John 6
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 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?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
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.
11 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. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
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!”
15 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.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 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.
20 But he said to them,
“It is I; do not be afraid.”
21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
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. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 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.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 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. 27 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.”
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God,
that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, 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 from heaven to eat.’”
32 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.
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 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.
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 whoever comes to me I will never 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 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.
40 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.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus answered 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 will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever 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 that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 So 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 you.
54 Whoever feeds on 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 Whoever feeds on 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 whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”
(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his (72) disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
John 5
45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. 46 If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?
John and Jesus' Campaign
The vast difference between Moses and Jesus.
Moses wrote down God's Words.
Jesus is the manifest Word of God.
John's Gospel carefully considers Jesus explaining Jesus. We begin the Gospel of John (John's Truth) with the Transfiguration explaining in poetic form = Jesus as God's Light of the World. Then John explains the Campaign of Jesus.
The Jews are constantly using Moses to try to place Jesus far below Moses, Servant of God. And this is an interesting progression of the Temple of God. As the Temple, built by Solomon, is torn down the first time - Moses and the Exodus are debased as invalid - saying the Jews were never, never slaves - nothing like slaves.
John 5, 6, 7 and 8 are a Campaign of Jesus to show He is far above Moses.
This Campaign is very Dangerous to Jesus.
Moses is clung to tightly - yet Herod controls the Temple and is married to his sister-in-law. So the Law is of Rome and of Tradition - not the heart of God. In the Second Temple - filled with the Temple Tools of Moses and Solomon having been returned from the Babylonian Empire - the Ark of the Covenant is recorded as being taken to Mount Nebo by Jeremiah for safety until the Lord would reveal the Ark. God's Mercy Seat is missing.
John 5
The Temple doesn't believe the Words of God Moses has written. The Glory of God is the Glory of God and Jesus has this authority. The Disciples show enormous faith to be associated with Jesus. Healing is done on the Sabbath showing Jesus throws out a law not based in mercy. Jesus heals an invalid of thirty and eight years. Impossible to heal - a man well known to all. The healed man is vastly ungrateful and clings to Temple Authorities - a Plan of God.
John 6
Vast Encouragement for us every day!
Who Jesus is.
Because He is God - we find this available to us today.
Jesus tells us what you "Believe" determines your life.
And Jesus sets forth to explain about Manna is Jesus and how Manna is given.
John 5
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings"
In vast technicolor - Jesus makes Manna. 5 Thousand - will remember. And truly millenniums are fed.
Jesus is the Bread of Life. We have seen - in believing - God Himself.
Jesus looked at the people and their works - traveling to see Jesus. Traveling and working to travel over land and by boat. Jesus said it's not really the works - Believing - matters. Works can be self-serving. Believing Jesus - matters to the Lord God - He sees heart, mind, body and soul.
James, Brother to Jesus, remembers and tells us growing up with Jesus and He said believing is good. However, the demons picked to believe and shudder. Their works work against the will of God.
Seeing all God has to offer should draw us to God as our Living Bread. The result - Life is lived for eternal reasons. Jesus conquers our fears telling us to Believe. A New Life in Jesus.
Does God expect this to be easy for us - pull on "Belief"...
John 6
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 7
Jesus is next in the Moses told us to have Thanksgiving/Festival of Tabernacles/Feast of Booths/Succoth and during Jesus in the Middle of this written by Moses Thanksgiving -
Jesus tells us more about the Exodus.
John 7
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
In the Middle of the Desert - the Children of Israel moved a Gigantic Rock with them. Because from this Rock - flowed water sustaining them for 40 years. Impossible. Jesus is telling us - Jesus is the Rock - Jesus is Living Water.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
John 8
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
What is shown up - The Law of Moses.
What has not shown up - The Sin of Herod.
Neither did Jesus condemn the Temple - nor Herod.
Jesus has shown Himself to be placed in the Middle of The Jesus Campaign and answers John 5 in a Circle of Love.
John 5
22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Abba, Father God,
Bless us, with the Word of God and Power of the Holy Spirit to hear the Word of God and keep it!
And with the Love and Mercy of Jesus, accept God's Word - not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in us, believers.
Inviting Jesus, Holy Spirit and Father God to Bless us Daily - Jesus' Holy Spirit living in us. Knowing this is Your Beloved Son, with whom You are well pleased. With the encouragement and blessing of Jesus - we will listen to Him daily.
And the circle is unbroken as we live. And the circle is completed in our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Circle will be completed - by and by - Lord, bye and by.
In this, we will let our hearts - Hope. And the presence of God, our Father, will bend down, to enfold, to hold. And we will know - the struggle is of Love. And in God, the upward is Higher. The Journey - Eternal.
The Helper, The Comforter, gives us and the ones we Love His Grace allowing us to struggle and sink, rise and hope. Finding endurance and Hope.
In a Word. Jesus. Above all. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †