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Continuing in John's Gospel,
in John chapter 6, verses 41 through 51, the title of this
lesson is, No one can come to me unless the Father. And so reading from the English
Standard Version, from verse 41 of John 6, So the Jews grumbled
about him, because he said, I am the bread that came down from
heaven. They said, Is not this Jesus,
the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does
he now say, I have come down from heaven? Jesus answered them,
Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless
the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up
on the last day. It is written in the prophets,
and they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard and
learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen
the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever
believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This
is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat
of it and not die. 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." Jesus answered the Jews' request
for literal bread by saying, I am the bread of
life. He who comes to me shall never
hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. And Jesus says, several times
in chapter 6, that in order to have eternal life, we must eat
his flesh and drink his blood. Well, in a previous lesson, I
think we made it clear that Jesus cannot be talking about literally
eating his flesh and drinking his blood. absurd and any objective study
of the context of John 6 will make it clear that it is believing
in him that he's talking about. When a person is so very committed
to Jesus Christ, he becomes their food and drink. Jesus is what
they are sustained by as their daily bread. Nevertheless, our modern-day
idolaters teach that they can actually change the substance
of the bread and the wine into the actual flesh and blood of
Jesus Christ. And they go to John 6 to make
their case. They are in the same literalist
camp as those who said in verse 34, Lord give us this bread always, The answer that Jesus gave to
them is the same answer for all time. It is not the actual eating
of his flesh and the drinking of his blood that Jesus means.
It is to believe in the teaching of Jesus and to live on his word,
and that becomes the eating of his flesh and drinking of his
blood. The analogy here is the intensely personal nature
of what happens to food and drink as you take it in. It becomes
part of your body. We saw that those given to the
Son by the Father will come to Him. All that the Father gives
me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no
means cast out. Jesus says three times, verses
38, 39, and 40, that He does the will of the Father. It is simply wrong-headed to
preach that God the Father intends to condemn sinners, and Jesus intercedes against the will of
the Father. There is only one will of God.
And there is always unity in the Godhead. In verse 37, Jesus asserts the
absolute sovereignty of God in the choice of who will be saved. in our day, make an idol out
of man's so-called free will. And they put man's so-called
free will above the will of God. What do lost men do when they
are confronted with the sovereignty of God? And that's exactly what
this crowd is doing. Jesus is speaking in a synagogue
in Capernaum And they murmur, they complain. The Jews then murmured, they
complained about him, because he said, I am the bread which
came down from heaven. And they said, is this not Jesus,
the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it
then that he says, I have come down from heaven? I think there is an extremely
important point of doctrine that is at issue in the complaint
of the Jews. What is that point of doctrine
in my view? The Jews clearly understood that
the claim that Jesus makes for himself when he said, I came
down from heaven. And they murmur. A murmur is
a low grumbling that expresses discontent. It's not intelligible, but it's
like a moaning in disagreement. I guess we've all murmured at
times about certain things that we don't appreciate. Their reference to Moses was
shattered. Jesus will not continue to give
them physical bread, but he says that he is the bread that came
down from heaven. And they understood what that
meant. If he came down from heaven, then he was not born of normal
procreation, that is, of a sinful generation. And he is, of course,
virgin-born. But to them, Jesus of Nazareth,
he's a man they've known as a small boy growing up. They know his
parents. And now he's claiming to be the
very one that Isaiah wrote about. Isaiah 7, verse 14, Therefore
the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name
Emmanuel." And Jesus does not deny their
conclusion. The point of doctrine at issue
is called the incarnation, God with us, Emmanuel. The incarnation of the Son of
God is an essential part of the gospel. The Word, who was in
the beginning with God and is God, became flesh and dwelt among
us. The Son of God, at a point in
human history, actually became a man. of the Eternal Trinity became
fully human. From an article or book by Martin
Lloyd-Jones on the Incarnation, the doctrine of the Incarnation
is that the second person of the Holy Trinity took unto himself
a human nature, was born as a babe, and lived his life as a true
man. Since our eternal salvation depends
on the person of Jesus Christ, it is extremely important that
our knowledge of him is according to the scriptures. One of the most important things
to understand about the Incarnation is that a new personality did
not come into being. There are many New Testament
references to the Incarnation, and I've just picked out three.
in 1 Timothy 3, verse 14. These things I write to you,
though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed,
I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself
in the house of God, which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory, writes Paul to Timothy. And then
in Romans 8, verse 3, For what the law could not do in that
it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned
sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement of the law might
be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit. And then the famous passage,
a well-known passage in Philippians chapter 2 verse 5, Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did
not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself
of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming
in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death,
even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly
exalted him and given him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven,
those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. The triune God did not become
flesh, but the second person of the Trinity became flesh. So, not to quibble too much here,
but it's not really correct to say God became man, but the scripture
says the Word became flesh. This may not seem to be a great
distinction, but I think there's a distinction to be made there. In 1 John chapter 1, that which
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled concerning the word of life, the life was manifested
and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal
life which was with the Father and was manifested to us, that
which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also
may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and these things
we write to you that your joy may be full." And then a little
further down in 1 John chapter 4, Beloved, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you
know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit
that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God. And this is the spirit of the
Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already
in the world. There was no change in the essence
of the second person of the Trinity at his incarnation. That's what
he means in chapter 10 when he says, I and my Father are one. They are of the same essence. And he does not mean that the
Son and the Father are the same person, but they are of the same
essence. And that's why there's only one
will of God. Jesus told Nicodemus, no one
has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that
is the Son of Man who is in heaven. That's quite a statement. Here
is the Son of Man speaking, the Nicodemus, and he says, I'm still
in heaven. So when the Son of God became
a man, he did not change in essence, but he did take to himself a
human body. That holy thing in the womb of
the Virgin Mary, the babe in the manger, is still the second
person of the Trinity. So we must not think that God
changed into a man. He was and is always God the
Son, but now He is in the body of a man. Another important distinction
about the Incarnation is that the Son of God did not just appear
to be a man. Angels appeared as men. But they were not incarnations.
The second person of the Trinity actually took on human flesh. The Gnostics that were running
wild about this time when John was writing. That was one of
the great battles that the Apostle John had with these Gnostics. The word means Gnosis. They said,
we know. They thought that Jesus only
seemed to be human, and that he was rather a phantom that
just appeared to be a real man. They said that human flesh was
inherently sinful, and so therefore Jesus could not be a real man,
because all men are inherently sinful. But in the incarnation, the Son
of God, as the Son of God, He is a complete
man with a body and a soul and a spirit. And by that we mean
that a new human nature was not created for Him. He did not bring
His human nature with Him with the idea that His human nature
simply passed through Mary. Jesus took his human form from
Mary. He is truly the seed of Abraham. In Matthew 1.1, the book of the
generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham. And that could not be true if
a special human nature had been created for him. He was born
as a true man from the Virgin. And then in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14, a fairly long passage,
inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood,
he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death
he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and release those who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed he does not
give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore in all things he had
to be made like his brethren that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation
for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered,
being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. The doctrine of the virgin birth. How can Jesus be a true man without
the sinful nature that all men are born with? Well, the scripture teaches us
that he was born of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. And you don't have to go to all
the references to the virgin conception of Mary, but you can
look them up if you've not already committed them to memory. In
Luke's Gospel, the announcement to Mary, in Matthew, the announcement
is made to Joseph. The doctrine of the virgin birth
is essential to the sinless nature of Christ. And Jesus was not
sinless because Mary was not a sinner. According to the Roman Catholic
Church, Mary was sinless. Well, Mary called God her savior,
and only sinners need saviors. You can find that in Luke 1.47. Lorraine Bettner has a lot of
good books, but on this particular subject, he writes, If Mary was
sinless, that only moves the problem back one generation. How was Mary sinless? The Incarnation is truly wonderful
and defies understanding apart from the sovereign work of God.
Do we believe that God created everything that is not God? Then
we must grasp the Incarnation that the second person of the
Holy Trinity becomes a man. He is born of a virgin. He is
sinless and lives under the law with perfect obedience in all
points. He is made to be sin for us. He is crucified. He actually
dies and He is buried. After three days and three nights
He comes forth from the grave in His own power. He ascends
back to the Father and intercedes for His people until He returns
in His glory at the end of the present age. He is Jesus Christ
the Lord. And so these Jews, when confronted
with the incarnation of the Son of God, they murmur. And how does Jesus deal with
their complaining? He tells them something else
that causes lost men to become angry with God. He has declared His incarnation
and they murmur. Now He's really going to upset
them. Continuing on in John 6, verse 43, Jesus therefore answered
and said to them, Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can
come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I
will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall all be taught by God. Therefore, everyone who
has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that
anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God. He has seen
the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in
the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes
down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world." There are those who reject the
sovereignty of God, His sovereign choice in election, in the salvation
of sinners, but they must To believe that, they must just
ignore what Jesus says. No one can come to me unless
the Father who sent me draws him. We have a school teacher
here. Every child is taught the difference
between can and may. Can I be excused? I don't know. Are you able to get up out of
that desk and walk out of the room? May I be excused? Yeah, you have permission to
leave the room. So can means ability, and no one is able,
no one has the ability to come to Jesus Christ unless that person
is drawn by the Father. Those only come to Christ who
are drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit of God. And men, I've mentioned earlier,
make an idol out of their so-called free will when they believe that
it is the will of man that is the deciding factor in salvation. The word draw is a powerful word on the influence of the mind,
the heart, and the entire person. The strength of the word draw
can be seen in James 2, Acts 16. The Old Testament equivalent
is found in Jeremiah 31.3. The Lord has appeared of old
to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love,
Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you." Since the Father has given those
who come to Christ to Christ, and that transaction occurred
before the foundation of the world, and they must be drawn
to Christ, why do men boast about their so-called decision as the cause of their being saved. In trusting Christ in this life,
they are assured of everlasting life. Isaiah 54, we won't read
that, but it's a gospel passage in the Old Testament. And it
follows the atonement passage, which is chapter 53. But Isaiah 54 has entirely to
do with the spiritual kingdom of the redeemed. And so, when
you next have a chance, read Isaiah 53 and 54. And I think
you'll be delighted in the promises of God. And Jesus uses the plural,
prophets, but then he only quotes Isaiah. And I think the reason
he does this is that all the prophets had the same message,
and their words come from the same divine source. He who is the Word of God spoke
by all the prophets since the world began, and is always, and
here he speaks of himself. Therefore, everyone who has heard
and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the
Father except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.
I am the bread of life. Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in
the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes
down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. What is it? We mentioned this,
I think, earlier, but when you eat something, it becomes part of you. It's
an intense personal act. Nobody can eat for you. So it is necessary to eat the
bread from heaven. Understand it, agree with it,
and eat it. When I'm hungry, I'll eat. A
lost sinner who is drawn by the Spirit will come to Christ. Jesus further defines the bread
as His flesh and Himself as a vicarious sacrifice for sin. You cannot accept You cannot
believe, you cannot trust in Jesus apart from his sacrifice
of himself. He gave his life for sinners. The self-righteous person has
no need of a substitute. The Jews understood that Jesus
was speaking of his incarnation. The Son of God has come down
from heaven. He has come into the world, and He is now in the
body of a true man. Don't be misled. Brother Gables
has done a wonderful job in his expositions of the Lord's Supper. Don't be misled by those who
teach that while the bread is still bread, that there's some
grace that flows through the act of eating it. It's a memorial
supper. It's in remembrance of something. There are legalists who trust
in their works instead of the work of Christ alone. And they
make their legalistic obedience as much of an idol as does the
man who adores the wafer, believing that the bread has been changed
into the flesh of Christ. So let's be taught of God and
come to Christ. Do you have any comments? Let's see. Every man therefore
that hath heard and learned comes to the Father what you have read.
Here is where he is quoting from. And all thy children shall be
taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. So that describes who it is that
is drawn, those given to him by the Father, but they are referred
to as his children. And every one of those is going
to be brought to faith in Christ and taught of the Lord. Not just
through the words of a Bible teacher or someone, but it is
God who does the teaching and makes it effectual. And it produces
peace. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Now, that's a universal term.
I like to use that with the individuals that want to argue for universalism,
you know, in the death of Christ and God is going to try to save
everyone and whosoever will, that means everybody equally. Well, here is a universal term,
all thy children, but it's limited in its scope. It's universal
in one sense, but it is unlimited in another. It's identified by
the text. All the children of God who have
been given by God the Father to the Son will be taught so
as to come to faith in Christ, and not a one of them will fail
to be saved. The same idea, I can't quote
it, but the same idea over in John chapter 17. I came across a thought today while
preparing for the last sermon in the Lord's Supper, there that
God chastens his people, that they might not be condemned with
the world, We are not only saved by God's decree, but we are saved
by God's intervention. If He didn't intervene in our
sinning, we would fall back and be condemned with the world.
See that? So God prevents apostasy from
happening in the lives of His children. What's the passage
in Hebrews? He chases his children. If you're
not chasing, you're not a child.
No One Can Come to Me
| Sermon ID | 91114115346 |
| Duration | 35:44 |
| Date | |
| Category | Bible Study |
| Bible Text | John 6:41-51 |
| Language | English |
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