John | Chapter 6 – Scripture Supply

d. 6:1-71 New Sustenance

1. 6:1-14, 22-71 New food (6:35 First of seven truths)

John 6:1-14

“Barely enough barley”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 1-4 The Multitude and the Messiah

III. Vs. 5-9 Three solutions

IV. Vs. 10-14 Three keys to multiplication

Intro.

In the scope of Jesus ministry the central part of it started at John the Baptists imprisonment and ended at Peter confession at Caesarea Philippi lasting close to two years. It is in this period of ministry John gives the least amount of attention towards, in fact it is only spoken of in this chapter with two signs and then as was Jesus’ custom a teaching about those signs. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only sign in which all four gospel writers’ record. John simply says, “after these things” and we are not told what things he was referring too. It is only upon comparing the writers together that we get the setting to our story:

This sign was done right after the disciples were sent out on their first mission
Right after John the Baptist was beheaded
At the time in which Herod desired to see Jesus

The time was when people were constantly following Jesus, pressing after Him pushing and shoving and it was at this time that Jesus stole away some time crossing from the northern part of Galilee to the eastern part only to be followed by the crowds larger because of the Passover season. In the other accounts we are told that Jesus spent all day teaching these multitudes (Mark 6:34) and Luke says specifically that His teaching was centered on the kingdom of God (Luke 9:11).

Vs. 1-4 The Multitude and the Messiah

Vs. 1-2 Between the healing of the paralytic in John 5 and the feeding of the 5,000 in the sixth chapter we have the events of Luke 6:1-9:10, Mark 3:1-6:30 mentioned above and what Matthew records in chapters 5-7, 13 namely “the Sermon on the Mount” found in chapters 5-7 and giving of parables in chapter 13.

It is interesting to note the diversity of Jesus in His ability to reach people. In the 5^th chapter Jesus sought out and individual here we see him ministering to a multitude. In Mark 6:30-31 we are told that this multitude was so large that Jesus didn’t have time to eat, that is why Jesus said to His disciples come away with Me and rest a while. In that there is a good word for you and I as there is a saying that goes, “If we don’t come away with our Lord for a while it won’t be long before we come apart”. Just going down by the river or heading off to a retreat for a weekend with Jesus can make a difference between coming away and coming apart. The crowd followed Jesus and we are told “because they saw His signs on those who were diseased”. Now that tells us that the multitudes that sought Him were there for two reason neither of which was the right reason:

Physician: There were those there that had saw what He had done physically for others and wanted Him to do the same for them. They came to get something from Him that He had given to others. There are those today who want Him to do for them practically what He has done for others but they don’t want Him to be involved in their lives, to walk near them or spend time with them they just want a hand out.
Magician: Others had no need themselves but were curious and sought entertainment. This group is just out to see something thing, some new thing that they can get the T-shirt saying that they were at the event. “I saw that trick, I heard that tune played, I was there ”.

There are a some folks that are coming to church seeking Jesus just like these two groups. Hey saints, this is often the crowd mentality for those that seek out the church someone to make them feel better and someone to entertain them to cause them to forget their condition in life. It’s for this reason that the church shouldn’t get its direction from the crowds but from Jesus. Yet with that said Jesus knowing that this multitude was seeking Him for all the wrong reasons and would in verse 41 reject Him still nonetheless sought to meet their hunger, but only after teaching them about the kingdom of God all day. He didn’t dismiss them or put them down instead He sought to feed them spiritually and practically.

Vs. 3-4 Now according to the other accounts Jesus wanted to get alone with His disciples who had been ministering form town to town so He got into a boat with them and crossed from the northern end of the Sea to the eastern shore. But the crowds followed them and came to where they were. The fact that John tells us that this event took place near Passover reveals that it was around spring time and all would have been green and the flowers were blooming, signs of life were all about. So Jesus provided Passover meal for them seeing that they were there with them. And Jesus would use this opportunity to provide a mid term examine for His disciples, a sort of pop quiz.

The question by which Phillip was examined with was an interesting question in as much as they were in the middle of nowhere with no human resources available. Have you ever faced with a situation for which you can find no answer in the normal resources of human life that is what the quiz was on. Jesus was thinking in terms of ministry but these two were doing what the church has often done counting nickels and noses. They estimated ministry in terms of resources available and they both came to the conclusion that there was no way in which ministry could take place with the amount of resources they had. Oh God forgive us Philips and Andrews who have left the multitudes unfed for a perceived lack of resources.

Vs. 5-9 Three solutions

Vs. 5 When we compare John’s account with that of the other three gospel writers we discover that four proposals were brought forth three by the disciples and one by Jesus to solve the problem of feeding the people but John is only going to focus on three of them:

1. Matt. 14: 15 “Send the multitudes away”: Simply put get rid of the problem by sending the people back home which Jesus did but only after feeding them not before as they had suggested. The disciples had good reason for this suggestion as they were in a deserted place and the hour was late. But what the disciples saw as the reasons to send people away was the very reasons Jesus saw “to give them something to eat”. Don’t miss that as our lack of action is Jesus’ reason for action.

2. John 6:7 “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” Philips suggestion was centered around money and in this case the lack of it to meet the need of so many. You could say that Philip counted the cost, crunched the numbers and had come to the conclusion that even if they had 200 days wages it wouldn’t be enough to provide a snack for so many people.

3. John 6:9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Andrews’s solution was still counting but this time it was noses instead of nickels and there was a little lad with a little food, which Andrew who is always bringing people to Jesus dismisses as not being enough.

4. Matthew 14:16 “You give them something to eat.” The final and correct solution came from Jesus. It is only when we put the accounts together that we see a clearer picture as according to Mark it was after Jesus told them that they were to give them something to eat that Andrew brought in the lad with the loaves and fishes and asks them how much they had.

Vs. 6-9 This is one of those statements by Jesus that we should memorize, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” Far to often you and I think that it is Jesus that doesn’t know what to do when rather it is who have forgotten to trust Him who knows what He will do. What a encouraging thing it is to realize when there is an emergency and we are in desperation that the Lord knows what He Himself will do. I doubt that John felt that 75 years earlier when the event took place but years of watching the Lord work in his life has brought Him to realize that nothing is ever out of His control. Now let’s consider what these two disciples counted when we face a need:

Money: Philips suggestion sounds quite familiar doesn’t it, “If I just had enough money all my problems would be solved.” But a quick look into their bank account revealed that there wasn’t enough “bread” there to give them each a slice of bread. As we look at out society we can see as a country that we are suffering under the same mentality as Philip thinking that money is the answer. Two hundred days worth of pay wasn’t going to be enough. Six months of wages would not have been enough to supply a morsel for the over 10,000 folks (5,000 plus women and children). Philip had done some calculations, he had broke out his calculator and done some research but even with that effort it wasn’t going to be enough to get the job done. What’s the answer? Hey stop looking to the god of mammon and start trusting the Master! What was Philips error? Well he saw resources were limited do to money but he failed to account for the fact that our Lord owns some cattle on a 1,000 hills. Ministry before money not money before ministry! You see Philip had the vision impairment that many of us Christians suffer from “to big a lack and too small a work”!
Man: Philips answer to the problem was money Andrews answer to the problem was people. “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish”, oh if Andrew would only stopped with those words instead of adding the words, “but what are they among so many?” Apparently near them was a boy with a sack lunch with “barely” enough “barley” cheap bread more for the animals then it was for human consumption and the two fish here in the Greek indicate kind of a fish spread. How often the “buts” creep into our lives don’t they? Andrew saw provisions but failed to see what the Master could do with so little when it was brought to Him. I can’t help but wonder how many times the Lord has brought us five barley loafs and two fishes and we failed to appropriate them because we didn’t see them as enough to meet our need. God brings us small things so that we will appropriate Him to meet our need not what He brings! The scriptures are fully of illustrations of this, a small stone to slay a giant, the ravens to bring bread for Elijah as our Lord always uses a little to accomplish a lot. Is it not great that the Lord never asks us to accumulate everything before we are start to minister, just start with what you have. “The little fellow has a little lunch, I’ll take it.”, said Jesus. The prophet Zechariah in 4:10 warns against “despising the day of small things?” small things are not useless in the hands of God. Philip counted the nickels, Andrew counted noses and both came up to the same conclusion, “what are they among so many”. Hey saints maybe what you are looking for to meet your need is something God has already provided but you have discarded it because you can’t see how it’s going to work. Your problem isn’t a lack of provisions it’s a the failure of placing in His hands.
Messiah: Now notice that Jesus didn’t say, “You numbskulls get out of my way I’ll take care of this Myself!” Instead He met them where they were at by saying, “Make the people sit down”. The lesson for us is simple when ever we have a need give Jesus our best and He will do the rest. As we begin with what we have we need to make sure we give it all in to His hands. Isn’t our Lord amazing as He uses these fellows as part of this miracle even though they could see how He could do so much with so little? The shepherd was about to feed the sheep so He did so orderly, systematically having them sit down according to Luke in groups of 50. Hey saints did you notice something here that as He is about to feed them that He has them sit down. Yeh so! Well the word means to “recline” to take a “load off” we might say. That tells me that this wasn’t going to be a drive thru meal, this wasn’t “fast food” it was a “sit down meal”. In other words “sit down” meant “slow down” as well and perhaps much of our hunger and need in our lives is because everything we do is “fast food” looking for something to satisfy our hunger without taking any time?

And we are told in John’s account those wonderful words that we often forget, “He Himself knew what He would do!” Philips and Andrews answers are human reason and calculation without a thought of the Lord’s ability but the Lord did not rebuke them or correct them instead He showed what He can do with what man can not figure out if they will only bring it to Him. The supply was inadequate, insufficient to meet the need but the inadequate becomes more than adequate the insufficient becomes much more than sufficient when placed in the Lords hands. Jesus didn’t have His disciples form a committee and do a visibility study, look at possible fund raising opportunities, set goals and tell Jesus doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. But Jesus says, “What do you have I’ll start with that”. Jesus didn’t have a telephone, television, or a telethon instead He had a tella-person ministry and multitudes were being reached. And what wasn’t enough for a snack becomes a meal that they couldn’t cram in another bite, oh what a lesson for you and I today.

Vs. 10-14 Three keys to multiplication

Vs. 10 We are reminded of David the shepherd who wrote in psalm 23 that “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” And here we see the fulfillment of David’s psalm.

Vs.11 Based upon the Greek the miracle took place not in the baskets not in the distribution but rather when Jesus took the bread and fish broke it and blessed it. What is Bread? Well it is grain, seed which had the power of multiplication prior but now has been crushed and baked. Folk’s you can’t grow corn from a tortilla but Jesus can bring life and fruitfulness from that which is crushed and backed in our lives if we will only give it to Him. Multiplication took place in the breaking and blessing when it was in Jesus Hands, remember that my dear friend and you will see plenty of miracles in your lives. How was this meager meal multiplied for the multitudes? Well let’s look at three things here in verse 11:

GIVE IT TOO JESUS: “Jesus took the loaves!” The first thing I note here is that Jesus took what was on hand. Hey saint’s the first step is always looking for that which He has already provided and giving it to Him. Again it is trusting Him with our little to accomplish a lot. What we do is hold out for more waiting for that which we can figure out that will meet our needs and the five loaves and two fish just sit there waiting for us to trust Him to do much with little.
GIVE THANKS: “He had given thanks!” The second thing of note is the thankful heart of Jesus for the “little of the lad”. Twice we are told in this chapter of the fact that Jesus gave thanks (verse 11, 23), as Jesus reminded the people that God is the source of all good and instead of complaining about what we do not have, we should give thanks to God for what we do have. Hey saint’s Jesus took the little and blessed it had a attitude of gratitude. When does a little become a lot? When we begin to realize that a little is a lot more than we deserve! We crunch the numbers start thinking that we deserve better instead of realizing that we have already been blessed by what He has given.
GIVE IT AWAY: “He distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down…as much as they wanted”! The final thing I see here is action as Jesus gives the little away it became a lot. Here’s where I’m going with this, when we look at our meager provisions not being enough we tend to hold on to it, hoard it and not share it. Here then is the math, “5 loaves and two fish X 12 disciple’s feeds 5000 men plus women and children.” The principal is that multiplication only can happen when you take a little and multiply it by the willingness to distribute to others. Could it be that our lack is due in part because we have hung on to what we have instead of giving it away? And look at the words “as much as they wanted” this distribution was not rationed it was until they were all filled completely satisfied, (verse 12).

Vs. 12-14 Ah how Jesus is generous but never wasteful. In psalm 78:19 the psalmist warned of doubting God’s provision when he said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” What a powerful truth this must have been for those 12 as they took the little to Jesus and that act of obedience led to the multiplied blessing of the multitude. Of further interest to me personally is the word “fragment” doesn’t mean crumbs or scraps but pieces broken by Jesus but not consumed. He told them to gather up what hadn’t been consumed by others because they were full and they picked up 12 basket full of fragments. Hey saints these fellows were fed themselves from the same little as were the multitudes, as it was given to Jesus, thanks was given and then given away they were satisfied and full. There is a real truth to this in ministry as we get involved in being a blessing we become blessed ourselves. Far to much of our Christian experience is a lack simply because we are not a blessing, these fellows went from “basket cases” to “basket full” when they simply obeyed the Lord. Moses had given then Manna from heaven and Jesus had just done the same which prompted some of them to say that He was the one spoken of by Moses in Deut. 18:15.

2. 6:15-21 New support

John 6:15-21

“Unsinkable Savior”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 15-17 Who’s the king

III. Vs. 18-21 Director and deliver of the storms

Intro.

A little boy was asked what his favorite Bible verse was and he responded with, “I like the one where everybody just loafs and fishes!” The miracle before us isn’t about “loaf’n and fishing” but about walking. It was accomplished not so much out of need but out of necessity, a preemptive miracle instead of restoration miracle, as it kept something from happening instead of causing something to happen. It is recorded in two other gospel accounts but was just for the disciples not for the multitudes. There are no crippled legs gaining strength, no blind eyes seeing, no dead lifeless bodies or hearts springing to life and faith. I confess that reading this story reminds me of my childhood and the tune of Gilligan’s Island.

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty fisherman man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Twelve passengers set sail that day,
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the love of Mighty Lord,
The men would be lost, the men would be lost.

Vs. 15-17 Who’s the king

Vs. 15 In the 14^th verse there were some who had come to an amazing discovery following Jesus miracle of multiplication saying, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world”. They were right this sign showed that He was the fulfillment of Deut. 18:15 but even though they reached the right answer their reaction was wrong. There are three prophetic offices that the Messiah would fulfill according to the scripture, prophet, priest and king and it seems that they were fine with either a prophet or a king but not a priest. Their reaction was not to place Him as King over their hearts, High Priest of their lives but rather to force Him to be king over their need, to use Him for their agenda. How can you force someone to be king? Hey, if you can force them to be king then you are the king.

According to the other accounts Jesus put them in the boat as He perceived that “they” were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king. Mark tells us in 6:45 that Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and the Greek use of the word “made” means to compel or force, so these fellows didn’t want to go. I can see those 12 fellows who have heard the murmur of the crowd wanting to take Jesus and make Him king so Jesus tells them to go to Capernaum and they are reluctant and He raises His voice and says, “I said get in the boat, now!” Jesus was saving His disciples from a far greater danger than what the storm could produce as there was a storm brewing in their hearts instigated by the crowd. Oh how many folks have tried to take Jesus by force and make Him King with out every enthroning Him as King over their hearts? Why did they do so? Well they thought He was there to give them fish instead of giving them His flesh, they were interested in eating bread instead of partaking of the “Bread of Life”.

Vs. 16 How did Jesus respond to this? Well He does two rather remarkable things:

He separates Himself from crowd: If Jesus needed to pray how much more you and me?
He separates Himself from His disciples by sending them to Capernaum by boat: There is a common miss conception that says, “If we following the Lord’s commands things should be (pardon the pun) smooth sailing”. But that is not always the case is it? Hey folks, sometimes submitting to the will of God brings up the wind and waves of life doesn’t it? But note this, just because the wind has kicked up and waves are crashing upon you doesn’t mean you are outside the will of God and it doesn’t mean He has abandoned you, why He knows just where you are. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Hey did you notice that it doesn’t say that you won’t pass through waters and fire only that God will be with us and that they won’t over flow us or scorch us.

Vs. 17 Geographically they should have easily been able to sale across the Eastern shore to Capernaum long before night fall as they would have just sailed parallel to the shore a short distance. John alludes to this fact when he says, “it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them”, you see John is saying that they were near enough to the shore that they could have seen Jesus walking along that shore towards Capernaum but He had not come yet. As I said this story is recorded for us in two other places, Matt. 14:22-33 and Mark 6:45-52. And both of them record something that John does not namely that “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” John records for us that Jesus was the deliver in the storm as we shall see but Matthew and Mark reveal for us that Jesus was also the director of the storm. It is clear here that prior to being their deliver Jesus “made His disciples get into the boat” directing them into a storm. The question is why did He do so? Well it appears that these disciples were getting sucked into the mentality of the multitudes so Jesus directed them into a storm to correct their thinking about Him.

It was dark and Jesus had not come to them, have you ever felt like that as a believer. These disciples have already taken the coarse called storm 101 where Jesus was in the boat asleep and they had to wake up and say, “Don’t you care we are going to die”. In Mark 6:48 it tells us that Jesus saw them straining at rowing, hands blistered legs tired and he is watching we don’t want Him to watch us we want them to save us. Now this is the second semester coarse storm 102 where He isn’t in the boat at all. Hey saints sometimes it is just as necessary to be directed into a storm as it is delivered from a storm. The multitude didn’t want to follow the Messiah they wanted the Messiah to follow them as a meal ticket forming Him into their schedule. I’m afraid that we are an awful lot like the multitudes at times as we want to force Jesus into our program or agenda instead of being transformed by His presence. Jesus knew their hearts, He knew that they were being affected by the multitude wanting to “captain their own boat” as it were so He said, “Go ahead fellows”. Jesus would say in Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” We can either try to get Him to see things our way or receive Him into our lives willingly. “I’ll take it from here, let my steer my ship”, is far too often the reason our lives are being tossed two and fro.

Oh how good it is for us to realize that our Lord is unsinkable and if we but receive into our boat we will immediately reach the other side. As director of the storm He sends us into storms for four reasons:

To change direction: When we are in pride thinking we are the captain of our own ship He will send us out steering our own coarse until the storm toss’ our self confidence over board.
To give correction: This is what Jonah found isn’t it? Jonah found a ship going the opposite direction from where God wanted Jonah to go. It never ceases to amaze me that I can always find the USS Rebellion a first class cruise ship at port heading the exact opposite from where God has called me.
To provide protection: Now that seems to be a contradiction doesn’t it to be sent in a storm for protection but if the storm kept you from a worse fate then is serves as protection. My son took off to Nebraska for work a few weeks back and an hour from Billings at 9:30 at night the old Dodge Van through a rod and blew up the engine. All I can think of is that the Lord sent Him a storm of protection as who knows what might have happened of the old van kept going.
To ensure perfection: Our Captain doesn’t just direct us in the storm and deliver us through the storm He knows all the storms of our lives and I can see how each of those storms has further perfected me for eternity as they have stripped away more of me while providing more of Him.

Vs. 18-21 Director and deliver of the storms

Vs. 18 The problem came when the sky grew dark and they no longer could see the shore and the wind picked up into a gale from the north as they were now rowing directly into the wind. To their credit after Jesus had forced them into the boat they weren’t about to head back so they kept on rowing and as Mark 6:48 informs us, Jesus saw them “straining at rowing” the Greek word used here is the same used for torture. These fellows must have been frustrated and tired at the lack of progress four of them were commercial fishermen and had rowed this lake many times but this time their pride was wounded. Someone has well noted that, “Jesus wouldn’t turn a stone into bread to satisfy His own hunger, but he would multiply loaves and fishes to feed a hungry multitude. Jesus wouldn’t cast Himself off the pinnacle of the temple to glorify Himself, but he would walk on the water to bring comfort to His disciples.”

Vs. 19 We are told that they had rowed 3 to 4 miles over 10 to 12 hours period of time as other gospel accounts tells us that it was around the 4^th watch in the night which goes from 3am to daylight. Simply put all their effort was losing ground as they were further from their destination then when they started. The wind had apparently had blown them south west placing them in the middle of the lake when they saw Jesus walking towards them.

Hey saints have you ever felt like that? You argued with the Lord over an area of your life and He has told you to get in the boat instead of what you wanted and now you find you are further from where you wanted to be when He made you get into the boat in the first place? Oh I can’t tell you how many times I have reluctantly got into the boat and began rowing only to find myself going backward instead of where I wanted to be, rowing out of obedience but not out of joy. That’s what happens when we try to force Jesus into our “boat” nothing but struggle and strain which leads to fear until we see Him above our turmoil unaffected by that which toss us in a tizzy.

Mark tells us that these brave fishermen screamed and John says that they became afraid at His sight in the middle of the lake. I think this would have scared the day lights out of me as well but Jesus reassures them by telling them that what scares the daylights out of them is Him. Oh mark the truth out of this won’t you as we all like to be in control, we all won’t our king to do what we want Him to do and when He doesn’t it scares the be-Jesus out of us doesn’t it? Oh the wind and sea are under His feet and that which causes us agony carries Him towards us dear ones! “I’m making you king and you will do things my way king”, we say. And lovingly but firmly Jesus says, “Get into the boat NOW!” “I can not be King and Lord if you are in control, if you are calling the shots”. He directs us into the storms of life my friend to show us that He is above the storms and not dependant upon doing things our way!

Vs. 20 What Jesus says, in the words “It is I” is the Greek phrase “I AM, do not be afraid”. Based upon the other accounts there are several miracles recorded:

There is Jesus’ walking on water or as those in California like to say His surfing without a board. There is this Florida State University Professor of Oceanography Doron Nof who claims that this was a rare atmospheric condition that caused a thin strip of ice to form just under the water and that Jesus just happened to walk out on it and catch a wave. Must have been quite a wave as He was about to pass by the boat by when Peter asked to do the same. But when questioned about His theory and how common a condition this was Professor Nof said it probably only a handful of times in the last 12,000 years. Nof is the same fellow who in 1992 explained the parting of the Red Sea. I personally think his theory is a well “all wet” and that he has slipped of the proverbial ice patch and got a knot of his Nof.
We are also told in Matthew 14:28-29 that at Jesus invitation Peter walked on water as well as Peter asked “Lord if it is You”. Now that’s an interesting question to ask, I mean does Peter have encounters with lots of folks walking on water passing him by on a regular basis? Peter started out on that water too but began to sink when he got his eyes off of Jesus, that’s always our problem when we fail to isn’t it? Ah but look at Peter’s prayer when he began to be consumed by the waves, “Lord, save me” and Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.
The third miracle is to be found that once Jesus was in the boat the storm ceased and the Boat was on the shore where it was distend to be.

Vs. 21 John adds in verse 21 “then they willingly received Him into the boat”. They weren’t willing to get into the boat but they were glad to have Jesus with them when the storm came up. Notice that it says “immediately the boat was at the land where they were going”. This four mile 10 to 12 hour journey was over the moment they “willingly received Him”. Oh dear friend those words are just as true now in your situation as it was for theirs. Jesus comes to us through the circumstance outside of our agenda over the water of human reason He is not hindered by the fact that we are going backwards and is able to get us safely to the shore of His destination if we will but “willingly receive Him”. Friends you will not find yourself safely at your destination by toil and planning nor by avoidance only by “receiving Him willingly”! You can spend 10 to 12 hours of torture and fear agonizing over the journey you didn’t want to be on in the first place or you can but receive Him willing and arrive without effort quickly it’s your choice. I have had many occasions where I have found the winds of life contrary to where I wished to be, I have felt the tossing of the waves of my circumstances making my head swirl and my footing uneasy. Many a time I have felt that my ship was nearing disaster instead of port.

Jesus directed the storm and delivered them from the storm and what changed in their hearts why “they willingly received Him” look again,it took the storm to do that. Yes He placed in that boat of correction but He never lost sight of them and came to them. ”. So here then is the exhortation, “stay the coarse” it is Jesus directing and delivering do not be afraid the boat will land at the right destination. And we are told in Matthew that they said, “Truly You are the Son of God”.

3. 6:22-71 New food

John 6:22-40

“Never hunger or thirst”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 22-25 Looking for wonder bread

III. Vs. 26-29 Why do you care?

IV. Vs. 30-40 I am the bread of life

Intro.

The multitude had been unaware of the events of the evening and night, as Mark recorded for us in 6:45 that Jesus sent them away but apparently they had “weathered the storm” to try to get some more bread.. Neither Matthew nor Mark record what happen the next day instead they skip a day telling us only that they sailed to Gennesaret (called Genezar today where there is a Kibbutz called Nof Genezar) which is only two to three miles south of Capernaum. So on the next day the multitudes came back to the area of miraculous feeding looking not for Jesus but rather to get something from Jesus.

At this years “Christian Booksellers Association convention” which just concluded a week back. Priscilla Shirer, (daughter of Pastor Tony Evans) warned those there of being agents of commerce rather than servants of Christ. She made this observation: In the first century church, Christianity was a community of believers.

When Christianity moved to Greece it became a philosophy.
When it moved to Rome it became an institution.
When it moved to Europe it became a culture.
When it moved to America it became a business.

We need to get back to being a healthy, vibrant community of true followers of Jesus. This is a good reminder for you and me isn’t it? We Christians in America are prone to this commercial mentality and the moment Jesus or His Church isn’t making us happy we take flight to find someone or something that does. In the 68^th verse of this chapter Jesus will question the remaining disciples after many leave to which Peter will respond, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Hey saints the prophet Isaiah warned in 55:2 “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?”

Vs. 22-25 Looking for wonder bread

Vs. 22-24 In this section Jesus responds to three questions and one statement put forth by the multitudes:

Vs. 25 “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
Vs. 28 “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Vs. 30 “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?”
Vs. 34 “Lord, give us this bread always.”

Theses folks were after a little more “wonder bread”, they were motivated out of empty bellies instead of a full hearts. Now bread biblically is a symbol of that which maintains and sustains life and here in this section Jesus proclaims that He alone is that which maintains and sustains life. I’ve stood on the sight where this discourse took place in Capernaum and there is an old synagogue which you can still see the marble pillars sticking up it’s the same location but the pillars are those built a 100 or so years after Jesus spoke these words. My point? Only that His words never fail but what man builds does.

The fact that only a day later these folks were seeking food for the body indicates how foolish it is to have the physical need above the spiritual. Friends if you are trying to get filled up on anything of this world it will never satisfy there is no substance to it and in the end it we will just be empty. Ah, but if you want to be “fulfilled” then take what the Son has to offer you which will last forever.

Vs. 25 They asked Jesus when He had come and His response was to ask them “why they had come”. Jesus’ implication is that after seeing the sign of the multiplied bread they furthered showed that they had the wrong reaction by only being interested in another free lunch. I find it very interesting that Jesus didn’t see His mission as merely placating the panders. He wanted to do far more then fill bellies He wanted satisfy the hunger of their heart. Hey friend may I just say that if you are wanting Jesus just to fill your belly instead of satisfying the hunger of your heart you are settling for far to little. Jesus longs to do for you far more then multiply a few barley loafs; He is the bread that has come down from heaven to fill you forever.

Vs. 26-29 Why do you care?

Vs. 26-27 Instead of answering the “when and how” questions of the multitude Jesus tells them “Don’t merely work for bread, don’t make your life just about the consumption of things, make it about things that never parish.” Have you turned Jesus words in Matthew 26:41 “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”, into “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is ready for the weekend”? Are you putting anything into your “eternal retirement”? That’s what Jesus is question the multitude about. “When and how, doesn’t matter if you don’t have the Who and what settled in your life”. One of the great ironies in American life is that we work 40 plus hours every week so that we can pay for a home that we spend more time away from then we do in it. The world view is to work hard enough to get ahead so that you can have a comfortable life but the richest folks seem to be the most unpleasant people to be around so they don’t seem all that comfortable to me.

These folks thought Jesus to be another prophet but in reality they were looking to make Him king in order to make a profit. I rather think that the multitudes still want to force Jesus to be king so they can make a profit but He will have none of that. These people understood that Jesus was speaking in terms of a spiritual dimension so they said, “Ok what can we do to work God, to get what we want”. “What religious activity do I have to do to get what I want, how much?” I’m afraid that far too many preachers have been guilty of that as they proclaim a formula to manipulating God to get personal wealth.

Jesus uses a word for “labor” that can be rendered “barter” so He says, “Hey fellows don’t barter your life away for food that leaves you empty”. It is interesting that in Jesus’ time a baker would put a seal on the bread they would bake and Jesus uses this terminology to say that the Father has set His seal on Jesus. Apparently the multitudes fixed upon the word “labor” in verse 27 as they ask in verse 28, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” They are asking what they can do continually as a habit and Jesus answered, “Works? No fellow’s only one work and that is you believe in Me and that you keep doing so.” Interesting paradox in the 27^th verse “Do not labor for food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.” Labor for food which endures which Jesus will give you, so why are we to labor for that which will be given us? Well the labor is not to obtain it as it is a gift the labor is that would stop looking for something else to fill us. Friends the only work of God that we can do is chose to trust in whom God has sent, Jesus.

Vs. 28-29 Notice the words of these multitudes in verse 28 when they say, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Interesting way they put it “What shall we do, that we may work”, they knew the law but they also knew that they weren’t measuring up to the law to they wanted to know if there was some jump start, some first step. In Deut. 11:13 God said, “it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Micha 6:8 tells them, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Jesus answer, “the work of God is that you believe in Him whom He sent”.

Oh how complicated we make things don’t we? On the 10^th of July the Pope issued a decree stating that other communities “cannot be called churches in the proper sense because they do not have apostolic succession and there for do not have the means of salvation.” In other words according to the Pope the true church of Jesus is only made up of Catholics. The statement goes on to say that the Catholic Church wants to continue to have open dialog with non-catholic Christian communities as long as they agree with the Pope. Apparently the Pope believes that his words are greater than Jesus’ where the work of God is that you believe in Him whom He sent!

Vs. 30-40 I am the bread of life

Vs. 30-34 “You gave us bread and fish, things from the earth Moses gave us angel food from heaven.” “Yes you gave us bread miraculously but that was one day what about today, after all Moses did so for 40 years?” Apparently they had forgotten what their forefathers thought of manna as they named it “what is it” and complained about the lack of variety. Keith Green sang about this saying, “Manna again, manna – cotti, manna bread”, they were sick of it. Oh my heart aches when I read these words as I see far too much of myself in these folks. Paul would say in Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Hey folks, You can go anywhere on earth today and find people hungry for something more than a full belly and a comfortable home. There is restlessness about humanity that cries out for more. Amazingly a day earlier they had witnessed a sign of around 10,000 to 12,000 being fed until they were full and now they ask for another sign worthy of belief. Signs never led to lasting faith instead they led to sensationalism which is flaky. I can’t help but wonder how many times we have be willing to settle for a little white seed once a day that rotted if not eaten instead of the true bread which comes down from heaven? The multitudes were willing to settle for the physical and temporal at the price of the spiritual and eternal and quite often we are as well. Their plea in verse 31 was that “He gave them bread from heaven” so what are you going to do for us Jesus? But in Deut. 8:3 Moses wrote to the Jews, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Notice in verse 32 Jesus says, that wasn’t Moses that “gave” past tense but the Father that “continually gives” so Jesus corrects them three misconceptions:

Vs. 32 The origin of the gift, from Moses to God the Father
Vs. 32 The quality of the gift, from ceasing to continual, from that which was past to the present.
Vs. 33 The identity of the gift, Manna meant “what is it” and Jesus now tells them that the true bread from heaven which Manna was only a type isn’t a question of what is it but rather Who is it.

“Moses”, they said, “Fed more for a longer period of time with things from heaven not with things from earth”. Moses was who they looked to and Jesus says, “Hey Mo came to a burning bush and wanted to know my name and I told I am, so now I’m telling you I am the bread of life.” That is what Jesus is telling them not to live by bread alone but by the Word that comes from the mouth of God. “It wasn’t Moses that gave you bread it was Me and it wasn’t the true bread which is Myself which I give you”, says, Jesus. Manna gives nourishment, sustenance but not life; it could only sustain life for a time. Ah but Jesus “The bread of Life” will satisfy the hunger of the heart and quench the thirst of the soul once and for all.

Vs. 35 This is the first of seven “I am” statements unless you count the one in verse 19. Jesus recognizes the universal hunger for bread beyond physical bread. They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Next Jesus tells how to eat and partake of the bread of life. He uses two simple things everyone understands:

Hunger: “He who comes to me shall never hunger”. What do you do when you are hungry? You eat, and if you keep on eating regularly you will never hunger. Now notice that Jesus equates “coming” to eating, so then when you come to Jesus you are seeing Him as the only true source of that which sustains and maintains our life.
Thirst: “and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” What do you do when you are thirsty? You drink, and if you keep on drinking you will never thirst. Jesus equates “drinking” with believing, so you will never thirst as long as you keep listening to His word and obey it in your life.

How simple Jesus makes this doesn’t He, just “Come and believe” and keep doing so and you will never hunger or thirst again.

Jesus goes on to say four amazing things:

Vs. 36 First, not all who see will come: It is possible to see Jesus to comprehend His personhood and yet not come. What this suggests is that the problem of those who are continually hungry and thirsty spiritually is not a problem of intellectual it’s a heart problem.

Vs. 37a Secondly, all who are chosen will come: The Spirit leads them, the Father draws them, and all who are chosen will come. So, our reaction we reveal if you are chosen, a person doesn’t need to get all worked up over this just come and you will discover that you are chosen.

Vs. 37b Thirdly, all who come are welcomed: No matter what your record is or what you have done when you come you will be welcomed, you will not be cast out there is no sin Jesus cannot forgive. So you have no excuse not to come, no fear of rejection. What a glorious promise in verse 37, to know that God won’t one day say, “Opps, sorry don’t see your name written here must have been a mistake you can’t come in.” Neither will there be a hidden cost, some price we didn’t anticipate, “Oh I’m sorry Mr. Lewis we forgot to add in the fact that you are really a mess so we are going to have to tack on good works and a few 1,000 years in purgatory”.

Vs. 38-40 Fourthly, all who come are forever safe: You will never be lost; you will never lose what Jesus gives and He gives four reasons for this:

Vs. 38 First, because it’s His own work: Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” God the Father set in motion a plan that God the Son executed perfectly to ensure that we will never be lost.
Vs. 39a Secondly, because it’s the Father’s will: The father can never lose anything or anyone so He won’t lose you either.
Vs. 39b Thirdly, because it involves even the resurrection of the body: Twice Jesus, “I will raise him up at the last day” so then even death with its decay and its corruption will not defeat His purposes.
Vs. 40 Finally, it involves the gift of eternal life right now: Eternal life begins the moment you and I trust Jesus so we have already positionaly entered into eternity and are just waiting for our bodies to graduate.

Jesus had told the woman at the well “Whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst” now He says “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger”. Those are amazing declarations aren’t they? There is no denying what He is claming here as Jesus is saying, “I alone can quench the thirst of the, I alone will satisfy the hunger of the heart.” I can only say that I have found that to be true personally for over 26 years since I first tasted and saw that He was good there has never been one moment in those 26 years that once I took a sip of Him partook of His goodness that I was completely satisfied.

Jesus is back again to that day when He multiplied the bread and they picked up twelve basket full of fragments so that nothing was lost (verses 12-13) and He is making a promise to the multitudes that if they simply trust Him He won’t cast them aside or give up on them. Hey saint’s you might be here today feeling well a little “fragmented” kind of “crumby” spiritually speaking but Jesus has made a promise to you in verse 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

John 6:41-59

“You are what you eat”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 41-51 Food for thought

III. Vs. 52-59 Jesus is the main course

Intro.

There are three occurrences in this section of chapter 6 that reveal the heart of people who listened to the words of Jesus:

Vs. 41 The Jews then complained

Vs. 52 The Jews therefore quarreled

Vs. 61 His disciples complained about this

Everything in this section deals with Jesus claim of being the bread that has come down from heaven and the crowd’s misconception of it. Look with me for a moment at verse 59 where we are told that all of these words were spoken by Jesus while He was in the synagogue in Capernaum. Is there any wonder that Jesus disciples in verse 60 said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

Now what is interesting to observe is how Jesus responds to their complaining and quarreling as He corrects their lack of understanding by further declaring who He is and what He has come to do. There complaint had to do with in once sense their knowledge of Him and in another sense their lack of knowledge of Him. That is to say they knew too much of His earthly existence and too little of His heavenly origins. That my dear friend’s is always the case with our misconceptions with regards to Jesus, too familiar with Jesus from our human standpoint that we fail to appropriate His heavenly power.

Vs. 41-51 Food for thought

Vs.41-42 Jesus’ words in verse 38 bothered the crowd as He proclaimed His deity by saying, “I have come down from heaven” which prompted their complaint “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” (verse 42) Four times Jesus tells them that He came down from heaven (three of them in this passage alone), “Where did I come from?”, Jesus answered “I came down from heaven”. Interesting when manna was given in the wilderness in Ex. 17:3 the people murmured now that Jesus proclaims that He alone is that which sustains and satisfies people murmur. I rather think that people are murmur’s because we don’t like God doing things against our plans and agenda’s. “Who does this guy think He is God? We know his father and mother”, they said. But they were wrong they knew his mother but they didn’t know his father.

The analogy of Jesus being the “Bread of Life” is really quite amazing when we consider it. First from a human perspective bread is truly cross cultural as everybody eats bread of some type so clearly Jesus is accessible to all. As this analogy relates to Jesus specifically we can see the parallels. As a seed was planted in the ground Jesus was planted in the womb of Mary, and when He came forth and grew into maturity He was cut down ground up and placed upon a cross where the fire of God’s wrath because of our sin baked Him where we have the opportunity receive Him and partake of Him where He becomes that which alone satisfies the hunger of our lives.

Here’s what I see, these people were a lot like people today in as much as they think they knew who Jesus was. There are a lot of people like that aren’t there? People who will tell you they know Jesus but when you talk to them or observe how they are living it’s clear they don’t know Jesus. They said they knew Jesus but they didn’t know where He was from, as they thought He was from Nazareth instead of Bethlehem. They thought that His father was Joseph but His Father was God, so they didn’t really know Him personally, intimately.

Vs. 43-45 They didn’t receive His testimony as to where He was from and the reason for this is to be found in His words found in 43-44 where Jesus quotes Isa. 54:13. Cleary as verse 41 states in their complaint they understood Jesus’ self proclamation by quoting Him as saying, “I am the bread which came down from heaven”.

Why is this important you ask? Well it removes the possibility that some how Jesus was just misunderstood by the multitudes that what He meant to say was twisted by the crowds. Simply put the words of the multitude clarify that Jesus message was clearly understood and that the rejection of Him was not based upon lack of understanding but upon the opposite of this upon understanding. This is further brought in their words in verse 42 “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, I have come down from heaven?” Now this verse reveals that their rejection of His proclamation lay in their knowledge of His earthly identity being the son of Joseph whom they knew. This crowd rejected Jesus because they understood His claims but couldn’t reconcile those claims with what they already knew about Him being the son of Joseph. In saying this we have removed the largest crutch people use to not trust Jesus as Lord and that being that He never claimed to be God. The truth is He did and it only leaves with three other possibilities:

He is a liar: Something that was not was not bore out by the rest of His life or words.
He is a lunatic: There was no delusion as He was broken and contrite not boastful and self involved.
He is Lord: Just as He claimed to be!

Allow me right now to press this issue home as there must be surrender to one of these views concerning Jesus and quite frankly the only logical conclusion anyone can make is He is Lord. Their familiarity with His family blinded their ability to believe what He had said and done in their midst’s. There were those there that had tasted of the bread and fish only a day earlier and had come for more bread yet complained about His proclamation. Oh for sure he had done and extraordinary thing in feeding ten to twelve thousand on five loaves and two fish but they still saw Him as ordinary, “We know your family you grew up over the hill from us the carpenters son”. They came to force Him to be king because of the extraordinary work He had done and yet when He proclaimed to them that what He wanted to give them was far greater that what they were willing to settle for because He was extraordinary they could only complain.

Hey folks there are those today with the same reaction towards Jesus, “He is just a man, a teacher”, they say and reject His proclamation. On a side note this statement by the crowds concerning Jesus reveals to us that He did nothing to draw attention towards Himself as a boy, he didn’t raised to life any dogs or cats, didn’t walk on any creeks, He grew in wisdom and stature.

Vs. 46-49 Jesus gave the reason for their rejection of His proclamation as not being open to the drawing by the Father to Him as the Father was teaching them but they weren’t hearing and learning, (verse 45). You may wonder, “What if the Father doesn’t draw me?” Well I believe that the Bible teaches that He draws all mankind but some resist the drawing of the Father to the Son because of the hardness of their hearts. That’s what Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9 when he wrote “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. That’s what verse 45 states as Jesus quoted Isa. “they shall all be taught by God” it doesn’t say some will be taught by God but all will be taught by God.

They complained about Jesus words and they should have searched their own hearts instead. People can be eyewitness and investigate all the evidence and still be blind to truth, take the evolutionary theory as an example as everything points to intelligent design over random chance yet many scientists still choose to buy into the evolutionary lie they have been told because the only alternative is that there is a God. Some people are “taught by God” quickly and others this teaching by God takes time but the truth is all of life is God’s classroom. Friends it is not enough to go to class and hear what is heard it must be obeyed if we are to learn. It never ceases to amaze me how I can hear a truth but it doesn’t become learned until I go through some experience that brings to remembrance the truth I thought I knew I didn’t. In Luke 24:45 we read that Jesus, “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Oh how that ought to be our constant prayer in this life, open my understanding that I might comprehend the scriptures.

Hey have you ever stopped to realize that God demonstrated His love towards us not only in sending His Son for us but then amazingly drawing us towards His Son? Now How will you know if you are being drawn by the Father? Well verse 46 tells us that you will recognize the uniqueness of the Son. Not only were these Jews hindered by what they knew personally they were blinded by what they believed doctrinally as Jesus says, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” They started with a presupposition and used that to dull what God was trying to teach them concerning the “Bread of life”. I have come to understand some truths about the human condition by looking at myself: The two most difficult things to maintain in life is a broken spirit and a teachable heart and these two things hold the key to joy and spiritual growth and maturity.

Vs. 50-51 Jesus says that whoever partakes and assimilates Him into their life will not die as compared with the manna that Moses gave them. Death has two biblical definitions.

One, the separation of the consciousness from the body that is when your brain no longer functions, you’re dead.
The other definition is the separation of your consciousness from God. If you are living without a consciousness of God, without an awareness of God, with no thought of God, you are dead spiritually.

Jesus is referring to the 2^nd definition when He says in verse 50 that “the bread which comes down from heaven, that bone may eat of it and not die.” With all our medical and technological advances the death rate among humans has remained unchanged at 100% oh we have lengthened our life span but have not made a dent in the death rate and here Jesus proclaims that He alone can change that death rate as He will cause our dead spirit to become alive. In calling Himself “Living Bread” in verse 51 Jesus is saying that He is greater than manna in five specific ways:

The manna only sustained life for the Jews, but Jesus gives life to the whole world.
The Jews ate the daily manna and eventually died; but when you receive Jesus Christ within, you live forever.
When God gave the manna, He gave only a gift; but when Jesus came, He gave Himself.
There was no cost to God in sending the manna each day, but He gave His Son at great cost.
The Jews had to eat the manna every day, but the sinner who trusts Christ once is given eternal life.

To the Jews who witnessed manna firsthand it was a mystery that is why they called it “What is it” and so too was Jesus a mystery to those who witnessed Him as they asked “Who is He”? Both came from heaven into darkness humbly, in purity. And like manna there was a responsibility for those who partook of it they had to gather it up and eat it. Jesus will mention His flesh six times in this passage declaring His sacrifice on behalf of mankind.

Vs. 52-59 Jesus is the main course

Vs. 52-59 With Jesus’ words of verse 51 “The bread that I shall give is My flesh” the crowd moves from complaining to quarreling with each other over this statement. This statement was particularly offence to Jews as they had been told through centuries that God did not want flesh in which there remained any blood. In fact that is what the word “kosher” refers to as it means to cleanse from blood. As we read this literally it appears to be speaking of cannibalism. “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat”, they asked and the answer was by dying. The shedding of blood meant sacrifice to these Jews so Jesus is saying to them unless you enter in through My death and sacrifice for you, you will not have life! They asked the right question but couldn’t come to the right answer. Jesus says, “If you don’t personally recognize My sacrifice on your behalf and partake of it assimilate its life giving power for your life you aren’t alive your dead.” The difficult words of verse 54 for are explained by Jesus words of 55-56 where clearly He is speaking of appropriating His sacrifice on our behalf personally which brings about an abiding relationship.

Now think of this a moment had bad do our sins have to be that the only antidote for us is to be found in the death of the Son of God? When ever we hear people proclaim that they are a good person I’m sure they are compared to me but they are still hopelessly lost. That is what Jesus focus’ in on in verses 53-58 the personal need for all sinner to partake of His sacrifice for our sins. It will do a person no good if their parents or spouse partook of Jesus’ sacrifice, neither does it any good if we know of the sacrifice we must feed on Him if we are to live. Have you ever noticed that you can’t eat for someone else? That’s what this analogy is all about. It is absolutely essential if we are to have the life offered by Jesus we must personally partake of His life which was offered for all.

Now note the words of verse 57 as Jesus gives us the secret to His life and they can be the secret of our lives as well. Are you ready? “I live because of the Father”! Again using the analogy of food as you and I eat we gain those nutrients essential to maintain life at the expense of the life we are now partaking of. Now how does that work as Christian’s? Well has being a follower of Christ lessoned your need for food? Well no, then why is it at times as Christians we tend to think that we can skip a meal or two and not feel the effects? In fact Jesus says as much as when HE refers to eating of His flesh is verse 56 it is in the continuous action in the Greek meaning never stopping. Far too many folks like myself have poor eating habits, skipping meals and eating things that are not good for us. I’m afraid that spiritually people are the same way as they don’t maintain feeding themselves spiritually and wonder why their lives come apart. You can think of a Church like a restaurant serving a great meal but most of us don’t just eat one meal a day you still need to get some food in you through out the day.

John 6:60-71

“Ruined for this life”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 60-66 The flesh profits nothing

III. Vs. 67-71 Do you also want to go?

Intro.

As I sat down this week looking at this passage of scripture placing myself in the day’s events that these followers of Jesus had just witnessed and then contemplating their startling departure in verse 66 I came up with two questions:

Is it possible to be drawn to Jesus for the wrong reasons?
Does it matter as long as we come?

The answer to these questions is given in this passage of scripture by Jesus. It appears to me that Jesus is constantly causing us to examine our hearts as to why we are following and serving Him. And there will be two responses:

Verse 66 “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more”. At some point the reality of Him being Lord and master will out way the immediate benefits.
Verse 68 Where (paraphrasing now) Peter says, “Jesus, You do so much more than fill our stomachs, You fill our lives with life, where else can we go to find anything and anyone that can give us what You give us”.

Friends walk with Jesus long enough and eventually you will come to this fork in the road where He is going and leading is not where you want to go. You will not be forced to walk on with Him, no you can so chose as many did in this passage to “go back and walk with Him no more”. Maybe that is because walking where He is walking would mean that your lifestyle would have to change that special person who does not want Jesus would have to go. Perhaps walking where He is walking would mean a change in your occupation. Hey saints listen up, following Jesus is the hardest way to live our lives except when compared with all other alternatives, and at some point you will hear Jesus ask you, “Do you also want to go away?”

Vs. 60-66 The flesh profits nothing

Vs. 60 The phrase “This is a hard saying” comes for the Greek to “dry hard”, and was used to describe bread that had sat out to long in the heat. It is interesting that these followers of Jesus used that phrase after He had described himself as the “Bread of Life”.

And as they used this phrase it did not refer to difficulty in understanding but rather difficulty in acceptance on the part of these followers. You see it wasn’t the part that they didn’t understand that bothered them it was the part they understood. And what they understood was that that Jesus was telling them two things:

He is giving all of Himself to them
He expected them to give all of themselves to Him

So Jesus spoke of mankind’s need to assimilate His death and sacrifice into their life and some of the followers of Jesus said that this was to dry to swallow for them. Now I’m certain that it was the 2^nd part of this that they were struggling with the most. You know the putting everything and everyone behind our relationship with Jesus. Maybe you remember that song that goes something like this, “Take part of me, Lord take most of me, under 50%”? Any healthy relationship will take each person giving 100% of themselves to the other person anything less then that then we have commitment issues.

Hey saints there will be times when things in the word are “a bit to dry” for our liking and we will be tempted like these followers of Jesus to not accept His teaching into our lives and turn back to the world. But may I challenge you to simply ask yourself why it is that you are choking on His truths, could it be that what His word has said is speaking directly into an area that needs His touch. Folks I find in my own life it is not the taste of the word of truth that I reject as Ps 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him”. No my problem is to be found in that I have something in my life that has caused me not to be able to taste His goodness.

Vs. 61-63 “Does this offend you”, questioned Jesus, “Oh I’m sorry I take it back let me say things that don’t challenge to”. No, instead He says, “Hey fellows if you found that unpalatable, how are you going to be able to handle when you see me go back to My Father”. Notice that the word “what” in verse 62 is italicized which means that in the original Greek it is not there but was placed there to make a complete sentence. So then literally Jesus said, “Does this offend you? Then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before, it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” You see the translators made it a question by putting in the word “what”. You see Jesus is carrying on the thought about His death resurrection and ascension and telling them if you don’t like Me being in control on earth you won’t like Me being in control in heaven. In other words what are you going to do when you see Me in My glory as your judge? This verse reveals the problem that these followers were having concerning Jesus’ words had to with His reference to His preexistence. Simply put what bothered them wasn’t the partaking of Him but that the partaking of Him implied His deity. This is further brought out in verse 63 as they were hung up on the flesh and because of this couldn’t receive the life offered in the words of Jesus. Friends this is a great reminder to us, “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing!” Oh how we cling to the things that “profit nothing” at the expense of the “Spirit that gives life”. Jesus in 8 words given the world the key to joy in this life as well as explain the battle as Paul would further explain to the Gal in 5:17 saying, “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish”.

Hey friends there is nothing more pathetic in my book then a pastor or teacher who won’t teach the word for fear of rejection, they are like a doctor who won’t treat a patient for fear of the reaction at the momentary displeasure of the treatment. I hate swallowing pills, I gag on them and have to get my mind off of taking them but I still do because I need too, so too at times with the word of God folks. In verse 63 Jesus tells them why they are offended concerning His words and it is that they are to earthly and flesh driven instead of Spirit led.

Vs. 64-65 In verse 65 Jesus deals with the fact that it is possible to follow Him for the wrong reason, we can get into following Jesus because it suits our agenda our plans and purposes. Following Him because what He does instead of following Him because of who He is. When the Father draws a person He does so based upon who He is not upon a promise of what He will do. The sad truth is that when many of Jesus followers heard that it wasn’t going to be about them it was going to be about Jesus they walked away instead of walking with Him. Saints no fleshly motive or reason will do in serving Jesus and if that is why we have decided to follow Jesus it will one day have to be placed upon the alter. Many church doctrines use flesh centered motives to get people to come and stay in church, promises of health and prosperity.

Hey notice here in verses 64-66 that Jesus didn’t plead for those that heard His words concerning Himself and chocked on them to come back. He didn’t change what He had just said so that they would stay on with Him. There was none of that “Hey, I don’t want you to not like me, tell what you want and I’ll make it happen” attitude that permeates much of consumer Christianity. Instead Jesus said, “There are some of you who do not believe”. Wanabe’s were in Jesus’ time just like there are in our time and you don’t poll the crowds to see why they aren’t happy and what you can do to bring them back instead you keep teaching the truth and loving folks. Jesus knew all along the difference between true trust and mere lip service.

Vs. 66 Remember what John had said of Jesus in the first chapter when he said, “the Word became flesh”, so when we trust in His words then we are partaking of Him. After having said this most of Jesus followers went back to their old life and religion. Jesus is “the way” but they didn’t want to go His way so they went their way which is always back never ahead. The words “went back” in verse 66 is the same word used in John 18:6 where on the night they came to arrest Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane; Jesus said “I am He” we are told that those that came to arrest Him “went backward and fell to the ground”. Many then at this time went backward and fell away not walking with Jesus any more. Only a day earlier they were going to take Him by force and make Him King and now they went back and walked with Him no more. Most likely the departure of these followers happened over a period of time not all at once, which concluded at Peter’s second confession at Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mt. Hermon some months later. Jesus you will recall met with almost instant popularity now at the mid mark of His earthly ministry numbers seem to be thinning and He further tests His follower’s motives in following Him.

Hey saints, Jesus didn’t seem to bothered by the numbers but He was troubled by hearts. You see He wanted quality over quantity something the Church would do well to practice. Often like in the case of Gideon God can’t work with too many so He has to bring the number down in size so that all will know that it is He that has done a great thing and not the instruments He uses. God often sends folks home, back if they aren’t around for the right reasons, to change a mind can happen quickly but to change a heart can take a life time. The first ones to drop out of the race did when they couldn’t handle the truth and there are a great many folks who will drop away from church when the teaching of the word of God by the Spirit of God comes against some way of life or attitude, oh they will blame something else but in reality it will the teaching of the word was coming a little to close to home. Friends there will be times when you and I will be brought to such a fork in the road of faith and need to decide who it is we will follow. Jesus said in Matt. 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

These followers saw the numbers and popularity but Jesus begin to whittle down the numbers going form quality over quantity.

Hey folks one of the most dangerous things a pastor has to deal with is ambition and ambition can only be gauged in numbers, so when these followers saw the numbers leave they had to die to their ambitions of being someone important, someone powerful. So Jesus says, “the Spirit gives life the flesh profits nothing” it only feeds the ego. So these followers went as far as they were to go with Jesus as now they were going to have to die to their ambitions and dreams of being important.

Vs. 67-71 Do you also want to go?

Vs. 67-69 Notice that Jesus asks if they too would go away and it is clear that He would have let them as the decision must be a choice not forced or manipulated. Now this is not the same confession of Peter’s as recorded in the synoptic gospels as that confession happened on Mt. Hermon near Caesarea Philippi where this one happened at a synagogue in Capernaum a few months earlier. In Peter’s confession we have the clearest sign of a true follower of Jesus, that they can’t quit no matter what happens to them personally, no matter how difficult the truths Jesus is conveying there is no turning back. Peter says two wonderful things:

Vs. 68 “Lord to whom shall we go”: Peter went on to say, “You have the words of eternal life.” Peter and the boys weren’t there for entertainment and hype they were there because of the Word. Paul wrote in Romans 10:16 “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Peter said, “Jesus we have checked out the alternatives and to be quite honest You scare us at times and hanging out with You causes us rejection and we don’t always understand all that You are about. You say and do things that blow our minds and you make very powerful people mad enough to kill you and us. But we have never found anyone like You.” Jesus holds two things that keep me cling to Him, His words and His deeds and these I can’t not deny even though at times hanging on to Him strips me of all I think is important! I have found no one and nothing that loves me like He does. There is a song by Jars of Clay that repeats a phrase over and over, “No one loves me like You do, no one love me the way You do”, where can I go indeed!
Vs. 69 “Also we have come to believe and know”: Notice how Peter puts this, “We have come to believe and are sure” that You are the Son of the living God. Now most folks would say, “I’ll believe when I’m sure” but the way of faith is that we trust Him first then we become sure. In the Greek it is “We have come to know and still know”. This involves a process of investigation that shows that this was not some emotionally driven declaration but rather one that took months of careful examination. “We have watched you, and we have come to see that there is nothing wrong in you. You fit the prophecies; you fulfill the predictions, You are the incomparable Christ and as such there is no others and no place to go beside You.” Someone once said that, “In Christ we have a love that can never be fathomed; a life that can never die; a righteousness that can never be tarnished; a peace that can never be understood; a rest that can never be disturbed; a joy that can never be diminished; a hope that can never be disappointed; a glory that can never be clouded; a light that can never be darkened; a happiness that can never be interrupted; a strength that can never be weekend; a purity that can never be defiled; a beauty that can never be marred; a wisdom that can never be baffled; and resources that can never be exhausted.” Who else can measure up to Him?

Folks, there are always two groups in every Church: Those who can not stay and those who can’t go! I chose to be in the later. Friends there have been times in my Christian life where the Holy Spirit brought Jesus words to my mind and in the stillness of that moment I reasoned as Peter did here and Ps. 42:5, 11 came to mind as twice in 11 verses David brought his heart towards God instead of falling backwards as he wrote, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” I’m afraid there are far too many folks today who may say these words while on the way to what the world has to offer. When I’m wiped out to the point of wanting to quit I start thinking, “Now where am I going to go if I quit being a Christian, back to the things of the world? If they were so great why did I leave them to find love and comfort in the arms of Jesus?” Hey folks have you not discovered that once you have met Jesus He has ruined you for this life. Webster’s dictionary defines “ruined” as to “damage irreparably”. Oh how gloriously true that I have forever been damaged irreparable for my former life!

Vs. 70-71 Peter apparently became the spokes person for the remaining disciples when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?…we have come to believe” and made the assumption that after all left but the 12 that because they hadn’t physically walked away their hearts were in the right place but that’s not always the case. Now notice Jesus corrects their misconception and says that one of those that remained has become an adversary. Judas wasn’t so when he was chosen but become one over time and at that moment as Jesus said these words Judas was right there and yet not convicted by his own heart. Hey folks notice that it was the teaching of the word of God by the Spirit of God that sifted hearts some towards Jesus and some walking away. We are told three things about Judas:

First, we are told that Jesus chose him as he did the others. The sixth chapter of Luke records the story of Jesus praying all night long before he chose his disciples. Out of the hundreds who were following him he prayed to select those whom he would give himself to, to train and develop for the work which would reach around the world and through the ages. Jesus knew of the weaknesses in Judas’ life, his character failings, etc., and he prayed over him and yet chose him. It was the will of the Father that one among the apostolic band should betray him.
Secondly, Jesus gave power to Judas. On the occasion just prior to this He sent the twelve out before him into the cities of Galilee and gave them power to cast out devils, to heal the sick, and power even to raise the dead. The twelve came back (Judas was one of them), reporting that they had done all these things. Do not ever forget that: Jesus gave power to do miracles to one who He knew would betray Him. Our Lord also gave Judas the trusted position of treasurer within the apostolic band. Yet Jesus knew all along that Judas was a “devil” one that would be always resistant, oppose to Him, out for himself. Just because someone has been used of God entrusted with a position doesn’t mean they are one of His followers.
Thirdly, John tells us Judas was a traitor outwardly a disciple, outwardly a lover of Jesus yet inwardly a traitor, an enemy, a devil opposed to all that God wants. There was a progression of resistance in Judas and if I had to guess as those followers walked away at that moment at Jesus words Judas walked away in his heart.

I wonder what kind of alter call God would have for His church? Perhaps it would be like this one in the passage before us, those who can’t stay are free to leave but do so knowing you break His heart and those who can’t go come forward now and walk with Him!