April
18th John 6 Sign 4 The Lord - 5,000. (David)
1: After these things Jesus went
over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2: And a great multitude
followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were
diseased. 3: And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his
disciples. 4: And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5: When Jesus
then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto
Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6: And this he said to prove
him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7: Philip answered him, Two hundred
pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take
a little. 8: One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto
him, 9: There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small
fishes: but what are they among so many? 10: And Jesus said, Make the men sit
down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number
about five thousand. 11: And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given
thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were
set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12: When they were
filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that
nothing be lost. 13: Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve
baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and
above unto them that had eaten. 14: Then those men, when they had seen the
miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come
into the world. 15: When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and
take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain
himself alone.
B.
The Rejection of Jesus the Christ Sign
5 The Lord - Water (Presence)
16: And when even was now come, his
disciples went down unto the sea, 17: And entered into a ship, and went over
the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18: And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19: So when they had
rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the
sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20: But he saith
unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21: Then they willingly received him into
the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
1
“I am the bread of life”
22: The day following, when the
people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other
boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus
went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone
away alone; 23: (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the
place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) 24: When
the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they
also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25: And when they
had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when
camest thou hither? 26: Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat
of the loaves, and were filled. 27: Labour not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man
shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28: Then said they
unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29: Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent. 30: They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou
then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31: Our fathers
did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven
to eat. 32: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses
gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread
from heaven. 33: For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and
giveth life unto the world. 34: Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us
this bread. 35: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst. 36: But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out. 38: For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own
will, but the will of him that sent me. 39: And this is the Father's will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up again at the last day. 40: And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The
Jews disagree
41: The Jews then murmured at him,
because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42: And they said,
Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is
it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43: Jesus therefore answered
and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44: No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last
day. 45: It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.
Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh
unto me. 46: Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he
hath seen the Father. 47: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
me hath everlasting life. 48: I am that bread of life. 49: Your fathers did eat
manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50: This is the bread which cometh down
from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51: I am the living bread
which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world. 52: The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How
can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink
his blood, ye have no life in you. 54: Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55: For my flesh is
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56: He that eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57: As the living Father hath
sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by
me. 58: This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did
eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59:
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Many
leave the Lord
60: Many therefore of his disciples,
when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61:
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto
them, Doth this offend you? 62: What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend
up where he was before? 63: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life. 64: But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from
the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65:
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it
were given unto him of my Father. 66: From that time many of his disciples went
back, and walked no more with him. 67: Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye
also go away? 68: Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?
thou hast the words of eternal life. 69: And we believe and are sure that thou
art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70: Jesus answered them, Have not I
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71: He spake of Judas Iscariot
the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the
twelve.
This incident in the life of Christ
is recorded in all four gospels. It is the fourth Messianic sign. Therefore we
can conclude that the writers considered it to be crucial. Christ as the
Messiah of Israel provides food for the people. Kings of Israel were always
considered the providers of their people. When Christ asked Philip what the
people would eat he was requesting him to work out the enormity of the task.
Philip computed that eight months wages for a working man was not enough for
everyone to have a little. (In 2010 this would be about £13,000) I’m not quite
sure what Andrew had in him mind but he found a young boy who had five small
rolls and two kippers. But he did confess that it was not very much. Christ
asked that everyone sit down on the grass. This would prevent people moving
about and enable the disciples to serve without duplication and also it would
enable them to count the families. Christ took the loaves, gave thanks and
distributed them to the disciples. There were about 5,000 families seated there
and they all ate their full. At the end they took up 12 hand baskets of food
that remained over. The people were amazed at this miracle and sign from
heaven. The people wanted to forcibly make Jesus King but he sent the disciples
away and then dismissed the crowd himself. This miracle is symbolic of the
ministry of David. He took five loaves to feed his men from Abithar the priest.
Christ is a great man than David. He is David’s Lord. These four signs
represent Christ’s Messianic claims so far. The first four speak of Israel’s
past the next four of Israel’s future.
Sign One Water to wine – Moses
Sign Two Healing of the son – Elijah
Sign Three Healing of the lame man – Joshua
Sign Four Feeding of 5,000 – David
Sign Five The Lord walks in water – Presence
Sign Six Sight to Blind man – Light – Prophet
Sign Seven Lazarus raised from death – Life – Priest
Sign Eight Fish from Galilee – Liberty – King
In the centre John describes the
present condition of Israel. They are on gentiles waters and the wind is
against them. And Christ is coming to them. When Christ came, at first they
were afraid then they welcomed him into the boat and all was well. When the
people followed the boat around the lake they could not understand how Christ
had come into the boat! Christ then takes the analogy of bread to give the
people a spiritual lesson. They were not to work for ordinary bread but to work
for the bread which gives life. Then he
said simply I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. And he promises never to turn
away or forsake a needy soul. The focus was still firmly on Israel. He said that
the will of God is to accept Jesus as the Messiah and they will have eternal
life and they will have the promise of resurrection to the Kingdom. Some of the
Jews could not reconcile Christ’s claims with what they knew of his origin.
Christ put his claims and promises very clearly. - Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. And, I am that bread of
life. He said your father ate manna in the wilderness but they died. However,
this bread that l am speaking about - is the bread which cometh down from
heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which
came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread, he shall live for ever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world. Now this the Jews found difficult to understand or accept. They said
how can he give us his flesh to eat? Christ was speaking metaphorically of a
very personal participation in Christ himself. Clearly Christ was not saying
that we are to actually eat him. He said this is that bread which came down
from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of
this bread shall live for ever. The participation in Christ was not going to be
like Israel when they ate the manna. It’s not literal food. At this point in
Christ’s ministry many disciples stopped following him because of the
difficulty of his teaching. Christ asked the twelve – will you also go away?
But Peter answered to whom shall we turn only you have the words of eternal
life. And we believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
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