#9 – Knowing God Better – John 6

John, chapter 6 is a long chapter – 71 verses. And a great event. I’m going to summarize some of it, and we’ll look at some key verses.

Q – Verse 2 below. Why were people following Jesus?
A –

2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.

This chapter tells us that the crowd is 5,000 men, plus women and children. Jesus decides to feed them all. And he starts with food they can find…a boy had five loaves of bread and two fish.

Jesus gave thanks to God, and the disciples handed out the food.

And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full…13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

Q – What was the crowd’s reaction? Did they realize what happened? (See verses below)
A –

14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”

So, what do you think happened the next day? When Jesus fed the crowd, they were on a mountain slope by the Sea of Tiberias. Jesus left them in the middle of the night, and literally walked on the Sea of Tiberias to get to the other side.

If you ever heard of Jesus walking on water – it’s true. It’s in John 6:16-21

Ok, so now the crowd wakes up and can’t find Jesus. So, they walk all the way around the water to the other side (13 miles long, 8 miles wide), and find Jesus.

Right away, Jesus confronts them.

Q – What does Jesus think they should focus on?
A –

26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.

They don’t really get it. They try to goad Jesus into giving them more bread, by reminding him that God gave Moses and the Israelites manna (bread) when they were in the wilderness.

Jesus knows that they need more than bread! They have a long discussion and Jesus finally tells them:

33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Q – In the following verses (below), how secure is YOUR relationship with Jesus?
A –

37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

They begin to argue about who Jesus is. Jesus again repeats that he can give them eternal life. And they’re still focused on bread!

So Jesus says something really shocking. He’s trying to get their attention, and he might be just a tad frustrated with them.

I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever

Jesus goes on to say:

58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

Obviously, Jesus is seeing things from a different perspective.

Q – What is Jesus’ focused on for them? And what are they focused on for themselves?
A –

56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.

Even Jesus’ disciples are taken back by this. It says that many of them deserted Jesus at that point.

Jesus explains to them that eternal life does not hinge on people’s efforts – even eating or drinking. He clarifies:

63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Q – What was Jesus trying to get the people to understand?
A –

Q – Do you think Simon Peter, one of the twelve apostles, got it right? (see below)
A –

You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

It’s kind of refreshing, isn’t it, to see that religious effort is not what God wants from us. But simply to believe in Jesus.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Adamson
director of EveryStudent.com
and StartingwithGod.com