John: The Prophet

You see Christmas is one of my favorite days because there’s usually a massive lunch. Christmas lunch! People go all out, and we get friends or family together and have a great meal. I love the feasting together (you can probably tell by my figure!).

But when the meal is over we roll to the lounge in those moments of satisfaction. We have eaten well.

I am full, stuffed. Filled up to pushy’s bow. I am satiated.

I am satisfied.

My hunger is so far away it feels like a distant memory. I recline in that post-food bliss without a care in the world.

You know that feeling? That feeling of fullness and satisfaction?

I want you to have that fullness this morning when you leave this place. I want you to be full. Not from food, from Jesus! I am hoping to lead you face first into God’s word where you can meet Jesus.

We are going to spend some time walking through the text. We’re just going to look at it bit by bit in the hope that God would speak to us through it. We will look at it in 5 sections.

Within these 5 sections I hope we will also be to answer the question; What does Jesus offer to satisfy us?

Let’s situate ourselves in the story this morning. Where are we up to?

We’’ve spent a few weeks going through John 5 which all revolves around Jesus amazing sign of healing a disabled man and contesting with the Jews who were not at-all happy with him. Jesus showed how he is the Divine Son, and that he has plenty of evidence to show it!

Now, in the unfolding of John’s Gospel there is a little break. Take a breath. If it were a TV show you would go to an ad break.

People have Messed up Motives (v1-4)

v1-4

Then we return to the story in a different place and time, lets look:

John 6:1 NIV

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),

Ok, so we’re back in the north of the country in Galilee… (map)

Sea of Galilee

Jesus is probably over here on the east (it doesn’t specifically say, but we can deduce it from the fact he later crosses to Capernaum on “the other side”.

But, Jesus is not alone!

Read v1-2.

John 6:2 NIV

and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.

Jesus has been traveling around preaching and teaching and performing signs that accompany his message.

He’s been healing people and casting out demons. But along side that he has been teaching; instructing people about God. But why are the crowds following Jesus?

“because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick” Jn 6:2.

They weren’t interested in the message of Jesus. They wanted to see the miracles. They wanted the healings. They wanted the spectacular. They wanted to see the celebrity. They wanted entertainment. They wanted to satiate their curiosity. They weren’t there to receive Jesus on His terms.

Their motives were messed up.

Now we can’t be too hard on them because we’re just like that. Our motives get a little turned around. I’m sure many of them were appreciative of the message, and genuinely wanted to hear what Jesus had to say. But among the crowd the motives were mixed.

It’s like when a guest preacher comes to town. We partially go because we want to hear what they have to say, but partially because its new and exciting, partially because there’s a bit of celebrity culture, partially because you’re curious, partially because you think they might have something to offer you. Often we do not hear a celebrity preacher with a ear to what God’s timeless truth is, but how the preacher is going to deliver it with style and pithy truths.

If our motives are messed up in the simple things of listening to a preacher, how much more will they be messed up in spiritual and broader life matters?

It’s worth considering “How are our motives skewed?”

Why are you here this morning? What are you hoping to achieve?

There are both good and bad reasons to be here. Just as I have mixed motives for being here myself.

There’s a whole bunch of motives that can drive our Christianity, and it is worth thinking about what under girds our faith.

Do you, like the crowd, seek Jesus for miracles sake?

Perhaps you think Jesus can help you live a comfortable life?

Is he your Life insurance so you can get a ticket to heaven?

Are you here to try and imbibe same kind of mere morality?

Are you here to avoid shame and embarrassment?

What Kind of hunger are you looking to Jesus to satisfy?

Well, let us follow the crowd, figuratively speaking, up the mountain, recognizing that we come with some messed up motives too. Let us come to Jesus on that mountain and see what he will offer to satisfy us.

The next couple verses to finish setting the scene for this mountaintop experience. Jesus had been up there to escape;

John 6:3–4 NIV

Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

The other Gospels fill this out, specifically noting that Jesus had actually withdrawn to the mountain for rest and prayer. He was trying to recuperate after some pretty heavy ministry work, but he wasn’t going to get any peace. He had gone for a weekend getaway.

:) It’s kinda like when you’re trying to get a few moments peace from the kids and so you set them up with some activities and food and try to withdraw to another room for a few minutes peace and quiet. But before you know it, they’re following you around with all the noise and complaints you were trying to escape from! :)

Despite our best efforts, we would probably end up irritated and grumpy with the kids. And you might expect the same from Jesus; but unlike us in our selfishness and frustration, Jesus will graciously accept the crowd that is following Him around.

Even as Jesus tries to model a devotional lifestyle of prayer and holy rest, he also models to us what it looks like to be selfless and forgiving. Bearing with the shortcomings and the needs of those around him before his own personal preferences.

Instead of legging it, Jesus receives the crowd. Just as he does now with us this morning, he receives us as messed up people with messed up motives.

We figuratively as a crowd approach Jesus on the mountaintop this morning in this place.

What does Jesus offer to satisfy us here today?

Be Prepared to Receive (v5-10)

v5-10

As we push on through the text we see that Jesus uses the approaching crowd as a teaching opportunity. He will use the multitude as a chance to reveal more about himself to the disciples and to the crowd. But, he has to prep the disciples first, to get them ready to receive.

Read with me vs5-10; and see if you can notice how Jesus prepares the disciples.

John 6:5–10 NIV

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).

Jesus seems concerned about the welfare of the crowd, which I’m sure he is, but he will use this whole affair to reveal himself. They’re in a pretty remote place, and the people have traveled a fair way to find Jesus.

Essentially, Jesus sees the crowd and asks Phillip “Where’s the nearest Dominoes? we should get the people some food.”

Phillip replies “If i had $40 grand in my pocket right now, I couldn’t even get them one slice of pizza each!” There were so many people there that feeding them all seemed like an impossibility.

Andrew chimes in sarcastically; “This little kid has a brought us a packed lunch, maybe that will help!”

You gotta remember, there’s at least 5000 blokes. So if we start counting any women and children who are along as well we could easily double or triple the count of people who are there.

It’s kind like being asked to feed everyone at the airshow the other weekend! Thousands of people gathered out at the airport. You imagine Jesus turning to you and saying “We should get dinner for all the folks at the show”. The idea is ludicrous!

Jesus wanted his disciples to feel the impossibility of feeding all those folks. It’s massive! It is way beyond their own capabilities. Where would you even start?

Jesus gets his disciples to confess their inability. They admit they have no chance trying to pull it off.

I like how John Chrysostom from the late 300’s explains this; The disciples

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.14: Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and Epistle to the Hebrews (Catholic Edition) Homily XLII

they profited the more, having first confessed the difficulty of the matter, that when it should come to pass, they might understand the power of God

Because they realized the impossibility of the task, they were better prepared to learn from the miracle Jesus would perform.

Jesus does this kind of thing with the disciples often; he sets them up so they can better learn from the tasks ahead. And he does it with us! He put us in circumstances where we are better primed to receive from God.

Have you noticed that before? The circumstances of life lead you to a place that just so happens to align with the subject of Sunday’s sermon? Or your morning devotion sets you up for something that happens that day?

Jesus is not unaware of what is happening in the world and in your life. He may be preparing you for a teaching opportunity. Jesus may be prepping you for a massive teaching opportunity - a time of suffering, a time of persecution, a time of spiritual upheaval perhaps?

There’s no such things as accidents in the Christian’s life. Just like Jesus does for the crowd on that mountain, and just as he prepared those disciples Jesus will be working in your life

to bring you closer to Him,

to show you more of himself,

to sanctify you in new and often uncomfortable ways.

I suppose the question to ask is: Are you prepared to receive from Jesus? Are you open to the work of the Spirit of God in your life or are you stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the lessons you are being taught?

Part of being prepared is to acknowledge the enormity of the problem!! The disciples needed to see the impossibility of the task without Jesus.

I hope you can realize the impossible task of reconciling you to God without Jesus. You are useless on your own when it comes to following God and receiving salvation from him. You need Jesus to do the impossible for you to transform your messed up motives and prepare you to receive from Jesus.

The impossibility and the need in Sale

But what will Jesus offer to meet our need?

Jesus’ Provision for Needs (v11-13)

v11-13

Let’s move on. Next we get to the crux of the miracle. Having prepared the disciples to learn, Jesus performs a crazy miracle! But like all good Christians, he says grace before he eats!

Read vs 11-13 with me...

John 6:11–13 NIV

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Do you see what happened here? Jesus took the packed lunch, five loaves and two fish, and he fed over 5000 people!! Not only that, there was left overs!!

Amazingly, as he distributed the bread the 5 loves and 2 fish end up being enough to feed a multitude!!

Not only did he feed them, he gave them so much that they had as much as they wanted! They had their fill! There was abundance with Jesus!

So after eating Jesus sends the disciples around with baskets to gather up the left overs. Now there is no coincidence here, there were 12 baskets full of left overs for the 12 apostles.

Jesus took a little and made it a lot. He does this amazing creative act, showing us his power over the creation. We have to work within creation. We have to work under the normal modes of growing, harvesting, processing and baking, yet Jesus is over and above all that as the one who multiplies and proliferates.

Jesus takes an impossible situation and makes makes it possible. He receives the hungry masses and provides for their need, and not only a little but a lot! There is abundance in the hands of Jesus, just like there was at the Wedding in Cana.

He gives them what they need and more!

Folks, I want you to know that in Christ there is overflowing. In Christ there is abundance. In Christ there is more than enough. Christ is all sufficient.

God provides for his people. In this case it’s bread, but this is a physical miracle that has a spiritual reality.

This is a physical miracle that has a spiritual reality.

The Spiritual reality is that Jesus provides your needs, abundantly. And I can tell you your needs are great!

We come as the crowd this morning. We gather here with mixed motives, being prepared to receive from Christ. And Jesus will provide what you need!

The thing is though, man of us don’t know what we really need.

It’s like going to the Doctor, you know when you feel unwell, you know something is wrong. And so, you go to the person who you think will be able to help you. You go to the Doctor to get a diagnosis in the hope that he might give us what we really need. But, you have to be willing to hear the bad news about your condition.

Well, I’m going to tell you the bad news today. Our need is bad. Our need is massive. We have a fundamental problem in our lives that we need Jesus to meet.

We don’t just need Jesus to fix up our morality. We don’t just need Jesus to perform miracles. We don’t just need Jesus to give us a social group! We need something more that that because our problem is not external but internal.

You are broken. You are sinful to your core.

You need life, but you can’t resuscitate your self!

You need someone to revive your soul from death.

You need someone to give you spiritual life, to heal you, and that someone is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour of the world!!

But what does he give us to satisfy our spiritual need?

Jesus is the Prophet (v14-15)

v14-15

Now for the Jew, this miracle conjures up deep Old Testament overtones. Jesus doesn’t exist in a vacuum. He operates in a world with deep religious roots and a rich history of God’s help and intervention for their people.

If the crowd were to think back into their history, back to the days of their wandering in the desert they would remember the stories of the Great Prophet Moses who delivered them from slavery, who joined them in covenant to the Lord at a mountain in the wilderness and on God’s behalf fed them with Bread from Heaven. Do you remember the story?

The People of Israel needed food, and God gave them mana in the wilderness. He provided for them miraculous food from heaven. Moses also promised that after him would come another greater prophet.

Now what is happening before their very eyes with Jesus? He is a prophet of God on a mountain in the wilderness who is feeding them with miraculous Bread from heaven!! This is their messiah! This is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises before their very eyes!

As the 12 tribes of Israel gathered up mana in the wilderness, the 12 apostles gather up bread in the wilderness.

They gathered Mana in the wilderness with no left overs, now there is Jesus providing abundant bread in the wilderness.

They rightly recognize Jesus as The Prophet and a king, and so they do what seems natural to them. They want to install Jesus as King. Look at vs14-15 with me:

John 6:14–15 NIV

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

So Jesus knows what’s going on in the minds of the people. They were able to rightly understand the implications of Jesus miracle, but they had a picture of Jesus that was too small.

The crowd wanted to force Jesus into a mold of their own creation. They recognized him (partially) for who he is, but then wanted to twist that to their own purposes. Jesus was there to be something so much greater than a local political power!

He is the Prophet promised by Moses. He is the King of Israel. But he is not there to serve the whims of mere men.

Same goes for us. As we approach this morning, we’re not here to mold a Messiah in our own image. We’re not here to get Jesus to fit our preferences of what he should do and how he should do it. We’re here to receive Jesus on his own terms.

He is in charge, so we go with his plans rather than our own.

It’s often said “I made Jesus Lord over my Life”. It’s a common way of trying to communicate that you have converted to Christianity. But I wanted to try and adjust the thinking here. We all understand what “I made Jesus Lord over my Life” means, but it’s somewhat misleading.

You see, we don’t make Jesus King of our lives. He is King, it’s just a matter of recognizing it. He already is Lord, and I didn’t put him there. He chooses when to install himself as Lord, not me. Even as we come to faith, it is not me bringing Jesus in, but Jesus taking ownership of me. He brings His people into his kingdom.

On top of that, you and I don’t get to choose how much he is Lord over. The crowd wanted Jesus to be king over a sad bunch of Jews in Palestine, but Jesus is so much bigger and greater than a local political leader; he is ruler of the Earth. Creator of the Cosmos!

This man now sits at the right hand of the Father in glory. He reigns over the earth as LORD most High! He is the one who entered into the world to redeem it for himself. He has inherited the nations! The earth is his and the fullness thereof. The ends of the earth is his possession!

Christ is King! And he awaits the day when the last of his enemies is put to lasting shame.

So, the question is, what does this King offer us? How will this king satisfy our hunger?

We Eat Jesus (v47-54)

v47-54

Well our text doesn’t specifically answer the question I have been asking: “How will Jesus satisfy our hunger?” We have to cheat and jump ahead to a passage we will be looking at in a couple weeks.

This whole chapter is a cohesive unit, and we need to jump ahead to explain our part. You see after this incident when the crowd had been fed, that kept following Jesus. They started stalking him. They wanted more bread! They had found a guy who could feed multitudes with a few loaves. Why bother growing and baking our own bread when this prophet could pull it out of nowhere! So they tracked him down on the other side of the lake and approached Jesus.

They wanted more food. But Jesus explained that the bread he gave them was representative of something bigger and greater than free food. The physical miracle was representing a heavenly reality!

He wanted to feed them, but not with bread that would keep them going till their next meal.

He wanted to give them something that would satisfy the hunger of our souls!

He wanted to give them eternal life!

He wanted to give them himself!!

Read John 6:47-54 with me to see how Jesus says this so plainly;

John 6:47–54 NIV

Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

You see? Jesus presents himself as the embodiment of Bread from Heaven. He is the True Bread. He is the one who gives and sustains life!

The crowd wanted food to fill their bellies, but Jesus wants to satisfy their souls!

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”

What does Jesus give to satisfy our souls? He gives Himself!!

You need to eat Jesus. That’s how you get eternal life. This is where we find fullness and satisfaction. This is where our hungers are satiated.

We don’t need to look for spiritual fulfillment anywhere else. We don’t need what the world has to offer. We don’t need what sin offers, or what Satan offers as counterfeits.

We need Jesus.

He provided himself. He is the bread! He is what is given to satisfy our hunger! He is the provision for our spiritual need!

Not only that, He is the only way! The only Provision! Unless you eat of him you will have no life. Unless you partake of Jesus you will remain spiritually dead. You will remain lifeless and destitute.

This is what we symbolize and act out when we eat the Lord’s Supper! We do something physical that represents a heavenly reality. We eat Jesus at the Bread of Life and drink his blood.

You see Jesus delivered his body and blood over as a sacrifice. He was the covering for sin and the breaker of death. Jesus entered into death and rose triumphant from it. He redeemed us, he rescued us from the power of Sin and Death to give us Life and Light eternally.

But how do you eat Jesus? He tells us “whoever believes has eternal life”. Eating Jesus is a figurative way of illustrating our belief. We put our faith in Him. We trust Him. We take him for ourselves.

How do you eat something? You pick it up and put it in your mouth. You ingest it.

With Jesus, belief doesn’t just mean saying “oh yeah, Jesus is my mate” it means taking him. Reaching out for him. Receiving him as medicine for your internal brokenness and twisted nature.

Like food that sustains your body, you have to believe in Jesus, receive him, to sustain your soul.

We must go to Jesus, receive from him, and be maintained by him. We must go to him in real faith, receive mercy from him, and be maintained by his Spirit.

Bring it all Together

To recap; We come with Mixed up Motives where Jesus Prepares us to Receive more than we could ask or imagine. He provides for our needs as the New Prophet who gives himself.

In this passage there is a physical miracle of a heavenly reality. That heavenly reality of Christ given for you as the Bread of Life who is eternal life.

Jesus gives himself to meet our spiritual need. He will satisfy our spiritual hunger.

He will fill us. He will satisfy us. He will take away our hunger, if we would but receive him in true belief.

References:

Carson’s Pillar Commentary on John.

Hutcheson’s commentary on John

Hendrickson’s commentary on John

Sermons by Richard D. Philips,

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.

Phillips, Richard D. John. Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. 1st ed. Vol. 1 & 2 of Reformed Expository Commentary. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014.

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