Well good evening, how are you? It's nice to be back with you and thank you very much for having along today. It's nice to be back with you. If you have your Bibles, would you mind turning to John chapter 6 please. John chapter 6 is where we'll be having our reading. I'm sure some of you already know that John chapter 6 It's the chapter where the Lord Jesus Christ feeds 5000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And have you ever tried to imagine it? Feeding 5,000 people is just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. That's some going isn't it? It's so magical. Just imagine if tonight after the meeting you go back home and you get the kettle on and you maybe get a couple of rounds of toast and you're just sitting down and all of a sudden you hear a You hear a knock at the door and you go to the door and you open it up and lo and behold 5,000 people stand at the doorway and they say, we're hungry, can you feed us? What would you do? I'd say, throw you to the neighbours and shut the door. I couldn't feed 5,000 people. But that's what the Lord Jesus Christ done. He fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish and it's some miracle. But we are not going to be reading about the feeding of the 5,000. We are going to be reading about the day after. But bear in mind this is the day after the Lord Jesus Christ is fed. multitude of people and you have to bear that in mind because these people they're so taken up with what the Lord Jesus Christ has done the day before they come look at them and they want to ask them questions about the bread that he fed them with so bear that in mind so we're going to be reading from John chapter 6 verse 26 please John chapter 6 verse 26 Jesus answered them and said verily verily I say unto you ye seek me Not because he saw the miracles, but because he did eat of the loaves and were filled. So there can you see that Lord Jesus Christ, he's speaking to this crowd of people that have come looking him the next day, and he says, the only reason yous have really come looking me is because of the bread that I fed yous with the day yesterday. And that's why yous have come looking me, yous want to ask me questions about that bread that I fed yous with. But we'll carry on our reading in verse 27 there, please. labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. For him hath God the Father sealed.' Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he has sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? What does thy work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Amen. God bless the reading of his word. But as we have said, The Lord Jesus Christ, the day before, fed these 5,000 people 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And the people, the multitude, they're so taken up with what he has done, the day before, they come looking at the Lord Jesus Christ and they want to ask him some things because the day before they were sitting there and they saw the Lord Jesus Christ taking the bread and he was breaking it. And he was giving it out, and it never ran out, it just kept multiplying. It never ran out, it just kept multiplying. And they're so taken up with this miracle that the Lord Jesus Christ had done. He was feeding them with this bread, he was doing a miracle with the bread. It was just five loaves, and all of a sudden it feeds 5,000. And there's that many leftovers, they're collecting baskets with all the leftovers. Everyone's going away filled, and they're so taken up with this miracle. They want to ask him about the bread. But as they saw this miracle with the bread and they said, we are being fed with bread. And as they watched the Lord Jesus Christ breaking the bread and it just keep multiplying, something triggered in their memory. Because they knew way back in their history, in their ancestors' time, God done an amazing miracle with bread to feed their ancestors. And something triggers in their mind as they watch the Lord Jesus Christ doing this miracle with the bread, something triggers and they think, God done a miracle with bread before and he fed our ancestors. And remember, We looked at it earlier on there today. Remember the children of Israel were in the wilderness. They were in the wilderness for 40 years. God had brought them out from the land of Egypt. They'd been slaves there for centuries. And God brought them out with the plagues and with the Passover and the Vansari Pharaoh said let the people go and God brought them through the Red Sea and into the wilderness and there they were there for 40 years but picture it the wilderness there's not much there sure there's not like you're not going to get much food there and to be in the wilderness for 40 years well you need a bit of food but there's no food there and God sent this bread from heaven he gives them manna and this is what triggers in their mind The people remember that there as they see the Lord Jesus Christ doing the miracle with the bread. We see this in verse 31. If we look at verse 31. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. So the people start asking the Lord Jesus Christ about that miracle that God done centuries ago back in their ancestors' time. And the Lord Jesus Christ, he answers them in verse 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. If you look closely at that verse, the Lord Jesus Christ is actually talking about two different types of bread. If you look closely at it. Because the Lord Jesus Christ says, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven. Can you see he's talking about the bread that their ancestors ate in the wilderness? And he's saying Moses gave you not that bread from heaven. And then he goes on to say, but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven. It's a different type of bread. It's that bread and the true bread. It's two different types. And the Lord Jesus Christ is really saying, see that bread that your ancestors ate in the wilderness? It's not the true bread from heaven. It's only really a picture, a shadow, a type of the true bread from heaven. It's not the real stuff. It's only a picture, a shadow, a type of the true bread from heaven. And then the Lord Jesus Christ goes on further to tell us more about the true bread from heaven in verse 33 because he says for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven. Can you see the true bread of heaven is actually a person it's not really a bread it's actually a person because it says for the bread of God is he if you notice it very carefully. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, that bread that your ancestors ate in the wilderness, it's only a picture, a shadow, a type of a person that God is going to send into the world. But who is this person? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ answers that question in verse 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. Jesus Christ is saying the bread that your ancestors ate in the wilderness, it's only a picture, it's only a shadow, it's only a type of me. I'm the bread of God so I am. I'm the bread that has come from heaven and that's what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying. And tonight what we're going to do is we're just going to look at how the manna is a picture, a shadow, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. First we're going to look at the course of the bread, where it came from and where it went to, then the colour of the bread, there's a wee bit of confusion surrounding the manna, how the people collected it, how they crushed it, how they cooked it and then finally how they consumed it. Now I know there's a lot there but don't worry we'll rattle through them and we'll let you away in good time so well. But first of all the course of the bread. The course of the bread. Where did it come from and where did it go? Well we see the answer in verse 31 there. Because it says our fathers did eat manna in the desert. As it is written he gave them bread from heaven to eat. So we can see where the bread has come from. It's come from heaven. That's where God has sent it from. If you have your bible could you turn to Exodus chapter 16 please. Exodus chapter 16. And this is God's speaking to Moses. God hasn't sent the manna yet. He hasn't sent this bread from heaven. But he's telling Moses what he's going to do. He's telling Moses, I'm going to send bread from heaven for you. And he's telling Moses what he's going to do. And we'll see a bit more about the manna, this bread from heaven, and see more about it here in Exodus chapter 16, verse 4. Exodus chapter 16, verse 4. Then said the Lord unto Moses, behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. So can you see it? God is going to rain bread from heaven for the people, so he is. We live in Northern Ireland, and we know what rain is like, so we do. This week we've got snow, but we know what rain's like. We get plenty of it, so we do. It's water, and it comes from the sky, so it does, and it comes down to the ground. We know what rain is. But we've never seen rain like this. Because God said he's going to rain bread from heaven. And that's why he sent the bread. He literally just rained it. It was rain, but it was bread, not water. And that's why God sent it. This bread, it came from heaven to earth and God sent it by rain. If we were to take the time, we're not going to do it, but Psalm 78, verses 24 and 25, actually tells us that this manna, was angel food. It was the angel food. So maybe instead of calling it manna, maybe it would have been badder calling it angel delight. Maybe that would have been a badder name for it. But can you see, as this bread has come from heaven to earth, it's really a picture of the incarnation, isn't it? It is a picture of God the Son, the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, leaving heaven and coming to earth and being born of a virgin. That's what this bread is, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ leaving heaven and coming to earth. John chapter 1 verse 14 says, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. See the Lord Jesus Christ, his existence didn't begin when he was born by the Virgin Mary. It didn't begin when he was in the womb of Mary, no it didn't, because he has always been, he's eternal, he is God the Son, he was there a creation. And He has always been, He was there even before creation, so He is, and He will always be. He's eternal because He is the Son of God. He is God Himself. He created all things. But the thing is, why would the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, leave heaven to come to earth? See, we can read about heaven in the Bible and we can see how wonderful a place it is. There's a street of gold there, so there is. I can't afford any gold down here but up in heaven there's just a street of it. And you'll be able to walk on top of the gold so you will. And the Bible says there's no more death there, there's no more sorrow, there's no tears, there's no pain. And what a place it is and best of all God is there. I want to go to heaven, but why would the Son of God leave heaven to come to earth? Why would he do it? That's because he wants you to go to heaven too. He wants to spend eternity with you, but he knows that we can't go to heaven because of our sin. So we are sinners, we've rebelled against God. If we were to take time just to look at the commandments, you could see we've told lies. We've coveted, we've been jealous, wanted things that aren't ours. We've been disobedient to our parents, maybe when we were growing up. And if you were just to take the time to go through the commandments, you would see that we're sinners. And we've broken God's laws and because of our sin, we can't get to heaven because God's a holy God and he must separate himself from sin and God will not allow sin into heaven. And because of our sin we can't get to heaven, no matter how good we try and be, no matter what good works we try and do or whatever, we can't make our way to heaven. But the Lord Jesus Christ, he loves you so very much that he is willing to leave heaven and go to the cross and take the punishment for sin. So there he was. He loves us so much that he was willing to do that there because he doesn't want to spend eternity without you. He wants to spend eternity with you. See, God must punish sin. And the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and took the punishment so that we all might be able to go to heaven. But next we want to look at the colour of the manna. The colour of the manna. If you are still in Exodus chapter 16 drop your eye down to verse 31. Exodus chapter 16 verse 31 please and we will see the colour of this manna. It says in Exodus chapter 16 verse 31 manna and it was like coriander seed white. Can you see the colour of this bread? It's white. And we all know that the colour white symbolises purity. The colour white symbolises purity. Last year I think I was at five weddings and this year I've got four weddings to go to. I've already been to one of them but I've seemed to go to a lot of weddings lately. At all the weddings I go to When we're sitting in the church waiting for the bride and the bridesmaids to come, you overhear some of the women talking. And all the women are always saying, what colour do you think the dresses will be? What colour do you think the dresses will be? And they're so fascinated by what colour the dresses will be. But us men, we don't really care what colour the dresses are. All we're interested in doing is getting to the reception for the feed, so that's all we're interested in. But the one thing I haven't heard the women ever saying is, what colour do you think the bride's dress will be? See, everyone just knows that the bride's going to come in a white dress, because the colour white symbolises the bride's purity. And we all know, just even from weddings, that white symbolises purity. And the white manna, it symbolises the purity of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ. He's pure. He's perfect. He never sinned. He never sinned in word. He never sinned in thought or he never sinned in deed. He was absolutely perfect. And of course the colour white symbolises his purity. But when we consider ourselves, you can't say the colour white really symbolises us. Because we are full of sin. We're full of iniquity. As we have already seen, we have broken God's laws. We're full of sin. We're full of iniquity. So we are. And the colour white doesn't symbolise us. We are the opposite from the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ, he hates sin, so he goes, he hates iniquity, and he must punish it. See, if we die with sin in our lives, we'll have to go to that horrible place called hell to face the punishment, because he must punish sin because he hates it, and he's a just God, and he must punish sin, and he must separate himself from it. That's why he won't let sin into heaven. That's why he won't allow iniquity into heaven. But the amazing thing is, in Isaiah 53 verse 6 it says, And that's speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, the thing that he hates, the thing that he must punish. is actually being laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He's taken the iniquity of us all. That word iniquity, it really means sin, so it does. It's another word for sin. And he's taken the iniquity of us all, the sin of us all upon himself. Why would he do that? He hates sin. He must punish it. He must keep himself separate from it. But see, he loves you so very much. that he is willing to take the iniquity of us all upon himself and take the wrath of God, take the punishment of God for our iniquity. Because he loves us. He loves you. And he wants to spend eternity with you. You can never doubt the love that God has for you. You can doubt the love that other people have for you, but you can never doubt the love that God has for you, that the love that the Lord Jesus Christ has for you. He was willing to take the punishment that we deserve to make a way of salvation possible for us. He died on the cross but we all know he came back to life and he went back to heaven and today he's alive. But we can see the love that he has for us. But next we're going to look at the confusion surrounding the manna. There's a wee bit of confusion around it when it first arrived. We see this in Exodus chapter 16 verse 15. We see Israel's reaction when they first see this bread that's coming from heaven. It says in Exodus chapter 16 verse 15, when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, it is manna, for they wist not what it was. Try and picture it in your head. You're in the camp of Israel, you're in the wilderness, so you are. And it's the first day that this manna has been rained from heaven. It's the first day. You've never seen it before. This is the first day. You're in your tent and you wake up and you maybe give yourself a bit of a stretch. You've maybe slept through a few snooze buttons that you have, but eventually you get yourself up. And you go to the tent door and you open it up. And you go, ooh, what's that stuff on the ground? I've never seen that before, I wonder what that is. And you maybe call someone from the tent and say, come on here, look at this here, there's stuff on the ground here. Do you know what that is? I've never seen that before. And you think to yourself, well, God said to Moses that he was going to send bread from heaven for us to eat. That's what that stuff must be. And you say, well, what are we going to call it? You know, we'll have to give it a name, we'll have to call it something. I don't know. I don't know what to call it. We'll call it manna. Tell you what, we'll call it manna. And see if you just look at that word manna, it really means what is it? That's what manna means. What is it? See the people didn't know what it was. We saw that in the verse. For they wist not what it was. The people were a wee bit confused about it. They'd never seen it before and they didn't know what to make of it. And remember when the Lord Jesus Christ was here on earth, the people were a wee bit confused about who he was. They saw the miracles that he was able to do, we spoke about how he fed the 5,000, and they seen all the other miracles, and they knew there was something special about the Lord Jesus Christ. They just saw the things that he was able to do, and they heard his teaching, and they just knew there was something different about him, but they were still confused about who he really was. Remember in Matthew chapter 16, the Lord Jesus Christ asked his disciples and said, who do people say that I am? What are the people saying about me? Who do they think I am? And in Matthew chapter 16 verse 14, the disciples answered the Lord Jesus Christ and said, some say that they are John the Baptist, some Elias and others, Jeremias or one of the prophets. See, there's a debate going about who the Lord Jesus Christ was. I saw the miracles he was able to do and some were saying, he's John the Baptist. He's John the Baptist. And others were saying, no, no, way on. I don't think he's John the Baptist. I think he's Elijah. And others were saying, Elijah, no. I think he's Jeremiah, actually. I think he's Jeremiah. There was this debate going about and others were saying, well, I don't think he's Jeremiah or John the Baptist or Elijah, but I think he's one of the prophets. I'm not sure which one, but there's something just special about him and he has to be a prophet. I'm not sure which one, but he's one of the prophets. Can you see the debate that was going about the Lord Jesus Christ? They didn't know really who he was. But of course, Simon Peter got it right. But it was in Matthew chapter 16, verse 16, he said, thou art the Christ, The Son of the Living God. Simon Peter, he said, oh, you're so much more than a prophet, Suya. You're the Christ, you're the Messiah, you're the one that God promised in the Old Testament that he would send to save the world. You're the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You're not just a prophet, Suya, you're not. You actually are God the Son. You're God, you're the Son of the Living God. Simon Peter got it right, Suya. The Lord Jesus Christ, that's who he was, that's who he is. But the question tonight is, who do you think the Lord Jesus Christ is? What do you think of him? Do you think he was just a prophet? Do you think he was just some good moral teacher? Or do you believe that he is the Christ? The one that God promised in the Old Testament that he would send into the world to save us. Do you believe that he is the son of the living God? Do you believe that he went to the cross and took the punishment for sin, for the sin of the world? Do you believe that he died and came back to life, he rose again? Do you believe that he's in heaven? And do you believe that if you repent of your sin and pray to him and ask him to forgive your sin, to take it away, that he will? Do you believe that? Well, if you believe that there, I wonder, have you ever done it? Have you ever repented of your sin and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to take away your sin and to come into your life? Have you ever made Him your Lord and Saviour? Well, if you haven't, why don't you? Because today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off because you're not guaranteed tomorrow. Make sure you get right with God today. But now we're gonna look at the collection of the manna. We have seen how God has reamed the bread from heaven, but it's now lying on the ground, so it is. The people have to actually get up from their tent, they have to go out and have to pick it up. We see this in Numbers chapter 11. Please, if you turn to Numbers chapter 11, please, Numbers chapter 11, verse eight. Numbers chapter 11 verse 8 please. And it says in Numbers chapter 11 verse 8, and the people went about and gallered it. Can you see what's happening here? The bread is laying on the ground and the people actually have to go out, they have to leave their tent, they have to bend down, they have to pick up the bread. They have to pick it up, they have to collect it. and then they bring it back to their tent. They have to go out and collect it. I believe this is a picture of the night before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Remember the night before he was crucified, what was he doing? He was celebrating the Passover with his disciples. And when they finished celebrating the Passover, what did they do? Well, they left Jerusalem. They went out from Jerusalem and they went out up the Mount of Olives, which isn't too far away, just up the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem, into the Garden of Gethsemane. And there he prayed. But then in John chapter 18, verse 3, we read that a band of soldiers, a band of Roman soldiers came into the Garden of Gethsemane. They came up the Mount of Olives into the Garden of Gethsemane where the Lord Jesus Christ was. And in a band, There's 600, so there's a band of soldiers, 600 Roman soldiers, they come to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 26, verse 50, it says, then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Can you see what these Roman soldiers, this band of soldiers done? They had to go out from Jerusalem, they had to go into the Garden of Gethsemane and they laid their hands on him. and they took him and they brought him back to Jerusalem. Just like the people had to go out from their tents and gather the bread, they had to collect it and bring it back to their tents. It's a picture of it. And these Roman soldiers, what did they do? They took the Lord Jesus Christ, they put him on trial, and then eventually they crucified him. Though the thing that amazes me is that these Roman soldiers, these 600 of them, because it says a band of soldiers, it's amazing that the Lord Jesus Christ actually let them take him. You might think to yourself, well, 600 Roman soldiers, rough, tough Roman soldiers, They have swords and their spears and things like that. They have all their weapons, swords and staffs, sorry, they're swords and staffs. They have all their weapons. They have all their armour on, so they have. And you might think, the Lord Jesus Christ, what chance did he have? What chance did he have, one man against 600? But the thing is, the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, he was man, but he's God, so he is. And if he wanted to, he said himself that he could call more than 12 legions of angels. He could have called more than 12 legions of angels. See, in a legion, there's 6,000. So in a legion, there's 6,000. And the Lord Jesus Christ says he could have called more than 12 legions of angels. But we'll go with just 12 legions. 12 times 6,000 equals 72,000. I had to get the calculator to do that. 12 times 6,000 is 72,000. If the Lord Jesus Christ didn't want to go with these Roman soldiers, if he didn't want to go on trial, if he didn't want to go lacrosse, he could have just called these 72,000 angels. And of course, he said he could have called more than 12 legions of angels. Theodore knows how many angels he could have called. But if he didn't want to go, he could have called the angels. And those 72,000 plus angels could have wiped out all those Roman soldiers just like that. So he didn't have to go to the cross if he didn't want to. He went to the cross willingly. But why would he go to the cross? Because he loves you so very much that he wants to spend eternity with you. He didn't call the angels and praise his name, that he didn't call the angels. He went to the cross because he knew there was no other way of salvation. He had to go to the cross if it was going to be possible for him to spend eternity with you. But now we're going to look at the crushing of the man. If you're still in Numbers chapter 11, look at verse 8 there again, please. And it says, Numbers chapter 11, verse 8, and the people went about and gallered it and ground it in mills where beat it in a motor. Can you see what the people decided to do? They collected the manna, and they decided, now we're going to grind it. We're going to grind it, and we're going to beat it in a mortar. They're going to crush the manna. They crushed it. And I believe this speaks of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember before he was crucified, what did they do? Well, they punched him. And then they slapped him. They spat upon him. They smote him on the head. They smote him on the head with a reed. In other words, they took a big stick, and they beat him over the head with it. They scourged him, or they whipped him. And the whip the Romans would have had, would have had bits of bone and metal through the strands. And as the whip went round the back of the Lord Jesus Christ, the sharp edges, it would have broken the skin. And as the whip was pulled away, it would have pulled out bits of flesh. It would have been agony. So it would have. And then they took a crown of thorns. Imagine going away and plaiting a crown of thorns and then pushing it into the brow of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then they took nails and they drove them through the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ and through his feet. And as he hung on the cross, it would have just been sheer agony as he had to pull himself up to grab a breath and then to sink back down and then have to repeat that there, just to grab a breath. The Lord Jesus Christ, he endured so much pain. well maybe never really understand the full depths of what he went through but he went through it all. All because he loves you and because he wants to spend eternity with you. Remember if he didn't at any stage if he wanted to back out he could have called the angels he could have come down off the cross but he didn't call the angels he didn't come down off the cross because he knew this is the only way. Do you think If it was possible for you to get to heaven by good works or by paying your way to heaven, do you think you would have said, OK, well, I'll not go to the cross because they can get to heaven by good works or they can pay their way in? Do you think if that was the case, do you think the Lord Jesus Christ would have said, well, I'll not go to the cross? But the thing is, there was no other way. You can't work your way to heaven. You can't pay your way to heaven. It's only by the cross. by what the Lord Jesus Christ done on it and by him shedding his precious blood that we can get to heaven and we can have our sins forgiven. This was the only way and he had to go through with it, there was no other way. But we're going to now look at the cooking of the man. The cooking of the man at Numbers chapter 11 verse 8 again and it says, and the people went about and gathered it and ground it in mills, were beat it in a mortar and baked it in pans. See, the people now decided they were going to cook it. They were going to cook it. And well, again, try and picture it in your head, you're in the wilderness. How are you going to cook something? You don't have a big aga cooker, you don't have gas rings, you don't have an electric hob. So, how are you going to cook? Well, you're going to go out and gather a few sticks, so you are, and you're going to get the sticks, put them together and get a wee fire going. If you want to turn up the heat, you get a few more sticks and throw them in. If you want to turn down the heat, you just pull the sticks out. So if he sticks out, it's nothing too hard about it. It's simple enough. That's how you're going to cook. But then when they get the fire going, they get the pan and put the manna in it. And then they put the pan with the manna in it into the fire. And that's how the manna is baked in the pan. That's how it's cooked. It's cooked by fire. And you know in the Bible, fire speaks of wrath, fury, and judgment. We see this in Lamentations chapter two, verse four. It says, he poured out his fury like fire. Fire in the Bible is compared to wrath, fury, and judgment. And it's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, on those three hours of darkness. Remember, as he hung on the cross, for three hours, God just turned out the lights. He cloaked the earth in darkness, so he did. And it was then that the real work of the cross was done. Though God the Father was pouring out his wrath upon his son, his only begotten son, for the sin of the world. Why would God the Father do this to his son? Again, it's the only way of salvation. It was the only way. He loves you and to make a way of salvation possible, this was the only way. Remember we said earlier that it says in Isaiah 53 verse 6 that the iniquity of us all was laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. All our iniquity, all our sin, the sin of the world was laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ and it was in these three hours of darkness that God the Father punished the Lord Jesus Christ for the iniquity of us all, for the sin of the world. This was the Lord Jesus Christ taking the punishment. And he paid the price in full. Because he said in John chapter 19 verse 30, it is finished. There's no more debt to be paid. He paid it in full. So he did. And then he died on the cross. But as we've already said, he rose again, he came back to life, and today he is in heaven. So he is, he's alive. But now we're just going to look at the consumption of the manna. Just finally, in closing, we're going to look at the consumption of the manna. See God has provided the manna so he has. He sent it from heaven. And now all the people have to do is eat it. All they have to do is consume it. That's all they have to do. If they eat the manna, well then they'll live. But if they don't eat the manna, well then they're going to die of starvation, they're going to die of hunger. Because again, where are they? They're in the wilderness. They can't go round the corner to the chippy so they can't, because there is none. They can't phone up to animals and ask them to deliver a pizza. They can't do that. They're in the wilderness. All they have to eat is this manna, is this bread that God has sent them. It's eat the manna and live. or don't eat the mammon and die. And that's a picture of your choice tonight. What do you do with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you accept him to be your saviour? Do you repent of your sin and ask him to take away your sin? Do you ask him to come into your life, make him your Lord and saviour? Well, if you do that, then you'll have eternal life. You'll get to go to heaven, so you will. You'll get to spend eternity with him wherever he is, there you'll be also. you'll have eternal life. But see, if you don't accept the Lord Jesus Christ, well then you'll face the punishment for your own sin. When you die in your sin, you'll have to go to that horrible place called hell. And you'll be punished for all eternity for your sin. You know, if you could speak to the Israelites, you would say, eat the manna. Get it down you. Because if you don't eat it, you're gonna die. It's the only way you can live. It's eat the manna. God has provided it for you. Don't be silly, get it down you. And can I just say to you tonight, don't be silly, accept the Lord Jesus Christ to be your saviour. There is no other way of salvation. If you don't accept him as your saviour, well then you'll still have your sin in your life and when you die you'll go to that horrible place called hell. Don't be silly, accept the Lord Jesus Christ to be your saviour. Acts chapter 4 verse 12 says, neither is there salvation in any other. It's only in the Lord Jesus Christ that salvation will be found. Tonight will you not accept him to be your saviour. Thank you very much. I'm happy that Geordie will close in prayer, please if that's okay. We want to thank you for this day. The very moment this door was opened this morning until each of us came. Father, we want to thank you most of all that the Lord This is the whole thing, Lord. If you don't undertake for the speakers that come here, then I believe they're in trouble. So we thank you, Father, indeed, how you undertook for Stephen today. And we thank you, Father, indeed, for this simple crossroad message tonight. I wouldn't be the smartest man in this assembly by any means, but I could take that in and understand every word of it. And we want to thank you, Father, for Stephen. We want to thank you, Lord, because I believe, indeed, that as the days, the weeks, or the months pass, even years, Lord, you use them to the way you want to use them. And it's already been said many times, it's nice to see the young ones come along and proclaim them in search of the riches of Christ. So thank you indeed for Stephen, Lord. Thank you indeed for this next message. And indeed, Lord, thank you for this morning's message as well. So where Father, just be with us now, undertake for the rest of this day. And Father, if there is to be a cup of tea or anything, if people stay in then, Lord, if there is to be a cup of tea, we give these thanks in Jesus' name. Be with us now, Lord, and undertake for us as we leave this place, either now or later on, and take us to your home safely for us. Thank you.