John 6

The Ultimate Free Lunch

No doubt you have heard the popular phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” It means that any offer of something for nothing might appear to be without cost to you but will actually have a hidden cost or come with a hidden agenda.

Wonder-bread

In John Chapter 6, we find Jesus handing out a free lunch of bread and fish to a large crowd of followers. The next day these recipients track him down and demand more free bread. Jesus uses this encounter as a backdrop to discuss the meaning of free lunch. He tells both the crowd and the Jewish leaders that he is not the bread giver, he is The Bread itself - the Ultimate Free Lunch.

After Jesus feeds them, the crowd demands more of his miracles that give them free healthcare and free meals. They even try to force Jesus to become king so they can ride his gravy train for life. The ultimate irony is thinking they can pressure the One who is already King into being a king on their own terms.

I Am The Bread of Life

During this encounter, Jesus tells them that he is the Bread of Life. That he has come from heaven to be more than they want – He is the all-sufficient meal that will feed them eternally. He says, once you receive me, I’ll never let you go, and I will feed you forever. All you have to do is believe and receive what the Father has prepared.

But the crowd asks, “What must we do?” to which Jesus replies, God has already done the work, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.” Incredibly, the people and even some disciples respond by turning away and declaring that Jesus’ teaching is too hard for them to accept. They insist on clinging to their own definition of free lunch and cannot accept God’s terms.

Looking for Loaves in All the Wrong Places

What kind of Jesus do the crowds follow today? Is it the “Politically Correct Jesus” who loves and accepts everyone in a big tent? Is it the “Prosperity Jesus” who promises wealth because we deserve to get what we want? Is it the “Self-Righteous Jesus” who asks us to follow all the rules so we can be like him?

All these popular concepts of Jesus are like the crowd who wanted to make Jesus king so they could get the stuff they wanted. But Jesus tells us he is not a wish granter, and he is not the bread giver. He is the Son of God who gave himself so that we can have an eternal relationship with his Father. He gives this freely to those who will receive it. But these are God’s terms, not ours.

Someone Has to Pay the Price

In the end, after the crowd left him, Jesus asks the Twelve Disciples if they are abandoning him also. To which Peter replies, “Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter and the Twelve wanted to follow the One who freely fills forever.

Here’s the thing about a free lunch. Someone always pays – either your host pays, or your employer pays, or the restaurant pays. A price to cover the cost is always due, even if you get to eat for free.

The price we owe to cover the cost of our sin is death. But Jesus paid that price for us with his death on the cross. God offers us this grace at no cost to us other than to receive the gift and say thank you, knowing we don’t deserve it. Isn’t that the Ultimate Free Lunch?

Maranatha,

Andy