This message explores Jesus’ powerful sermon wrapped around His declaration: “I am the bread of life” (6:35, 41, 48, 51).
(John 6:22-71)
Sermon Outline
“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirst.’” (John 6:35)
Four Nourishing Truths
- Jesus knows what we seek (6:26-29)
- The Father gives what we need (6:32-40)
- Those who believe in Jesus gain life that endures (6:47-51)
- Believing in Jesus means feeding on Jesus (6:53-58)
Three Revealing Responses
- The crowd: grumbling, arguing, not believing (6:41, 52, 36)
- Some disciples: troubled, grumbling, offended, turning away (6:60, 61, 66)
- The twelve: believing, knowing, seeking, but one betraying (6:68-71)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- When was a time in your life when you felt most fulfilled, satisfied, or ‘full’? What led to that situation? How did you feel?
- This week we continue our sermon series “Look for the Signs,” by exploring John 6:22-71. Whether on your own or with others, begin your study in prayer, asking God to speak to you, and then read that text aloud.
- When the crowd reaches Jesus the next day, they are searching for something from Him. What do you think is their motivation, goal, or hope based on their conversation with Jesus in John 6:25-29?
- The crowd seems to want Jesus to prove Himself by doing something miraculous like Moses did with the manna in the wilderness. What is their view of Jesus and how does He respond to that view (6:30-40)? (You may also want to look at Exodus 16 for Old Testament background on ‘manna’.)
- Like the crowd in John 6, what would you say are some of the reasons people might begin to look to Jesus or God in their lives? When and why did you first begin to look seriously at who Jesus was?
- Three times Jesus identifies Himself as ‘the bread of life’ or ‘the living bread’ (6:35, 48, 51). How would you describe in your own words what Jesus is saying about Himself?
- Jesus mentions the importance of ‘coming’ to Him and ‘believing’ in Him (for example, verses 35, 37, and 44). What do you think it means to come to Jesus and believe in Him?
- In this story we see three responses to Jesus: a) the crowd, b) the large group of disciples, and c) the Twelve. How would you characterize each of their responses? If you had to pick one group to identify with, which would it be? Why?
- What is one thing you sense God is bringing to your attention through this week’s study? If you are with a small group, discuss that with one another and then pray about what you shared. If you are on your own, write it down, pray about it, and consider sharing your thoughts with someone this week.
DIG DEEPER
- Exploring Faith—Those listening to Jesus were shocked by what He says in this episode. How does this story shock you? What questions does it raise that you want to explore further?
- Growing in Faith—We can be hungry for many things, but Jesus portrays Himself as the deep satisfier of our soul’s hungers. Are there other hungers that have crept into a higher place than your hunger for God? What might it look like to recalibrate what you are hungry for?
- Centered in Faith—Even when we have walked with Jesus a long time, there are ways in which we may struggle with a particular teaching or word from Jesus. Sometimes we need others around us to help us. Is there someone you know that you can be present with as they walk through a life or faith struggle? How might you pray for them and humbly reach out to them in the next week or two?