What’s Not to Like About Jesus?

12th Sunday after Pentecost, 8/15/21 John 6:41-51 What’s Not to Like About Jesus? It’s called hero worship and the older we get, the less of it we do. And that’s because we’ve come to learn—sometimes painfully so—that the people we consider to be our heroes aren’t all that admirable. They might say something that makes us cringe. They state what their values are, and we don’t share them at all. But it can get worse, and it happens far too often. The person we considered to be a hero has been accused or even found guilty of a heinous crime, or perhaps, they did something disgusting but legal. It happens to well-known athletes, musicians, politicians, even notable church leaders. So, the older we become, the more careful we are about emulating anyone. And the reason for it is that we know that no human being is perfect. Every human being is sinful just as we are. And we know what we’re like. We know how despicable we can be at times; how ugly and hateful our thoughts are; how seedy our desires are. But there is one person we can emulate and never be concerned that he might let us down with a moral lapse or a statement that makes our skin crawl. There is one person we can truly worship as our hero; in fact, he deserves that worship now and forever. By now, you know that I’m speaking about Jesus Christ, your Savior and mine. Everything Jesus ever thought, desired, said, or did while he was here on this earth was entirely pure, holy, right, helpful, and God-pleasing. He’s our Savior! We have no problem worshipping Jesus. It’s the reason we’ve gathered here this morning. But that wasn’t the case with the people gathered before Jesus as described by John in this event before us this morning. They weren’t all that impressed with Jesus. So, what was wrong? What’s not to like about Jesus? Let’s ask that question as we take a look at the word that Jesus shares with us this morning. In doing so, may we learn a little about ourselves, but, more importantly, learn a lot about our Savior, Jesus Christ. As our text begins, Jesus knows that the people before him don’t like him. We’ll discuss that in a moment. What I’d like to focus on first is the reaction of Jesus to the attitude of these people towards him. Everything Jesus states causes us not only to like him, but to love him and worship him. Let’s take a quick look at each statement he made about himself. First, he informed the people that if they wish to have a relationship with him, that’s something the Father does for them. Think about that. The relationships we have in life take a good deal of time and effort on our part. You have to work at relationships. But not this one. Jesus declares that it’s all God’s work. I like that! And the goal of your relationship with Jesus is one of the most amazing truths of Christianity. On the Last Day, Jesus will return and raise all people from the dead. He will then glorify our bodies in a way that we can’t fully understand right now. But, suffice it to say, that our glorified bodies will be perfect. That’s what Jesus has promised to do for us. I like that! Next, Jesus told them, “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.” Jesus informed them that the person speaking with them that day was not just some human prophet. He was and is God and he was teaching them the truths of God just as Isaiah had foretold he would. Hearing about God from God himself. I like that! In doing so, Jesus reveals God the Father to us. People throughout history have wondered what God is like. What does he think about? What does he think of me? What does he do? Why does he do those things? Even when his own disciples requested that he show them the Father, Jesus expressed his disappointment and then asserted that he and the Father are the same in every respect. I like that! And what God wants for us, he gives to us, right now. God wants us to have life with him forever. He wants us to be so certain of that life that he gives it to us right now. Jesus said, “He who believes has everlasting life.” By faith in Jesus, eternal life is yours right now. You don’t have to simply hope you’ll receive it one day; it’s yours today! I like that! So, consider what that means for you spiritually. If you have eternal life right now, then you won’t die. That’s exactly what Jesus stated. If you feed your soul on Jesus as the Bread of Life, you will not die. Jesus is speaking spiritually. You have spiritual life with God and that will continue, even if and when your body dies. I like that! In other words, by faith in Jesus we live forever. In a world that is consumed with the unending search to keep people alive as long as possible and to make the human experience in this life as enjoyable and rewarding as possible, the truth that we live forever is not only comforting, it’s also liberating. Why scratch and claw to get every moment and every joy possible out of this life (as miserable as it can be at times) when you already know and believe that you will live forever? I like that! But how can we be sure? Listen to the final words of Jesus in this text, “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” When Jesus spoke these words, he had not yet gone to Calvary’s cross. But about a year later he would. In fact, he was determined to go to Jerusalem to die for you, for me, for all people. By that death he won forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all people. Those gifts are yours and mine by faith in Jesus. He sacrificed himself for me, for you. I like that! But this is the reaction that Jesus received from the people in front of him, The Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I came down from heaven’?” All too often it’s true that familiarity breeds contempt. At least some of these people had grown up with Jesus. In their minds, he was simply the son of Mary and Joseph and nothing more. And even though they had seen him perform miracles, it didn’t change their perception of him. But there had to be something more than just that. If Jesus claimed to be from heaven, and his miracles certainly backed up that claim, then why not believe him? There had to be something more. And there was. Jesus met this reason repeatedly during his ministry on earth. And that reasoning goes like this: “If we believe he is bread from heaven, in other words, if we believe that he is God, then we must listen to him. Then everything he tells us about himself and everything he tells us about ourselves is God’s truth.” And that was more than they were willing to do. They were only willing to listen to what they liked to hear Jesus say. Their other line of reasoning went like this: “If Jesus is God, then we are subject to him. If Jesus is God, then he is our Creator. We belong to him. We are completely accountable to him. He is above us, far above us. I’d rather keep things the way they are: with Jesus on the same plane as I am. That way, I can take him or leave him as it suits me.” Do you recognize a common thread with these two lines of reasoning? They both declare that having a relationship with Jesus will mean that Jesus is going to take something from us, something that we like, something that makes us happy. Think about that for a moment. First, it fails to recognize our eternally desperate situation as sinners. It fails to recognize that, without Jesus as our Savior, there is only one eternal destination for us, and that’s death in hell. You would think that even if people were under the impression that Jesus had come to take something we like from us, it would be worth it to avoid eternal suffering. Second, such a line of reasoning fails to recognize that Jesus did not come to this earth to remove blessings from us; he came to win and bestow blessings on us. He once declared, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). Living without Jesus isn’t really living; it’s really dying every moment of this life. To be sure, it’s true that Jesus came to take something from us. He came to give us power through him over our sinful natures which always oppose him and our relationship with him. He came to free us from our sins which justly damn us. He came to free us from death—eternal separation from him, which is what we deserve. He came to free us from the god who occupied our hearts at birth—the Prince of demons. And as he took those curses away from us, he filled us with his blessings—forgiveness of all our sins, life as his own dear child, and eternal salvation. He did a spiritual 180 in us. And now he comforts us, guides us, protects us, strengthens us, and makes all things turn out for our eternal good. That’s what Jesus does for us every day of our lives as his people. What’s not to like? But we’re still prone to view our relationship with Jesus in terms of what it will take from us. I shouldn’t indulge my sinful nature, but I do. I shouldn’t enjoy harboring hatred towards someone or sinfully judging them, but I do. I shouldn’t enjoy it when my eyes feed the sinful lust in my heart, but I do. So, what should I do? Flee to Jesus. He removes my guilt and shame by his death and resurrection and restores me as his dearly loved child. He reminds me that he simply wants to bless me today, tomorrow, and forever. He wants to deepen his relationship with me through his word and sacrament. So, tell me, what’s not to like about Jesus? I pray you can’t think of a single thing. He loves you eternally. Love him in return. Amen.