John 6
(I read this passage in prep for a discussion with my friend who is currently caught up in urgent and overwhelming circumstances.)
BLUF: John 6:1-40 > beware of getting caught up/consumed by the temporal and miss the eternal, caught up in the physical and miss very real growth of the unending life in the Spirit and our forever family.
6:1-14 The LARGE crowd pursued Jesus to hear His ‘words of eternal life’ and hopefully see more of the spectacular physical/temporal healings. (they certainly were not coming for a meal.) Jesus did a spectacular thing – He fed them all a meal from a single lunch. RESULT vs 15: with the combination of these things, they wanted to take Him by force and make Him King – circumstantial/temporal relief from occupation by Rome. Jesus withdrew to the mountain by Himself alone.
16-25 Where is Jesus when you need Him?
The disciples didn’t know where He went either, so decided to get in the boat and head back to their lodging. The wind is against them, they’re getting exhausted rowing 3-4 miles but persevering…and Jesus shows up UNEXPECTEDLY walking on the water. Is it really Jesus or just their imagination/hallucination. It’s Jesus; they receive Him into the boat (present circumstances and so He’s now with them again) and He does the ‘miraculous’; they are immediately at the land to which they were going.
26-27 The crowd who had followed Him yesterday found Him. Only now they were more focused on simply getting another meal, help with immediate needs/circumstances, obviously not seeking the eternal/spiritual. Vs. 27 Jesus said, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…”
Application: The same caution applies to us. We easily get distracted by the circumstances, the temporal needs and want His help for ‘our plan’ to take care of those. vs 28,29 They asked how to do a lasting work and He answered, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
29-34 The conversation goes on with them questioning who He is and asking for signs of His identity…like the days of Moses and the manna from heaven. Jesus declared He is the ‘true bread out of heaven that gives life to the world’. Jesus is talking about eternal life/real life/spiritual-forever life.
35-40 Jesus talks about true bread, spiritual food, real life, eternal life, forever with God in Christ life to be received by faith.
41-71 The Jews then (Roman Catholic Church now) failed to distinguish the two things – physical and spiritual – in what Jesus was saying. Many of His followers did not understand it either vs. 60,66 and withdrew/stopped following Him. I think the key verse is vs 63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
The twelve disciples did not understand either vs. 67 and Jesus said, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
WHAT DOES FAITH SAY?
vs 68 We have no where else to go; “You have the words of eternal life.”
Vs 69 We have anchored our souls in knowing/experiencing that You are the Holy One of God.