jesus' offer of life.

Jesus offers us a life that is worth "more than bread" and it requires something "more than bread" to get it. At the very heart of this podcast is a search for answers, perhaps even a path that will lead us to a life that is more than the life we currently are living. We need more than bread if we are seeking more life. And we are...aren't we? Isn't that why we strive for the promotion, dive into our family, and even cheer on our team, because we are looking for more life? And I”ll tell you very simply, on behalf of thousands of people with whom I’ve had the opportunity to rub shoulders; friends in Myanmar who are willing to risk everything for him; Jesus is a great way to get a good life. So let’s dive into John 7. 

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As we take one more look at John 6, our focus is on a somewhat famous storm story. My guess is that each one of us could share a storm story of our own. Storm stories are those times when life seems a bit out of control, filled with uncertainty and maybe even a bit of fear. This particular storm story is the one where we get the challenge, "If you want to walk on the water you have to get out of the boat." If you want to go on an adventure with Jesus, you may have to take a (seemingly) risky step of faith.

If you don't know the story, you'll hear it in a moment. If you know the story, let me simply say this. I think if offered a choice, Jesus' friends would have done it all over again. When you come to the end of this story, remember this statement. "I think if offered the chance to do it all over again, they would have done it all over again.  Not just the walking on water part; that was cool but I'm not so sure it was the highlight. I'm not so sure I would go through another storm like that, just to walk on water. It would be like a Disney ride; after a few times, it becomes old hat. But I would go through a storm and I would get out of my boat if it led to a face-to-face encounter with the living God. 

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John's gospel is loosely organized around seven miraculous signs and seven "I-am" statements. The signs and the statements are meant to reveal his identity and lead to faith in Him, believing in Him for life. John 6 is jam-packed with two signs and one "I-am" statement. First, we have the feeding of the crowd with a young boy's sack lunch. Then we have Jesus' mastery over a storm. Finally, Jesus expounds upon His identity and mission with the statement, "I am the bread of life come down from heaven."

At one point, Jesus gives a profoundly (at least at that time) disturbing message about eating his flesh and drinking his blood and many of us followers stop following. So Jesus turned to his core team and said, "Do you want to go away as well?" Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." Ultimately that's the decision point for each of us. Do we think we can find a better source of life? In the midst of it all is this amazing story of a young boy who gave Jesus everything he had and in the surrendering became part of a story that's been told to millions of people over the course of thousands of years. Now that's pretty cool!

More than bread, words of life. with that in mind, let’s read John 6. I’ll be reading from the 

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John 5 is a study in the contrasts of people who don't know Jesus. First, we have the story of a crippled man who had been disabled for 38 years. Jesus found him in Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda. He had a short conversation with the man and then healed him! This healing is somewhat unique in the scriptures because it didn't require faith. The man didn't seek Jesus out. He didn't ask Jesus for a sign. In fact, later in the story, we find that he didn't even know that Jesus was Jesus. He didn't exercise faith. He didn't have any friends who exercised faith. All he had going for him was that he had nothing going for him. All he had was his great need and his desperate helplessness.  But...sometimes helplessness is our greatest prayer. In the end not only was the man healed, but he knew Jesus.

The others who didn't know Jesus were the religious leaders. They were the ones who knew the scriptures. They had mastered the Word, memorized the Word, studied and taught the Word. But they didn't know Jesus was Jesus either. After the miracle, Jesus will confront them with these words, "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet your refuse to come to me that you may have life." Really the primary difference between the cripple and the religious leaders was that one knew he was helpless and the others did not!

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Episode #48 is a bonus episode in John chapter 4. With the amazing story of a worship encounter on a dusty trail with a woman at the well, and in addition, the second sign that Jesus performed, it was just too much good stuff for one episode.

So our focus in this episode is on the last part of John 4. But before you get there, let me take another opportunity to remind us why we call this podcast, "More Than Bread." Simply stated, it's because Jesus believed that the WORD of God was more important to life than bread. We need more than bread. As we move into John 4 and then in the next episode John 5, we must keep in mind the connection between Jesus and the Word; the connection between the Son of God and the Word of God. "In the beginning," John wrote, "the Word was with God and the Word was God." And then, "the Word become flesh and lived in our midst." Before we jump into the miracle moment of John 4, I want to make sure we understand the connection between Jesus and the Word. This connection goes beyond metaphor into the land of mystical.  It goes beyond symbolic into the land of the supernatural.  There is this connection between Jesus, who is called the Word, and the Word which we call our Bible.  This man who claimed to be God...who lived as a servant...died like a criminal...and was resurrected as a King; this man who is called the Word...the Word of God; God in the flesh; He is the God who speaks.

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This episode will focus on John 4. This chapter of John's gospel contains what is for me one of the most powerful stories in the life of Christ. Many know it as the story of the woman at the well. It's a story that first of all puts on display the "have-to" of Jesus.  There are many stories in the gospels that tell us what Jesus did...there are a few that tell us what he HAD to do, what he lived for. One of those stories is found in John 4:1-42. 

But it's also a story of worship and worship we will see is initiated by God at the intersections of real life, in the midst of adultery, broken marriages, racial conflict, and need.  Jesus is seeking worshippers and in this moment, his search doesn't lead him to a religious place or even a sacred space. He doesn't find a beautiful place by a stream in the woods. On this day, he'll sit by a well on a dusty trail, near a village filled with people that his friends want to avoid. Bone-weary from his journey; he decides, "Even now, even here, there will be worship." Worship doesn't always require choirs or bands singing songs that move our hearts. It doesn't always take liturgy or communion or even a sermon.  Sometimes all you need is a well, a woman with a thirsty heart, and Jesus. Because worship is the natural result of a thirsty heart and mind and soul that has been satisfied by God. Worship is what happens when the life of God begins to flow through the dry wastelands of our soul. 

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This episode will lead us into John 3. It's the story of a man who came to Jesus looking for something more. Probably few people around this man would have ever dreamed that he was lacking anything, but he came to Jesus looking for something more.  The path to more is described throughout scripture, but you can't miss it in perhaps the most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16.  That’s where we will land before this episode is over, John chapter 3:16.

 This might be the most well-known Bible verse in modern-day history. I wonder in how many athletic stadiums it has found a momentary home.  In 2009, in the NCAA football national championship, Tim Tebow wrote "John 3:16" in the black smear beneath his eyes. That night over 90 million people googled John 3:16. This verse gives a one-sentence tweetable summary of the good news that leads to a great life. It's a step-by-step guide to the greatest life that comes from the greatest response to the greatest gift given through the greatest love to the greatest number, by the greatest one! And you are invited!

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In this episode, we are diving into John 2.  Remember the gospel of John uses two groupings of seven to help organize the gospel; seven miraculous signs and seven "I am" sayings. In John 2, we get the first sign. In the midst of a wedding reception emergency (ran out of wine), Jesus turned about 150 gallons of water into a fine wine! 

Now each of us probably has a story about the day the wine ran dry. It might involve a marriage that's lost its joy, or the death of a loved one. It might involve a search for community or a  difficult failure. I know people who would tell stories of regret or fear.  Some don't even know the story, they just have this indescribable longing for an un-named something more.  The wine has run dry.  What do you do when the wine has run dry? Once upon a time, I thought that whenever the wine ran dry, I could always fill my cup on my own. Just worker. Do more. But at some point, I discovered that I was living under the illusion of my self-sufficiency when what I really needed was the reality of God's abundant provision....of joy.  I trust this episode will open the door of your heart just a bit more to God's joy.

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If I were to give John chapter one a title, I think it would be “A Messy Love Story.” In the beginning, Jesus (the Word) was with God and Jesus (the Word) was God. He created everything. Nothing was created except through him. He gave life to everything that was created. His life was like a shining light that brought light to everyone. But the world was dark. So the light shines in the darkness. Darkness was John's word for the mess. Jesus, the light of the world dove heart-first into our mess. You will hear me describe it in this episode as, "Jesus pitched his tent in our mess." Not sure how much mess you got, but I do know that His love goes beyond all the mess!

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Our first 40+ episodes took us on a jet tour through the whole New Testament. The next 20+ episodes will take us on a deep dive into the Gospel of John. John’s gospel is a bit different from the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Those three gospels--called the Synoptic Gospels--have a good deal of common material that they share. John’s gospel is the outlier. It's a bit more spiritual, a bit more theological. In fact, some great theological conversations can be had through the gospel of John. At the same time, just like Matthew, Mark and Luke, the heart of John's gospel is Jesus. John's stated focus is Jesus. In John 20 we will read his words, "that those who read it might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing they would have life." 

 This first episode is an intro to John's gospel and to this series.  There are 21 chapters, so there will be 21 episodes. Each episode will cover one chapter of John’s gospel. I am looking forward to diving in!