"Fed by The Bread!" John 6:1-15
March 19, 2023
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
The Fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
Episode Notes
Laetare, The Fourth Sunday In Lent 19-March-2023
Sermon Text: John 6:1-15
Sermon Theme: “Fed By The Bread!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Rejoice! The solemn season of Lent is interrupted! Our introit calls us to rejoice with Christ’s Bride the Church. Isaiah preaches, “Isa 66:10-11 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; (11) That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory." Within a century after Isaiah preached, Babylon would rise up crushing the nation of Judah destroying the Temple and leveling the walls of Jerusalem. For seventy years its inhabitants would weep by the rivers of Babylon for her. Even then they were not to weep as those without hope. The Jerusalem above - Christ’s Church which began with Eve’s trust in the Promised Son is the Mother of all Living! Worldly political power and devilish religious lies will never destroy her. She is sustained by the Creator through His Word, even when it appears all is destroyed and the worldly Babylons have triumphed.
Banks may fail. Currency collapse. Crops fail. The Jerusalem Above - Christ’s Church stands. She raises her voice in songs of triumph singing with the prophet Habakkuk, “Hab 3:17-19 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (19) The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” In the darkest days before the Jerusalem below collapsed into the hands of the Babylonian invaders. The prophet calls Jerusalem to sing songs of praise, deliverance, and victory in Christ. To see history with eyes from above, with a mind no longer set on earthly things, but transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus sustained Jerusalem during the seventy years of Babylonian captivity by His Word. His Church nursed and sustained the faithful through His Word of promise. Babylonian political power and ruler made religions would not break the faithful. They faced the fiery furnace and the lions den, but our Lord Jesus delivered them from them all. He sustains His Church, even in these last days, for here we rejoice to be “Fed By The Bread!”
History records, (Jn.6:1,2) Opposition to Jesus was rising. Instead of rejoicing in Jesus’ healing a man who lay paralyzed for 38 years by the pool of Bethesda, St. John informs, Joh 5:16-18 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. (17) But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." (18) Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” The religious leaders didn’t want a merciful Messiah in human flesh.
Jesus takes His disciples across the Sea of Galilee for needed rest. Named also the “Sea of Tiberias”in honor of the present Roman Emperor Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus. He ruled from 14 to 37 A.D.. The Roman government demanded that its Emperors be worshiped as gods. Fools, who say in their hearts that there is no god, soon bow to tyrannical rulers as their gods. Against anti-Christian political powers the Church sings a joyous song of triumph: Psa 49:5-13 Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? (6) Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, (7) None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— (8) For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— (9) That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. (10) For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. (11) Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. (12) Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. (13) This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah” Few still call the Sea of Galilee by the dead Roman Emperor’s name - he is forgotten by most.
A greater than Tiberias is present! Large crowds follow Jesus across the sea because He brings true healing to the sick. He doesn’t just feel their pain, He heals their sickness bearing their infirmities in His own flesh. They come to Him wandering as sheep without a shepherd.
The Good Shepherd cares for His little lambs.(Jn.6:3-4) He takes His disciples up on a mountain to pray, preach, and teach them His Word. True rest is found in Jesus’ as He gathers us around His Word and gifts. Where Jesus’ Word is preached and His sacraments are administered, even if only two or three are present - Jesus still draws near to serve breathing forth the Comforter - God the Holy Spirit giving us rest in forgiving our sins.
The feast of the Passover was near the second during Jesus’ public ministry. The final Passover is a year away and it will be fulfilled in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Sin-Bearer, - King Jesus will take away the world’s sins. My sins. Your sins - on the altar of the cross. The Passover called forth rejoicing in God’s deliverance of His Church - the children of Israel from the mighty political power of Egypt and its demonic religions. Pharaoh’s world dominating power would be broken by a sacrificed Lamb. Egypt’s demonic religion would be shown a sham by a man with a staff preaching God’s Word. The Lord rescues and sustains His Church in all history.
Satan tempts us trust what we see, to fed on rocks, to trust our stomachs. He wants us to trust in our numbers, to steal Christ’s Word from our ears and hearts, choking its growth off with the weeds of cares and pleasures of life, or killing it through rocky trials and temptations. Repent! Rejoice in King Jesus’ Word! Mat 4:4 ..., "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "
King Jesus cares for your body and life. (Jn.6:5-6) Long before the crowd gathers and church begins with Jesus preaching - He cares for their bodily welfare. John tells us that early in the morning as they gather our King asks Philip about procuring bread for the assembling congregation. Philip counts the congregants and does the math. (Jn.6:7) Wages earned for 200 days would only buy enough bread for each to get a micro portion. Plus there were supply chain issues - no mega bread stores existed in the wilderness. The other disciples scurry to secure supplies, as Jesus spends the day preaching to the crowd. We live. We are still sustained by Jesus preaching His Word through the men He calls, ordains, and sends. As He told the seventy when He sent them out, “Luk 10:16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." If you’d hear the voice of your Good Shepherd King - come into His Church and hear Him in preaching.
Finally as the day long sermon draws to a close, the disciples have exhausted all their means to care for the physical needs of the congregation. (Jn.6:8,9) Andrew reports their meager supplies. Five loaves and two small fish will never sustain this massive congregation. The Good Shepherd cares for His hungry lambs and sheep.(Jn. 6:10) The King sets His table in the wilderness and has His lambs prepare to be fed as they sit upon the grass. 5,000 with five loaves - the math doesn’t work.
King Jesus, the Creator in our flesh, the source of our body and life - cares for His congregation. (Jn. 6:11). He takes the meager supplies and has a table prayer. He gives thanks to God the Father for daily bread. Then He distributes the meal through the hands of His disciples to all who had gathered to hear His day long sermon. Bread and fish become a feast, instead of a little, all eat until they are full. (Jn. 6:12-13) King Jesus will have nothing wasted. The disciples gather up the left-overs twelve large baskets are filled with the fragments of the five barley loaves and two small fish.
With bellies full the people confess. (Jn.6:14-15). Like Moses this Jesus had led them into the wilderness. Like Moses they heard God speaking from the mountain in the flesh and blood of Jesus. Before his death Moses preached, Deu 18:15-19 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, (16) according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.' (17) "And the LORD said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. (18) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. (19) And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” They are right in identifying Jesus as The Prophet - the Final Prophet - spoken of by Moses. They didn’t listen to Moses instruction, they want to force Jesus to be their Bread King - so they can get free food without any work. Moses instructed them to listen and obey the Word Jesus preached - this they rejected.
Refusing to listen to King Jesus’ preaching the next day the crowds would reject Jesus. They didn’t want to be fed by the Bread of Heaven - to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They only wanted an easy life here and now. They didn’t want a Savior who would be sacrificed for their real sins, rise again, ascend, and rule all history through His Word. Over 5,000 no longer followed King Jesus. They only labored for perishing bread. Turning to the twelve Jesus asked, “Do you also want to go away?” May you answer with Peter today, and every day, Joh 6:68-69 ...., "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (69) Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Rejoice with Jerusalem! Sing with David, Psa 122:1-2 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (2) Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! We are fed by the Bread! King Jesus is our Passover sacrificed for our sins! Risen for our deliverance. Ascended to rule over all heaven and earth - True God and True Man filling every congregation with His abiding presence. Rejoice here - the Jerusalem above is here - King Jesus comes down here to serve us sinners. He speaks His Word and sustains us with His body in bread, His blood in wine - placing it all in the mouth of each communicant. Rejoice to be fed by the Bread. Amen.
Sermon Text: John 6:1-15
Sermon Theme: “Fed By The Bread!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Rejoice! The solemn season of Lent is interrupted! Our introit calls us to rejoice with Christ’s Bride the Church. Isaiah preaches, “Isa 66:10-11 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; (11) That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory." Within a century after Isaiah preached, Babylon would rise up crushing the nation of Judah destroying the Temple and leveling the walls of Jerusalem. For seventy years its inhabitants would weep by the rivers of Babylon for her. Even then they were not to weep as those without hope. The Jerusalem above - Christ’s Church which began with Eve’s trust in the Promised Son is the Mother of all Living! Worldly political power and devilish religious lies will never destroy her. She is sustained by the Creator through His Word, even when it appears all is destroyed and the worldly Babylons have triumphed.
Banks may fail. Currency collapse. Crops fail. The Jerusalem Above - Christ’s Church stands. She raises her voice in songs of triumph singing with the prophet Habakkuk, “Hab 3:17-19 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (19) The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” In the darkest days before the Jerusalem below collapsed into the hands of the Babylonian invaders. The prophet calls Jerusalem to sing songs of praise, deliverance, and victory in Christ. To see history with eyes from above, with a mind no longer set on earthly things, but transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus sustained Jerusalem during the seventy years of Babylonian captivity by His Word. His Church nursed and sustained the faithful through His Word of promise. Babylonian political power and ruler made religions would not break the faithful. They faced the fiery furnace and the lions den, but our Lord Jesus delivered them from them all. He sustains His Church, even in these last days, for here we rejoice to be “Fed By The Bread!”
History records, (Jn.6:1,2) Opposition to Jesus was rising. Instead of rejoicing in Jesus’ healing a man who lay paralyzed for 38 years by the pool of Bethesda, St. John informs, Joh 5:16-18 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. (17) But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." (18) Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” The religious leaders didn’t want a merciful Messiah in human flesh.
Jesus takes His disciples across the Sea of Galilee for needed rest. Named also the “Sea of Tiberias”in honor of the present Roman Emperor Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus. He ruled from 14 to 37 A.D.. The Roman government demanded that its Emperors be worshiped as gods. Fools, who say in their hearts that there is no god, soon bow to tyrannical rulers as their gods. Against anti-Christian political powers the Church sings a joyous song of triumph: Psa 49:5-13 Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? (6) Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, (7) None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— (8) For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— (9) That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. (10) For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. (11) Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. (12) Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. (13) This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah” Few still call the Sea of Galilee by the dead Roman Emperor’s name - he is forgotten by most.
A greater than Tiberias is present! Large crowds follow Jesus across the sea because He brings true healing to the sick. He doesn’t just feel their pain, He heals their sickness bearing their infirmities in His own flesh. They come to Him wandering as sheep without a shepherd.
The Good Shepherd cares for His little lambs.(Jn.6:3-4) He takes His disciples up on a mountain to pray, preach, and teach them His Word. True rest is found in Jesus’ as He gathers us around His Word and gifts. Where Jesus’ Word is preached and His sacraments are administered, even if only two or three are present - Jesus still draws near to serve breathing forth the Comforter - God the Holy Spirit giving us rest in forgiving our sins.
The feast of the Passover was near the second during Jesus’ public ministry. The final Passover is a year away and it will be fulfilled in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Sin-Bearer, - King Jesus will take away the world’s sins. My sins. Your sins - on the altar of the cross. The Passover called forth rejoicing in God’s deliverance of His Church - the children of Israel from the mighty political power of Egypt and its demonic religions. Pharaoh’s world dominating power would be broken by a sacrificed Lamb. Egypt’s demonic religion would be shown a sham by a man with a staff preaching God’s Word. The Lord rescues and sustains His Church in all history.
Satan tempts us trust what we see, to fed on rocks, to trust our stomachs. He wants us to trust in our numbers, to steal Christ’s Word from our ears and hearts, choking its growth off with the weeds of cares and pleasures of life, or killing it through rocky trials and temptations. Repent! Rejoice in King Jesus’ Word! Mat 4:4 ..., "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "
King Jesus cares for your body and life. (Jn.6:5-6) Long before the crowd gathers and church begins with Jesus preaching - He cares for their bodily welfare. John tells us that early in the morning as they gather our King asks Philip about procuring bread for the assembling congregation. Philip counts the congregants and does the math. (Jn.6:7) Wages earned for 200 days would only buy enough bread for each to get a micro portion. Plus there were supply chain issues - no mega bread stores existed in the wilderness. The other disciples scurry to secure supplies, as Jesus spends the day preaching to the crowd. We live. We are still sustained by Jesus preaching His Word through the men He calls, ordains, and sends. As He told the seventy when He sent them out, “Luk 10:16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." If you’d hear the voice of your Good Shepherd King - come into His Church and hear Him in preaching.
Finally as the day long sermon draws to a close, the disciples have exhausted all their means to care for the physical needs of the congregation. (Jn.6:8,9) Andrew reports their meager supplies. Five loaves and two small fish will never sustain this massive congregation. The Good Shepherd cares for His hungry lambs and sheep.(Jn. 6:10) The King sets His table in the wilderness and has His lambs prepare to be fed as they sit upon the grass. 5,000 with five loaves - the math doesn’t work.
King Jesus, the Creator in our flesh, the source of our body and life - cares for His congregation. (Jn. 6:11). He takes the meager supplies and has a table prayer. He gives thanks to God the Father for daily bread. Then He distributes the meal through the hands of His disciples to all who had gathered to hear His day long sermon. Bread and fish become a feast, instead of a little, all eat until they are full. (Jn. 6:12-13) King Jesus will have nothing wasted. The disciples gather up the left-overs twelve large baskets are filled with the fragments of the five barley loaves and two small fish.
With bellies full the people confess. (Jn.6:14-15). Like Moses this Jesus had led them into the wilderness. Like Moses they heard God speaking from the mountain in the flesh and blood of Jesus. Before his death Moses preached, Deu 18:15-19 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, (16) according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.' (17) "And the LORD said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. (18) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. (19) And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” They are right in identifying Jesus as The Prophet - the Final Prophet - spoken of by Moses. They didn’t listen to Moses instruction, they want to force Jesus to be their Bread King - so they can get free food without any work. Moses instructed them to listen and obey the Word Jesus preached - this they rejected.
Refusing to listen to King Jesus’ preaching the next day the crowds would reject Jesus. They didn’t want to be fed by the Bread of Heaven - to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They only wanted an easy life here and now. They didn’t want a Savior who would be sacrificed for their real sins, rise again, ascend, and rule all history through His Word. Over 5,000 no longer followed King Jesus. They only labored for perishing bread. Turning to the twelve Jesus asked, “Do you also want to go away?” May you answer with Peter today, and every day, Joh 6:68-69 ...., "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (69) Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Rejoice with Jerusalem! Sing with David, Psa 122:1-2 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (2) Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! We are fed by the Bread! King Jesus is our Passover sacrificed for our sins! Risen for our deliverance. Ascended to rule over all heaven and earth - True God and True Man filling every congregation with His abiding presence. Rejoice here - the Jerusalem above is here - King Jesus comes down here to serve us sinners. He speaks His Word and sustains us with His body in bread, His blood in wine - placing it all in the mouth of each communicant. Rejoice to be fed by the Bread. Amen.
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