Sign of the Bread

Small Group Discussion Questions for March 31 Sermon

“The Sign of the Bread”
Series:  “Signs of Life”
Text:  John 6:1-15; 25-71

Icebreaker: Do you struggle with discerning the difference between wants and needs? Have you ever told a friend or loved one that you needed something but as soon as you said it you realized it wasn’t a need, rather it was just something you wanted.

Discussion:

1. Read John 6:1-13. Why did Jesus perform this miracle?
2. The Bread of Life Came to Satisfy Who is the first group Jesus addresses after the miracle? It becomes apparent that they see Jesus as being advantageous to them. Why were the people in the crowd wanting to make Jesus king? Jesus pointed out to the crowd in verse 27 that the “bread” they were interested in is perishable, it wouldn’t satisfy. What are some things that we want that will ultimately perish and will not satisfy? Why was Jesus inviting the crowd in verse 35 to come to Him and believe in Him?
3. The Bread of Life Came to Save (vv 41-59) Who are “the Jews” in verse 41? Why were the religious leaders having a difficult time believing Jesus was God? Jesus says in verse 50, speaking of Himself, that whoever eats the bread that comes from heaven, the bread of life, will not die. What does Jesus mean when He says, “will not die”? Jesus goes on to say that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. How do we know Jesus was not talking about the Lord’s Supper and cannibalism? What did Jesus mean?
4. The Bread of Life Came to Call for Surrender (vv 60-71) Who is the final group Jesus interacts with? Why do some of them turn and walk away in verse 66? Jesus says in verse 65 that no one can come to Him “unless it is granted him by the Father.”(see also vv 37 and 44) What must we understand of those who turned and walked away from Jesus? If the Father calls those who will be saved, do we have a role in our salvation? What was Peter’s response to Jesus to show that he had surrendered to the Bread of Life? (v 68)

Action Steps:

1. Consider how your wants can sometimes be mistaken for needs. Take some time to reflect on how Jesus is meeting your needs.
2. With regard to your greatest need, have you come to Jesus, the Bread of Life and believed in Him?
3. If you have come to Jesus and believed in Him, pray for your friends, family, and neighbors who have not and share the Gospel with them so that verse 40 can be true of them as well!