Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Thirteen

Strong Doctrine Then in The Sermon on the Bread of Life
Strong Doctrine Now in The Family – A Proclamation to the World

The pattern of Jesus’ mortal ministry – In leading up to the feeding of 5,000 men plus women and children, Jesus followed His normal pattern. During His three year mortal ministry Jesus continually taught His Gospel and with compassion He healed those, or their loved ones, who had faith in Him.

In anticipation of and in preparation for His sermon on the Bread of Life, needing rest, Jesus and His apostles sailed from Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee to a solitary place, but “the people saw them departing, and many knew Jesus, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus when he came out [of the ship], saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:33-34), “and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God [He taught them His gospel], and healed them that had need of healing (Luke 9:11). In this He followed the normal pattern of His ministry.

As prolog to His sermon on the bread of life Jesus miraculously provided food for the multitude – “And when it was evening his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go unto the villages, and buy themselves [food]. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart, give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. And he said, Bring them hither to me.

“And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, and they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

“And straightway Jesus commanded his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him to the other side while he sent the multitude away…and he went up into a mountain apart to pray (Matt 14:15-20).

John gives an important insight that the reason Jesus separated Himself from the multitude and went to the mountain to pray was because many of the people now wanted a king who would feed them and not the Messiah who would save them. “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone” (John 6:15).

Jesus walks on water to strengthen the testimony of His apostles which was also wavering – “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with the wave for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, it is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:24-27).

Mark adds an important fact that at this time the apostle’s testimonies were also wavering: “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:52).

Peter’s request to come to Jesus on the water and the result of the attempt is described in Matthew 14:28-33. Every true disciple desires to experience the following personal application of this miracle:

“So then if, like Peter, we fix our eyes on Jesus, we too may walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of disbelief, and unterrified amid the rising winds of doubt; but if we turn away our eyes from Him in whom we have believed – if, as it is so easy to do, and as we are so much temped to do, we look rather at the power and fury of those terrible and destructive elements than at Him who can help and save – then we too shall inevitably sink. Oh, if we feel, often and often, that the water-floods threaten to drown us, and the deep to swallow up the tossed vessel of our Church and Faith, may it again and again be granted us to hear amid the storm and darkness, the voices prophesying war, those two sweetest of the Savior’s utterances – ‘Fear not. Only believe.’ ‘It is I. Be not afraid.’” (Frederick Farr, The Life of Christ, p. 314, Quoted by Bruce R. McConkie, Mortal Messiah II).

The Bread of Life sermon was intended to teach and also to test, which test many failed – The next day back in Capernaum “Jesus will teach them of the hidden manna of which the loaves and fishes were but a symbol. And here his popularity will plummet. This sermon will mark the parting of the ways between him and the people generally. Previous opposition centered primarily in the scribes and Pharisees, the Rabbis and rulers, the Sadducees and Herodians; now the generality of the people will harden their hears against Him who refused to conform to their concept of a temporal ruler” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mortal Messiah II).

Jesus was questioned, and answering said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). Jesus then testified that He as the Son of Man hath power to give everlasting life. (See JST John 6:27) But to believe Him they demanded a greater miracle than the feeding of many thousands which was nothing compared to what Moses had done for their fathers by feeding them manna every day, save the Sabbath, for forty years. (See John 6:30-31)

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:32-35).

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven” (John 6:41-42). Jesus continued to testify that He is the bread of life (see JST John 6:43-57), and He concluded: “This is that bread that came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live forever” (John 6:58).

Anciently, strong doctrine separated the wheat from the chaff – “After hearing Jesus affirm and re-affirm that He is the bread of life who had come down from heaven, “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?...From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66).

“The teaching which was intended to be not only instructive but also probationary had served its purpose. By the simple expedient of teaching strong doctrine to the hosts who followed him, Jesus was able to separate the chaff from the wheat and choose out those who were worthy of membership in his earthly kingdom….And this process of sifting, trial, and testing was to continue with increasing intensity for the final climactic year of his mortal ministry.

“No doubt among the disciples who fell away were both believing investigators and those who had committed themselves by covenant, made in the waters of baptism, to love and serve him all their days. The test of strong doctrine is given to truth seekers both before and after they enter the Church. This testing and sifting process has ever been part of the Lord’s system” (McConkie, Mortal Messiah II).

The apostles are given an opportunity to reaffirm their testimony of the Lord and to prepare themselves to receive the Sermon on the Bread of Life – We remember that Mark informed us at the time they were rescued from the wind and the waves that the apostle’s testimonies were also wavering: “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:52).

After many of His disciples “went back and walked no more with him” (John 6:66), “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? The Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:67-69).

The twelve had heard Jesus testify that He is the Bread of Life come down from heaven. The Holy Spirit spoke to their spirits and they knew again His words truly “are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

For many people, even some members of His Church, the strong doctrines and hard sayings of our day are found in The Family – A Proclamation to the World - Every paragraph of this Proclamation offers an opportunity to ask ourselves if the way we are living demonstrates that we believe these doctrines, or do our lives show that we offended by them. (See John 6:60-61). Do any of the doctrines taught in The Family – A Proclamation to the World cause us, in our mind and/or in our heart, to go back on our covenants and walk no longer with the Lord and His Church? (See John 6:66)

On the other hand, living and advocating for the doctrines found in The Family – A Proclamation to the World offers us an opportunity to consider for ourselves the Lord’s question, “Will ye also go away?.” And then to answer and testify as did Peter:“Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69).