JESUS GAVE THANKS - John 6
JESUS GAVE THANKS
John 6
Sunday, November 22, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Christians have a grateful heart. We walk in the blessings of heaven and earth. We live in total confidence and peace that we shall never hunger. We shall never suffer the spiritual drought of deprivation of the waters of Baptism in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have received the gift of eternal life. We have received by grace the faith to believe in Christ as the wondrous gift of the Father’s love.
We are blessed to know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. We are thankful for our health, families, homes, and provision.
The grace and mercy of God continues over the United States for freedom of religion, speech; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Again this week, we watched as it seems the Lord is “shaking terrible the earth” (Isa. 2:19; 21).
I have this confidence there is a prepared people in the land. Yes, there is a great falling away; but there are others whom the Lord has brought to himself who move in obedience to His will and are not moved by the sights and sounds of terror.
When terrorists, be they demons or men, bring terrors upon us and strive to terrify us, let us hear Christ’s shout, “Be not afraid, it is I!” Every terror runs its course. These spirits continue to rise and will continue until Jesus returns. Evil leaders with evil motives will continue to rise driven by their lust for power and by the spirit of antichrist.
We again saw the President of the United States fail to acknowledge and identify the root of terrorism. He continues to be apologetic for Islam. He continues to defy the will of the American people insisting on flooding our nation with the Muslim population. The presumed peaceful Muslim’s have been challenged to defy the radical Islamic Jihadist. It was well stated this week that Christians and other faiths are not killing people. Those who are doing the killing are Muslims.
We as Christians know in whom we have believed and are persuaded that he is able to keep that which we have committed unto him against that day.
Our message today is from John 6.
Having angered the Sinners and Publicans by His severe admonishment, the Lord now calms things down by withdrawing from their presence and crosses the sea of Tiberias. The people were following him because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased.
On the mountain, He was about to perform a sign.
John 6: 5-9: “When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He said unto Philip, Where shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this He said to prove him, two hundred pennyworth (dinar) of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said unto Him, There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many?
The Lord tested Philip’s faith and found it limited by earthly reasoning. Note the two hundred dinar is insufficient for this miracle. Jesus shows the same lack of faith to be true of Andrew. However, Andrew points out five barley loaves and two small fish. Both Apostles fail to grasp the full enormity of the Lord’s divine power.
Many Christians today are looking to the dinar as their source for a miraculous provision. As stated by Phillip, the dinar had no value in the face of such a large need. As stated by Andrew, man’s resources are meager in proportion to his needs. The Creator of Heaven and earth could have created out of nothing enough food to feed the whole multitude. He chooses, however, to use what He has already created as the material basis for His miracle.
John 6: 10-13: “Jesus said, ‘Make the men sit down’. There was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples; and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fish as much as they would. When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, ‘gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.’ Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”
Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks publically demonstrating that all provision comes from the Father. The Lord creates so much food that there is a large quantity of leftovers. We too learn from this miracle never to hesitate to provide hospitality or to become miserly if we are poor. If we are left with a single loaf, let us remember that He who multiplied the loaves so bountifully continues to bless and give the increase. Christian let us never be weary in well doing, nor will our hands ever be empty if we continue to be free hearted.
The numbers here are definitely metaphorical. That there were five loaves and five thousand men and twelve baskets left over is not coincidental. On the meal offering in the temple, there were twelve loaves (Lev. 24:5)---divine government. Jesus the Head fed the bread through the twelve apostles. We the Church are feeding on the Word of Christ given through the apostolic ministry of the early Church and the present day.
Christ is the everlasting Bread.
The numbers are used throughout the Holy Scripture to denote grace, exponential grace. Twelve is the number of Kingdom government. That the twelve baskets were over-flowing is prophetic of the abundance of the Kingdom of God.
In the Book of Acts, when the Apostles were preaching to the Sadducees that through Jesus is the resurrection from the dead, five thousand men heard and believed. (Acts 4:4)
When Jesus performed miracles greater than this one, the people did not marvel. Now because He gave them food, they cry, “this is…that prophet!” No longer do they accuse him of breaking the Sabbath. No longer do they champion the law. For the sake of bread they honor Him so highly as to proclaim Him a prophet and make Him their king. But the Lord flees from them. He goes up onto the mountain alone taking none of His disciples.
The disciples wait for Him until evening. When He does not come, they launch out in a boat. Jesus is about to perform a wonder even more astonishing that the first two. Christ walks on water. He stills the surging waves. He instantly put the boat ashore.
I am moving our story today on to verses 22-26 “on the following day”. The people again found him. They want to enjoy another meal like the day before. The Lord reproaches them. “You seek me not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”
I am persuaded this is the key to the present drifting and falling away of Christians. People are not seeking the Lord for who he is and the power of His Kingdom. They are seeking a leader who will provide for their fleshly wants, comforts and lusts. They want another free meal and the easy life. They will make such a man their king.
6:17: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for Him has God the Father sealed.”
“You seek Me”, Jesus says, “because you want more of the loaves.” You should devote yourselves to the life of the Spirit, not to satisfying the demands of the stomach (flesh).
This does not mean that we are not supposed to work. Nor is the Lord defending a life of idleness. The food which perishes is in fact the desire to live without working. This is the entitlement mentality which is expecting someone to take care of me.
The Lord is admonishing them to curb their preoccupation with fleshly lusts and to redirect them to seek after a personal relationship with Him. The Lord is teaching us not to be obsessed with worry and worldly cares. He desires that we labor each day, receiving our sustenance from that day’s labor and not worrying about the morrow.
Whom the Father has sealed, means He has revealed and confirmed His son, Jesus Christ through His miracles. The Father has begotten Christ as His stamp, seal and image, preserving His exact likeness and identical divine nature.
Christian, we too have received this sealing.
Eph. 1:13: “In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Sprit of promises.”
Eph. 4:30: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption.”
The Jews ask to learn the work of God, in order to be fed. Jesus’ reply is to do the work of God is to believe in Him whom God has sent. Faith in Christ is truly a holy perfect and sanctifying work. Faith is the substance of every good work.
The ungrateful Jews ask for yet another sign after witnessing so many. In verses 31-34, they refer to the manna and not other miracles. Their intention was to spur Him to perform another miracle that would feed their flesh. Jesus reply is “verily, verily” Moses did not give you the true bread. Those miracles were merely types and shadows of the truth now being revealed. That bread was a type of Christ. The true manna is the Only-begotten Son of God made man.
Jesus gives life to all. Just as bread from the earth sustains weak flesh, Christ imparts life to the soul by the power of the Holy Spirit and renders the body incorruptible.
Jesus graciously bestows upon Christians the gifts of resurrection from the dead and incorruption of the body. But the Jews focused entirely on the earthly realm. Their words show their heart. We do not want to use up our money on food. “Then said they said unto Jesus, evermore give us this bread”, and save us the trouble of getting it for ourselves.
6: 35-38: Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life; he that comes to Me shall never hunger. He that believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that you also have seen Me, and do not believe. All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and he that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me.”
The only sought material benefit from Jesus. They would stop following Him as soon as they realized that what He offered was spiritual.
The Jews murmured and grumbled when Jesus said, “I am the bread”.
God draws to Himself those who are willing and who show an affinity to Him. Through the Holy Spirit, the Father draws and leads people to the Son. The Son resurrects and quickens him, filling Him with the Holy Spirit. We then receive the blessed life which is in the Spirit.
There is one divine nature in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is also one divine energy who bestows blessings of the Father. Behold the authority of the Son! “I will raise him up” (Jn. 6:40).
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, knowledge comes directly from the Father. All we who have accepted faith in Christ are rightly said to be taught of God.
Jesus said, I am the bread of life…I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh which I will give for the life of the world.”
This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Theophylact (1050-1107) – The Explanation of the Holy Gospel According to John. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Theophylact.