Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hey, everybody. Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Pastor Chuck Allen, and I thank you for joining me on today's weekday podcast. Today I want to take you to the Gospel of John in chapter six six. And I want to start off with a little bit of an irreverent joke. A man walks into a bar, orders a drink, and joins the conversation of the regulars. At one point, a guy shouts out, number seven, and everybody laughs. A few minutes later, somebody shouts out, number 27. More people laugh when an old guy shouts out number 33. The place just belly laughs. The guy asked, the fellow at the bar said, what's going on? He said, yeah, well, you see, we got so used to hearing the same old jokes again and again that we decided to give each other a number. And it just saves time. So the man decides to give it a go and he shouts out, number 10. Nothing. Just this weird awkward silence. And he casts this look over at the barman, and the barman shrugs. Eh, it's the way you tell them. I mean, John tells two stories in John 6. A story of Jesus miraculously feeding more than 5,000 people, and a story of Jesus walking on the lake. But for those who know the history of Israel, John has embedded clues that evoke other stories, stories for which Jesus is the punchline after the feeding of the 5,000. The crowd. Get it? Surely this is the prophet who has come into the world. They say in verse 14, they can spot that this is a repeat of the time when Moses fed the Israelites with manna from heaven on their journey out of slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 16, they remember the promise of a new Moses like prophet from Deuteronomy 18. Then on the lake, Jesus says, it is, I. Don't be afraid now. It's literally I AM. In verse 20 of John 6, it echoes God's words in Isaiah 43, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. And what is Isaiah talking about? In Isaiah 43, he's looking ahead to a new Exodus out of captivity in Babylon. When you add it all up, what do you get? Jesus is a new Moses leading a new Exodus, but he's the final solution. And just make sure that as you read and hear and try to understand this story. You don't miss it that John begins these stories by saying the Jewish Passover festival was near. In John 6:4 he says it was near.
It's a somewhat random comment, unless John wants to cue us up to see that Jesus is a new Moses leading a new Exodus with a new Passover sacrifice. Can you see that? It is like taking all of the Old Testament and seeing how Jesus fulfills that law. At the first Passover, Israelite families killed a lamb and put its blood on the doorframes of their homes. That night the Lord killed the firstborn child in Egypt, but the Lord passed over the houses that put the blood of those lambs on the doorpost and the children inside were spared. Pharaoh was forced to release God's enslaved people. Now John uses this story to interpret the death of Jesus. Jesus is going to free us from slavery, of sin and the threat of death by becoming the ultimate Passover lamb. And under the protection of his blood, we escape God's judgment and are set free to be his people. John shouts out Exodus 16, Deuteronomy 18, Isaiah 43 and we can reply, got it. And erupt rather than with laughter with praise.
Today, let me leave you with this brief meditation from Thomas Kelly. Glory, glory everlasting be to him who bore the cross who redeemed our souls by tasting death, the death deserved by us, he spread his glory who redeemed his people while we hear the wondrous story of the Savior's cross in shame. Sing on, sing on. Everlasting glory be to God and to the Lamb. Saints and angels give glory to his name. God bless you friend. Thanks so much for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
[00:04:50] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11 and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if Today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome day.
