JOHN 6

1After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. 3Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little. “8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. 12When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27“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, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”2 8Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” 30So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31 “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’”32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.’ 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

41Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” 42They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” 43Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

52Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 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. 64 “But there are some of you who do not believe. “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

66As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

JOHN 6:1-7

Because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.

These crowds were not following for what Jesus could do to the heart and one’s relationship with God, they were following for what Jesus could do to the body and one’s temporal life. They sought a life free from pain and disease and who can blame them? Isn’t that what we all seek to some degree? Yet, looking at the lives of those who followed God most closely—the Apostles, Paul, Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa—one can hardly say their lives were free of pain and turmoil. In fact, quite the opposite seems to be true. The closer one gets to the flame of Jesus, the more one seems to get burned.

Have I examined my motives in following the Lord? Is it to minimize the anxiety or injuries in my life? It is a noxious belief that following Jesus will make me suffer less than other people, in fact, the opposite is more likely, and we should expect—without seeking—pain and heartache in our lives. Seeking pain and heartache is akin to false martyrdom and some people do seek that as a way of drawing attention to self (see the sin of the paraplegic in John 5). It is an unhealthy relationship with life and certainly not at the core of a healthy relationship with Jesus.

Rather than a life of seeking pain, we should live a life of accepting pain as a way to show testimony to our Lord’s love. Very little astounds people more than someone who can accept pain with joy and even show a growth in compassion while experiencing troubled times.

To be close to Jesus is to be close to pain while growing in compassion.

“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”

Poor Philip, he was called early to Christ with Peter and introduced both Nathaniel and Bartholomew to our Lord. After Jesus’ death it is reported that he was called along with Mariamne and Bartholomew to preach to the Greeks where, legend has it, they were tortured and both Bartholomew and Philip were hung upside down. Apocryphal stories say that Philip preached to the crowds who released Bartholomew, but Philip asked not to be released and remained on the cross until he died.

This is not why I said, “Poor Philip.” Philip, who would show such great faith later in life—like all the disciples—felt compelled to look to earthly resources for a heavenly response. Seeing the size of the crowd, he looks at the resources that exist instead of the resources Jesus could supply. When Jesus truly calls us to a mission, he also supplies the resources to complete it. These may not be financial resources—and were not in this case. In this situation, the resources were the honest gift of a child who carried a handful of salty, bite-sized fish and flatbread. Traditionally it was called a “poor boy’s lunch,” but it was all Jesus needed to feed the crowd.

How do we know if we’re truly called to a mission of Christ? First, we’ll probably doubt we have the available resources to accomplish the task before us. Second, we accept that whatever resources we have will be “enough for the journey,” but there won’t be enough to waste. Third, there will be just enough resources to make us dependent on the Lord.

JOHN 6:8-11

“8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.

“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”

Many theologians have suggested that this miracle may have been the result of people being embarrassed by this “lad.” In other words, few people would go hiking into the wilderness to follow Jesus without at least packing some food. Yet, when the disciples called for food, the crowd’s response was the hide what they had brought with them. Like Andrew, they were probably thinking, “I have enough for me, but not enough for everyone.”

Suddenly a lad breaks from the selfish crowd in an act of selfless love. He’s not thinking of how much he has, he is only thinking of offering it to Jesus. When the rest of the people see his offering, they become embarrassed and think, “If a child can give all he has, what’s wrong with me?”

Also, according to Luke, Jesus has the disciples break the crowd in smaller groups of fifty [Luke 9:12-27]. Is it possible that he was putting them into smaller groups so that they had to look into the faces of the people from whom they were withholding food?

There are many injustices we can commit anonymously, but it gets harder when we sit face-to-face. This is what Jesus means when he says, “For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me [John 12:8].”

Our direct relationships with the excluded is supposed to be a direct reminder of Jesus. Prejudice cannot withstand relationship. The greatest goal of any pastor should be to build bridges so his people can be in direct relationships with those in need.

So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

This is an incredible number of people. We also have to remember that—due to the culture—women and children would not be counted. Imagine, if you will, a swath of people number around 10,000 hiking through your town or fields and out to the wilderness following Jesus. No wonder the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ time were afraid of his growing popularity.

JOHN 6:12-14

12When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

“Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.”

Jesus was not given to waste, but the amount of baskets would be very symbolic to his followers. Just as Jesus had 12 followers, Jacob had 12 sons, there we 12 nations of Israel and 12 was considered the number of perfection. It is symbolic God’s power and authority and was the number representing the perfect government foundation.

Could it also be a message to us in our single-use plastic society indicating that not even the least fragment should be left behind?

“This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Here we stumble upon the blindness of a people (intentional?). John’s great themes combine here, that the people were unable to see prior to Jesus’ arrival. That they mistook Jesus for another prophet (although, because of his miracles they do say, “the prophet.” But the word they use is not for THE, but for a prophet. The Prophet would include the word monos [G3441] in some form as in Monogenēs [G3439] “The only begotten son.”

This was one of the first Gnostic Gospels the early church confronted; that John the Baptist was equal to Jesus in stature. It is a constant theme in John (the Author) writing that John the Baptist “made straight the Way” for Jesus but was NOT the way.

What are the Gnostic Gospels of our day? In other Gospels I have called them the “Noxious Gospels.” Poisonous deceptions that lead us astray. In review:

1. The Prosperity Gospel

The false belief that if you love Jesus you’ll have prosperity.

2. The Pain-Free Gospel

The false belief that if you love Jesus you shouldn’t experience pain, also the “why me?” Gospel.

3. The Personal Gospel

The false belief that all you have to do is believe in Jesus as your personal savior and you’ll be saved. Throughout the Old and New Testament; personal salvation without communal restoration was condemned.

4. The Pejorative Gospel

The false belief that my belief in Jesus allows me to be judgmental of others.

The three primary words/concepts that John the Author tries to address in this Gospel are:

• Truth: Truly [G230 Alēthōs] certainly, indeed, really, sure, surely, truly, truthfully. Though the people (men were only counted at the time) claimed the truth. They were missing the whole truth. A partial truth is still a misconception and can be more dangerous than a complete lie.

• Prophet: Jesus as only begotten son, not a prophet: The Prophet [G4396 Prophētēs] an interpreter, a forth-teller of the divine will. Jesus wasn’t another prophet in a string of Jewish prophets. The Author declares Jesus is not just a “forth-teller” of the way, he is the Way.

• Jesus came to bring order to the world (cosmos to chaos) both in our personal life and in our world: World [G2889 kosmos] order, the world. Our lives are chaotic and self-centered, verging on Narcism, until we find something larger than ourselves for which to dedicate ourselves. Narcism is a slow descent into nothingness. In the works of Eric Ericson, the final stage of life is Integration and the opposing stage is disintegration. Only a larger perspective saves us from disintegration in life.

JOHN 6:15

15So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

…by force to make Him king

Force [G726 harpazō] snatch, carry off, caught
King [G935 basileus] king of kings, king, kings

This is an interesting turn of events. The crowd, in a frenzy, decide to come after Jesus to make him king. Apparently, he won’t have any voice in the matter.

Wouldn’t this be what Jesus wants? Wouldn’t this be the “shortcut” to power? If he becomes king can’t he just force everyone to bend to his will?

It would be a mistake to think that was Jesus’ will. The will of Jesus was for followers to have the freedom to choose a path, not a mandate to be gained by force. Some would consider the downfall of Christianity began with Emperor Constantine (272ACE - 337ACE) and his edict to make Christianity the State Religion. Forcing beliefs on people is a sure way to deteriorate them. It is similar to what many people feel happened when AA became a court-sentenced mandate. Choosing recovery is essential to recovery.

Ensuring the freedom of choice in religion is critical to its growth. In fact, religions seem to thrive when they are persecuted (as the early church did under Rome until Constantine) and the modern church under Communist rule.

…withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone

Withdrew [G402 anachōreō] depart, leave, step aside, withdraw
Alone [G3441 monos] alone, privately, just, mere, merely

We have spoken at other times of Jesus’ propensity to “withdraw” and seek privacy. This occurs especially before and after major decisions in his life. Turning away from the counsel of men because he was not willing to “entrust himself to them [Jn 2:24],” Jesus frequently withdrew to converse with God. At times he would take the disciples, as during the transfiguration when he also spoke with Moses and Elijah; the lawgiver and the fiery prophet. This took place just prior to Jesus’ decision to go to Jerusalem for the final time. Jesus’ time with God, Elijah and Moses could be symbolic or actual. Either way, it should remind us to seek the counsel not just of God’s Spirit, but also Scripture and the Prophetic call of Justice. How do my actions weigh in light of those three legs of the footstool of my life?

The interpretation of “mere” which is one of the words used to translate monos [G3441] is intriguing. The Google Dictionary defines mere as “that is solely or no more or better than what is specified.”

Perhaps Jesus sought alone time to examine his “mereness.” To put in check what desires he might have that would prevent him from being in line with humility and God.

MICAH 6:8

8He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

It had to be a heady thing for the crowds to want to take him and crown him king by force. Perhaps he was seeking to align himself with his true purpose on earth—not to rule, but to serve.

Perhaps all of us need “mereness” to examine our motives at tempting times.

When am I most tempted to lose my sense of “mereness?” What are my strategies for finding my own touchstone?

JOHN 6:16-21

16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.21So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

It had already become dark

The topography of the Sea of Galilee (more a large inland lake) made it into a perfect wind tunnel. Storms could start at one end and very suddenly turn into gales by the time they rushed across the waters. The disciples would have known this and they would also have known that late afternoon/evening was the time most likely for these gales. The only reason they would be out on the lake at this time would be because Jesus sent them.

Was this a likely storm or a planned event by Jesus? Did he send them out at this time in order to grow their faith? If so, what does that say about the storms in my life? Are they also opportunities to grow my faith? Do I see the storms in my life as setbacks or opportunities?

And Jesus had not yet come to them

The word for come [G2064 echomai] is rich with meaning and insight to Jesus’ arrival when the apostle’s we at their worst place in their darkest hour. It is a word that also means expectation and light. How we wait is also as important as where and when we wait. Do we wait with a sense of expectation and light? Or are we angry because we’re “put on hold?” It is hard to see the miraculous if our sight is filled with anger.

Perhaps we could write a whole chapter on the concept of “Proactive Waiting.” In other writings we have learned that the word “waiting” was more akin to “wait staff” than a passive sort of sitting in hopes something changes.

To wait FOR Jesus is to wait ON Jesus. We wait on him when we serve the poor. It is amazing how quickly we forget about ourselves when we are serving those less fortunate than us.

It is dramatic that the disciples had failed so poorly at serving the 5,000 and now were asked to wait on Jesus. It is not a coincident, it is a training opportunity; a teachable moment.

Recently, I wrote a song about expectant waiting:

Enter, enter and listen;

Soon at the break of a new day, just listen.

Listen, listen expectantly;

Soon you will see the sun rise, so listen.

The grass is still bathed by the dew, glittering emeralds that dance with the sun, but soon become mist as they rise to the skies ‘till they fall again. Yes, they fall again.

Listen...

Enter and Listen, © Jerry Goebel, 2004

Come [G2064 erchomai] to come, go, arrival(1), arrived(1), brought(1), came(225), come(222), comes(64), coming(87), entered(2), expected(3), fall(2), falls(1), give(1), go(1), going(2), grown(1), lighting(1), next(1), turned(1), went(18).

Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles,

The Sea of Galilee is 21 x 13k, 3 to 4 miles is 5 to 6.5k. If the feeding of the 5,000 actually occurred at Tiberias [v23], 5 to 6.5k away from shore and perhaps headed to the home base of Capernaum, would put them in the middle of the northern side of the lake right at the worst time.

As part of recovering from any addiction or compulsion, people need to know their “worst part of the lake” and the “dark places.” You can’t really avoid them, but you can replace them. Jesus knew the apostles worst place and darkest time and sent them to confront it; then he met them there.

Do we have the confidence to seek out our worst place and darkest time and lean on Jesus?

They saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened

They saw Jesus walking on the sea

This phrase for walking has an intentionality about it that differs then say, strolling. Walking [G4043] also means to behave or how we conduct ourselves. Jesus wasn’t wandering around on the sea, he was walking to the disciples. He knew where they were and went straight to them.

Does my walking take me straight to where people are afraid and need leadership?

Walking [G4043 peripateō] from 4012 and 3961; to walk—behave(2), conduct ourselves(1), conduct yourselves(1), leading...life(1), leads...life(1), prowls around(1), so occupied(1), walk(50), walk about(1), walk around(2), walked(7), walking(21), walking around(1), walks(5).

and they were frightened

I’m trying to remember the last time I was frightened. As a parent, my worst fears are always around my children’s safety. Most of our deepest fears are around issues of the things we value the most. The more we value them, the more we fear their loss. I really don’t fear losing my life, but I have fears about losing my loved ones.

These disciples were in the middle of a terrible storm and knew they were in danger of losing their life. Fear is also contagious and if you see the ones you respect feeling afraid, fear increases in strength. As the elders and unofficial leaders of the group, Peter and Andrew were the two the rest of the disciples would look and from whom they would take their clues.

The word for frightened is Phobeō [G5399] from which we get the word phobia, an irrational and unhealthy fear of something, some place or someone. One of the most common treatments for phobia is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), which introduces the patient to gradual exposure of the feared object or subject, this is also called desensitization or exposure therapy. Was Jesus treating the disciples fears of being without him in preparation for his ultimate death?

Chapter 6 begins with the disciples looking to human methods to do the miraculous. Their failure to turn to Jesus at the crisis of feeding the masses leads to Jesus sending them out on the lake at an inopportune time. It seems to set off a chain of events designed to teach the disciples about trusting when they are afraid.

Whatever our position in the boat—leaders like Peter or Andrew or the younger ones like James and John, fear can be stopped at any level. Do I have the faith to put a halt to fear in my own mind, in my relationships, family, workplace, community and nation or am I following the lead of others who are afraid and propagate the fear?

Afraid [G5339 phobeō] from 5401; to put to flight, to terrify, frighten: afraid(39), am afraid(2), awestruck(1), fear(27), feared(5), fearful(2), fearing(6), fears(2), frightened(7), have...fear(1), respects(1), terrified(1).

But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

One of my favorite liturgical songs is “Be not afraid,” by Robert J. Dufford, S.J. the calming 3/4 time accents the calming words of Jesus to his disciples, “It is I, do not be afraid.”

There are more than 40 versus in Scripture about fear and rising above it; both Old Testament and New. It is one of the frequent themes of God’s interaction with his people and it should be a frequent theme of my life. Of course, in order for my life to be a statement of “Be not afraid.” I need to go to those places where fear is prevalent.

A constant theme of this Chapter is being a person who brings strength in times of fear to people who are afraid. Can I say, when I walk in a room, that fear is reduced or increased?

So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Three critical words here depict the attitude needed for the miraculous to occur in our lives. Willing, Receive and Immediately.

1. Willing [G2309 thelō] means it becomes our will, it is also the word used for God’s will and the word desire and delight; as it is God’s delight to bring joy to our lives.

2. Receive [G2983 lambanō] defines an attitude of acceptance and welcoming, it can also mean to marry.

Are we delighted to receive Jesus into our lives—even when he comes disguised as the immigrant or the wounded? But wait, there’s one more attribute…

3. Immediately [G2112 eutheōs]; is there an immediacy to our lives? To our responses to the prompting of Jesus? To the justice of the Gospel?

Am I willing, receptive and immediate to the Gospel?

Willing [G2309 thelō] a prim.; to will, wish “am...willing(1), am willing(3), delighting(1), delights(1), desire(14), desired(4), desires(4), desiring(2), intended(1), intending(1), like(3), maintain(1), mean(1), mean*(2), please(1), purposed(1), refused*(1), unwilling*(11), want(52), wanted(15), wanting(3), wants(8), will(5), willed(1), willing(15), wills(4), wish(24), wished(7), wishes(16), wishing(4), would(1).
Receive [G2983 lambanō] from a prim. root lab-; to take, receive:”accept(1), accepting(1), attempted*(1), bring(2), caught(1), caught caught(1), collect(1), collected(1), conferred*(2), conspired*(1), consulted*(1), experienced*(1), forgotten*(1), gets(1), gripped(1), incur(1), married(2), marry(2), obtained(1), occupy(1), overtaken(1), partial*(1), picked(2), receive(63), received(48), receives(14), receiving(6), seizes(1), shows(1), struck(1), take(24), taken(7), takes(3), taking(9), took(50).
Immediately [G2112 eutheōs; adv. from 2117; at once, directly:” immediately(32), shortly(1).

JOHN 6:22-34

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

How many of us spend our lives looking for the wrong signs? The word for signs [G4592, Sēmeion] meant miracle or sign and would be used for something that points us in a direction. In order for a sign to work, we have to know our end-destination. These people, like many, we’re looking for material ends in their signs, they wanted Jesus to be someone who would feed them like God fed the crowds through Moses in the Old Testament. Thus, the signs they were looking for would lead them to a life of ease and dependence of God’s continual providence. In other words, a co-dependent relationship with their deity. Most false prophets offer us some form of co-dependency, so do authoritarians, if we’re willing to give up something (usually our free will), they will provide us with our needs (usually material).

I read a very interesting article this morning that the world is still transitioning out of a slave economy, but to a servant economy, where vast amounts of people work to serve the needs of the wealthy for their leisure. And the predominant percentage of the “servants” do not make a livable wage.

Over years, both Democratic and Republican majorities have worked to make this a legal economy, but legality and justice often don’t mean the same thing. Throughout time, those with the economic means have created governments (and mythologies) that have protected their wealth.

To what extent does my faith point to justice? Am I a signpost towards justice or co-dependent structures of wealth makes right (and determines rights too).

The Prosperity Gospel definitely is an example of false prophets pointing towards the signs that Christ is warning against in this section of John.

Signs [G4592 sēmeion; from the same as 4591; a sign: ”distinguishing mark(1), miracle(2), sign(35), signs(39).
Perishes [G622 apollumi] from 575 and same as 3639; to destroy, destroy utterly: ”bring(1), destroy(17), destroyed(9), dying(1), end(1), killed(1), lose(10), loses(7), lost(14), much(1), passed away(1), perish(14), perishable(1), perished(4), perishes(1), perishing(6), put to death(1), ruined(3).
Endures [G3306] men; a prim. vb.; to stay, abide, remain: abide(16), abides(22), abiding(4), await(1), continue(4), continues(1), endures(3), enduring(1), lasting(2), lives(1), living(1), remain(20), remained(6), remaining(1), remains(8), stand(1), stay(11), stayed(11), staying(3), waiting(1).

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

Jesus is referring to himself here as the bread that gives life. The crowd could not see this because they were fixated on their physical needs. How many signs do I not see because of my preconceptions? What assumptions do I carry with me that keep me from seeing the eternal in my everyday life? Am I especially able to set my material self and needs aside to be available and open to the miraculous?

JOHN 6:35-40

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst…”

What do you hunger and thirst for? The word that John uses to describe what Jesus was saying about “hunger” means, a stomach pinched with hunger. In other words, painful, hunger pangs. This type of hunger is not an occasional distraction in your day, nor is it a type of hunger you think of when you inconveniently forgot a candy car. This is the type of hunger the poor felt (and feel), a type of hunger that changes your daily priorities and tasks. This is the type of hunger you feel when your think is not “What am I going to eat today,” but, “Am I going to eat today?”

Is my hunger for God more than an inconvenience? More than an occasional afterthought? Does my longing for meeting gnaw at my gut and make me want to understand, learn and connect more?

This is the type of hunger that—if I am in the middle of sharing a reflection to my local congregation and remember there is someone near me that is hungry—I leave everything else to take them food.

The poor are prophetic in that they are to remind us of Jesus. This is what the Lord meant when he said, “The poor you will always have with you…” [Mark 14:7]. He was telling his disciples that he would not always be physically available to them, but whenever they see the poor, they should think of him, for his calling to us is to feed them.

• Hunger [GSN3983], peinaō, for the belly to be “pinched” with hunger, stabbing pains

• Thirst [GSN1372], dipsaō,

• Life [GSN2222], zōē; from 2198; life: alive(1), life(133), living(1).

• Believes [GSN4100 pisteuō] from 4102; to believe, entrust: believe(118), believed(73), believers(3), believes(29), believing(10), do(1), entrust(1), entrusted(6), entrusting(1), has faith(1).

JOHN 6:41-51

59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”

This concept of eating one’s flesh and drinking one’s blood is pretty alien to our culture, but it would not be to those of Christ’s times. Such rituals had been practiced in many religions in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. In Jewish Sacraments, the blood of an offering was its lifeforce. When the blood left an animal, so did its life. Jewish law prohibited the eating of flesh that had not been drained of its blood. The flesh itself was then portioned out to the Priests, the worshipper(s) and friends.

The Greek word for flesh, used by John, Sarx, can be quite graphic. It can mean “corpse, flesh, body,” but it can also mean “condition.”

Religions have divided over this concept with Catholics believing that Jesus literally means “his flesh” and that this miracle is repeated in the sacrament of the Eucharist when a male priest, ordained by a Bishop appointed by the pope himself, miraculously transubstantiates bread into the body of Jesus. Protestant denominations believe the concept is symbolic and the bread represents the body of Christ. With awareness of alcoholism, many Protestant denominations have substituted the wine with a non-alcoholic alternative like grape juice. In actuality, the wine served to most people in Jesus’ day was very low in alcohol and a common drink—even for children. What little alcohol within it was only enough to kill the microbes commonly found in the drinking water of the time (and in many underdeveloped areas today including many neglected neighborhoods replete with lead pipes and Native American Reservations in Northern America).

The Catholic Church's theological argument for transubstantiation is grounded in the words of Jesus at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20) where He proclaimed the bread to be His body and the wine to be His blood. Additionally, early Church writings, like St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Romans (c. 110 AD) and St. Justin Martyr's First Apology (c. 150 AD), support this belief. The Council of Trent (1551) officially defined transubstantiation, affirming that the substance of bread and wine truly changes into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ while retaining the appearances of bread and wine.

John himself has no account of the last supper, instead he presents this difficult concept in the setting of a picnic on the shores of Galilee.

Protestant theological beliefs about the Eucharist generally reject the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Instead, most Protestants adhere to either the "Consubstantiation" or "Memorial" views. Consubstantiation, associated with Lutheranism, suggests that the body and blood of Christ coexist "in, with, and under" the bread and wine, though the substances do not change. Memorial view, held by some Reformed and Baptist traditions, considers the bread and wine as symbols of Christ's sacrifice, commemorating His death and resurrection. Citations can vary depending on denominations, but key theological figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin expounded on these perspectives in their writings and sermons.

William Barclay, the Scottish, Presbyterian Theolgian made the following statements about transubstantiation:

• “John refused to limit God’s availability to an ecclesiastical environment and a correct liturgical service.”

• “Christianity would be a poor thing if it were confined to churches.”

—William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of John, Volume 1, Chapters 1-7.”

Barclay—and other protestant followers—believe that every meal can be sacramental if Christ is invited.

• Flesh, [4561], Sarx, corpse, flesh, body, condition

• Blood, [129], haima, hemorrhage, blood

A Summa Theologica Mine Field

This complex verse has become a mine field for followers of Christ leading to the greatest divide among the denominations; those who believe this verse is literal and those who believe it is symbolic. The question, “Why do you believe Jesus made the final march into Jerusalem?” can be reduced to three primary responses.

Was his last sacrificial journey…

1. A philosophical statement?

Would Jesus want the point of his sacrificial life to be the framework for a debate among scholars?

2. A theological statement?

Would Jesus want the point of his sacrificial life to be the framework for a debate among theologians?

3. A prophetic statement?

There is really nothing more that would delight the One who is Evil than for the followers of Christ to be divided over a philosophical or theological debate.

It is hard to imagine that after spending his ministry healing the sick and loving the outcast, that Jesus would want us to sum up his life in the examination of a theological quandary. In fact, this would seem the very thing that Jesus was trying to end; the tyranny of the religious and political leaders to use wealth and education (which belonged to the wealthy) as a means to control the masses.

In his attitudes for being [Matthew 5], Jesus says we should hunger and thirst for righteousness.

MATTHEW 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

I cannot imagine any more important ending to Christ’s life than to know that his followers were as committed to compassion as he was, that they too hungered and thirsted for righteousness. It only makes sense to me that Jesus was not referring to his physical body—that we should hunger and thirst for his corpse (and spend countless hours debating its meaning to the point of endlessly dividing his community of followers), but that he is referring to his “condition.” Unless we are willing to hunger for his condition (in other words “hunger and thirst for righteousness”).

Jesus led a prophetic life, not a philosophical or theological one. To reduce his life to ethereal arguments about symbolism or transubstantiation leads us to a reduction of his mission. Inevitably, it leads us away from compassion and into metaphysical filibusters and mental gymnastics, which many people have spent their entire lives analyzing. Time perhaps better spent feeding the poor and healing injustice.

John 6:52-69

59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

“This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”

In the Greek language, there was no difference between hear and do. If you hear a command, you do it, otherwise you obviously didn’t truly hear it. “Amen,” was the ultimate response. It meant, “I hear and obey,” or, as my dad used to say, “If I say ‘jump’ you say, ‘how high’?” It is important to remember that when we close a prayer with an “Amen!” It is as though we are saying, “You can consider that done…”

This saying of Christ was not only difficult because of the concept, but also because of what it meant. It meant the meaning was hard to put into practice, but also hard to understand, hidden, and even opaque.

As we’ve just discussed, it is easy for us to get mixed up in the theology of this statement, but that would be a distraction from Christ’s mission. Christ did not sacrifice himself to make a theological point, he sacrificed himself to make a prophetic point. When, in Luke, Jesus says,

LUKE 22:19-20

19And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. 21“But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 22“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

We need to realize he’s not just talking about a meal; he is talking about self-sacrifice. “Sacrifice yourself for justice and that will honor me.”

It’s not just about communion, it’s about community. It’s not just about the Lord’s Supper, it’s about our sacrificial relationship to the most vulnerable.

It is empty if we remember someone without carrying on their mission. That’s the DIFFICULT part about it.

• Difficult, [4642], Sklerōs, hard, rough, harsh, hidden, dark, strong

• Listen, [191], akaouō, hearing, understand, hear AND do

“Lord, to whom shall we go?”

What’s your backup plan? When Alexander the Great landed his troops on the eastern shores of Hellespont, he had their ships burned so they could not return without victory, Napoleon did that same thing with his troops. Apparently, Peter and the closest followers of Christ had no back up plan either. When they followed Christ, it was all or nothing.

Perhaps there was a time when the closest followers of Christ could have turned around, but now they were marked criminals.

Similarly, we must ask the same question about our commitments, not just to Christ, but to all our relationships. The true test of our character is the commitments we keep. To our faith, to our values, to our loved ones and to our community. I must admit that I have stumbled in my own life, and it pains me deeply. Over the years, I have learned that our own issues with attachment in childhood deeply impact our choices as we mature. Irish Author, Kathy McKeon has stated, “Your responsibility as an adult is accept your childhood and make your own choice of life.”

Peter would make the worst mistakes, but he also made the most incredible recoveries. He is the one who recognizes that Jesus is the Son of God, he is the one that says, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” He is also the one that tries to keep Jesus from his sacrificial journey to Jerusalem and he is the one that denies his relationship with Jesus at the cross. Peter almost succumbs to the pressure of James and other in making the church a sect of Judaism and it is Paul that reprimands him as two-sided.

Yet, he is also one of the few that show up at Jesus’ trial and he is the one that recognizes Jesus after the resurrection and swims to him (fully clothed). He returns to his community, even after he failed Jesus, and, unlike Pontius, he sticks around to experience Christ’s forgiveness.

I know I have been like Peter the Fallen, I also hope that I can be like Peter the Forgiven.

Often, because so many of us will fall, our greatest life effort will be rising one more time than we fall down. Peter will say this time, “To whom shall we go?” but then he will fail Jesus miserably. Peter will also be the one to call all this out in sharing his biography with his young mentee, Mark (for indeed the Gospel of Mark is told in unflinching truth by Peter).

All the other Gospels are built upon Peter’s stories to Mark, Peter’s undiluted stories. Will my stories be accurate so that others can learn from my failures as well as (hopefully) my successes?

Autobiographies of Great People don’t hide their faults, the truly great people that are worth following, don’t try to fool themselves—and others—by masking their mistakes. When we see their interviews and autobiographical reflections filled with excuses and blame, we know that person is not being honest; they are not a great leader and don’t deserve our loyalty.

JOHN 6

JOHN 6:1-7

Because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.

“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”

JOHN 6:8-11

“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”

So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

JOHN 6:12-14

“Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.”

“This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

JOHN 6:15

…by force to make Him king

…withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone

JOHN 6:16-21

It had already become dark

And Jesus had not yet come to them

Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles,

They saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened

But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

JOHN 6:22-34

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

JOHN 6:35-40

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst…”

JOHN 6:41-51

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”

A Summa Theologica Mine Field

John 6:52-69

“This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”

“Lord, to whom shall we go?”

John 05

John 07