There are not many things we do for six weeks.  For six weeks now, we have been looking at Jesus’ Feeding of the 5000 (men plus women and children) and teaching that crowd “the following day.”  We are considering Jesus’ final words about it means that this Jesus is the Bread of Life.

John 6:51-69—I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹ Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father through Jesus Christ, the Living Bread that came down from heaven.  Amen.

Lives are filled with choices.  Some choices have long-lasting consequences, and some, let’s just face it, are mundane.  Maybe some people sweat about whether to use Head & Shoulders to take care of their dry scalp or to use Herbal Essences so that they can feel like they are in a rain forest every morning.  Hopefully no one will wring their hands solicitously about what to do for supper tonight—whether to go out for an expensive meal or stay at home and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

But some tears might be shed about where to go to school?  Or what career to pursue?  Where to invest and when to start spending those investments?  Whom to marry?  Whether or not to have kids?  When to have kids, and how many kids to have?  Where to live?  To buy or to rent?  When to refinance?

We consider these to be “bigger” decisions which have more apparent and long-lasting consequences. Our lives are filled with decisions, and often the decisions that we make effect all aspects of our life.

I made a very difficult decision just this past Tuesday, and I have to live with the consequences of that decision, and those consequences still make upset me a little.

My wife and I went on a date to an ice cream shop in Minneapolis called Sebastian Joe’s where they serve dozens of homemade flavors of ice cream.  One of my absolute, all-time favorite flavors of ice cream is Chocolate Coyote from Sebastian Joe’s—chocolate ice cream laced with cayenne pepper and cinnamon.  Cold, chocolaty ice cream that burns in your mouth is a wonderful experience.  But Sebastian Joe’s also makes another kind of ice cream called “Pavarotti”: banana, caramel, and chocolate chip goodness that I wonder if it has been blessed by God Himself.

The problem is they do not make every flavor every day.  When Sarah and I were there Tuesday, they could special make Chocolate Coyote in a bowl, but then I couldn’t get Pavarotti.  So, I had to make a choice.  I chose Pavarotti.  To this day, and even this minute, I am regretting my decision.  As difficult as it is, I have to press on; I will have to live with the consequences which will probably stick with me until I get back to Sebastian Joe’s and get my Chocolate Coyote.

Our lives are filled with choices, some important and some not.  But it’s very important both in the Gospel text and Old Testament text, that we do not see the either “decision” of Joshua or of the people or of Peter as being decisions that they made.  Neither Joshua, nor the people of Israel, nor Peter “choose” to believe, fear, or trust in God.

In the Old Testament text (Jos. 24:1-2a, 14-18), Joshua calls the people to himself and recounts the history of Israel.  In the verses that get omitted (v. 2b-13), Joshua tells how God brought Abraham out of a foreign, pagan land where his fathers were serving false gods.  God took Abraham away from those people and gave him offspring.  God led Abraham through the land of Canaan.  Joshua  remembers God’s faithfulness to Isaac and Jacob and God’s continued faithfulness bringing His children to Egypt.

God continued to be faithful to the Israelites even while they were in Egypt under slavery.  God faithfully brought them out of the land of slavery and delivered them from the Egyptians.  God faithfully brought them into the Promised Land which was inhabited by pagan nations.  God gave them the Promised Land giving them victory after victory over all of these idolatrous nations and people who were stronger than they were.   God gave them a land “on which [they] had not labored” and “towns that [they] had not built.”  God caused His people to dwell there.  God gave them “the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that [they] did not plant” (Jos. 24:13).

Even though the Israelites did not remain faithful to God, He remained faithful to them.  Even though the Israelites did not serve God, God served the people.  God served them and delivered them and gave them things that they did not deserve.

Joshua reminded these people of all that God had done for them in the past.  Then Joshua gives the call, “Now therefore fear Yahweh and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  But if it is evil in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve.”  Joshua boldly states that he and his house will serve Yahweh, and the people say the same.

In our Gospel text, Jesus asks a question.  “Do you want to go away as well?”  Unfortunately, we miss some of the nuance behind Jesus’ question.  It is absolutely clear that Jesus expects the disciples to answer His question with a “No.”  It could be translated, “You don’t want to go away as well, right?”  Peter speaks for the disciples.  He says (Jn. 6:68-69), “Where else could we go?  You are the One Who has the words of eternal life.  You alone are the Holy One of God.”

We think, “Wow, look at these great confessions; look at how strong Joshua and the people and Peter are as they say that they will follow God.  I wish I had that strength and conviction.”  But, if we get caught up in looking at Joshua and the people and Peter, we completely miss the point.

Notice, Joshua’s call is not to choose either Yahweh or the pagan gods.  Joshua’s little sermon calls the people to continue relying upon Yahweh Who has been faithful to them.  Joshua says, “Everything you have has been given to you by Yahweh, but if you really want, you can serve other gods.”  The people are free to abandon Yahweh and not serve and fear Him.  Joshua opens a catalog of false gods that the people can serve if they abandon the God of their Fathers, Yahweh, the Great I Am.  But those gods are no gods at all.  Joshua makes it clear right after our text ends that the decision is not between Yahweh and other gods, the people cannot chose Yahweh.  He says in Jos. 24:19, “You are not able to serve Yahweh, for He is a holy God.  He is a jealous God.”

Jesus says the same in our text.  “The spirit gives life; the flash is no help at all.  No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”  Jesus also says in Jn. 15:16,  “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you…”

Scripture is clear.  You do not come to God; you do not chose God; you cannot believe.  Believer, the God that you serve doesn’t like you because you are likable.  He loves you because He is love.  Your God doesn’t want you to serve Him; rather, your God wants to serve you.   Your God condescends to you to serve and save you.

You have been saved because of what God has done in Christ.  God reconciled you while you were still a sinner when Christ died for you.  When was Christ crucified?  It was a real historical event 2,000 years ago, but in God’s economy of time Christ, the pure, spotless Lamb of God, was crucified since “before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20).  And God chose you in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).  Salvation comes not by your choice but by God’s choice.

That is the Gospel.  God has saved you.  No good deed you have done, no religious service you have offered, no decision you have made has made you right with God.   God saved you when you were His enemy, and He sustains you.  He sustains you even when you falter.  If God forgive you in Christ while you were still a sinner and His enemy, He is not going to suddenly kick you out of the camp because your faith isn’t so strong or so great.

Jesus says that He wants to serve you; He wants to give you eternal life.  He is the Living Bread that came down from heaven.  Eat His Bread and live forever.  Feed on His flesh and drink His blood and have eternal life (Jn. 6:53-56).  Jesus’ flesh is true food; His blood is true drink.  Whoever feeds on Jesus’ flesh and drinks Jesus’ blood abides in Jesus, and Jesus abides in him.  As the living Father sent Jesus, and as Jesus lives because of the Father, so also whoever feeds on Jesus will live because of Jesus.

Don’t worry about seeking for God; God has sought you, and He found you.  You were dead when He found you, but that doesn’t matter to Jesus Who is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25).   Jesus will continue to sustain you; He will continue to lead you and give you His life.  When you feed on His food, you don’t have to worry about anything else, because His food will sustain you.  When you have His protection, you are safe from any danger in this world.  God will even keep you safe from yourself.

Scripture changes the question.  The question is not do you chose the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or some false god?  Scripture changes the question, God has already done everything to save you, where else would you prefer to go?  The answer or nowhere.  All other bridges have been burned.

Serve the God Who has served you.  Serve the God Who will continue to serve you through the rest of your life and even through your death.  Serve God who serves you even as your corpse rots on this earth until He raises you from the dead so that He can continue to serve you throughout all eternity at His eternal feast.  Amen.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the Living Bread from heaven.  Amen.