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Chapters 5 and 6 each begin with a miracle, centered upon the
hearer's appropriation of what Jesus had come to give. Jesus wanted the cooperation of His
disciples. In the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus would show them how they are to work.
Philip took the human level of thought. Jesus wanted Philip to recognize the impossibility
of this task on our human level. Each of us, as Philip, must learn that it is only through Jesus
that any true work of God can be accomplished. It is then that pride falls away and reverence,
worship, and praise take hold in our hearts. Andrew was always bringing someone to Jesus. Think of the boy who gave what he had to Jesus. He watched it multiply to meet the needs of himself and thousands of others. Think of how the faith of the disciples must have grown as they continued to feed the people. Look at some of the examples we learn from Jesus in this the first feeding of the multitude. 1. He gave thanks for His food. 2. He had them sit in an organized manner. 3. There was no waste or mess left on the ground. Many of the people asked for a sign (See verse 30). Today many also have a similar request for some absolute proof or visible miracle. If you want to see a miracle, yield your spirit to the living God of the Universe. It is through Jesus that we receive eternal life. It is a free gift open to all who ask. If you are looking for a miracle, He is before you. In the words of His Bible, you have met the true and everlasting bread of life. In this chapter we will see four aspects of living the Christian life. 1. The aim of a true Christian (John 6:26-27). 2. The method of working for God (John 6:28-29). 3. The assurance of divine authority in regard to one's faith (John 6:30-33). 4. The experience of fulfillment in the Christian life (John 6:34-40). John 6 begins the separation of the "bandwagon Christians" and those who would truly believe and follow. To "drink my blood and eat my flesh" is a command that will always separate. To drink His blood is to participate personally in the death of Christ. We must understand that we cannot come before God, who is holy, with sin. We must also realize that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can only be cleansed from our sin when we accept God's pardon that He gave as a free gift on the cross. It is by Jesus' blood that we are forgiven and have deliverance from the power of sin. The flesh of Jesus represents the new humanity as opposed to fallen human nature. Jesus said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him." (See John 6:56) Eating means dwelling on His Words, taking them in, and acting upon them. Jesus is the Word. (See John 1:1) When you begin to apply His Words to your life by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will begin to reproduce the holy personality of the Lord. To drink His blood is to accept the sacrifice of Jesus' life for yours. You will begin to see Jesus as John the Baptist did when he said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). To be a Christian, you must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and the sin of the world. We must also believe in the miracle of a bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. When Jesus asked the twelve if they, too, would leave Him, Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God." Is this your answer as well? Do not wait until you know all, for we will never fully understand the glory of God. Take Jesus as He has revealed Himself to you in the book of John. Jesus considers each one of us to be God's gift to Himself. What a glorious privilege to know we are loved by Him. |