Author: Jeff Englund

John 6: 27

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

Why is the crowd following Jesus? Chapter 6 begins with John telling us that the crowd was following Jesus because he had been healing the sick. Stop and think for a moment about the people in your life. Who doesn’t know someone that is sick, or has been, or will be? Many of us know friends and family who are struggling with terrible diseases or struggle with our own. Who wouldn’t want to be close to a man who can heal every illness? Who wouldn’t want to have him close by all of the time?  Continue reading “Food”

John 6: 25-26

” When they [the crowds looking for Jesus] found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.’” 

The last that the crowd had seen of Jesus, was when they were about to make him their king, by force if necessary. John tells us that Jesus “withdrew.” The Greek word used to tell us what Jesus did is anachōreō   which means to withdraw, “so as to leave a room.”  In my house, when a person leaves a room, they are out of sight. It is almost as if that person has disappeared. Since we now know from verse 21 that Jesus has the power to transport himself from place to place instantly, it might have been that he left the crowd in a similar fashion.  Continue reading “Technicalities”

John 6: 22-24

” The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.”

We should really admire the persistence of the people in this crowd. First, they follow Jesus out into the hillsides of the Sea of Galilee. According to the map, the area they were in would have been on the east side of the Sea of Galilee about 80 miles north of Jerusalem. That would be 80 miles as the crow flies, and probably many more miles by foot.  Continue reading “Determination”

John 6:21b

” …and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”

In the first part of this verse, we see the disciples allowing Jesus to come into their boat (although in all probability it was probably drier outside the boat than it was inside during that storm!). Then John records that “immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” Based on the text and the geography of the area they were in, they were probably two or three miles away from shore when this happened.

Do you think John is serious about this? Did Jesus really do this kind of miracle where he transported people instantly from one place to another? Is that even possible?? Continue reading “Transport”

John 6: 21a

” Then they were willing to take him into the boat…”

In this verse, two important things happen: First, we see a change in the disciple’s attitude toward the appearance of Jesus on the water. Secondly, we see something amazing happen. Today we look at the first thing.

It is really quite hard to fathom what it must have been like to be Jesus’ disciple. Even the casual here-today-gone-tomorrow type disciples would have seen some amazing stuff. But the Twelve who were chosen to be with Jesus for his entire ministry saw some seriously amazing stuff.  Continue reading “Comfort”

John 6: 20

” But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’”

It is almost as if Jesus knew that he was needed. His disciples left alone, chose not to wait for him. Instead, they headed out on their own, climbing into a boat and rowing out on dark waters. What should have been a pleasant two hour journey had turned into an all-night rowing marathon fighting waves and wind. Hope of finding Jesus on the other side of the lake had turned into raw fear; a fear of not having the strength to get to shore again.  Continue reading “Sounds”

John 6: 19

” When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.”

As a writer, I have to admire John’s economy of words as he writes his Gospel account of Jesus’ life. With a very few strokes of the pen, he has given us a description of what happens to the disciples when they are left alone. First, they decide to leave. Second, they get in a boat. Third, they head out across the water at night. Fourth, they get caught in a storm. At this point in the story, the disciples are tired, worn out from pulling at the oars all night against the wind and being buffeted around in the boat, and probably more than a bit scared. Now maybe none of them were ready to admit that to each other, but I’m guessing that they were probably wondering if they were going to survive the night.  Continue reading “Maximum Fear”

John 6: 18

” A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.”

As we join the disciples today they are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, rowing across what is a very large lake to Capernaum on the other side. It is night. Jesus has disappeared and they do not know where he has gone. As they row across the dark waters, the wind picks up and blows harder and harder. The waters grow rough. Now it is a dark and stormy night… Continue reading “Stormy Night”

John 6: 16-17

” When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ”

This passage in its whole is famous because we see Jesus walking on water. Yet, as we look closer at the Word and dissect it verse by verse, we find that there are a lot of treasures here that could easily be overshadowed by the larger miracle.

Why did the disciples leave without Jesus? Continue reading “Far Away”

John 6: 15

“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

I am just guessing but I bet knowing everything could be a good thing. I suspect that it has its down side, too. I mean who wants to know every selfish or evil thing the person sitting next to you is thinking? Sometimes it is all I can do to sit and listen to someone on TV talking, especially on those shows where three or four people are all talking about something all at once. Oy! So imagine knowing the thoughts of thousands of people all at once! Continue reading “King Jesus”