It’s day 6 and I’m glad about it. Saturdays are always exciting because it’s the count down to Sunday morning. I’m proud of you on almost completing week one. Let’s quickly look at John chapter 6 on day 6. In John 6 a large number of people begin a journey with Jesus. They have experienced His goodness. They are among the 5000 men plus women and children who enjoy loaves and fishes courtesy of the King of Kings.
Can you imagine the excitement they felt when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes?
What an experience! They had already heard Him speak as no man had ever spoken. They had already seen Him heal the sick and deliver the oppressed. They were thrilled at what Jesus has done and eager to see what He will do next.
Let’s take a look at this crowd.
First, It was an excited crowd. Verses 14-24
They are so excited they want to make Jesus their king. He must be their king. They will insist that he lead them as king.
Notice what they are saying in verse 14, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come...”
Their Excitement is based upon what? To some extent it was based upon what they had already seen Jesus do—the healings, the miracles, the feeding of the five thousand. But mostly their excitement was based upon what they EXPECTED Jesus to do for them.
This crowd is excited—but their bubble is about to be burst.
Their excitement is based upon some false assumptions about Jesus—the assumption that Jesus has come to be their political leader, the assumption that Jesus has come to make life easy for them, the assumption that Jesus has come to give them what they want.
Secondly, It was a grumbling crowd. Verses 28-51
Their first question was rather nonthreatening. Verse 28, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” In other words they were saying “OK, Jesus what do you want us to do? We want you to be our king. How do we get this show on the road?”
The answer was not what they expected. Verse 29 “This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he has sent.” They were believing in the Messiah they had conceived, but not the One the Father has sent.
I think I hear the conversation becoming a bit strained in verse 30, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?” They have just experienced one of the greatest miracles ever recorded in human history. That did not satisfy them. Now they are putting demands upon Jesus. Now they suggest to Him what He needs to do to convince them.
So, Jesus, this is what you need to do to get us to follow you, make manna come down.
Here is the revelation that they must receive—John 6:35, “Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” In the book of John, Jesus uses the term “I am” to declare His deity and to reveal Himself to the people. It is the same term Moses heard from the burning bush. This is the first of seven “I am” metaphors in the book of John:
- John 6:35 I am the bread of life.
- John 8:12 I am the light of the world
- John 10:7 I am the door or sheep gate
- John 10:11 I am the good shepherd
- John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life
- John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life
- John 15:1 I am the true vine
Jesus is using bread to illustrate Himself as the giver and sustainer of spiritual life.
Just as bread, especially in that culture, sustains physical life, Jesus is sent down from heaven as the bread that gives and sustains spiritual life.
Jesus specifically tells them in verse 51, “I am the living bread that comes down form heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” The cross is clearly in mind when He says those words—“my flesh...which I will give for the life of the world.”
Thirdly, It was an offended crowd. Verses 52-
They begin to argue among themselves. Verse 52 “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Notice, in verse 52, they are no longer calling him Rabbi, and they are certainly not calling him Lord— “this man”, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Jesus is communicating a spiritual truth about Himself using the metaphor of bread. They are carnally minded and can only think in terms of the physical. Verse 53 “Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have not life in you.” This is not what these people wanted to hear. They are repulsed by the very thought. Their law forbids the drinking of blood. They are not cannibals.
But Jesus is not talking about a physical act of eating and drinking. He is speaking metaphorically. He is talking about a spiritual act of faith whereby we receive the sacrifice of the cross— we receive and assimilate into our spiritual being the life of Christ that is ours through the cross.
So, Jesus asked them the question, Verse 61 Do you take offense at this? “ They were no longer the excited crowd. They were now the offended crowd. Verse 66 “AFTER THIS MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES TURNED BACK AND NO LONGER WALKED WITH HIM.” They turn back from following the Lord.
Jesus turned to the disciples in verse 67 and asked a question, “DO YOU WANT TO GO AWAY AS WELL?” He anticipated their answer but the question had to be asked.
When the going really get rough, Peter’s answer is a powerful truth to remember. When my faith has been most shaken, I hold to those words of Peter, verse 68 “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy one of God.”
We may not understand the circumstances we are experiencing. We may not understand why God is allowing us to go through what we’re going through. We may be tempted to toss in the towel and give up. But the truth is there is no place else to go. Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. If I turn to the world, I will come up empty. If I turn to things (material gain) I will not be satisfied in my soul. If I turn to sensuality and pleasure, I may enjoy it for a season but it will only lead me into bondage. Where can I go but to the Lord?
When it got rough, the apostles did not leave. They did not leave because they were there for a different reason than the crowd. They were not following Jesus for the fishes and the loaves. They were not following Jesus for material gain or for social prestige. They followed Him because they knew He has the words of eternal life. Down deep, with the exception of Judas, they were following for the right reason.
Are you following Jesus for the right reasons? Are you after the fish and the loaves? Are you simple looking for the blessing?
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