John 6 delivers a very important message from God to the world. John sets the stage for Jesus’ teaching with information about three significant events: 1) the feeding of the five thousand; 2) the crossing of the Sea of Galilee; and 3) the discourse given to the crowd on working for food that endures. These events provide additional information to Chapter 5 confirming His unique qualifications to be followed. These events reflect how Jesus was viewed by the people, His disciples and inner circle of “The Twelve” as well as providing insight into what Jesus thought of them.
Observations for living today:
The “sometime after this” separates the first feeding of the people and the teaching during the Judean festival of Feast of Tabernacles, Passover or Pentecost (John 5) in the Jerusalem temple. Jesus faced His most critical opponents, the Jewish leadership in the temple, and gave them an answer to their question: Is Jesus the Christ from God?
Now, between six months to just less than a year later, Jesus gives additional information to those who followed Him, on another fundamental truth, which cannot be ignored without the worst peril, both in this life and the one to come: How important is recognizing Jesus as the one sent from God?
How Jesus was viewed.
* In the feeding of the five thousand, the crowd sees Moses in Jesus’ actions. They are convinced He is doing the things “The Prophet” would most likely do and are determine to make Him King, by force if necessary (Jn 6:15; cf. Mt 11:12; Lk 16:16) .
* In crossing the Sea of Galilee, the disciples are astonished/amazed by His control over the environment and call Him the Son of God (Mt 14:33).
* In discourse on the working for food that endures, the crowd chases Jesus because they “ate the loaves and had [their] fill” (Jn 6:26) and recognizing God was at work caring for them (Jn 6:14) they ask Jesus to give them the bread of God from now on (Jn 6:34).
How Jesus viewed them.
* Disciples needed a break: Jesus secreted His disciples away from the crowd by boat to a remote place to find some quiet time and get some rest (Jn 6:3; Mt 14:13; Mk 6:31); but the people instinctively followed Him, so He mentors his disciples and the twelve by ministering to the crowd so they all could see God at work.
* Crowd needed to be fed spiritually: Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion, they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:34), so He taught them about God.
* Everyone needed a better understanding of God and their relationship with Him: Feeding the five thousand was not only a reflection of God’s character, but a very personal object lesson; first for His disciples and then for the people—where shall we buy bread for these people? You feed them! (Jn 6:6; Mt 14:16; Mk 6:33)
* Disciples needed help building their faith: During the crossing—while alone praying on the mountain side He watched His disciples’ labor against the wind and then went to them, where He granted Peter’s request to join Him walking on the water (Jn 6:16-21;Mt 14:22-33 ; Mk 6:45-52)!
* Crowd needed to be refocused: He taught them to work not for food that spoils but for food that endures to eternal life by doing the work God requires, explaining who really fed Israel in the wilderness (Jn 6:26-34).
Reality in Christ:
Significant themes addressed in John 6:
* Man cannot live by bread alone (Jn 6:35-70; cf. Deut 8:1-5; Mt 4:1-4; Lk 4:1-4).
* The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (Jn 6:29).
* No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44).
* Whoever listens to God and learns from Him comes to me [Jesus] (Jn 6:45).
* They will all be taught by God (Jn 6:45; cf. Isa 54:13; Eze 34:11-12, 15-16, 20-24; Heb 10:12-17; Jer 31:33-34).
* The flesh counts for nothing, life comes from the Spirit of God (Jn 6:63).
Summary: Ability to believe Jesus comes from listening to, learning from and believing the Father. God’s purpose unfolds as He intends it; some then and even some now may not be able to comprehend Him (see, hear, know Him), but for those who hear what Jesus said and “know with certainty” He was sent by God (Jn 17:6-9, 13-23), the fullness of God’s Gospel is made possible--He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (Jn 1:1-14)!
“For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life" (Jn 6:40). Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me (Jn 6:57).
Observations for living today:
The “sometime after this” separates the first feeding of the people and the teaching during the Judean festival of Feast of Tabernacles, Passover or Pentecost (John 5) in the Jerusalem temple. Jesus faced His most critical opponents, the Jewish leadership in the temple, and gave them an answer to their question: Is Jesus the Christ from God?
Now, between six months to just less than a year later, Jesus gives additional information to those who followed Him, on another fundamental truth, which cannot be ignored without the worst peril, both in this life and the one to come: How important is recognizing Jesus as the one sent from God?
How Jesus was viewed.
* In the feeding of the five thousand, the crowd sees Moses in Jesus’ actions. They are convinced He is doing the things “The Prophet” would most likely do and are determine to make Him King, by force if necessary (Jn 6:15; cf. Mt 11:12; Lk 16:16) .
* In crossing the Sea of Galilee, the disciples are astonished/amazed by His control over the environment and call Him the Son of God (Mt 14:33).
* In discourse on the working for food that endures, the crowd chases Jesus because they “ate the loaves and had [their] fill” (Jn 6:26) and recognizing God was at work caring for them (Jn 6:14) they ask Jesus to give them the bread of God from now on (Jn 6:34).
How Jesus viewed them.
* Disciples needed a break: Jesus secreted His disciples away from the crowd by boat to a remote place to find some quiet time and get some rest (Jn 6:3; Mt 14:13; Mk 6:31); but the people instinctively followed Him, so He mentors his disciples and the twelve by ministering to the crowd so they all could see God at work.
* Crowd needed to be fed spiritually: Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion, they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:34), so He taught them about God.
* Everyone needed a better understanding of God and their relationship with Him: Feeding the five thousand was not only a reflection of God’s character, but a very personal object lesson; first for His disciples and then for the people—where shall we buy bread for these people? You feed them! (Jn 6:6; Mt 14:16; Mk 6:33)
* Disciples needed help building their faith: During the crossing—while alone praying on the mountain side He watched His disciples’ labor against the wind and then went to them, where He granted Peter’s request to join Him walking on the water (Jn 6:16-21;Mt 14:22-33 ; Mk 6:45-52)!
* Crowd needed to be refocused: He taught them to work not for food that spoils but for food that endures to eternal life by doing the work God requires, explaining who really fed Israel in the wilderness (Jn 6:26-34).
Reality in Christ:
Significant themes addressed in John 6:
* Man cannot live by bread alone (Jn 6:35-70; cf. Deut 8:1-5; Mt 4:1-4; Lk 4:1-4).
* The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (Jn 6:29).
* No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44).
* Whoever listens to God and learns from Him comes to me [Jesus] (Jn 6:45).
* They will all be taught by God (Jn 6:45; cf. Isa 54:13; Eze 34:11-12, 15-16, 20-24; Heb 10:12-17; Jer 31:33-34).
* The flesh counts for nothing, life comes from the Spirit of God (Jn 6:63).
Summary: Ability to believe Jesus comes from listening to, learning from and believing the Father. God’s purpose unfolds as He intends it; some then and even some now may not be able to comprehend Him (see, hear, know Him), but for those who hear what Jesus said and “know with certainty” He was sent by God (Jn 17:6-9, 13-23), the fullness of God’s Gospel is made possible--He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (Jn 1:1-14)!
“For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life" (Jn 6:40). Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me (Jn 6:57).
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