For the last five weeks, we’ve taken a little detour into how to effectively share Christ’s message of salvation. (See Jesus is One Serious Son; The New Boss is the Same as the Old Boss; Do You Know How to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven; How to Handle Salvation Doubts; and Revealing the Mysteries of Christian Theology.)
Now, let’s return to where we left off with the adventures of Jesus and His apostles. (See Are Their Limits to the Power of Christ). He was teaching people (and the apostles) in parables. And then He prepared them to evangelize others with His Salvation message.
Last time we heard of John the Baptist, he was languishing in prison, locked up by the governor in Galilee, Herod the tetrarch. The consequences forced upon John for publicly shaming Herod for stealing his brother’s wife.
John was in prison for a year when Herod threw a birthday party for the daughter of Herodias, his new wife. Herod told the birthday girl that she could have whatever she wanted. After she consulted her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. To save face in front of the party’s guests, Herod reluctantly granted her wish.
Jesus learned of fate of John the Baptist in the spring of 29 A.D. and wanted to seek solace by Himself. However, a very large crowd came upon Him asking for healing. Our compassionate Savior granted their request.
…the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick. Lk. 9:11 NLT
The evening of the same day, the apostles returned from their ministerial travels. Seeing the large crowd, (now numbering 5000*), the apostles asked Jesus to send the crowd away. Instead, Jesus told them to feed the crowd! *That was a count for adult men. There were also women and children present.
…He said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” But He said this to test Philip, because He knew what He was about to do. Jn. 6:5, 6. AMP
Jesus asked the apostle Philip, because he was a local to that area. He answers Him – basically telling Him that it would cost far more money than they had:
“Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” Jn. 6:7 CSB
At the same time, the apostle Andrew approaches and tells Jesus that there is a boy present with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish, but states that that amount was meaningless with regards to being able to feed the entire crowd.
Jesus tells His disciples to have the people sit down:
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. Jn. 6:10 – 13. NLT
This miraculous display created many converts that day:
When the people saw the sign (attesting miracle) that He had done, they began saying, “This is without a doubt the promised Prophet who is to come into the world!” Jn. 6:14 AMP (Note: this is the only miracle Christ performed that is in all 4 Gospels).
But the people thought the Messiah was going to come as a military king, to conquer the Roman’s rule over them. That is not part of His plan. Jesus reacts:
Then Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountainside by Himself. Jn. 6:15 AMP
Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away. After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone. Mt. 14:22, 23. AMP
The disciples were waiting for Jesus, but the boat they were waiting in, drifted away from the shore to the middle of the sea. And the wind thwarted their efforts to row to return to the shore.[1] Suddenly, the see Christ walking on the water towards them!
…but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. Mk. 6:49 NLT
Jesus assures them that it is He. Peter gets a little cocky and tells Him that if He is the Messiah, He should be able to make it possible for Peter to walk on water as well:
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. Mt. 14:29 NLT
Peter had left the boat with faith in Jesus’ ability to facilitate his walking on water. But he noticed the rough winds, and panicked as he began to sink into the sea – crying out to Jesus to save him.
Jesus pulls Peter out of the water and says:
“You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Mt. 14:31 NLT
The moment Jesus gets on the boat, the wind stopped; and the boat supernaturally sailed to the opposite shore. Jesus’ Holy stature is finally sinking into the apostles’ minds:
Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!” Mt. 14:33 AMP
(This is one of the proofs of Jesus’ deity, that He allowed them to worship Him.)
Christ and His retinue land on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Gennesaret. When they debarked, Jesus healed multitudes, some being healed by only touching His garments.
Jesus and the apostles then journeyed to the city of Capernaum – followed by a large crowd, many of whom were just looking for a meal, after hearing about His previous feeding of the 5000. Knowing this, Christ addresses it in His preaching:
“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” Jn. 6:27 NLT
Initially, the crowd is confused because the Pharisees previously taught them that one must earn their way to heaven / eternal life. So, in response, the people ask Him what it is that they must do to please Jehovah God. He responds:
“This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.” Jn. 6:29 AMP
(For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. Eph. 2:8, 9. AMP)
The people answer by asking Jesus for a ‘miracle to prove His Messiahship.’ Jesus will not entertain them like a trained seal. Instead, He leads them into deeper thought as to His purpose in being obedient to His Fathers commands:
“…our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jn. 6:31 – 33. NLT
(“…necessary food for the spiritually starving.” J.C. Ryle)
The crowd cannot keep their minds off their flesh. They ask Him for some of this ‘literal’ bread. Our Lord of infinite patience, love, and mercy responds:
“I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually]. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, never reject anyone who follows Me]. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day. For this is My Father’s will and purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [as Savior] will have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.” Jn. 35 – 40. AMP
This is a great moment to affirm the above Scripture with my personal biblical favorite:
(And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rm. 8:38, 39. NLT)
Jesus could not be clearer. He is our one and only ticket to eternity – the living, breathing redemptive plan for all of humankind that accept Him as their Savior.
However, He is facing a tough crowd, whose minds are being led into confusion through satanic attempts to interrupt or distort the Gospel. There are many unbelievers in the crowd. Jesus lovingly tries to give them greater clarity to bring them to His Father:
So Jesus answered, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him [giving him the desire to come to Me]; and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught of God.’[2] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [who was with the Father and] who is from God; He [alone] has seen the Father. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who believes [in Me as Savior—whoever adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me—already] has eternal life [that is, now possesses it].
“I am the Bread of Life [the Living Bread which gives and sustains life]. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.This is the Bread that comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior], he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).” Jn. 6:43 – 51. AMP
Finally! We get the complete picture of our God-connection:
When we seek God, He leads us to Christ. Jesus in turn, connects us with God through Himself. Christ willingly vacated His heavenly throne next to the right hand of His Father[3] to inhabit flesh, so that we could relate to Him and to the redemption that Jehovah offers through His Son’s sacrifice of His flesh and blood upon the cross.
(Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Rm. 8:1, 2. AMP)
Yet despite Christ’s entreaty, this thick-skulled crowd is repulsed by Jesus’ flesh and blood analogies. Instead, they take Him literally, thinking they really must eat His physical flesh and drink His blood. Our Savior is relentless with regards to the salvation of humankind. He presses in deeper:
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you believe in Me as Savior and believe in the saving power of My blood which will be shed for you], you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] has eternal life [that is, now possesses it], and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. For My flesh is true [spiritual] food, and My blood is true [spiritual] drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] remains in Me, and I [in the same way remain] in him. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, even so the one who feeds on Me [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] will also live because of Me.” Jn. 6:53 – 57. AMP
Jesus is attempting to plant seeds of faith that will be required for the people to hold onto their salvation, once the events in Calvary take place. But He will not violate anyone’s free will.
His flesh is an allegory for the spiritual food (Gospel), that one must ‘eat’ (bind to their hearts) to walk a godly path towards salvation. And His blood (His life) that He will shed for them, must be ‘drunk’ (believed in the cleansing power within), to obtain atonement for their sins, so that they may receive that salvation.
Yet most of the crowd, and even some of His followers, abandon Him.
(For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18 AMP)
After most had left Him, He turns to His apostles and says:
But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, “Does this cause you to stumble and take offense? What then [will you think] if you see the Son of Man ascending to [the realm] where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life]. But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him. Jn. 6:61 – 64. AMP
Then Christ asks them if they want to leave Him as well. The apostle Peter rightly responds:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope]. We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].” Jn. 6:68, 69. AMP
To be continued…
Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Mk. 6:47
[2] Is. 54:13
[3] Rm. 8:34
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