The Gospel of John | The Sign of Miracles – John 6:1-21
Jesus Christ is one with the Father and carries the right to rule and reign over all eternity.
John quickly transitions to the next scene with the phrasing of “after this.” Yet, for all the controversy that Jesus brought with Him, the stories of His miracles had circulated widely. Now, a large crowd had amassed and followed Him looking for their own healing and miracle. With such a large crowd, the issue quickly arose as to how the thousands of people would be fed. Jesus asks Philip, being the one who lives closest to this region, how they could possibly feed this entire crowd. Yet, even knew the impossibility of this request in such a short time. It would take a year’s salary to just give a taste to everyone who had arrived.
Throughout this passage, John makes frequent references to the passover that cannot be ignored. First, he mentions that this next event takes place roughly the same time as Passover, the celebration of God rescuing His people from the hands of the Egyptians by the sacrificial blood of the lamb. Furthermore, as Jesus provides food for the people, the narrative connects with the idea of God reigning manna from heaven in Exodus 16. Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees in John 15 made it abundantly clear that the entirety of scripture points to the salvific work of Jesus Christ. Thus, while Jesus alludes to the past events of Passover and God rescuing His people from Egypt, Jesus stands as a greater Moses. While Moses spoke on behalf of God as a prophet that none had seen, now, we have Jesus as our Prophet speaking, not on behalf of God, but as God incarnate.
God would provide for the people from his compassionate hospitality, to care for every need of the people. Yet, even when faced with the magnificence of Christ’s miracles and authority of His teaching, the people still sought their own agenda with Jesus Christ. The only option for Jesus would be retreat to rest and recuperate accordingly. Sending the disciples ahead, Jesus would later join them, walking on the water and waves to get to them. The signs of Jesus points heavily to His divinity. He is the promised Messiah and God made flesh. In the previous chapter, Jesus proclaimed Himself as one with the Father. Now, the signs of Jesus’ work would demonstrate His role. Jesus comes to save mankind as Immanuel. He is God made flesh, dwelling in the midst of people to bring them to Himself. Where mankind’s ability to save themselves fails, God provides a way to save and sustain His people as He rules and reigns over all creation.
God’s Compassionate Hospitality and Our Faith
As the people came seeking their own healing or miracles, Jesus taught them in authority, revealing to them the nature of the Kingdom of God and how they could obtain it. Asking how they could possibly feed everyone who had shown up, the disciples first lament about their inability, even with a small fortune of one year’s salary to provide food for everyone who had come to hear Jesus. Then, when Andrew did bring a small offering of the food one child had brought, Andrew immediately doubted that it would not be enough. The disciples saw the weight of the earthly problems and assumed that all hope had been lost. Yet, Jesus out of compassion and hospitality knew what He would do from the beginning. The nature of Jesus Christ is one of love and grace for people, looking to provide for their every need. Everything we have comes from Jesus Christ and His provision. Jesus’ act of compassion and hospitality is an act of grace for the people. Even though the people sought their own selfish motives and reason for being there, Jesus still opened a path for them to understand His true nature by providing for their very needs.
It would have been easy for Jesus to merely send the people away to find their food on their own. Yet, Jesus sought to provide for the people. The questions of where the food would come from implied that Jesus sought to feed the people. Just as God reigned down manna from heaven during the Israelites wandering through the desert for 40 years, Jesus would similarly provide nourishment for the people. Furthermore, the provision would be a sign pointing to God’s ability to provide. The food that Andrew brought from the child could not possibly feed even a fraction of the people present. Andrew demonstrated the smallest amount of faith, but even in his speaking, he quickly moved to doubt Christ’s ability to provide for the people. Jesus, though, out of the abundance of His divine nature, could provide supernaturally for all the needs of the people.
Jesus’ provision of compassion and hospitality for the people out of the overflow of His goodness reveals His nature to provide for the people. Where the people needed food, Jesus provides even more beyond that, spiritual food. The narrative of Jesus feeding the thousands of people shows the inability of the works of mankind to sustain life and Jesus’ profound ability to provide life for people. As the Savior of all mankind, Jesus provides everything needed for a person to provide the life they need. He acts both in compassion and with hospitality. We cannot forget that Jesus welcomes people to join Him rather than sends them away. God wants people to be with Him and to praise His name forever as He provides for our every need in grace and love.
- What does Jesus’ willingness to provide food for the people demonstrate about the nature of God and His mission on earth?
King By Force
Seeing the miracles and signs of Jesus, the people sought to make Him King by force. Ultimately, the people of Israel sought their freedom from the oppressive rule of Rome by establishing Israel as the independent nation-state once again. Their understanding of the Messiah would be the one who came as King of the nation of Israel to push out the oppressors. Jesus showed Himself as the prime candidate, one they would ultimately try and put in power whether Jesus wanted it or not. Jesus, though, having a different goal in mind, left the presence of the people in spiritual retreat. He left for solitude from the people to be with His Heavenly Father in prayer. He even sent the disciples ahead of Him, withdrawing to the mountains to be with Himself.
The people during this time missed the purpose that Jesus came. The scope of the work of Jesus would far exceed anything they could imagine. Jesus did not come to rule over the small nation of Israel but to rule over all of creation. He came to snatch mankind from the grips of death and set them on the foundation of the Lord. Limiting the scope of Jesus’ reign to Israel would be a mockery to the power of God. Jesus reigns from the throne room of Heaven over all creation. Furthermore, Jesus wants to rule over every aspect of our lives, not just the parts we relegate Him to. He will reign over all things and we cannot force Him into specific places. Whatever expectations we feel that Jesus should do or even if we think Jesus owe’s us something, we must lay those preconceived notions at the foot of the cross and bow before Jesus as our King.
Walking on Water
Jesus met the disciples on the lake during the middle of a great storm. Yet, while the disciples took a boat, Jesus merely walked out to the disciples to meet them. Most of the disciples had been fishermen of sorts and none of them were strangers to this type of activity. While the storm raged fiercely, the disciples become afraid at the sight of Jesus Christ walking on the water to meet them. The disciples could, with effort, navigate the storm as they had done countless times before. Jesus, though, approached them with confidence and ease that defied their understanding. They saw the Messiah effortlessly navigate the storms and the winds. Fear, for the disciples, is entirely understandable. The power of Jesus Christ dominated the elements of the world and everything the disciples feared in the past now appeared small when faced with the reality of the full might of Jesus Christ.
As the Israelites fled Egypt in Exodus, it was the breath of God that parted the Red Sea for the people to safely cross. Now, as the wind blows across the sea, Jesus walks effortlessly as above the strength of the wind. The crashing of the waves and the gusts of wind could not overpower the ruler of all creation. Jesus, as the greater Moses, rescues the people of God by His own might. Furthermore, while Moses brought the people out of Caesar’s oppressive rule, Jesus sought to bring the people out from the oppression rule of sin over the lives of people.
Jesus exerted no effort to come to the disciples, battling against the forces of nature. The strength of Jesus came from His divine omnipotent nature to do all things. Yet, while the disciples initially and understandably feared Jesus, He told them not to be afraid. Ultimately, the safest place we can all be is to rest in the presence of God. The disciples welcomed Jesus into the boat, safely reaching the shore. For us, the safest place we can be is in the presence of God. Even when the power of God seems scary, we cannot give up in looking to be with Him. Jesus, being fully God, wields the power of His divinity for the good of His people and for His glory. As the greater Moses, Jesus rescues people from sin rather than Egypt. He leads us out of sickness, sin, and death and restores us to His presence. When confronted with the power of Jesus Christ, His works and His witness, we bow before Him as the Lord and Savior of mankind.
- What does the fear of the disciples demonstrate about the nature and power of Jesus’ actions?
Discussion Questions
- Compare Jesus and Moses according to the signs you see in John 6:1-21. How is Jesus the better Moses?
- In what ways have you experienced the provision of God in your life? Where have you see the hand of God in your life?
- What does Jesus’ compassion and hospitality tell us about the nature of Jesus Christ?
- Where do we try and box Jesus in to specific areas that we feel He should and should not do?
- How does Jesus’ revelation of His power to the disciples show them the extent of God’s ability? How does this contrast with the immediate surroundings Jesus is facing?
- What does it reveal about Jesus’ character that, even though the disciples feared Jesus, His message was to not be afraid?
- How have you experienced Jesus providing for you?
