John 6:1-17a

Yeah, amen. Please join me in your copy of God's Word in John chapter 6.

John 6 · chapter mention

Amen.

Verse 17.

Note that it begins with a crossing of the sea and it ends with the crossing of the sea.

What's that called?

Chiasm. Thank you for asking.

This sea, the Sea of Galilee, the region in which it is located, or the Sea of Tiberias, a city on its southwestern shore,

is a long way from Jerusalem where we found Jesus teaching in chapter 5.

The after this of verse 1, therefore, could read at some point after this.

So it's chronological, but it's not immediately chronological.

A journey has happened between these places.

I bring this to your attention to highlight that John, under the Spirit of Christ's inspiration,

is doing something clever, as I have said and will continue to say with the literary structure of this gospel account.

It is chiastic in nature.

You are likely familiar with the story before us today.

It has made the pages of every children's storybook Bible,

and it runs in the ethos of our cultural understanding of Jesus.

If you ask somebody who knows the name of Jesus, and you ask them a miracle he has performed,

they would likely point you to one such as this.

But there is so much more happening here that we may have read right past,

and I'm really eager to set aside the varied troubles of this week,

as it has been a troubled week, for just a few moments with you,

and see what John means to show us of Jesus Christ in these 17 and a half verses.

It's good for the church to be together this morning and to fix our gaze on Jesus.

So before I read it, let me pray for our following time together.

Father God, we would ask this morning that you would help us as we take up this text together.

We recognize humbly that it was inspired by you.

It's breathed out by you.

And so it's inerrant, and it's authoritative,

and we should want to listen to it and rightly understand it.

We know that we need your help to do this.

Help us believe its promises and obey its commands

and have affection for you, its author.

We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

John 6, beginning in verse 1.

After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee,

which is the Sea of Tiberias.

And a large crowd was following him

because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

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?

He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him,

Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,

but what are they for so many?

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.

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 the 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.

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said,

This is indeed the prophet who has come into the world.

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.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.

Now John sets the stage for the totality of chapter 6

with a sign or a miracle that is made necessary because of other signs.

Notice verse 2,

A large crowd is following him.

Why?

Why is it that this large crowd has followed him?

to a rather desolate place on the eastern coast of the sea.

It's because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

He's performing many miracles,

relieving the temporary trouble of the world that he was in.

Signs anywhere that they are observed in gospel accounts

are always meant to point us not toward the sign itself,

but toward the Savior.

The one performing the sign.

They're affirming actions that Jesus is doing.

People miss this.

Again and again in the scripture,

people concern themselves with the signs.

Look at what this man can do for us,

they say.

And they fail to look at who this man is.

Hear him.

Understand who he is.

Signs point to the Savior.

And that's what I want to help us do this morning.

Don't focus on the miracle.

It is miraculous.

Focus on the miracle worker.

And so we'll do that with a three-point outline.

The first point will be Jesus, the bread of life.

The second, Jesus, the new and better Moses.

And the third, Jesus, the now and forever king.

First, Jesus, the bread of life.

We see this across the text.

This is the primary thing happening here

in the setting up of chapter 6.

So verses 3 through 9 and then 11 through 13.

Jesus is merciful.

He is concerned with the temporal suffering of people.

He does not neglect in this text

or in our day today

that we are embodied souls who live in a cursed world.

He cares more deeply than we can comprehend

about our present condition.

Whatever it is that you may suffer,

Jesus knows more than even you do

how hard that is.

He knows the tragedy of our suffering keenly.

Notice in our text that he is performing miracles

on the sick in verse 2.

And then the miracle on display

serves this crowd's temporal need for food.

They followed him out to a desolate place

and they don't have a way to eat.

He cares about the body.

But, but,

he cares ultimately about the soul.

He serves temporal needs

so that people

will come to him

to have their spiritual needs

met.

So Jesus in verse 3

goes up on

the mountain

and you could read this differently

because my mind went,

what mountain are we talking about?

Some significant things happen on

mountains.

But more,

more readily you could read

the mountains

to a region

out there that's east

of that sea.

So up to the mountains.

Not a particular spot,

but a region.

A place where

he could go off

with the

disciples.

And the Passover

is at hand.

A time when the

Jews took time

to consider

the mercy of

God

to them.

And we find them

coming

to Jesus

because of these miracles

that are being

performed.

And he says

to Philip,

as a test

to Philip,

where are we to buy bread

so these people

may eat.

But he already knew

what he was going

to do.

This phrase is significant.

He himself knew

what he

would do.

The whole

stage is being set up

for all that Jesus

is going to teach

in chapter

6.

Philip answers him,

200 denarii,

200 days

wages

worth of bread

would barely be enough

for these people

to eat.

And then

Andrew offers

that there's a young

boy with

five barley loaves

and two

fish.

How could that

possibly feed

this crowd?

Now I want to be

clear,

the point of this text

is to not be like

this boy and offer

what you have to Jesus.

Although,

you might want to

derive some lesson

from this little boy

willing to give up

his lunch.

But it is not

the focus of this

narrative

at all.

There is a

legitimate need

for food

for these people.

Jesus is not

unsympathetic

toward that

need.

However,

we will just

miss the point

if we reduce

this text

to him

meeting

this

need.

This text

does not

call us

to a particular

social agenda.

This text

is not about

feeding the poor.

We can go

other places

to find

teaching

about that.

We should

not reduce

it to

just

that.

He does

meet the need.

And he meets

the need

miraculously.

And he meets

the need

abundantly

to be sure.

Verse 11,

we see that he

takes these

loaves

and he gives

thanks

and he distributes

to those

who were seated.

And notice

that the emphasis

is on the

bread.

He takes

the loaves

and he distributes

and John

adds for us

so also

the fish.

He did it

with the fish

too

and they had

as much

as they

wanted.

Everybody

was fully

satisfied.

Verse 12

says,

when they

had eaten

their

fill.

They are

no longer

hungry

anymore.

He has

them

go

and

gather

up

all

of

the

leftovers.

There's

12

baskets

with

fragments

of

the

loaves

gathered

up.

Notice,

not the fish.

The loaves

are gathered.

Many make this

passage

an apologetic

for

abundant

temporal

living.

Take passages

like this

and make

Jesus

a miracle

worker

who's

going

to

meet

all

of

your

temporal

needs

beyond

your

wildest

imagination.

The point

of the text

is that

he's

going

to

give

you

stuff

in

high

order.

This

is a

great

error.

A

massive

error.

And

there's

so much

teaching

in this

regard.

We

often

call it

the

prosperity

gospel.

And

I

think

all

of

us

see

the

prosperity

gospel

in

its

greatest

forms

and

know

that

it's

error.

We

get

that

the

private

jet

is

not

the

point

of

the

gospel.

But

I

wonder

if

sometimes

we

get

confused

down

on a

lower

level.

Why

do I

not

have

the

things

that

I

perceive

I

need?

I

am

being

faithful

to

Jesus.

Why

am I

not

being

blessed

the way

I

think

I

should

be

blessed?

Haven't

I

done

such

and

such?

Don't

I

faithfully

read the

word and

pray and

go to

church and

etc.

etc.

etc.

etc.

We make

such an

error when

we make

the gospel

about the

things we

get here

and now.

Does Jesus

provide for

our temporal

needs?

He most

certainly

does.

but

we must

read on

what's

being

taught

to us

here.

John's

narrative

means

for us

to read

on

to go

beyond

this

story

and set

it in

its

context.

Beyond

this

miracle

we will

see

Jesus

walk

on

water

and

then

beginning

in

verse

26

Jesus

presents

himself

as the

bread

of

life

and

he

does

so

to the

end

of the

chapter.

That's

the major

thing

going on

in chapter

6.

Jesus

presents

himself

as the

bread

of life.

That

thing

necessary

for

sustenance.

We

have to

spend

more time

on this

than we

have

this

morning.

We're

going to

unpack

chapter 6

over

quite a

few

weeks.

All

that it

means

for

Jesus

to

be

the

bread

of

life.

But

notice

the

way

that

he

begins

that

discourse

in

verse

26.

He

says

there,

truly,

truly,

I

say

to

you,

you

are

seeking

me

not

because

you

saw

signs,

but

because

you

ate

your

fill

of

the

loaves.

The

temporal

bread.

Your

tummies

were

full,

and that's

why

you're

coming

to

find

me.

You're

coming

to

me,

he says,

in essence,

because of

what I

gave you,

not because

you want

me.

I'm the

bread of

life,

he'll go

on to

say.

He'll

spend the

rest of

the chapter

making

this very

point.

Humanity's

greatest

need is

not to

have their

stomachs

satisfied,

satisfied,

but to

have

their

souls

satisfied.

It's

perhaps

one of

the

greatest

trials

to

have

no

trials

at

all.

We

are

such

a

comfortable,

comfortable

people.

I don't

want to

make light

of the

things that

trouble

you,

or the

things that

trouble

us,

but

relatively

speaking,

very few

of us

feared for

our lives

in this

past

week.

As a

simple

example,

very few

of us

really

suffer the

way so

many

suffer in

the world

today.

And so we

get a

little

uncomfortable,

and our

world seems

to be

falling apart,

and just

perhaps God

in his

great loving

kindness to

us is

reminding us

that the

point is not

to have our

comfort

satisfied,

but to

have our

souls

satisfied.

Jesus'

primary

concern is

not our

temporal

affairs,

but our

eternal

destiny.

This life,

although it

doesn't always

feel this

way,

is fleeting,

passing,

like a

vapor in

the wind.

Jesus loves

us enough

to have the

rest of it

beyond in

mind,

to serve

us to

that great

end.

Let me

make this

point just a

bit further

from the

text,

although I'm

going to

have to

venture

just a

bit outside

of it.

What do

you suppose

the significance

of verse

13 is?

So those

left by

those who

had eaten.

Why does

John record

that fact

for us?

Abundant

provision,

of course.

They had

all that

they needed,

their stomachs

were full

and beyond,

but why

12

baskets?

Well,

there were

12 disciples,

12 men

who were

told to

go gather

the fragments,

so they

each

had a

basket.

They each

held in

their arms

a collection

of bread

miraculously

produced

by Christ.

So if you

can hold

that image

in your

mind,

pretend that

you were

holding a

basket

containing

within it

bread

that was

miraculously

produced

by Jesus.

And then,

hold that

image,

and then

note with

me

verses 16

through 21.

Now,

next week,

Colson's

going to

preach

next week's

sermon.

What does

this story

have to

do with

the rest

of chapter

6?

Have you

noted it

already?

Are you

scanning

across it?

Boy,

I hope you

have a

Bible with

you today.

We've got

Jesus feeding

the 5,000.

This big

emphasis on

bread is

going on,

and then

he's going

to spend

the chapter

from verse

26 on.

The rest

of the chapter

he's talking

about him

being the

bread of

life,

and dropped

in the middle

of that

is a story

about Jesus

walking

on water.

Why?

Why is it

there?

Is John

just being

chronologically

consistent?

Is that all

that's going

on here?

I say

no.

We are

meant to

derive

something

from

this.

Okay,

so again,

you've got

a basket

full of

bread

in your

arms.

Look at

verse 16.

When evening

came,

this is part

of our

text for

today,

his disciples

went down

to the

sea,

got into

a boat,

and started

across the

sea to

Capernaum.

It was

now dark,

and Jesus

had not

yet come

to them.

He's gone

away.

He's in

a desolate

place,

removing

himself.

Verse 18.

The sea

became rough

because a

strong

wind

was blowing,

so a

great storm

has arisen.

When they

had rode

about three

or four

miles,

they saw

Jesus

walking

on the

sea

and coming

near

the boat,

and they

were

frightened.

But he

said to

them,

it is

I,

or you

could read

I am,

do not

be

afraid.

Then they

were glad

to take

him into

the boat,

and immediately

the boat

was at the

land to

which they

were going.

I hope

your brain

is firing

off right

now,

just in

case.

Let me

show you

what's

going on.

In a

boat,

in the

sea,

in a

storm,

the sea

is always

a place

of danger

and judgment

all throughout

the scriptures.

And he

just walks

to them

out on

the water

and he

says,

I am,

do not

be afraid.

And then

what do

they do?

They

welcome

the bread

of life.

He's going

to go on

to talk

about that.

The bread

of life

into the

basket.

They

welcome

him

into the

boat.

And

immediately

the boat

was at the

land to

which they

were going.

The point

is that

Jesus is

the bread

of life

and his

great care

and concern

for these

disciples.

He's going

to go

on to

talk about

eating of

his flesh

and drinking

of his

blood

and people

are going

to leave

him in

the droves

and yet

the disciples

stay on.

He's teaching

them a lesson

when he gives

them baskets

and says,

go collect

the leftovers.

He wants

them to get

that he

is the one

that can

satisfy

their souls.

Deliver

them through

judgment.

So,

that's number

one.

Jesus,

the bread

of life.

Secondly,

Jesus,

the new

and better

Moses.

It is at

this point

that we

find the

center of

the chiastic

structure

of our

text.

If you

have been

with us

in our

study of

John,

I hope

you have

been wondering

where to

find it.

Show us

where it

is.

Which

verse

is it?

If you

have not

been with

us,

keep coming

and I

hope to

show you

more of

this

brilliant

literary

device,

I'll

spare you

the

explanation

this

morning.

Here it

is.

It's

verse

10.

It's

meant to

draw our

attention.

It's

meant to

help us

understand

something

about

this

particular

pericope.

Jesus

said,

have

the

people

sit

down.

And

then

John

adds,

now there

was much

grass in

the place,

so the

men sat

down,

which was a

normal way

of counting

in those

days.

Matthew

adds for

us that

there are

also women

and children,

about 5,000

in number.

The Greek

word used

here for

sit down,

he says,

have the

people sit

down,

is different

from the

one used

in verse

3.

Notice in

verse 3

that he

sits down

with the

disciples.

Here,

it's a different

word,

it would be

better translated

recline,

recline,

lie down,

which was the

manner that

meals were

taken.

In low

tables,

they reclined

at table.

It was a

restful

posture.

It's not a

ready-for-action

kind of posture,

to recline

at a

table.

They were

to lay

down

in a

field.

John

adds to

the

narrative,

there was

much

grass

in the

place.

I don't

know if

you do

this,

but I

read past

details like

this all

the time

until I'm

forced to

sit with

it and

really go,

why?

Why that

sentence?

Why is

that

inspired?

Why is

it

significant?

What is

going on

here at

the center

of the

text?

Again,

hold something

for me.

Hold that

question in

your mind.

We're going

to come

back to

it and

look at

verse 14.

Verse 10 is

the center

of the

chiasm.

Look at

verse 14.

When the

people saw

the sign

that he

had done,

this miraculous

feeding,

they said,

this is

indeed the

prophet who

has come

into the

world.

Your

translation

likely

capitalizes

prophet.

The

prophet.

prophet.

This

reference to

the prophet

is from

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18

and verse

15,

where Moses

says,

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.

This is

the prophet

that they're

talking about

here in

verse 14.

There was a

diversity of

opinion in

Jesus'

day about

who the

prophet of

Deuteronomy

18.

15 would

be.

But some

held a

messianic

interpretation.

They understood,

which was the

right interpretation,

that the

prophet,

like Moses,

would be the

Messiah.

Why would

they consider

Jesus to be

the prophet of

Deuteronomy

18.

15?

Well,

just as

Moses led

God's people

out of

captivity,

into a

wilderness

place,

and provided

bread from

heaven,

it was

understood that

the Messiah

would do

the very

same.

Moses

shepherded

God's

people,

and here

we see

Jesus doing

the very

same.

Our

minds,

if they're

steeped in

the biblical

narrative,

ought to

see this.

It ought to

leap from

the pages.

And I'll

admit to

you that

it doesn't

always do

that for

me.

But

Jesus

is telling

his disciples

to command

the people

to lay

down in

a grassy

field.

So back

to that

question I

asked you

to hold

in your

mind.

What's

going on

at the

center of

the text?

Jesus is

presenting

himself,

and Jesus

is being

presented by

John as

the new

and better

Moses,

the good

shepherd,

the prophet.

If you

are with

me on

the literary

structure of

John,

guess what

chapter

corresponds

to chapter

6?

Chapters 1

through 11

are a

chiasm as

well.

Guess

which one?

Chapter

10.

Chapter

10 corresponds

to chapter

6.

And in

chapter 10,

Jesus'

good shepherd

discourse

takes place.

It's cool

stuff.

Verse 10,

Jesus said,

have the

people sit

down.

Now there

was much

grass in

the place.

Perhaps

your mind

goes to a

place like

Psalm 23.

This kind

of imagery

is presented

to you.

Psalmist

says there,

the Lord

is my

shepherd.

I shall

not want.

I should

be satisfied.

He makes

me

lie down

in green

pastures.

He leads

me beside

still waters.

He restores

my soul.

He leads

me in

paths of

righteousness

for his

name's sake.

So we see

Jesus in

this text

as the

new and

better

Moses,

the one

who will

lead his

people out

of captivity

from sin,

shepherd

them in

the wilderness,

and finally

deliver them

to the

promised

land.

third,

we see

Jesus as

the now

and forever

king.

Verse 15

says,

perceiving

then that

they were

about to

come and

take him

by force

to make

him king,

Jesus withdrew

again to

the mountain

or the

mountains

by himself.

As you

study the

gospels,

you will

note over

and over

the

misconceptions

of who

the

Messiah

was to

be.

We have

mentioned it

already many

times in

our study

of John.

The most

common

misconception

was that

the Messiah

would come

to liberate

Israel from

its Roman

oppression,

reestablish

its former

temporal

glory.

This is what

most of them

were looking

to.

That's who

the Christ

would be.

Many Jews

today,

in the very

same way,

they're looking

for the

Messiah,

for temporal

relief.

life.

This is the

issue at

hand in

verse 15.

Did Jesus

possess the

power to

gather an

army and

overthrow

Rome?

Of course

he did.

With a

single word

he could

call down

legions from

heaven and

wipe the

Romans off

the map.

Jesus is

God.

But he

came not

to establish

the kingdom

of our

choosing,

but of

his

fathers.

Recall

chapter 5

verse 19.

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.

He knows

that it's

not his

purpose to

be made

a king,

to lead

an army,

to overthrow

Rome.

He has a

higher

purpose,

right?

A better

fulfillment,

a way

that he's

going to

bring about

an eternal

kingdom that

God the

father ordained,

God the

son,

and God

the spirit

accomplished.

They establish

it.

Do you

remember the

title that

Jesus most

regularly gives

to himself?

He calls

himself the

son of

man.

Do you

recall where

that title

comes from?

It's Daniel

Daniel 7:13

chapter 7

verse 13

and 14.

Daniel sees

in a vision,

in a dream,

and says,

and behold,

with the

clouds of

heaven there

came one

like a

son of

man.

And he

came to

the ancient

of days and

was presented

before him.

And to

him was

given dominion

and glory

and a

kingdom that

all people's

nations and

languages should

serve him.

His

dominion is

an everlasting

dominion which

shall not pass

away, and

his kingdom

one that

shall not be

destroyed.

Jesus is not

uninterested in

the temporal

affairs of

man.

He is.

He's not

indifferent to

the tragedies

of this past

week.

He cares.

But we do

well to note

as we grapple

with the

state of our

state that

Jesus is

firstly,

primarily

concerned with

the eternal

kingdom.

How all of

this plays

into that,

I don't

know.

I'm not

sure how

it's all

going to

come to

pass,

but what

we can

be sure

is that

it will

come to

pass.

And the

question for

us in the

meantime is

how do we

be faithful?

God

is

establishing a

kingdom and

it's a

kingdom that

will come

and will

not be

destroyed.

That means

that Jesus

is the

forever king,

but he is

also the

now king.

Jesus

upholds the

universe by

the word of

his power,

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

1 and

verse 3.

And that

includes the

minutia of

things happening

in our

country,

things happening

in your home,

things happening

in your very

own heart.

Jesus is not

relinquishing his

control to

anyone.

I heard a

question this

week from

somebody close

to me how it

just didn't make

sense why God

would allow this

assassination to

take place,

because they

saw a greater

good in him

remaining here.

We ought to

be people who

trust in God's

absolute sovereignty

over all things.

It doesn't

diminish the

tragedy of it,

but God's

people ought to

be the most

confident,

unmoved

people at

times like

this.

We're going

to be okay.

You know

why?

Because Jesus

reigns.

If God is

for us,

who can be

against us?

So some

quick application.

I've already

jumped into it

a little bit

ahead.

Number one,

go to Jesus

for Jesus.

If you're not

found in Christ,

don't come to

Christ for what

he can offer

you.

Many blessings,

many blessings,

infinite blessings

are found in

Jesus,

but he

himself is

the greatest

of all of

those blessings.

If that idea

is just

foreign to

you,

oh,

please come

talk to

me.

I'd love

to talk

to you

about the

riches found

in Christ

himself.

He is

precious.

And if you

are in

Christ,

don't forget

that truth.

You're so

quick to,

yeah,

yeah,