Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
John 6: 33-34
‘“For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”’
If you wanted to teach a lesson to five thousand plus people, how would you do it? Let’s say you had modern big screen projectors, the best sound system in the world, and a laser light show and fireworks to get their attention. How would you get five thousand people to focus on what you wanted them to focus on? Continue reading “Bread”
John 6: 31-32
” Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’”
Reading the stories of the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt, one might understandably get the idea that the people Moses led out in the desert associated the miracles with him rather than with God. Yet the book of Exodus makes it clear that Moses, with one exception, only did what God wanted him to do. He sought God’s guidance for everything. Continue reading “True Bread”
John 6: 30
” So they asked him, ‘What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?’”
The crowds had seen Jesus heal the sick and feed thousands of people with little more than nothing. I, personally, would think that those “signs” qualify the person doing them as someone special. Clearly, those speaking for the crowd thought something more was in order. Continue reading “Signs”
John 6: 29
” Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’”
How hard is it to believe in someone? Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of what it means to “believe.” One definition of belief is to “consider [something] to be true.” (Webster) Okay … so I say I believe, what then? Continue reading “Belief”
John 6: 28
” Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’”
Do you ever feel like people just aren’t listening? Continue reading “Hearing”
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”