Sermon – A.S.K. – Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-11 – “’Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!’”

I was searching the Internet for an illustration that would most accurately depict this idea that if you want something, you need to ask for it, and interestingly, one of the first examples that came up was about a wife and her husband.  It was a series of cartoon images by a French cartoonist named Emma, called “You Should’ve Asked.”  It depicted a man sitting on the couch doing nothing, while his wife was busy doing all the various things in the house.  She was feeding her kids; she was picking up after them; she was cooking dinner, all the while she was trying to entertain a guest.  As she was occupied with all of these things, her attention was removed from the stove, which led to the meal spilling over.  Seeing this mess, her husband yelled, “What a disaster!  What did you do?”  To which she replied, “What do you mean what did I do?  I did EVERYTHING, that’s what I did!”  The last panel then showed her husband saying, “But…you should’ve asked!  I would’ve helped.” 

This comic seems to illustrate a problem that is found in many homes today, where a supposed lack of communication leads to anger, frustration, and arguments.  In a way, I side with the wife, because the husband should not need to be told to help out around the house.  But at the same time, I can understand male psychology, being that I am a man, so I know that sometimes, we just need a good talking to in order to motivate us to help out.  So truly, sometimes a problem can be solved by simply asking. 

There’s no harm in asking, right?  That’s something that my dad used to tell me all the time.  He would say this whenever he was about to ask for a discount or something a little extra from an employee at a small shop or a restaurant.  I often felt embarrassed and a little scared that the store owner/clerk would get mad, but that rarely ever happened (at least I don’t remember a time when they did).  Often times, they would just laugh the remark off, ignoring it all together, but sometimes, to my shock, they would actually give him something.  They would apply an employee discount, saving him an additional 10%; they would throw in a little trinket like an umbrella or extra keychain for free; or they would give a dessert at a restaurant or a room upgrade at the hotel.  After watching him do this so often, I have learned to do this as well.  For example, the other day, I was ordering some cards for a game I play, off the Internet, and in the notes of the order form, I wrote, “I wouldn’t mind if you could throw in a few additional cards,” and when I received my package, it was in the box.  So although the hit percentage is low, this motto seems to work, “There’s no harm in asking.  You already don’t have it at the start, so you don’t lose anything by asking.”  So sometimes, you just have to ask. 

You may be wondering why we are talking about asking for help or for things today, and the reason is because our passage, which is the letter K in our Gospel Alphabet series, comes from Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  This passage is quoted by many to push the “Name it and claim it” gospel of wealth, which emphasizes that if you ask in faith, God will give you whatever you ask for whether it be money, riches, or property.  Ask in faith, and God will grant all your wishes like a magical genie that is not limited by three wishes.  But these false preachers are sharing a false doctrine, because they are not looking at the surrounding verses that give the context that is so important to understanding what this verse really means.  So today, we are going to look at four important points about Matthew 7:7-11 that will help us to better understand what is promised to us, who it is promised to, what this promise is like, and what are the results of this promise. 

I.  The Guarantee

What is the promise that is given to us in these verses?  The promise is simple, direct, and to the point – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  There is nothing much that can be added to this straightforward guarantee. 

Simply ask.  Ask like blind Bartimaeus did without fear of what people would say as he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Though men rebuked him for making such a noise, he continued to call out to Christ for mercy and to be healed of his blindness, and Jesus granted his request (Mark 10:46-52).  Ask like the Syrophonecian woman did with humility in Matthew 15:21-28, who persistently begged Christ for her daughter’s healing, even though she was at first ignored.  She went so far as to compare herself to a dog and the miracle of healing as crumbs that fall from the master’s table that even dogs should be able to enjoy.  She was then granted her request for her great faith.  Ask like the father did in Mark 9:14-29, who though he had his doubts, asked for both faith and healing for his boy when he cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief.”  In each story, the person came asking for Christ to work, and He did work.  All you must do is ask. 

Simply seek.  Seek as Zacchaeus did in Luke 19:1-10, who although he could not see Jesus because of his short stature and the large crowd, climbed up a sycamore tree in order to get a glimpse of Christ.  Jesus saw his desire, and though they had never met before, called him by name and told him He would stay at his house, a man who was despised by the community.  He sought a glimpse and found more than that – he found a friend and a Savior.  Seek as Nicodemus did in John 3, who had a misunderstanding about what the kingdom of God is but was truly seeking to understand who Christ the Messiah is.  He sought answers to his questions and found more than that – he found the way of salvation.  Seek as Mary Magdalene did on that Resurrection Sunday after seeing an empty tomb.  With tears of sorrow in her eyes, she told the gardener she sought a body and would take the body away if they just wanted it to be kept hidden, but after hearing her name called, she recognized Him to be Christ the Lord.  She sought a dead body and found more than that – she found her Risen Lord.  Each person sought Christ, and every one of them found Him.  All you must do is seek.

Simply knock.  There doesn’t really seem to be a story in the Bible about someone literally knocking on the door of Jesus’ house.  But one example that could be like knocking is found in Luke 5:17-26.  Four men tried to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, but because of the large crowds, they could not enter through the door to the house that Jesus was at.  But instead of giving up, they climbed up to the roof of the house and lowered their friend through the roof.  Rather than knocking at a door, you could say they “knocked out” the roof of the house to reach Christ.  Although the door seemed closed, when they “knocked,” an opening was found, and their friend was healed.  All you must do is knock. 

Each person simply had to ask, seek, or knock, and Christ answered and gave them what they needed.  This is the guarantee that God has given us – if we ask, it will be given unto us; if we seek, we will find; and if we knock, the door will be opened.  Many verses in the Bible state similar things.  Mark 11:24 says, “…Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  John 14:14 says, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”  Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”  2 Chronicles 15:2 says, “…If you seek him, he will be found by you…”  And John 6:37 says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”  God is asking you to come before Him in prayer – to simply ask, seek, and knock, bringing your requests before Him.  Then, He guarantees He will answer. 

But does this mean that you will get whatever you want and find whatever you seek and have all doors opened for you?  No, it does not.  For there are many who asked Christ for things and did not receive it.  There were people who sought something from Christ and did not find what they were looking for.  There will be people who knock at the door to whom God will not open the door in the future.  Take James and John, the disciples of Jesus as an example, they asked Christ to make them the first and second in His kingdom, to which Christ replied, “…But to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant…” (Mark 10:35-40).  Take the crowd we talked about last week in John 6, who sought Christ for bread and went home disappointed.  Take the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25, who because they were not ready when the bridegroom came, although they knocked (cried out), the door was not opened to them.  No, this verse definitely does not guarantee that God is your magic genie from the lamp. 

In order to understand what this verse really means, we need to look at James 4:3 – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”  James tells us that when we ask, we must ask for the right reasons and with the right heart.  When we ask God for something, is it because that something will bring honor and glory to Him or is it to feed our stomachs?  The verses from Mark 11 and John 14 are surrounded by verses that talk about performing miracles and doing great works.  Those miracles and those works weren’t for the glory of the doer but to help people to believe in God.  When we seek God, are we looking for what He can give us or for God Himself?  Refer to John 6 and last week’s message to see how Christ responds to that (and it isn’t pretty, when you are seeking Him for selfish reasons).  When you knock, is it at a time when the door can still be open, or will you wait until the day when you are locked out of heaven and suffering the punishment of God before you will ask Him to open the door. 

The guarantee that God gives us in this verse is that if we ask in His name, that if we seek Him with all our heart, and if we knock at the door right now, He will give, He will be found, and He will open.  This promise is that all who come to Him looking for salvation will be given it without fail.  We can come to Him, knowing He is faithful, but we must come with the right hearts. 

II.  The Open Invitation

The next thing we must take notice of in this passage is the open invitation that Christ gives.  In vs. 8, He says, “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”  This guarantee, this promise, is an invitation that is open to EVERYONE.  Jesus Christ did not put a stipulation that says you must be righteous or holy or without fault.  Jesus Christ did not demand that you come to Him once you have obtained a certain income or reached a certain social level.  He did not limit this invitation to a specific race, gender, or age group.  He simply said that it was open to everyone.  When Jesus Christ came into this world, He did not die to save only a specific group of people; He came to save everyone that is why John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  God loves all of us and sent His Son for all of us and calls everyone of us to come to Him.  Peter and the early church seemed to have forgotten about this in the book of Acts, for when he preached to Cornelius and the Gentiles and saw the Holy Spirit come down upon them, they were amazed.  God never restricted His gift of salvation, and this invitation to ask, to seek, and to knock for Him is not restricted either.  You can feel secure knowing that this promise is guaranteed to you as well. 

III.  The Comparison

In vs. 9 and 10, Jesus Christ then makes a comparison to help His disciples better understand what He was telling them.  He said, “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  Because we have been trained to never expect a free lunch, it is easy for us to doubt what Christ has told us here.  So to help His disciples understand what this promise is like, Jesus Christ shared this illustration.  He asked them to consider how they would act as parents.  If their children asked them for bread to nourish their bodies, would they give them a stone instead?  If their children asked them for fish to eat, would they give them a serpent?  Of course not!  Good parents who see their children hungry would give them food without hesitancy.  I cannot number the amount of times that I have seen my mom give up something she wanted to eat so that I could enjoy it instead.  I know that my mom loves chocolate cake, but when there is only one piece left, she will wait until I say, “No, thank you.  I’m full,” before she will take the last bite.  She does this, because she loves me and is willing to give up what she desires in order to see me happy.  Nonetheless, she is still a human being and can slip up and fall into sin and be selfish at times.  But even though she is a sinner saved by grace, she knows how to do good for her child.  How can we expect any less from God our Father?  The perfect God who is not selfish, whose love can never fail or pass away, whose mercy and grace overflow like a fountain, who has more wisdom about us than we know ourselves, loves us and promises to answer our prayers.  If we can be certain that those who love us will grant us our requests, how much more can we trust our God to do the same and better?

IV.  The Results

Finally, we need to examine the results of this promise.  If we ask, if we seek, if we knock, what can we expect?  Our answer is in vs. 11, “…How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  We will be given good things.  But what does that mean?  To understand what that means we can look at verses 9 and 10.  In those two verses, he talks about how good parents won’t give a stone when bread is asked or a serpent when fish is requested.  Although this may seem like a passing phrase of eloquence, it reveals to us an important fact about the gifts God provides.  Like bread and fish, the gifts God gives will be useful, fulfilling, and nourishing to us.  Unlike a stone and a serpent, He will not give us something useless or dangerous.  Our God gives good gifts.  These gifts include things like salvation, grace, mercy, and even at times physical provisions.  In Luke 11:13, a parallel passage, we are shown the most important gift we will be given – the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is a gift of God Himself, for He is one of the Three Persons of the Trinity.  That means that we are being given the gift of God’s presence, guidance, and spirit.  What greater gift can we ask for? 

To close, I want to reemphasize that these verses do not mean that we are going to be given anything we want or ask for.  It does not mean that everything we seek for in this world, we will find.  It does not mean that every door of opportunity we knock at will be opened.  But it does mean that God will give us what we need and what is good.  Like a loving parent, He knows our deepest desires and our most pressing needs and will provide for each and every one of them, but He will also wisely withhold what is not best for us.  Our God tells us that we can ask for Him, seek for Him, and knock on the door for Him, and He will give us Himself, be found by us, and open the door for us.  So do not hold back, pour out your heart and soul to Jesus Christ today.  For if you ask, you will be given.  If you seek, you will find.  And if you knock, the door of salvation will be opened up for you today. 

Sermon – Careful Consideration

John 6

Before making a decision, what do you normally do?  Some people like to make a pros and cons list and then decide based on whether there are more items in one column than another.  Some people will simply flip a coin and let destiny take them where they will go.  But others like me, take the time to consider the options, the current situation, and the possible consequences of the decision, and then make the choice.  I do that for almost everything.  Some decisions getting less thought than others. 

For example, over the past few months, I have been trying to lose weight, so to do so, I have made a habit of considering a few things before I choose to eat something.  First, I consider how many calories that item is?  Second, I consider what I have already eaten during that day and what I plan to eat afterwards?  Third, I consider how much sugar is in it.  And if I am truly being careful, I consider how many minutes of exercise on the treadmill it will take for me to burn off what I ate.  I make a number of considerations before coming to the decision to consume that item.

I do the same thing when I decide to perform an experiment in the lab.  I consider the cost of the experiment and whether my lab can afford it or not (Actually, I consider whether my boss will get mad if he find out how much I spent).  I consider the time it will take to perform that experiment.  I consider whether I have other experiments already planned for that day and whether I want to come in during the weekend or not.  I consider whether I have the supplies to perform the experiment.  And most importantly, I consider what the experiment will tell me and if it is worth the time and the effort I am putting in.  Again, many considerations go into the decision of whether I perform the experiment or not. 

Many of us will spend hours agonizing over a decision, constantly mulling it over in our minds before coming to a conclusion.  We will put in the effort to make lists, to consider every option, to calculate every possible outcome and then decide.  So why do we not do this with our spiritual lives?  Why do we simply ignore the Holy Spirit’s knock at our hearts, choosing to leave that decision with eternal impact for the last breaths we take? 

Our passage today for this “Gospel Alphabet” series comes from John 6:29 – “Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’”  You may be wondering how this verse links up to an introduction about decision making.  To answer this, you have to look at the context from which Jesus Christ said these words.  Jesus Christ was speaking to a crowd of people that He had miraculously fed with five loaves and two fish the day before.  They had seen his ability to feed five thousand men excluding women and children and wanted to make Him their king.  So they went out searching for Him.  When they found Him, Jesus Christ taught them a lesson that culminated with Him making the declaration, “I am the Bread of Life.”  Throughout his conversation with them, he basically told them to consider a number of things before choosing to follow Him.  These same considerations should be taken by us when we come to Him.  I encourage each and every one of you right now, as you read or listen to this message to consider these things and to come to a final decision by the end of this message. 

1.  Consider the reason you are seeking Christ (vs. 26)

There was something commendable about the crowd that was being described in John 6.  This was the same crowd that was present when Jesus fed the five thousand.  They heard His teachings in that desolate place.  They witnessed His miraculous healings of the sick.  And they ate of the bread that He multiplied from five loaves and two fish.  And because of their experience with Jesus the day before, they sought Him ought earnestly.  According to vs. 22-25, they took note of how many boats were there the day before and whether Jesus got into one or not, so that they could figure out where he went.  Then after searching the area they were currently at and not finding him, they sailed to the other side to look for him.  They did whatever they could to find Jesus.  And this earnestness for seeking Christ is something admirable.  But when they found Jesus, they weren’t welcomed with congratulations and gratitude, instead, they were rebuked in vs. 26, when Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”  Jesus wanted them to consider their purpose for seeking Him.  Was it because they truly wanted to know the Christ and draw closer to God?  Or was it simply because they were able to fill their bellies with bread.  Remember that most of the crowd did not know what three meals a day looked like at the time so being provided free food from nowhere was a welcome sight and a reason worthy of making him a king (vs. 15).  But this was definitely not the right reason to seek God. 

Many people seek God today in order to get something out of Him.  They seek God in order to get monetary blessings, which is why we see many people fall for the “gospel of wealth.”  They seek God to get salvation from hell, which is why many people only turn to Christ after hearing a “hellfire message.”  They seek God to pacify their guilt or to appease a family member or friend.  And some seek God for heavenly rewards.  That is not to say that these things do not come with accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior, because some of these things most certainly do, but they should not be the reason we turn to Christ.  It is like what my dad likes to say, “To get saved and be a Christian simply so that you can get out of hell, is not a good reason.  You should count the cost and come to Christ, because you love Him.”  We should be seeking Christ for who He is and because of His love for each and every one of us.  We should be seeking Him for salvation, but not from hell, but from sin and from a broken relationship with Him.  We should not be seeking Him to get a mansion in heaven, but because we get to spend an eternity with the One who loves us and hopefully is loved by us as well.  Take this time to consider why you are seeking Christ right now.  Are you seeking Him for who He is or just for what He can give you?  And if you came to know Christ initially because of the fear of hell alone (which is most definitely why I first came to know Christ), consider whether that is still the only reason you are following Him or if you have grown from that. 

2.  Consider what you are working for (vs. 27)

In vs. 27, Jesus presented them with another thing to consider when he said, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…”  In this verse, he pointed out to the crowd that they were so busy focused on the food of this earth that they were missing the more important spiritual food that he could provide them.  What they spent their lives working towards was bread – bread that would temporarily fill their bellies but would need to be ingested over and over again.  Instead, Jesus wanted them to work for food that endures to eternal life – spiritual food that only He could provide, which is why he said, “…which the Son of Man will give to you.” 

What are we laboring for?  What are we working towards?  Every single “successful” person on this earth has goals that they set in place for themselves.  They work towards these goals and are willing to pay whatever “dues” they must in order to achieve those goals.  Some are working for fame and popularity and are willing to starve themselves of food and sleep to get the approval of Hollywood.  Some are working for material wealth and will work night and day, sacrificing time with God and with family to have a larger bank account.  Some are working for a specific career position like becoming the President or a Supreme Court judge or a hospital director and give up their inconsequential interests to pursue that goal.  But they are all working for things that perish.  Fame is fickle, which is why it is said you get “fifteen seconds” of it.  Money and property can be stolen or perish in a fire in an instant.  A career position can be given away.  None of these last.  What does last though is what is done for Christ.  If we seek the approval of Christ our Savior, that has everlasting value, for we will be spending an eternity with Him.  The souls that come to know Christ, because of our willingness to follow Him, have eternal value, for they are one less soul in the Lake of Fire at the end of days and one more soul worshipping and praising God.  Consider what you are working for. 

3.  Consider your role in coming to know Christ (vs. 28-29)

It is at this point in the sermon that we have finally hit the verse that is highlighted in the “Gospel Alphabet” series we have been working through the past few weeks.  In response to Jesus telling them to work for food that endures, the crowd asked a reasonable question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”  They recognized that in order for them to work for food that endures to eternal life they need to do the works of God, but they didn’t know what that was.  So they wisely asked Jesus for an answer.  The problem was that they seemed to miss the second part of that verse, which was that the Son of Man will give it them.  They thought that they had to do something to earn the grace of God, that they needed to earn His favor; but Jesus corrected them by telling them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  Jesus simply told them that the work was placing their faith in Him.  They didn’t need to achieve a balance of good works compared to sins that they had committed.  They only had to trust in Him – to believe that He is the Christ sent by God to save them from their sins and give them eternal life. 

Interestingly, we can also read it as Christ responding by saying, “No.  You have it wrong.  You do not do the works of God to earn salvation, but salvation is the work of God.  God does it.  You must simply believe.” 

In this world, every other religion teaches that you must do something to earn your salvation.  You must be good, do good, or achieve some sort of balance.  But Christianity teaches something entirely different – your only role in salvation is to accept Him as your Lord and Savior – to believe in Jesus Christ whom God has sent.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9).  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16).  Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross, so that we could be considered righteous before God without having to do anything of our own works.  Consider your role and stop trying to earn your salvation; instead rest on His promise to save you.

4.  Consider what is holding you back. (vs. 30-36, 41-42, 52-58)

After hearing these words from Christ, the crowd immediately responded by saying, “Prove it.  Show us some sign to prove that you are the Christ.  Give us more bread to eat, then we will believe that God sent you.”  Before they would place their faith in Christ, they wanted to see some proof that He was who He said He was (vs. 30-36).  This was really surprising; because just the day before they had seen Him heal the sick and feed the five thousand.  What additional sign did they want?  Like the crowd, one reason that may be keeping you from coming to God is that you need God to prove Himself to you.  You want a sign – some miracle to be performed by God, before turning your life over to Him.  Have you not considered that the breath you are taking right now is a miracle in and of itself?  Have you not considered that your ability to read/listen to this sermon is a miracle?  To be able to see random words on a page, to have your eyes send those signals to your brain, to have your brain decipher those words and then interpret their meaning.  All within nanoseconds.  Is that not a miracle?  Consider the world around you right now.  That although there is a raging pandemic, many of you have yet to catch the virus, even though you have been going to work and interacting with people at a grocery store.  Is that not a miracle?  What additional sign do you need?  What does God need to do to prove Himself to you?  You are simply being stubborn.  And like the rich man’s brothers in the story of Lazarus and the rich man, even if a dead person were to be resurrected in front of you, you would not believe.

The second thing that held the crowd back from placing their faith in Christ was their lack of understanding.  After telling the crowd that He was the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, the crowd was completely confused.  First, they couldn’t understand how he came from heaven, when his parents were Mary and Joseph (vs. 41-42).  Second, they couldn’t understand how He would give them His flesh and blood to eat (vs. 52-58), for they weren’t savage cannibals.  Because of this lack of understanding, they refused to place their trust in Him.  Like this crowd, you may have a lack of understanding about certain parts of Christianity.  It could be a confusion of how one God can be Three Persons in the concept of the Trinity.  It could be a question as to why God allows suffering to occur.  It could be a confusion as to why God would allow free will and sin to occur in the first place.  In all truth, I can’t give you the answers to all these questions, because I don’t have them.  But what I do know is that Jesus Christ said that if you place your faith and trust in Him, you will be saved.  I do understand that He is the perfect sacrifice that can pay the penalty for my sins.  I can see God’s love towards us when He sent His Son to die in our place.  And that is enough for me to trust Him.  Don’t let your lack of understanding in a few things, keep you from trusting Him in the things that do make sense.  We can trust that our medicines will function, even though many of us don’t understand the mechanisms by which it does.  So why would we not trust a good God who has proven His love, when we don’t understand some other theological concepts? 

Consider what is keeping you from turning to Christ today.  Is it because you need a sign or because you need more knowledge and understanding?  Don’t trick yourself into believing that you just need one more thing before you will trust.  You will always find another excuse.  Rather than doing that, trust Him with what you already can trust Him for today and leave Him to show the rest to you throughout your lifetime. 

5.  Consider the Source of Salvation (vs. 35).

Finally, we must consider the source of our salvation.  The crowd was seeking bread.  They wanted something that could fulfill their stomach and needs, something that could give them eternal pleasure and life.  Jesus Christ told them that if they wanted that something, they needed to look to Him, for He was that bread they were looking for.  He is the Bread of Life.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is not just temporary fulfillment that makes us happy one day and leaves us empty the next.  No, He is the Bread that will prevent one from ever being hungry or thirsty again (vs. 35).  He is the Bread that will fulfill all our needs.  He is not only fulfilling bread, but He is also life-giving bread, for those who eat of this bread will live forever (vs. 51).  Christ is the source of eternal life, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, we will never die, for though we may leave this world, we will spend an eternity with Him.  More than simply giving life, that life is eternal.  It will not pass away or be eaten by worms but will last though ages may pass.  Also, consider that this bread is guaranteed.  In vss. 35-40, we find that whoever believes will never hunger or thirst and those who come to Him will never be cast out.  We need not worry whether we are worthy or not but must simply come and eat of that bread.  And finally, we must consider that the bread is given to us through grace.  We don’t earn this Bread but are given it as a gift from God.  In vs. 44, Jesus lets the people know that no one could come to Him unless the Father draws him.  Even our faith comes from our Heavenly Father.  If we consider the Bread of Life, our Source of Salvation – Jesus Christ, how could we reject such a wonderful gift? 

After taking all these considerations into mind, I have one question left to ask you.  It is the same question that Jesus Christ gave to His disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?”  After hearing all these words, many in the crowd chose to walk away.  They turned back and stopped following Him, because it was hard for them to swallow and accept what Christ had said.  They considered what they were seeking, and it was not Christ.  They considered what they were working for, and it was the things of this world.  They considered their role in coming to Him, and when they realized they could not earn it, but had to place their faith in Him, could not accept that role.  They considered what was holding them back, and they allowed their lack of understanding and need for a sign keep them from trusting Him.  And even after considering and hearing about this wonderful gift, they rejected it and went away.  Are you going to turn away again as well?  Or will you choose today to be like the disciples and answer like Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”  Consider today what you will do with the Bread of Life.