03/20 – John 6:35-44 – How Can this do Such Great Things?

Grace to you, and peace, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

Martin Luther asks in his Small Catechism:
How can Bread and Wine do such great things?

It’s not even great bread and wine. It’s not like the bread that comes from the best bakeries of Germany. It not the wonderful wines of France. It’s nearly paper thin bread with almost no taste and fairly inexpensive wine. So how can it do such great things? What makes it so special? What makes it so powerful?

To understand that we need to take a step back. We live in a “prove it to me” kind of culture. We want scientific facts. We are generally not comfortable relying on a person’s word. We want that backed up by something else. So when we come to the Bible and it makes claims that cannot be proven scientifically we might be inclined to ask, “how can I believe that?”

We in the LC–MS confess and believe: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who lived a perfect life and then became that one time perfect sacrifice for all sin. In doing so He became the propitiation,¹ the payment, for all sin and opened for us way of everlasting life. Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Life.² Heaven is our home.³ Do you believe that? Do you? Do you really believe in a magic man in the sky who saves you when you die? Prove it.

We in the LC–MS confess and believe: in Holy Baptism when we, following Jesus’ instructions, and apply water with the Words, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” in that moment that person become a child of God,⁴ no longer a slave to sin,⁵ and our physical body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit.⁶ Do you believe that? Did you really have your child Baptized? Are you Baptized? Do you believe this stuff? Prove it.

We in the LC–MS confess and believe: in the Lord’s Supper when the Words of Institution are spoken⁷ Jesus’ physical Body and Blood become present and we receive them through the vehicles of bread and wine. In fact Jesus said if you willingly do not do this your salvation is called into question.⁸ Do you really believe this stuff? Magic incantations that do secret miracles? Do you believe that? Prove it! Prove these things happen. Some might say, “Show me the facts. Show me the science. Show me and then I’ll believe.⁹”

If an angry atheist came up to you yelling in your face, demanding you prove these things, what would you say? If he, with sarcastic contempt said, “do you really believe this junk?!” How would you answer?

You’d say, “yes.”

For which he might call you gullible and uneducated.

To which you’d say, “no.¹⁰”

His response would be to chide you to with, “prove it!”

How would you respond? You’d say, “That’s what it says in the Bible.¹¹”

Now he might think that’s a foolish answer. Good for him. The Bible says something about him. The Bible says:

the fool says in his heart
there is not God.¹²

and

Do not reprove a scoffer,
or he will despise you;¹³

So we know where God stands on Him, and we know where God stands on us. God wants us saved.¹⁴ That’s why He sent His Son.¹⁵

Where you stand on that I cannot say, but I know where I stand.¹⁶ I have read, studies, picked at, and examined the words of the Bible nearly every day for years and years. I’m a “prove it” kind of guy. I love my empirical science. I want my facts. I’m inclined to say, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just don’t trust anybody.” In my previous career, in computer data security, I had two signs in my office. They read:

Paranoia is ultimate awareness.

and

Just because you don’t think they’re out to get you
doesn’t mean they aren’t.

Where you stand on this I cannot say, but I know where I stand.¹⁷ I believe and confess that the whole of Holy Scripture is wholly and fully true, every word.¹⁸ That’s not me quoting the party line, or just going alone with things ‘cuz I’m not bright. (Though there are plenty of people who might think so.)

Where you stand on this I cannot say, but I know where I stand,¹⁹ and it is my prayer that as I bring the Word of God to you each week, you will each week grow stronger in the same faith that has been given to me. I want you to be where I am. I want you to go where I am going. I care about your souls. Your salvation has kept me up at night while I try to think about what I want you to know, and how I can show it to you. While Satan’s work to stop that continues.

So now we come back to God’s Word. Is it God’s Word? If you believe that then:

• It is true and right even when it says things we don’t like.

• It is true and right even when it says things we cannot prove.

• It is true and right even when it says things we cannot understand.

• It is true and right even when it defies our culture, our conscience, and the facts of nature as we know them and perceive them through the senses God has given us.

Sacred Scripture says:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.²⁰

Do you believe that? That’s a very important question to which a Christian must respond, “yes I believe.” “Yes I believe!” Where you have doubt pray like the man desperately begging Jesus for help, “I believe! Help my unbelief!²¹”

So now we get to the question for today, “How can bread and wine do such great things?” What great things do they do? Over the previous weeks’ sermons we have explored what these things do. They:

• give us Jesus’ forgiveness.

• give us Jesus’ compassion and salvation.

• give us physical contact with Jesus Christ our Savior.

• give us eternal life.

How can bread and wine do such great things? Such things as to usher into the very throne room of God and to stand before Him.²² The answer is: When these humble things are served to you it is done the way Jesus said to do it. When we do this the way Jesus said to do it we can be certain, beyond all doubt, we will get what Jesus says we get.

…or do you believe that Jesus is a liar. God’s Word is not gray. It is not a wide fence upon which you can stand and play both side. You must pick one side. You are a Christian or you are not. Where do you stand?

By God’s good grace you are here. By the Holy Spirit’s faith-filling call pointing you to Christ you are called to faith. Faith given by God.²³ How can you believe these things? How can bread and wine do such great things? They can’t. Simple bread and simple wine can do nothing but provide you with a little physical sustenance to get you through this earthly life. Martin Luther in his Small Catechism explains it this way:

Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.”

So that is what we teach, believe, confess and to which we hold as we praise and give honor to God our Lord and bask in the wonder that He would stoop so low as to come to us here in such a messed up place. When you come to this altar you are standing before the throne of a holy God. There should be some trepidation and respectful fear, but never terror.²⁴ Never that. Because this almighty holy God has called you His child. Which is just another wonder of our God who is eager to forgive, eager to save, and eager to have you know of His love.

Love He sent down in Jesus.

Amen.

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