Signs of the Messiah
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Signs of the Messiah
John 6:1-21
1. Introduction
Well, you know the phrase familiarity breeds contempt. The idea that when you know something or someone so well you just know how they will respond. it’s funny how it happens in married life. Like when I tell my wife Joy for the 100th time about how the Hawks beat the Cats in the 2008 grand final and I was there in the standing room. She kind of just rolls her eyes these days. It’s kind of funny. Or, when I was growing up and my dad without a doubt wherever I went he’d say ‘bring a jacket, it’s cold.’ Didn’t matter if I was going to the nets to play cricket in the middle of summer. That was his request every time I went out.
I reckon our passage today; the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus miraculously walking on water – these are very famous stories. We are familiar with it. That’s what makes this passage difficult. And there’s a danger that we have become so overly familiar with these stories that we will miss what the authors are trying to say. It doesn’t hit us. I’ve heard of this 50 times before. don’t let God’s word become just familiar. there’s always gold in the text. always something to learn from His Word. in fact, John has put these familiar Bible stories in chapter 6 with extraordinary detail. This week we find the sign, next week the purpose of the sign. Today, I want you to see the detail. These signs cement the fact that Jesus is God the Messiah. so let’s come to the two miraculous signs.
2. The Two miraculous signs (6:1-21)
So far in the story of John’s Gospel, Jesus has attracted lots of religious opposition. The Jews, the religious moral police, they hated Jesus. we saw it last week. But the fact is, the crowds don’t seem too bothered. They still followed Jesus. look at verse 2
And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
They saw Jesus as the miracle worker. Remember Jesus had saved a wedding. He turned water into wine, he had healed an official’s son, he had healed this bloke lame for 38 years! I’m 38! That’s a long time. They saw the signs. Miraculous signs. So they followed him.
And here Jesus realises that this large crowd need food. He has compassion on the people. Look in your Bibles verse 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?”
Philip, he sees the enormous task. Like a true accountant with his analytical mind, he says in verse 7
john 6:7
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
Philip is working out the sums. you can almost see his mind ticking over. 1 denarii is days wages right. so 200 days, over half a year of working wouldn’t even give the crowd a bite of the fillet O fish. How are we going to feed them? It’s impossible. Then Andrew, another disciple pipes up – his suggestion is equally hopeless. Look at verse 9
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
The point is clear. There’s not enough food. There’s no where to go to get food.
Jesus steps in verse 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. 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.
We’re told that there were 5000 men there in verse 10. If you add the women and children, you get this in the other Gospel accounts, you’re look at over 10,000 people. 10,000 mouths to feed. That’s what, let’s say 20,000 sandwiches. Each person has two sangas. That’s 40,000 slices of bread not including the end pieces. Who eats end pieces right.
Picture that. they started with 5 loaves 2 small salty fish. Jesus gives thanks, and he starts to hand it out. And then the disciples hand it out. And hand it out. And keep handing it out. To over 10,000 people. They eat till their hearts content. Jesus had fed all of the people. Jesus is the abundant provider. he’s like the best Asian mum. My mum is the most industrious woman I know. She can whip up 5 meals in a 2 hours. She’s always to bring food. And I love to eat it. When she comes, we have dinner for days. The best of food. Pho, Asian noodles, Vietnamese salad. She is one of a kind. I love her. She’s industrious. But she is no miracle worker. Jesus has fed over 10,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Do you get the scale? The last time a feeding miracle happened was in the prophet Elisha’s day. it’s not something new. 2 Kings 4. Remember when he fed 100 people. and they had 20 loaves of barley bread. And they had some left. Here Jesus feeds over 10000. 12 baskets left. It’s overflowing with food. More than at a Chinese banquet. And It’s not because Jesus didn’t want to it to go to waste. It was to show Jesus is generous. That this really is a miracle.
And if you didn’t think that is amazing, Jesus then walks on water. That’s the second sign in the passage. The laws of physics tells us a human being cannot walk on water at room temperature. We know this. Yet, the eye witness testimony at verse 19 it clearly says
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.
Again, miraculous stuff. Here are two miracles. Two signs from Jesus. it’s not hard to understand. very familiar, two signs that show Jesus is God’s Son. Believe in him. the end. that’s kind of how i felt reading the passage this week. what else is there to this?
Much more. The fact is, these two signs are seen in all Gospel writers in Matthew Mark Luke and John. All of them. it’s very significant. Why? Because as scratch below the surface of this familiar reading, we see that there is much more going on. For all throughout the passage, John is using these famous two signs to point an even more famous story, the Exodus. Did you pick it? did you see the connections to the Old Testament? Don’t let familiarly mean you just skim the passage. John he is showing us without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is God the Messiah – the final rescuer of his people. the prophet prophesied in the Old Testament. He is God the Messiah.
3. Jesus is God the Messiah (6:14)
We know that the Exodus is all about God rescuing his people. it’s the key event in Israelite history. God rescues his people from slavery in Egypt. And here, over and over and over again John hints at the Exodus story. see the table on the screen there. Let me show you the pattern. It’s fascinating.
In Exodus there was a great multitude over 600,000 men following God’s man, Moses. Here in verse 2 there’s a great crowd following God’s man, Jesus. In Exodus, one of the key events is the Passover. This is when God’s judgment passed over his people to the Lamb. Look at what John says in verse 4, seems to be out of the blue. Now the Passover was near. John brings us back to the Exodus. when God passed over his people. he saved them. he didn’t judge them. In Exodus, remember when the crowds were hungry, how did Moses feed them? Manna or bread from heaven. Here verse 11 Jesus took bread gave thanks and gave it to those seated. Miraculous bread from heaven. In Exodus they were filled with bread just enough for the day. Here verse 11 they ate as much as they wanted, in fact there were 12 baskets left over. Another key moment in Exodus, when God enables them to walk through the Red Sea. Did you see what Jesus does here? Jesus walks on water. Moses says we walked through the sea. Jesus says that’s nothing mate I walked on the sea.
Do you see what John is doing? The Exodus from Egypt is the greatest rescue in the Old Testament. That’s why he told them to remember the Passover every single year. To remember, commemorate, celebrate what God did to save his people. Until now.
John is intentionally showing you and I that Jesus is the new and final rescuer. He is God the Messiah; the greatest rescuer. He is the better Moses. In fact, just to make sure we have no doubts about this, do you notice in verse 14 there? he talks about the Prophet. Who’s the Prophet? This comes from Deut 18:15. Moses says about this coming Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15–18 (ESV)
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
From the time of Moses, God says he will send The Prophet. He’s coming. The crowd has been waiting for this Prophet. They seem to get this. They see he leads them like Moses. when they see what Jesus does, they say this is the Prophet who has come into the world. Moses says listen to him. God will put His words in the Prophet’s mouth. Doesn’t that help to describe what Jesus says about his own words? And what he does? He says he only says and does what his father does and reveals to him. that was John 5 verse 19
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
And what does the Son do? just as the Father rescues, so the Son rescues. Here is his rescue.
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.
This is the most important link to Exodus. Just as God rescued Israel from judgment, Passover, for a promised land so too Jesus at Passover rescues God’s people from judgment for eternal life. He is who John the Baptist says in John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Do you see the how well John parallels this together? he wants us to believe in Jesus. he is God the Messiah. The prophet spoken about in the Old Testament. He has come. He will rescue his people. so believe in Him!
4. What kind of belief? (6:15-21)
But here’s the thing, and here’s where the rubber hits the road. it’s one thing to believe yes this is the Messiah. But Jesus wants to challenge belief. what kind of belief are we talking about? he wants to challenge what we think belief is. It’s not just belief on our own agenda. It’s belief on Jesus’ agenda.
He wants us to feel tension of what we want and what we need. Here’s the big point John makes. What sort of rescue do you want from Jesus? What rescue do we need?
The crowds get it wrong. they want rescue from sickness see it there in verse 2. That’s why they follow him. and that’s not hard to understand, is it? we all know people who suffer real suffering. Cancer. Depression. Illness. We get that. who wouldn’t want healing and rescue from sickness? Jesus is compassionate. He does heal the sick and lame but that’s not his ultimate agenda.
And then, after seeing the sign, they want rescue from social and political problems. See it in verse 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.
They wanted to make him king by force. He’s the Prophet. And they have in their minds a military Prophet. A King. One that will free them from Roman rule. It makes sense. And gee This week we really get this. I’m sure this is what Israel would desire right now. That sort of military leader to destroy its enemies. We know Jesus does bring justice. But a military political leader is not his real agenda.
these are wrong beliefs about Jesus. it’s what we want. but not what we ultimately need.
Friends, what rescue would you wish for from Jesus? Let’s be honest. Would it be a rescue from issues of getting older? From dementia? Or the anxiety from having children. Not being able to have children? Those who have children, the health and safety of your children. Or rescue from marriage, or for your marriage. From loneliness. From stress. Financial and relational stress? Would it be a rescue from your body because of self esteem issues or sickness like verse 2. Or a rescue from social and political problems? My heart has been heavy reading, seeing from afar the pictures of carnage. Has yours? Rescue for the victims. We yearn for that. Don’t get me wrong these are all good things. I want these for all of us.
But friends Jesus’ agenda is far greater. He knows the crowd’s agenda. But what does he do? He withdraws. That’s not what Jesus is on about. We come to him on his terms. he knows best. Because here’s the sting. Even if Jesus rescued us from all the things we want. We’re healed from sickness. The victims are avenged. Our marriages are great. We’re not lonely. We’re not despressed. We found a wife. All good things.
The big issue is still staring us in the face. Who is going to rescue you from death to life? Who will rescue you from God’s opinion of your life? This is the real rescue we need. Even more important than food on the table. It’s that we are sinners. We are out of step with God. In fact we have rejected God. We are not right with him. we’re facing God’s judgment. We need to go from death to life. And that’s why Jesus came. To save us. he is the bread of life as we will see next week. In him do we find life. He came to save us from God’s judgment. He is the lamb of God who died and rescued us from sin. From judgment for eternal life. That’s the real measure of a rescue in the bible. That’s the rescue all people need. Doesn’t matter if you are Jew, Palestinian, Gentile, Chinese Italian Aussie.
That’s the rescue Jesus is on about. From God’s judgment for eternal life. He bends the laws of physics to show he can do it. He is God. he withdraws from the crowds to show his own agenda. There’s nothing just familiar about this. This is so important. so urgent.
These signs cement the fact that Jesus is God the Messiah.
So my first implication – I’ll frame them in questions
5. Implications
5.1 Do you believe in Jesus?
This is Jesus’ agenda. More important than food on the table, your next meal even, your most basic need is that you know Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. You know and believe in Him. that’s Jesus’ primary agenda. He does these signs. John puts this here. John shows us all the connections to the Old Testament to show us this God-man Jesus Christ is the Son of God, so that you might believe in Him and have life in his name. so, friends, if you don’t know Jesus, believe today. Move from death to life. humble yourself, trust in His Son Jesus his death and resurrection for you and find eternal life today. We would want nothing more than for you to believe in Jesus.
Secondly,
5.2 Are we on about Jesus’ agenda?
Friends, there’s always going to pressure for us to be on about social justice rescues. Caring for the sick. Loving the marginalised. Of course, we should want to be involved in the problems of the community of course we should. We can definitely do more, and do better. absolutely.
But our passage today shows us clearly that Jesus is God the Messiah! So let’s not let the good get in the way of the best. This is what’s important. We need to let Jesus’ agenda take priority. This means his agenda takes priority in our ministries. Do our ministries involve something on Jesus’ rescue plan? I was just so thankful that we had Youth Metro run the Game Changer night. Thankful for our youth metro and their efforts in organising the fun night. But I’m even more thankful and I pray that they as well as all of us desire above all else their friends and family to know Christ. That he is God the Messiah and believe in Him. Friends, let’s keep our ministries to be shaped by Jesus’ agenda. If you have a desire to use your gifts reach the lost, that’s Jesus’ agenda, then I want you to talk to me. I want us at epping to keep working at this. This is our core business. To bring the message of the Gospel to a desperately needy world around us.
5.3 Will you keep trusting Jesus’ agenda?
Or maybe you are followers of Jesus, and you are a bit like Philip and Andrew in this passage. Do you notice what Jesus did? he tests his disciples. and they failed in their response didn’t they? They looked at the numbers, they looked at the immediate options 5 loaves 2 fish, but they didn’t trust Jesus. they didn’t go, well, last time we were at Cana you rescued the party. We don’t know how you are going to do it so we trust you will provide. I think that’s how you pass the test. They just looked at the circumstance and didn’t trust Jesus.
They failed the Jesus’ test because the warning is there for them as well. Jesus starts in verse 3 on a mountain with his disciples. Notice how he finishes the story in verse 15. Again, on the mountainside but alone. He withdraws when they fail to trust him. when they fail to believe in him. Jesus withdraws from them. and they were his followers! will you keep trusting Jesus’ agenda?
Don’t get me wrong. Life is so tough, even for believers. we’re always crying out for a rescue. we’re not immune from sufferings of this age. Cost of living is high. Work is hard. Family life is not easy. Sickness abounds. But part of real belief is to trust Jesus, trust his agenda when we are suffering. That would be passing the test. Of course we should pray for healing, of those marginalised and oppressed. God hears our prayers. He is our heavenly father. Of course we need to. but when we struggle to trust Jesus, or he doesn’t answer the prayers we want, or he won’t fit into our pockets like a genie.
Let’s not think Jesus is not compassionate.
Let’s not think Jesus is indifferent.
Let’s recognise he has a plan.
A better agenda from which he will not be diverted.
and the fact is, in Jesus’ agenda, anyone struggling with depression and anxiety can be rescued from God’s judgment
Anyone in our church in despair, the sick can have eternal life with the father even if they suffer now.
Every suffering disciple can have eternal life by faith in Jesus.
He offers the rescue that we need. that’s how great Jesus is. Will you keep trusting in Jesus and his good plan for you even in the suffering? He is a wonderful God. He shows us these signs to prove he is God’s Son the Messiah. Let’s pray together.