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1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore
of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),
2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the
miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.
4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him,
he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people
to eat?"
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what
he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough
bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke
up,
9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small
fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty
of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand
of them.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those
who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the
fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces
of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they
began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into
the world."
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by
force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
17 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.
John 6:1-17
Explanation: 6:5 If anyone knew where to get food, it would
have been Philip because he was from Bethsaida, a town about nine
miles away (1:44). Jesus was testing Philip to strengthen his faith.
By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none), Jesus
highlighted the powerful and miraculous act that he was about to
perform.
6:5-7 When Jesus asked Philip where they could
buy a great amount of bread, Philip started assessing the probable
cost. Jesus wanted to teach him that financial resources are not
the most important ones. We can limit what God does in us by assuming
what is and is not possible. Is there some impossible task that
you believe God wants you to do? Don't let your estimate of what
can't be done keep you from taking on the task. God can do the miraculous;
trust him to provide the resources.
6:8, 9 The disciples are contrasted with the youngster
who brought what he had. They certainly had more resources than
the boy, but they knew they didn't have enough, so they didn't give
anything at all. The boy gave what little he had, and it made all
the difference. If we offer nothing to God, he will have nothing
to use. But he can take what little we have and turn it into something
great. In performing his miracles, Jesus usually preferred to work
through people. Here he took what a young child offered and used
it to accomplish one of the most spectacular miracles recorded in
the Gospels. Age is no barrier to Christ. Never think you are too
young or too old to be of service to him.
6:13 There is a lesson in the leftovers. God gives
in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer him in time, ability,
or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest
expectations. If you take the first step in making yourself available
to God, he will show you how greatly you can be used to advance
the work of his kingdom.
6:14 The Prophet is the one prophesied by Moses
(Deuteronomy 18:15).
18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw
Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were
terrified.
20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."
21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately
the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
22 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.
23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the
people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 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.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked
him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for
me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the
loaves and had your fill.
John 6:18-26
Explanation: 6:18 The Sea of Galilee is 650 feet below sea level,
150 feet deep, and surrounded by hills. These physical features
make it subject to sudden windstorms that would cause extremely
high waves. Such storms were expected on this lake, but they were
nevertheless frightening. When Jesus came to the disciples during
a storm, walking on the water (three and a half miles from shore),
he told them not to be afraid. We often face spiritual and emotional
storms and feel tossed about like a small boat on a big lake. In
spite of terrifying circumstances, if we trust our lives to Christ
for his safekeeping he will give us peace in any storm.
6:18, 19 The disciples, terrified, probably thought
they were seeing a ghost (Mark 6:49). But if they had thought about
all they had already seen Jesus do, they could have accepted this
miracle. They were frightened--they didn't expect Jesus to come,
and they weren't prepared for his help. Faith is a mind-set that
expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome
our fears.
6:26 Jesus criticized the people who followed him
only for the physical and temporal benefits and not for the satisfying
of their spiritual hunger. Many people use religion to gain prestige,
comfort, or even political votes. But those are self-centered motives.
True believers follow Jesus simply because they know he has the
truth and his way is the way to live.
27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the
Father has placed his seal of approval."
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God
requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in
the one he has sent."
30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give
that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written:
`He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "
32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, 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.
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world."
34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes
to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never
be thirsty.
36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes
to me I will never drive away.
38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do
the will of him who sent me.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none
of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day."
John 6:27-40
Explanation: 6:28, 29 Many sincere seekers for God are puzzled
about what he wants them to do. The religions of the world are mankind's
attempts to answer this question. But Jesus' reply is brief and
simple; we must believe on him whom God has sent. Satisfying God
does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. The
first step is accepting that Jesus is who he claims to be. All spiritual
development is built on this affirmation. Declare to Jesus, You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), and embark
on a life of belief that is satisfying to your Creator.
6:35 People eat bread to satisfy physical hunger
and to sustain physical life. We can satisfy spiritual hunger and
sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ.
No wonder he called himself the bread of life. But bread must be
eaten to sustain life, and Christ must be invited into our daily
walk to sustain spiritual life.
6:37, 38 Jesus did not work independently of God
the Father, but in union with him. This should give us more assurance
of being welcomed into God's presence and being protected by him.
Jesus' purpose was to do the will of God, not to satisfy Jesus'
human desires. When we follow Jesus, we should have the same purpose.
6:39 Jesus said he would not lose even one person
whom the Father had given him. Thus anyone who makes a sincere commitment
to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior is secure in God's promise
of eternal life. Christ will not let his people be overcome by Satan
and lose their salvation (see also Philippians 1:6).
6:40 Those who put their faith in Christ will be
resurrected from physical death to eternal life with God when Christ
comes again (see 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven."
42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know? How can he now say, `I came down from
heaven'?"
43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered.
44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws
him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God.'
Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to
me.
46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only
he has seen the Father.
47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man
may eat and not die.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats
of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which
I will give for the life of the world."
John 6:41-51
Explanation: 6:41 When John says Jews, he is referring to the
Jewish leaders who were hostile to Jesus, not to Jews in general.
John himself was a Jew, and so was Jesus. The religious leaders
grumbled because they could not accept Jesus' claim of divinity.
They saw him only as a carpenter from Nazareth. They refused to
believe that Jesus was God's divine Son, and they could not tolerate
his message. Many people reject Christ because they say they cannot
believe he is the Son of God. In reality, the demands that Christ
makes for their loyalty and obedience are what they can't accept.
So to protect themselves from the message, they reject the messenger.
6:44 God, not man, plays the most active role in
salvation. When someone chooses to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior,
he or she does so only in response to the urging of God's Holy Spirit.
God does the urging; then we decide whether or not to believe. Thus
no one can believe in Jesus without God's help.
6:45 Jesus was alluding to an Old Testament view
of the Messianic kingdom in which all people are taught directly
by God (Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:31-34). He was stressing the importance
of not merely hearing, but learning. We are taught by God through
the Bible, our experiences, the thoughts the Holy Spirit brings,
and relationships with other Christians. Are you open to God's teaching?
6:47 Believes as used here means continues to believe.
We do not believe merely once; we keep on believing in and trusting
Jesus. The religious leaders frequently asked Jesus to prove to
them why he was better than the prophets they already had. Jesus
here referred to the manna that Moses had given their ancestors
in the desert (see Exodus 16). This bread was physical and temporal.
The people ate it, and it sustained them for a day. But they had
to get more bread every day, and this bread could not keep them
from dying. Jesus, who is much greater than Moses, offers himself
as the spiritual bread from heaven that satisfies completely and
leads to eternal life.
6:51 How can Jesus give us his flesh as bread to
eat? To eat living bread means to accept Christ into our lives and
become united with him. We are united with Christ in two ways: (1)
by believing in his death (the sacrifice of his flesh) and resurrection
and (2) by devoting ourselves to living as he requires, depending
on his teaching for guidance and trusting in the Holy Spirit for
power.
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How
can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life
in you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and
I in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father,
so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers
ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard
teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said
to them, "Does this offend you?
62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words
I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe."
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe
and who would betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can
come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:52-65
Explanation: 6:56 This was a shocking message--to eat flesh
and drink blood sounded cannibalistic. The idea of drinking any
blood, let alone human blood, was repugnant to the religious leaders
because the law forbade it (Leviticus 17:10, 11). Jesus was not
talking about literal blood, of course. He was saying that his life
had to become their own, but they could not accept this concept.
The apostle Paul later used the body and blood imagery in talking
about communion (see Corinthians 11:23-26).
6:63, 65 The Holy Spirit gives spiritual life,
without the work of the Holy Spirit we cannot even see our need
for new life. All spiritual renewal begins and ends with God. He
reveals truth to us, lives within us, and then enables us to respond
to that truth.
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer
followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked
the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life.
69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
70 Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve?
Yet one of you is a devil!"
71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of
the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
John 6:66-71
Explanation: 6:66 Why did Jesus' words cause many of his followers
to desert him? (1) They may have realized that he wasn't going to
be the conquering Messiah-King they expected. (2) He refused to
give in to their self-centered requests.
(3) He emphasized faith, not deeds. (4) His teachings
were difficult to understand, and some of his words were offensive.
As we grow in our faith, we may be tempted to turn away because
Jesus' lessons are difficult. Will your response be to give up,
ignore certain teachings, or reject Christ? Instead, ask God to
show you what the teachings mean and how they apply to your life.
Then have the courage to act on God's truth.
6:67, 68 There is no middle ground with Jesus.
When he asked the disciples if they would also leave, he was showing
that they could either accept or reject him. Jesus was not trying
to repel people with his teachings. He was simply telling the truth.
The more the people heard Jesus' real message, the more they divided
into two camps--the honest seekers who wanted to understand more,
and those who rejected Jesus because they didn't like what they
had heard. After many of Jesus' followers had deserted him, he asked
the 12 disciples if they were also going to leave. Peter replied,
To whom shall we go? In his straightforward way, Peter answered
for all of us--there is no other way. Though there are many philosophies
and self-styled authorities, Jesus alone has the words of eternal
life. People look everywhere for eternal life and miss Christ, the
only source. Stay with him, especially when you are confused or
feel alone.
6:70 In response to Jesus' message, some people
left, others stayed and truly believed, and some, like Judas, stayed
but tried to use Jesus for personal gain. Many people today turn
away from Christ. Others pretend to follow, going to church for
status, approval of family and friends, or business contacts. But
there are only two real responses to Jesus--you either accept him
or reject him. How have you responded to Christ?
