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6:1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.
- John 6 takes place after John 5, but the writer does not tell us whether the gap is days, weeks, months, or years.
- That he identifies the Sea of Galilee as the Sea of Tiberias suggests that his readers are not familiar with the places and events of which he writes. This body of fresh water is also called the Sea of Kinnereth (Heb. kinnor = harp -- as the lake is shaped like a harp).
- A large crowd is following Jesus (v.1). Their motivation is their interest in the sensational aspects of Jesus' ministry.
- Jesus sits down -- his usual posture when teaching his disciples, like that of the rabbis of that period.
4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
- Another Passover is near (v.4), and Jesus takes advantage of this time to teach his disciples.
- Jesus tests Philip (v.5), asking him how the apostolic band might feed such a large crowd. Thanks to a small boy (v.9), the pump is primed, and the miracle begins.
- The presence of grass (green grass, as in Mark 6) suggests he is teaching in the springtime, before the dry season (when it does not rain for many months).
- The Feeding of the 5000 is recounted in all four gospels (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6).
- Matthew 14:21 tells us that this approximation includes men only, not women and children. Counting males only was the custom of the Jews in O.T. times as well as that of the early church.
- Was the total crowd 6000 persons? 10,000? This is difficult to determine.
- Six (or possibly eight) months' wages is how the Greek "two hundred denarii" has been rendered. Since a denariuswas a day's wage, the equivalent is accurate.
- The crowd is amazed (v.14). And yet their motives are far from pure.
15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
- Theirs is a political agenda, and they have high hopes for Jesus to replace the Romans as a new king (v.15).
- He refuses their offer -- just as he refused Satan's offer of dominion (see Matthew 4).
- Nor does he propose that one of his disciples serve as king.
- What a contrast to modern interpretations of Christianity! Faith is equated with one or another political party. Such linkage of religion and politics was something Jesus wholly avoided.
- Bottom line, politics involves force. Those who refuse to submit to the will of the state will be compelled to submit -- "at gunpoint," so to speak. Those who do not put the state first may be imprisoned or even executed. This is wholly contrary to the Spirit of Christ.
- Jesus, resisting their overtures, withdraws, presumably to pray (v.15). Meanwhile, his disciples set out across the lake.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
- Jesus walks on the water. After initially shocking the apostles, he joins them (v.21). It is then recorded that they immediately reached the shore! Is there a lesson here -- that when Jesus is on board, we reach our destination sooner?
- As we will see tomorrow, the crowds will eventually catch up with Jesus.
- For more on the O.T. background to Jesus' walking on water, see Job 9:8; Psalm 77:16,19.
- When we are fatigued, rowing hard in rough seas, and tempted to be frightened, how quickly do we invite Jesus into our boat?
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."
- Why are most people attracted to Christianity and to church? Are motives in the 21st century more or less the same as those in the 1st century?
- Earlier in the chapter Jesus has fed the 5000, greatly arousing their curiosity. And yet something is wrong. Their motives are not right (vv.26-27).
27 "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
- Notice that faith (believing) is the work God wants us to do. Beware the artificial separation of faith and works, a common error of Protestantism.
- Not pleased with Jesus' challenge, they ask him to prove his point by performing a miracle (v.30).
- They are asking him to work the miracle again! This reminds us of Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to believe, despite seeing several miracles. It also reminds us of the faithlessness of the desert generation.
- In Moses' day, the Israelites ate bread (Exodus 16); can Jesus do more? This question is a propos, since he has just given a large crowd plenty of bread.
- As Jesus correctly points out, it was not Moses who gave bread to the Israelites in the desert, but God the Father (v.32).
- There is a midrash on Exodus 16: "As the first Redeemer brought down the manna... so will also the last Redeemer cause manna to come down" (Midr. Qoh. 1:9).
- For reference, compare Jesus' miracle to Elisha's in 2 Kings 4:42-44.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
- Ultimately, Jesus offers himself as the miracle, the "bread of life" (v.35).
- Compare the apocryphal Sirach 24:21: "Whoever feeds on me will be hungry for more, and whoever drinks from me will thirst for more."
- If we are to follow Jesus, he must be our source of sustenance, nothing else (whether health, the approval of others, recreation, professional success, sensual experience, drugs, etc).
- In v.35 is the first of the seven "I am" statements in John.
- Each points to Jesus' divinity, since in the O.T. "I am" is the name of Yahweh, God. Thus each statement tells us something different about how Jesus is God.
- Interestingly, the early church may not have made this point, particularly in their outreach to the Jews. (At least no record survives of this point being made.)
- The 7 "I Am" sayings
- "I am the bread of life" (6:35).
- "I am the light of the world" (8:12).
- "I am the gate for the sheep" (10:7).
- "I am the good shepherd" (10:11).
- "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25).
- "I am the way and the truth and the life" (14:6).
- "I am the the true vine" (15:1).
- While John, making use of the "perfect" number 7, gives us only seven "I am" statements, there are at least 7 more:
- "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting..." (Mark 14:62).
- "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5; 22:8).
- "I am the alpha and the omega..." (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13).
- "I am the root and the offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16).
- Can you find more?
- Is Jesus truly the bread of life to me?
- What is my "bread"?
- As I read Deuteronomy 8:3, Jeremiah 15:16, and other passages, can I honestly say that I thrive on the word of God?