Sunday Sermon
morning service 18th May: john 6v1-15
Context:
In this passage we have the 4th miraculous sign that John records for us.
The overall situation is that the people are following him because of the miracles he has performed. Yet the author wants us to see that what is most important to Jesus at this time is the disciples v3. He is with them, he sits with them.
He sees the crowds almost as a surprise, v5 - he just looks up and sees them.
There is also reference to the Passover that is about to be remembered v4.
This reference sets in context the timing of this miracle and its wider implications.
With this setting Jesus has a golden opportunity to do what? Teach the disciples!
V6 he is testing the disciples.
Tests are important for teacher because it shows where the pupil is at. How much more needs to be taught.
So in this test what does Jesus learn about the
disciples and what does he teach them?
1) He learns that the disciples cannot think “outside of the box”.
Their vision is limited to the way things are without faith! (Ecclesiastes Vision)
John 6:7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
He does not even come up with the name of a good local baker!
Sees the cost of it all first.
This sums up the impossible situation the disciples were in. 8 months wages couldn’t supply enough bread even for a bite each!
Yet, should we not have expected more faith by this stage?
They had seen Jesus do all kinds of wonders before this.
But the scale of the problem is what makes them faithless!
However there is a glimmer of hope! Andrew speaks up v8-9
V8-9 Andrew comes forward with a sort of hopeless suggestion! 2 fish 5 barley loaves! Note he asks “how far can that go”. Basically there is nowhere near enough.
Without divine intervention there is no hope.
In John 1v41 Andrew is full of faith when he goes looking for his brother (Peter) to tell him that they had found the Messiah. But not here! Doubt is the measure of his words!
So what does Jesus learn about the disciples at this stage?
He learns that their faith has not grown enough to meet the rising challenges that are before them.
App:
The question we need to ask is: how do we face problems?
Philip looked at the situation financially. They did not have the money!
Andrew looked at the problem pessimistically. They had too little!
They did not have enough money or food!
But both missed what they did have, they had Jesus.
What about us?
Difficult situations may be times where God is calling us to see what we do have.
To see that we have Jesus! Thus live trusting him to provide.
2) With their lack of trust Jesus moves onto teach them afresh! What does he teach?
a) get on with it!
V10 - Jesus tells the disciples to get the people to sit down. Something they were not short of was space! Plenty of grass around - if only they were cows.
Jesus gets the disciples to work. Organise the thousands of people.
The worst thing we can do in the face of a problem is freeze! There are times to wait upon the Lord but that is waiting, not freezing.
Where there is a command to work then the only appropriate response is obedience. The disciples obey.
The disciples are learning. They may not have had faith to see the possibilities but they had faith enough to obey a direct command.
b) obedience is followed by blessing. V11.
The disciples may not have known where the food was going to come from but they do what they are told and as a result the blessing follows! All eat!
Jesus will not tell us to do something without the means to follow it through.
This is much easier for us to grab hold of in difficult times. We may not know why things happen the way they do but we can still be obedient in all circumstances knowing that grace will be provided!
c) the overall teaching is this: no matter what “trust and obey for there’s no other ….”
3) when such miracles happen there is still much to learn.
And Jesus continues to teach the disciples, but what?
a) v12 “let nothing be wasted / lost”.
With Jesus around they would never have a food shortage but even still he calls them to gather up all the leftovers!
Why this dedicated clean up operation? “Nothing lost”
Surely it has to do with the symbolism of it all. The Bread of life is broken so that none are lost / perish. Same word as in 3v16, 11v50.
V11 reminds us of the action of Jesus in the upper room.
The whole Passover context - sacrificial Lamb, escape from Slavery.
The disciples are being taught to see something bigger in this whole picture.
This miracle of the bread being broken and the thousands being feed and none being lost is symbolic of His whole mission!
He came to be broken so that others could eat and be saved.
Wider app:
We to need to see beyond and through our problems to the bigger salvation picture that God has in mind.
This world and its history is all about what God is doing. The news on TV is never really the news! The News is that God is in control and that His kingdom is advancing!
And finally v14-15: what is Jesus teaching us here?
V14 the people realise what has happened and begin to think that Jesus might be the prophet - that is the Messiah, they saw him at this point as the saviour!
Note : v2 the people are already following because he is a healer. Now he is a healer and a provider of life’s essentials!
Background Deu18v15-18. A Prophet was expected - the Prophet! Like Moses who provided food for them in the wilderness. This was the final sign they needed - Jesus was the one!
V15 - Jesus withdraws because they are going to try and enthrone him!
His healing miracles and his food provision are enough for the people to want to make him king!
Why the withdrawal? Because they are working by “force” rather than faith. This was not an act of allegiance by adoring worshippers but an act of violence by greedy opportunists!
App:
We need to come to Jesus in His terms not our own.
evening
service 18th May: John 6:16-24
Context:
V16-17 it had been a long day and now the disciples were ready to relax!
It was a dark night but they were experienced seamen and knew what they were doing.
However Jesus is not with them !
And v18 - a storm!
That is the setting for event that is about to follow : the 5th sign.
Johns account of it is very sparing in detail.
Mat 14 records Peter walking on the water too.
Mk 6 records the struggle the men were having on the water - ch6
But John has none of that. He focuses on the fear of the disciples and the self disclosure of the Lord in relieving that fear.
1) the disciples are terrified v19.
The word for fear here :
It is the same word that is used to describe the disciples at the transfiguration Mat17v6 - they were terrified at the voice of God.
Also it’s the same word that is used of the Pharisees to describe their fear of the people - they could not take Jesus because they were afraid of the people. Mat21v46.
In this situation their fear is caused by an exceptional circumstance.
“John 6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,1 they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.”
They had rowed out 3-4 miles and then all of a sudden there is Jesus coming towards them! They saw him! He is walking on the water! He’s coming near the boat! They are terrified! Literally they had the “fear of God”.
Note the storm does not terrify them! But the Lord of the storm does!
Even though they had been around Jesus and seen him do amazing things he still has the capacity to scare the living daylights out of them!
This is Jesus! He can walk on water!
What is this telling us? Why did he walk on water?
Obviously he was not showing off! He was not just having fun! So why?
The answer is, he was teaching the disciples. He was showing them who he was.
Remember the introduction to the Gospel -
Jh1v14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”.
Jesus is showing the disciples who he really is by walking on the water.
He had just feed the 5000 but then had ran off when the crowd wanted to make him king!
Had the disciples given up?
If Jesus did not want to be made king then maybe he wasn’t king!
So Jesus comes to them again! He goes to the disciples! (see v3)
Remember earlier it was the disciples he was interested in, he was teaching them.
It was important that they understood his identity and message.
So he goes to them and they are terrified!
App:
Jesus is terrifying! He is Almighty God. He is the King of kings.
Often in our vision of God we view the Father as terrifying and the Son as warm and cuddly! But God is God! Jesus is God!
There is no room for flippancy with Jesus.
At the very least he is due our total respect and awe!
But terrifying is not all God is as we will now see.
2) moving on we see the response of the Lord to their fear:
20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."
a) The first thing Jesus does is reveal himself! He is
the great ‘I Am’ -
Egw, eivmi
The God of Moses Ex3v7. Yahweh.
b) following the Revelation; because God is, because Jesus is, the words of comfort can be applied - don’t fear.
In essence what Jesus is doing to them is giving them the liberty not to fear him.
The disciples have every right to be afraid, he is fearful, but he says - Don’t Fear!
Why is this?
It is because of his deeper identity : to go back to John 1v14, he is the One who is full of Grace and Faithfulness.
The Great I Am at first contact is terrifying, but He does not want us to stay at that point. He wants to move into a living relationship with us, where there is no fear!
App:
What are you afraid of?
To all of your fears apply the phrase “I Am”
And see then that there is nothing to be afraid of.
3) finally the disciples reaction v21:
“Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”
The emotions, guided by the Lord, now move from terror to joy. They are eager to have him back.
Because Jesus has revealed himself and spoken the word of comfort they rejoice.
They are glad to see him, to have him back again.
They left the shore without him, but finish the journey with him.
The important thing to note is that Jesus has not given up on his disciples.
They are what is important to him.
App:
We can view life as a journey. We start sailing at birth, and finish at death.
Life is a fearful journey - all kinds of storms along the way.
But with Jesus there is nothing to fear and everything to rejoice in!
