[Transcript represents full sermon's text]

       John chapter 6, starting in verse 1: “After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples” (ESV).

       We begin today after a scene wherein Jesus was informing the Jewish people, those who were actually against him, he was informing them of why he was doing what he was doing, and even why his earthly ministry was taking place. While many sought after Jesus, only a few believed, even as we are going to see in the passage, and many, whether that be Jewish leaders, like Scribes and Pharisees, or even general people of the populace, where actually against Jesus. Even though it initially appears they are on his side, the truth becomes manifest that they actually aren’t. Jesus crosses the large lake by boat, and the crowd seeks him out to find where he is, and John gives a little hint in the passage. He tells us it was “because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” “[B]ecause they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” Uh-oh. An ulterior motive. Sounds like they might be in a “getting” mindset. Nevertheless, this account we are diving into now is covered in the other three Gospels, and there is more that could be understood by considering those accounts, but let’s focus on things from John’s perspective in our studying of it.

       Continuing, verse 4: “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little” (ESV).

       Thus, we come to the scene where Jesus and his disciples are resting on the mountain. This is an attempt to get away from the busy ministry of which Jesus and the disciples have endured. Probably some time was spent in prayer. That would explain the forthcoming phrase from John, “Lifting up his eyes.” A great scene in a movie it would be. Jesus lifting up his eyes to see a large, large crowd in front on him. Interestingly, regarding this crowd, John informs us that the “Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.” Therefore, this suggests that this large amount of people, those who had now formed this crowd, were those on their way to the feast in Jerusalem. The understanding, then, is not as we might have suspected all these years. It’s not these individuals particularly had come from their towns and homes strictly to find Jesus, but it was more or less that Jesus was an interesting side-show to them on their journeying to Jerusalem. Again, we are going to see that general attitude among them. The volition was not a discovery to find the real truth behind what was happening with Jesus’ ministry. A bit of disappointment perhaps ensues for us when we realize this for the first time. John says they had come “because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”

       Nevertheless, while Jesus may have suspected it initially, he still has compassion. Jesus desires to make sure these people have their basic, physical needs. This fact is interesting in the life application it presents for us, in that it goes to show, in the most basic sense, that the Lord is always concerned about our simple, physical needs. His eyes don’t gaze over the crowd simply to say, “You’ve come all the way out here on this religious retreat, now suffer. Suffer for the kingdoms sake as you should suffer.” That’s not what the focus is. Really, no matter what those physical needs are, Jesus is concerned. Care exists as pertains to our job, a place for us to work, a car for us to drive, and even a smartphone for us to use. It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s not care only for the spiritual, as might be incorrectly assumed. Yet, in all of this, he isn’t so sure what Philip thinks. He wants to see what Philip’s response to all this will be. Thus, a test ensues. John tells us that Jesus “himself knew what he would do.” But, Jesus didn’t know what Philip would do. That’s what would be interesting to see. That’s what God always wants to see whenever he puts a person to the test, which, actually, likely isn’t a regular thing. We can venture too far with this concept, in thinking that God is testing us every time something bad happens, which obviously isn’t the case. We wouldn’t want to think of God as ‘insecure.’

       Philip responds to Jesus’ pop-quiz. The likely hope of Jesus was that he would say something like, “Well, Lord, you can handle it. Why don’t you feed them?” That seems to be the response he was hoping he would hear—something along those lines. However, Philip fixes his focus in the direction of the monetary. He jumps straight into the money part, as we too so often do. He says, ““Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” To understand the monetary values described, we can note that one denarii would have been about one day’s wages, one day’s pay, for a person. Therefore, two hundred denarii would have been 200 days wages. In our American setup, if we are assuming the average income for a person is, let’s say, $40,000 a year, that would mean were looking at about $27,000 if had, according to Philip, wouldn’t even feed the crowd. That’s pretty discouraging. In essence, Philip is basically saying, “There’s no way, Lord. Can’t be done. Even if we had a lot of money, and I mean a lot, we couldn’t do it. Sorry Lord.” It would seem Philip is trying to put Jesus in his place, and say, “Good thought, Lord, but can’t be done.” Hopefully, for us who are listening, these remarks do not ring true for ourselves. If we are thinking, “Gee, that sounds like me,” then we should probably give all of this some thought. It’s not that God can always change a person’s mind who has free will, but he can change material things and circumstances to use them for his purposes.

       Verse 8: “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

       With Andrew, we have a bit better of a response. It’s more along the lines to what Jesus is looking for. In the case of Philip versus Andrew, Andrew definitely wins. Andrew comes to Jesus with what they do have. He must have journeyed out into the crowd and tried to figure something out. Perhaps he found the boy with the large amount of food, at least larger than most others there. Hopefully, and dare we think it, hopefully he wasn’t just thinking of Jesus and the disciples. Hopefully the reason he didn’t bring him over was as if to say, “I don’t know about the crowd, but I found this boy who has enough so that at least we can eat.” Let’s hope that’s not what he was thinking. Anyway, Andrew apparently thinks that with this food perhaps Jesus can do something. Maybe there is something Jesus can do to make it work. That’s the right attitude. He’s on the right track. Backing up a bit, John has already told us that Jesus “knew what he would do.” And notice, this knowing of Jesus what he would do was before he had even known about the boy with the larger amount of food. Jesus knew he was going to take a little bit of food from someone and make it much bigger. He just needed someone to step forth, which the boy did. God doesn’t take things from persons without their free-choice, and Jesus knew someone would certainly offer something. This boy would have a cool story to tell for the ages, no doubt.

       Verse 10: “Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.”

       Wow, wow. We are confronted with the amount of people in this large crowd. John records “about five thousand… men.” If we add women and children to that (remember the boy just appeared with the food), we’re probably talking, what, 8,000, 10,000, or even 12,000? That’s a tremendous amount of people. Remember, Jesus knew what he was doing to do, and he executes his plan. He accomplishes what he wants to accomplish. And before he does that, before he distributes the food, which is going to magically multiply, before he does that, he gives thanks to the Father. This scene is why we give thanks before we eat our meals, because we are following after the model of Jesus. It certainly never hurts to give God thanks, right? It humbles the spirit, and makes us realize that all good things come from him. He has created this world, and given us the ability, with our free will, to take part in it. Help has been provided to us so that we have whatever food we have. Even for the person who doesn’t believe in God, God has helped them. For Jesus said, recall, “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45, ESV). It’s the sun and the rain that makes food possible, even food from livestock. So even the unbeliever, even the enemy of God, is dependent on him for food.

       Verse 12: “And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.”

       Jesus doesn’t say, as the food is being passed around, “You can only have one or two.” John, rather, records, they could have “as much as they wanted.” It was an all-you-can-eat buffet. That’s the way God is when he gives. No stinginess exists when he gives. Just as the Apostle Paul will talk about cheerful givers, so God himself, isn’t asking individuals do something he doesn’t do. He cheerfully gives. So, John records “they had eaten their fill.” The gathering up of the leftovers, so “that nothing may be lost” seems to have some kind of connection with the fact that God had supernaturally created the food via the miracle. It was bread from Heaven like God gave to the Israelites of old, and it was therefore holy in that sense. And recall, technically we are still in Old Testament times at this point. The transitioning to the New Testament is occurring, but Jesus hadn’t died and rose again yet. In light of this verse, the temptation could be to think, among ourselves, that Jesus is teaching no leftover food should ever be wasted. That seems to be a stretch, however. It certainly is not good to treat one’s body like a trash can. It’s a personal statement that is said from time to time when eating out or whatever, when there is extra food, or when a full-feeling has been reached, to say, “My body is not a trash can.” That is, this is said to prevent over-eating. It’s better for the food to go into the trash, than to go into the body, where the excess will be added as fat.

       As far as the number twelve noted of the leftovers, it’s likely that this doesn’t have any particular symbolism. It may just that there were twelve baskets since there were twelves disciples, and each had his own basket. Each one, much like an Easter egg hunt, went around and filled his basket, and it just so happened that that was the exact amount left. Since Jesus didn’t want anything to be wasted, this bread would be used for additional meals. The twelve would use it. So, God even made it so that the disciples would have additional meals from this feeding of the 5,000 men.

       Verse 14: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

       Unfortunately, the excitement on the part of the crowd seems to be from the fact that they had eaten their fill. A large meal had been given for free, and they liked it. They thought, “A guy who can do this should be our king! We want free stuff all the time!” So, the point of the whole thing is missed. They again, like the disciples often were, were focused on the material, and not the spiritual. Their minds were fixed on what they were going to ‘get’ out of it. Not focused on God, but on ‘getting.’ Their profession of Jesus being truly the Messiah isn’t actually genuine. A genuine belief from the heart isn’t present, but it’s a belief that he can give them further good things. It’s the way many Americans think in our day and age. Politicians are voted for based on what they are perceived to be able to give, on what promises they even make. “Who can benefit me the most?” is what is often thought when deciding on who to vote for. Yet, sometimes it isn’t about getting, but sometimes there is a time and a place to not get, or for someone else to get instead. Anyhow, Jesus didn’t want anything to do with it, for he sees right through their praise of him, their praise of God, that it wasn’t authentic. And that’s why he goes away up on the mountain, undoubtedly disappointed by their response, and there lack of heart to truly honor God.

       Verse 16: “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going” (ESV).

       A decision is reached by the disciples to go ahead back across the lake to Capernaum, which, as is understood, is where Jesus originally called the Twelve. A presumption can be made then that they probably had their families in that area, and desired to visit with them again. Apparently, they thought Jesus was going to join up with them, and when he didn’t, they decided to go ahead and cross the lake. Of course, this is a rather large lake. It’s not small. As a matter of fact, looking it up on Wikipedia, one will find that it is approximately 8 miles at it’s widest. The ESV translators have in fact translated the measurements into miles in the text, so we can understand that the disciples were approximately halfway through their journey when the sea began to pick up, when the waters started to become ruff. It doesn’t speak of a storm, and nor do Matthew or Mark, who also record this account. So some kind of strong wind. It makes sense with the mountains around there. John, again, gives a more brief, summarized account, but he does note that the disciples were frightened. We know this is the case as they originally believed Jesus to be a ghost. Even back then, some 2,000 years ago, people knew of ghosts and saw ghosts. The real question is, not are there ghosts, but what are ghosts? That’s the real question. And most of the time, they’re probably not dead people.

       The part where Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water is totally cut out by John. Perhaps this is because he is already aware that Matthew recorded it, or perhaps he felt it detracted from the flow of his story. Or, perhaps he was jealous and just didn’t want to record it. Actually, that probably wasn’t it. Yet, besides the walking on the water by Jesus, which would have been quite the site to see in the middle of high winds, when the sea was ruff, there is something else that happens. Another miracle in fact. John notes that the boat “immediately… was at the land to which they were going.” “Immediately.” In our day and age, we call that teleportation. The boat teleported. We’ve heard stories, perhaps, of this happening in our time, like from a pilot who said they were flying in this area, got caught in a storm, and then suddenly were an hour or two away. Perhaps the same type of miracle? Maybe. Yet, this is a pretty incredible power on the part of God, the ability to be one place one second, and then totally in another place a second later. As we will see later, Jesus’ resurrection body has the same power, the power to appear one place, disappear, and then appear somewhere else. There’s no reason to think that we ourselves, when we obtain our new bodies in the future, won’t obtain that same power. That’s going to pretty cool. And, as an aside, we will fly as well. It’s sounding more and more like the writers of Superman or even Smallville were onto something.

       Continuing along. Verse 22: “On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal” (ESV).

       Like paparazzi, this crowd had been watching Jesus’ and his disciples every move. They knew that disciples had gotten into their boat without Jesus, and they thought that Jesus had still been with them. He wasn’t. We know he’d just walked across the sea until he got into the disciples’ boat, which ended up teleporting to shore. Thus, the crowd, probably upset by Jesus’ mysterious absence, had basically hijacked the boats that had arrived there and took them across the sea themselves over to Capernaum. If they hadn’t known that’s where they were going (for they probably did), they would have easily been able to figure that out. And so, they step foot there on the shore, looking for that powerful man who had been giving free hand-outs. More free hand-outs, that’s what it was all about. Whether the crowd realized this fact or not, we really don’t know. Perhaps they knew, deep-down, that that is all they really cared about. Yet, Jesus knew it. Jesus wanted individuals following him, or even to be King over, those who really wanted him to be, and who loved him for the right reasons. Why, this is going to be case later on in time, during the times of the Book of the Revelation. Remember? The Jewish people who believe, or those who are left behind and endure the tribulation, those Jews are going to be at the 1,000 Year Reign of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, because they really love him, and not because they want free hand-outs. Jesus will get what he really desires, just not here, and not now.

       Jesus, knowing their hearts, even tries to persuade them. He tells them, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” He still wants them to get it. He hasn’t judged them, like most of us would do, and say, “Well, you’re from a contrasting political party to what we believe. Therefore, we will have nothing to do with you!” No, he still tries to get them to see it. He still wants them to see it, and thinks that they could. Observe the free-choice in the matter. These people are choosing to act wrongly, and he knows that if they just realize it, whether it’s subconscious or not, that they could make a change and do what is right. That’s usually the hope in any situation. He’s saying not to focus on the material, not to focus on what is seen, but to focus on what is unseen, to focus on the eternal. There’s this other food, recall, the food he talked about with the disciples while sitting at the well, the food he said they knew nothing about. That’s what he longs for the Jews to devour. He will freely give it to them if they will just make that choice to focus on the right things. And, he’ll give that to anybody today. He concludes his statement, “For on him God the Father has set his seal.” That’s the reality, and that’s also the problem, at least for them. It’s not about the Law anymore.

       Verse 28: “Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (ESV).

       These Jewish persons are looking for some more works to be doing, that by which they can seemingly please the Father. Jesus makes it simple. All they have to do, and all anyone today has to do, is to believe. He says they simply have to “believe in him whom he has sent.” The understanding was present that they didn’t, as, again, they were focused on the externals, instead of the eternals. Focused on what’s outside, and not what’s inside. Jesus would accuse the Pharisees at another point similar to this. And they demonstrate they don’t believe because they desire one more sign, one more ‘proof’ that he is the Messiah. Not convinced, they are, by the feeding of the 5,000 men. Not good enough for them. They basically make that point as they are saying that even Moses did a work such as that in the Old Testament, and that the Messiah should be greater than Moses. The rebuttal to this by Jesus is that it actually wasn’t even Moses who gave them that bread, that it was actually God, just like the bread they had received the day prior was actually from God. Besides, he says that’s not really the focus. What’s truly the focus is the fact that the Father can give them “true bread,” bread which is greater than physical bread that you eat in your mouth. (And this is a little plug that the later instituted Communion by Jesus isn’t his actual blood and body.) Anyway, Jesus is the One who can give a person life, not food. A person who just eats food will still die someday. There’s no spiritual benefit.

       Continuing, and this will be our last section today. Verse 34: “They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (ESV).

       The belief is still present that it’s physical food from Jesus, which he can give them, that will cause them to live forever. They just aren’t getting it. All they have to do, Jesus points out, all they have to do is come to him. He says, “[W]hoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” So, they have to both come and believe. Come and believe. The Father gives those who believe to the Son. Originally a person would believe in the Father first, and then the Son (that’s the way it was before the Son). It’s not that they stay exclusive to the Father, but the Father gives them to the Son, because, again it is to be that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” the Son (see Matthew 28:18, ESV). The Father doesn’t retain the authority, but will, and nowadays has, given it to the Son. That’s why Jesus can say, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Or, as he says on another occasion, as things are changing and transitioning, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). That is, no one can just go to God and believe in God. He couldn’t have said that at this exact moment since that time hadn’t quite come. It was almost time for that. The only ones who will actually see God in the next life are those who go through the Son. These Jews in this scene in John thought that because they believed in Moses, that that was enough to be cool, to be right, with the Father. Yet, Jesus is saying that when you are at the Father, the Father will then hand you over to me. In other words, a person who truly believes in the Father with a right heart will believe in the Son. The Father points them to Jesus, and Jesus will never lose or turn any of them away. (For more on this line of thinking, study ‘Dispensationalism’).

- Daniel Litton