John 6:11–22 (ESV)
11 Jesus then 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 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
JESUS MIRACLE EXPOSED THE MIRACLE OF REDEMPTION
- V11 – Took the loads and distributed and also the fish
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- The bread that he was GIVEN gave forth more bread. It was transformed
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
THE PEOPLE KNEW THE SCRIPTURE and WANTED THEIR EARTHLY KING
Deuteronomy 18:15–19 (ESV)
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
- Their hope was in escape from ROME and revitalization of Judaism
- Their focus was that Messiah’s significance was Earthly: Wealth, Food, Victory, Freedom
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- They could not see the DIVINE revelation of Jesus Christ, nor Him being the bread of life, nor their own true need for salvation!
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
THE WORK OF JESUS CAUSED THE MIND OF MAN TO DO ANY CREATIVE THING
REMEMBER THIS IS THE PASSOVER THAT POINTS TO JESUS, but
JUST LIKE THE JEWISH LEADERS OF JOHN 5, THE MULTITUDE COULD NOT SEE
***REVEIW***
SECOND PASSOVER
Jesus is the LAMB – He is about to focus on FEEDING to FILLING, this miracle.
- Lamb dies points to the death of Christ
- Bread and fish will FILL but not satisfy
- MANNA is a shadow of the TRUE BREAD
- PASSOVER is removed and JESUS BECOMES THE BREAD and the WINE (His flesh is now the true lamb)
JEWS IN AWE
- In John 5 the JEWS put their hope in Moses.
- They saw Scripture but could not see Jesus
- Passover was their PRIME festival
- NATIONAL pride was at its highest
- THE people were taught that EXODUS was a picture of FUTURE GLORY that Messiah would bring and give them freedom from ROME, just like Egypt.
THE WORD OF GOD NOT IN THEM (SO these people also were taught WRONGLY – generation to generation of error)
- They came to Christ on their own terms with their own conditions
- They saw Christ through their human interpretation and practice of Moses
- They comprehended by the flesh, not the Spirit for they were not born of the Spirit
- They searched the Scriptures for salvation but they spoke of JESUS and His gospel, not them
- John 5 leaves us seeing the condition of Israel and her spiritual leaders: Dead and blind, feasting on morals not grace!
- John 6 reveals to us the product of the sheep without a shepherd; feasting on manna not glory!
THE WORK OF JESUS CAUSED FOCUS
- They wanted Jesus as King and would do anything to get Him there
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- They had the numbers, He had the power, they were all in Jerusalem and could do something!
- Jesus would provide for their bodies and families, how much more could come from His hands if He were made their King!
RECAP: WEEK 42’s notes.
JESUS IS THE ONE WHO TOOK INITIATIVE5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
- He sees them and is concerned with their need for food (but mostly spiritual food)
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- He feeds them to later show them their true god… their bellies.
- Mark records the crowd running and trying to catch up on the north side of the hill and that Jesus taught them for a while, then speaks of them needing to eat.
- JOHN focuses on the continuity of his gospel’s THEOLOGY, not CHRONOLOGY
- He inquires, not for the sake of needing to know, but for the image of revealing that NOTHING could be done with ANYONE’S help. It was a HOPELESS cause
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- Just as it was hopeless for these people to eat food, it is hopeless for these people too be fed the true bread from heaven.
MANS FEEBLE FAITH AND FOOLISH ATTEMPTS7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough 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 for so many?”
- Mary needing wine
- Jews thinking 48 years
- Nicodemus thinking natural birth and wind
- Samaritan woman considering a bucket of water
- Disciples looking for real food
- Philip looking at the world’s market
- Andrew shows that this is an impossible task
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- The disciples never once considered that Jesus COULD do anything, they set out to prove that they could neither AFFORD nor PRODUCE any food that would feed the 13 of them, much less the crowd.
CHRIST NEEDS NO ASSISTANCE10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
- HE could have asked the crowd to bring all they had etc.
- INSTEAD he asked them to sit down in an orderly fashion, he had a plan, he was going to feed them
- WHAT were the disciples thinking at this moment as Jesus only had the one man’s lunch.
- 5000 men alone were to large to handle and feed, but also women and children could make this crowd a number of 15-20K large.
- Imagine that 5K men could easily have overtaken Jesus at any point.
- THIS MIRACLE IS ABOUT TO BE A PRECURSOR TO A SPIRITUAL PICTURE (manna vs Jesus)
CHRIST PROVIDES THE NEED WITHOUT INCIDENT OR HESITATION11 Jesus then 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.THE SATISFACTION AND FILLING OF THE GIFT OF GOD12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.THE BLINDNESS TO TRUTH WITH THE VOICE OF TRUTH14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
- Many believed he was messiah, but they did not know his intention nor their need for true salvation.
THE WORK OF JESUS CAUSED FEAR
- With Rome and the Jews
- With Herod Antipas (Galilean King) Mark 6; though JTB had risen from the dead.
- Ceasar – John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
- JESUS KINGSHIP was to die by the Spear, not Fight by the Spear
- JESUS withdrew from them, dispersed the crowd and TOLD His disciples to leave there in boats
- Jesus went to pray, because what had just happened, and what people wanted to happen were grave and serious events, very burdensome and pushing toward the ultimate end: His crucifixion.
THOUGH THE WORK OF JESUS WAS MIGHTY, WITHOUT HIS PRESENCE, THERE WAS DARKNESS
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.
- People were looking for him
- His disciples were looking for him
- Authorities were looking for him
- ALL for different reasons: crowed wanted more from him, disciples believed he was their life in the flesh, authorities were fearful of his teaching (against their own)
- DARKNESS seemed to be the state of men without Jesus; they were scared, alone, and didn’t know where they were going.
- EVEN though JESUS had proven His power, when he wasn’t CLOSE, they feared. Even when He was close, they feared: (sleeping in the boat).
- Jesus had JUST FED (like manna) the multitude and now His people faced the sea!
18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
- This act of creation was enough to topple the faith of the men. WE LOSE ALL SIGHT when things go ary. We lose all hope, like being in darkness. (Storm)
- The disciples were looking for Jesus
JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF ON HIS OWN TERMS TO THE DISCIPLES
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 frightened.
- Jesus appears in the sea. MIRACLE number 5: He walks on the water.
- He had power over the water, the bread, and now the sea. He defies the laws of nature
- Peter comes out to him here, but John doesn’t record it because it is already recorded in the Synoptics.
- THREE OR FOUR MILES is to PROVE that Jesus was not walking on the shore! They were in the middle of the sea.
- Their fear is not the point of John’s writing… he is focusing on what takes away their fear:
THE PRESENCE and REVELATION OF JESUS CALMS FEAR
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
- Jesus is our refuge, hope, and life
- Jesus brings faith for His people so they walk in confidence that he is near
- Jesus is the only ONE who would have calmed them in this situation, they were no longer afraid.
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- ANY STORM is in the hands of Christ. He is always near…
21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
- Jesus also is the GOD of time and space. He moves the boat and the 12 with himself immediately to dry land.
Psalm 107:23–32
23 Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
THE UNREGENERATE MAN CONTINUES TO LOOK FOR JESUS ON HIS OWN TERMS FOR HIS OWN PURPOSE ( that will soon change)
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.