John Ch.6

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 

2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

It is inevitable that people on mass were following Jesus, because of the signs and wonders he was working: Nothing has really changed between then and now; and the Bible makes it clear that it will be this way at the end - see Matthew 24:24-25 and Revelation 13:13-14 (It is worth noting that in Revelation 13, it appears that the one performing these signs, is the same one who sets up what Jesus called “the abomination of desolation” in the Holy Place) We must be so careful about pursuing signs, wonders and miracles…

3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 

4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

5 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?”

See vs.35 (and Isaiah 55:1-2) - the answer is coming:

The Lord will have compassion on these masses: It is the feast of Passover and yet they are like sheep without a shepherd. This next miracle will mark the beginning of the over-arching theme of this chapter: The Lord Our Provider - see Genesis 22:1-18. But as we read in Genesis 22, this provision is about so much more than food.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2022%3A1-18&version=ESV

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” (One denarii was worth one day’s wages.)

This gives us an idea as to how many people were there. 

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?”

This could be likened to:

Genesis 22:7-8

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

{Note how the Lord uses a young boy in both these instances}

The disciples couldn’t feed the 5000 plus who were in need any more than we could provide our own sacrifice for our own sins: This is something that God - and God alone can do: And here, at this impromptu Passover gathering, is where we will see the first foreshadowing of YHWH Yireh - “The Lord our Provider. 

10 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.

11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. (See Matthew 26:26) 

So also the fish, as much as they wanted. (Psalm 146:7;)

{Note: Jesus didn’t “decree and declare” here; he didn’t demand…and he didn’t command: He simply “gave thanks”.}

12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 

Because it is his will that none should perish and ALL should come to repentance. 2Peter 3:9 (Also see  Luke 14:15-24)

Here we see Jesus Our Passover Lamb…our life-giving blood…our Bread of Heaven: Feeding 5000 wandering sheep at Passover is symbolic of his  protection…his covering…and his provision - both physical and spiritual, which will ultimately come to fulfillment through his death on the cross. Remember Genesis 22:1-18

{For more on Genesis 22: The Lord’s Provision, see: http://sarahshalom777.blogspot.com/2020/12/where-is-jesus-1.html}

This huge impromptu picnic on a hill also brings to mind another major feast of the Lord: Tabernacles - which will see its fulfillment in Revelation ch.21 & 22: Where at the end of days, the Lord will come and dwell - not just in us - but among us forever and we will all sup with him! - Just as these 5000 were literally supping with the Lord and they didn’t know it…

Later on in this chapter, Jesus will give us a vital key as to whom this feast points to and how to prepare for it.

Whether or not we receive this key - which opens the Way to God - is up to us.

13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

Twelve baskets of leftovers; enough to feed all twelve tribes of Israel all over again! It is as if the Lord is saying to these Jews who have followed him “My mercies and compassion for you will never run out.” (Again, remember Isaiah 55:1-2) This could also be pointing to the Lord’s Remembrance of Israel at the time of the End: see Revelation 7:1-7

A foreshadowing of Tabernacles- during Passover? Maybe this is God’s way of directing the people’s attention - and ours - not to either the feast of Passover…or Tabernacles - but to the One who will fulfill them! (If we are celebrating these feasts today with our Jewish brothers and sisters - and especially if we are celebrating with non-believing Jews, we must never forget, whom they are pointing to - and who has, and will fulfill them.)

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!”

What would bring people to this conclusion? Remember the Pharisees’ question to John in ch.1:21? They could have been thinking of Moses (Deuteronomy 8:1-18) or they could have been thinking of Elijah (1Kings 17:7-16): Only Jesus truly knows…and he will take the appropriate action:

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.

These people perceived only the PHYSICAL sign of the loaves and fishes and therefore tried to physically make him King (thinking “he can physically feed us so he can physically fight the Romans”; not perceiving that his Kingdom was spiritual and not to be seen through natural eyes.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 

17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 

18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 

20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 

21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

He has had to hide himself from the folly of those who as yet, are unable to understand: 

But gradually…one parable…one miracle at a time, he is revealing to his disciples who he really is.

When we are walking with the Lord it is never in our own strength: Just like the disciples in the boat, whose striving against wind ceased when Jesus entered their boat: Now Jesus invites us to enter His rest, by  inviting Him into our lives daily, that our striving too may cease. Because he has already finished the work.

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. 

23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

Again, John places all the emphasis for this miracle on Jesus giving thanks.

24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 

26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

The signs were supposed to help reveal to the people who Jesus was.

Yes, the body needs food: But so much more than that is the soul needs Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is so patient here however; knowing full well that the hunger of these people is not for spiritual food, but physical: so he goes on to say this:

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Again, Jesus is not concealing his identity, but piece by piece, through one miracle after another, he is showing the people who he truly is.

Just as Jesus promised the Samaritan woman living water; he is now talking to these people about living eternal “food”

If we look at  Matthew 26:26 we start to get an idea of where Jesus is going with this: This symbolism has a much more serious connotation, as we will see later. 

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Again: Here is the Gospel: We cannot save ourselves; we cannot do enough works to earn God’s favor…we cannot offer enough sacrifices to atone for our sins: But the Lord did the work…The Lord provided the Sacrifice (remember Genesis 22:7-8). Jesus Christ will satisfy this huge demand on our behalf, through his vicarious death on the Cross: What is required of us? To believe on Him & trust in him - completely. (Genesis 22 is a foreshadowing of this event: as Abraham believed the Lord’s promise and trusted him, with even his only son, we must do the same.)

30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

Even though Jesus exhorts them to believe/have faith in him, their demanding a sign is evidence that they don’t - and for the time being, they won’t. Matthew 12:38-40

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 

It seems from this verse that they are thinking and likely discussing among themselves: “Is he the prophet Moses spoke about…the one who would be just like him?” (See Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 

33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

This statement is comparable to that of the Samaritan woman:

“Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (Ch.4:15)

Once again, here is the reference to the “Bread of Heaven.” But what - or who is the Bread from Heaven, that gives life to the world?

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

What is Jesus saying here: That he was the manna from Heaven, provided by the Lord? Yes but more than that: This manna was a foreshadowing of the Lord’s provision for us, in a much more permanent way - one where we would never lack for anything we needed ever again: 

“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8). That provision…that sacrifice…is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is using the illustration of bread (vs.1-20) and water (ch.4:1-20) to show us, that through him the Lord is providing for us…not food or water, but Life itself: Without Jesus, we all, without exception, will die.

Again we are reminded of his conversion with the Samaritan woman: “Sir, give me this water…”

They are both wanting what Jesus is offering; but with one difference: the Samaritan woman’s heart was open to recognize Jesus, and humble herself before Him: the hearts of these people clearly are not.

36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (See Hebrews 11:6)

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 

Displaying yet again, the character of God, through the Perfect Man, Jesus Christ. 

See Matthew 26:39

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. (Compare with vs.12)

This is his promise according to Psalm 16:9-11, to all of us who would follow him: Again, offending the Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection; 

and offending the  Pharisees, because he is saying that it is through him that the dead are raised. 

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 

42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Because the greatest danger is when we think we already “know” See ch.9:39-41

43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 

In other words Jesus is not going to give them a sign…he will not prove himself or attempt to persuade them in any way. He already knows the ones whom his Father has given him. (See again ch.4)

45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 

See Matthew 5:3-8. 

Apart from the 12 apostles and the “women who followed Jesus” in Luke 8:2-3, examples of these include, the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15), the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8), the Roman centurion (Luke 7), the man born blind (John 9), Zacheus the tax collector (Luke 19), Nicodemus the Pharisee (John 3 & 19:39-42), Jirus the synagogue leader (Luke 8) and the penitent thief on the cross (Luke 23).

46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Jesus is again expressing his deity.