Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from John 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ:
- I was watching a program on atheism the other day. The host or interviewer was speaking to a number of different people as to why they were atheists. A couple of the people she interviewed were pastors, one who had resigned and one who was still preaching in his Christian congregation.
- While there were a variety of reasons cited as to why these people had become atheists, they all asserted that they were much happier as atheists. In fact one of the more influential atheists interviewed said that the world would be a much happier place without religion – including especially Christianity. He felt that religion inhibited and restricted mankind from accomplishing many of the advances that we are capable of.
- This opinion, of course, is highly debatable. Societies that have intentionally enforced atheism – such as the Soviet Union and Red China – have not done all that well in advancing the more humane aspects of human society, nor have they been particularly successful even at technological advancement.
- However, the view that humanity would be better off without God is shared by a good number of people, and actually inheres in our fallen sinful nature. And this is really the nub of the conflict recorded in our text – the Gospel Lesson. Jesus, the Divine Son of God speaks of the need that human beings have for Him – and the response is less than enthusiastic. Rather, Jesus’ hearers find fault with Him and take offense at His teachings. Ultimately, “many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” It was so bad that Jesus was down to His last 12 disciples.
- The real issue is the degree to which we need God for life and salvation versus the notion that life and salvation are within our capabilities – and the decision of those who forsook following Jesus was based in the belief that we would be better off without God. In that this thinking is part of the sinful nature of all human beings, and in that this belief in the capability of human beings is an important foundation for American culture and life, we do well to consider this matter carefully – the basic “REPUGNANCE OF JESUS” to many people.
I. But Let Us Understand That Jesus Is Lord, And That All Human Blessedness Depends Upon Him
A. So That We Feed Upon Him For Nourishment – Through Faith In His Death For The Life Of The World
Text: “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. . . . Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
B. So That We Have Faith In His Word, Words Of Spirit And of Life
Text: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
C. And All Of This Is By The Spirit – So Let Us Acknowledge That Our Flesh And Strength Is Of No Avail
Text: “It is the Spirit Who gives life; the flesh is of no avail.”
Statement: While it is true that Jesus teaches in a somewhat cryptic manner, the sense is quite clear. All depends upon God – the Holy Spirit Of God, the Words of Jesus, and the flesh and blood of Jesus which He “gives for the life of the world.” From this we understand that all human blessedness actually comes to us through Jesus – by the gracious love of God.
A correlative reality is the impotence of mankind to save, improve, or even preserve ourselves. Of course if we have convinced ourselves that all is well with humanity, and also that the universe is stable and omnipotent, then we likely will have little patience with the teaching of Jesus. But this would be like attributing the fruitfulness of a peach tree to our fine gardening skills, and assuming that the tree is impregnable. And lest we think that this is oversimplification, we might want to consider all of the evidence of catastrophism on earth and in the universe. But of course, if one presupposes and merely asserts the non-existence of God, then the precarious nature of human existence in the universe cannot be contemplated – it just is and there is nothing to do about it. But this, of course is a tacit and shameful admission of our vulnerability and dependency.
Application: The evidence of what underlies the assertions of Jesus in regard to our dire and desperate need for His gracious gifts of life – His body and blood, His Word, and His Spirit – are not described in our text, but the evidence is preponderant in the troubles and trials of human culture, society, and relationships. Stop to think of all the money and energy that is spent each and every day in the area of “human services” –and we actually solve nothing; we only bandage and salve people.
But thanks and praise be to God – the only True and Living God – that He has provided what we so desperately need in the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: forgiveness, mercy, truth, life, salvation, and renewal in His love. Still, in spite of all of these blessings:
II. The Repugnance Of Contemplating Our Impotence And Need For God’s Help Repels The Majority Of Human Beings
A. Jesus Was Left With Only The Twelve, One Of Which Was Judas
Text: “Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?”
B. And He Felt Compelled To Ask Them If They Were Going To Leave Him Also
C. So Many Today Continue To Reject Jesus
1. Atheists
2. Adherents of other religions
3. And even within the church, Jesus is at times redefined so that we merely want a little assistance, and not to be utterly dependent upon His grace for everything
4. And many consider His Words “hard” – even in regard to the preeminence of His body and blood in our salvation
Statement: And I suppose that we are all still sensitive to the questions we have about certain statements of Jesus. And it is certain that our sinful nature remains incorrigibly convinced of our abilities. But by the Spirit of God and through the Word of Jesus, hopefully we have become convinced of our utter and complete need for His gifts and gracious love. And thankfully, Jesus assures us that He has indeed provided us with life and salvation, and that this life comes to us as we feed on His body and blood – that is, when we believe in His suffering, death, and resurrection, and that He is the blood atonement for our sins, that His blood cleanses us from all sin.
Application: So let us take care to note the overconfidence we have in ourselves, which makes us vulnerable to minimizing or even denying our need for Jesus and for God. It is not enough to merely “be religious” – we must “eat His flesh and drink His blood.” After all, merely being religious – with the idea that we already have the basic strengths and abilities that we need – may in fact lead to atheism, or at least to the practical atheism of refusing the Word of Jesus and determining to rely upon ourselves.
Conclusion: I trust that you recognize that your pastor is not a “crypto-atheist” – merely preaching and teaching to make a living. Now, I will not deny that I flirted with practical atheism in the ignorance of my younger days or that I struggle with this temptation to this day – just as some of you may still be afflicted. And this remains a constant danger of our sinful nature!
But we have been called to faith by Jesus, through His Word, and we have the Spirit Who gives life. We recognize – or at least we are in the process of learning – that “the flesh is of no avail.” We should not be afraid of this, or to put greater trust and dependence upon God. This will only serve to give us greater life and spiritual vitality.
And no, things are not better without God – regardless of the capacity of some human beings to delude themselves in ignorance. Thanks and praise be to God that Peter also describes us: “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.” Thanks and praise be to God forever! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.