Lesson 7-The Provision, Protection, and Presence of Jesus

This chapter is an intensely Jewish chapter. John includes the Greeks and Romans with a few helps, but the story is about reliving the Exodus with the bread and water miracles and the Passover. When I was growing up, I was amazed how Jesus fit into the Exodus story so accurately. What I failed to understand was that the entire Egypt-Exodus time was only put into place to reveal Jesus Christ. God was explaining Himself to the Jews, His law was given to show the standards of a righteous God. The escape and desert experience was to teach by experience what a righteous and loving God would do for his people. Through Moses, God was demonstrating what a close relationship looked like. God was exclusive requiring purity of worship. It is this blood in the veins closeness that God desires, He wants to be present in our lives and for us to love Him, because He is a wonderful Savior and Lord.

John 6:1-15

“After these things,” included ministry time in which John the Baptist was beheaded by the nervous and fearful Herod. Jesus would have personal grief over John the Baptist as he was his cousin and also the great voice announcing Jesus to the world. Jesus also would know that he was next to go to death. John tells us that Jesus went to “the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.” This was a reference point for the Greeks. A city called Tiberias was built by Herod Antipas in 20 A. D. to honor the emperor. The sea was surrounded by numerous fishing villages. Many of these villages have come to light in the last 25 years as the water level of the sea has dropped. Another point of explanation for the Greeks was to clarify Passover, letting them know that it was a special religious feast time.

That this was close to Passover means several things. First it would explain the crowds. This was a poor rural area with fishing as the main industry and with sheep on the hill sides. The region would probably not have the population that this story talks about. The more important reference is the Passover as God’s provision of salvation by grace. Israel escaped death because of the Passover, Jesus was to be the Passover lamb to provide, once for all, escape from eternal death. John’s purpose in writing this Gospel is to give complete evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, so no detail is extra or out of place.

I was doing a fast read of this story getting to the good part where all the bread is being passed out and missed the profound statement in verse 5. Jesus asks Philip where do we buy bread for these people. He asks Philip because he is from the area and would know about the people who sell bread. The show stopping revelation that John shares with us is that Jesus already knew how He was going to meet the need, but He says this to test them. This is huge because it means that there is no need in our lives that Jesus doesn’t know about. He already knows how he is going to deal with it. He is waiting for us to finish with our attempts at solving the problem and turning to him. It is in this human inadequacy that Jesus makes his Lordship known. I want to receive what miraculous provision Jesus has already planned for me, by trusting him.

Andrew brings a boy with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. The bread is that of the poor, barley being the cheapest flour. The fish were the size of sardines and pickled. There was no fresh fish. All fish was preserved as soon as it was caught as there was no refrigeration. It was a humble lunch.

This miracle of the bread is a direct connection to Moses in the desert. The Messiah was going to come and meet the needs as Moses had done. Bread from heaven was the hallmark of God’s chosen one.

Here is a list of parallels between John chapter 6 and Numbers 11.

Number 11 Content John 6

11:1 people grumbling 6:41, 43

11:7-9 description of the manna 6:31

11:13 give us meat to eat 6:51

11:22 is there enough fish 6:9, 12

There is another OT story about Elisha. In 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha feeds 100 men with 20 barley loaves and there were baskets of food left over.

Once again, it was the time of the Passover and all the scripture readings in the synagogue would pertain to Moses and the great deliverance. The crowd realizes that this miracle is Messianic and wants Jesus to be king and provide free food and medical care. This was not the Kingship that Jesus came to establish and he did not want to draw political attention to Himself. He sent the disciples away and he retreated into the mountains alone.

Jesus had the people sit down and he gave thanks. This word “thanks” is translated from the Greek word eucharisteo. The Bread from heaven, the Passover, the Eucharist and God’s eternal provision are all intricately woven together in this story.

The miracle of the bread is followed by another Exodus miracle, deliverance through the water. Not a point to be missed by Jews steeped in the story of Moses and the birth of Israel the nation.

Ogilvie says,

“So, these disciples push out to cross the sea, but shortly find themselves in dire straits. For now darkness and a violent wind and heavy sea are suddenly about to overwhelm them. And Jesus is not wit them. What a picture of our contemporary existence-terrifying problems that defy any human solution, the breakdown of our primary human relationships, violence and anger becoming more and more the disorder of the day, while a sense of hopelessness and despair seem to paralyze the human spirit. Everything seems out of control. It is a dark, stormy night at sea. And there does not seem to be anyone in the boat who can save us.”

Into this scene comes Jesus walking on the water. His appearance, his calming the sea and bringing the boat to port are all miraculous. His Presence is everything. When Jesus gets to the boat, the disciples are afraid it is a ghost. Jesus identifies Himself “ego eimi” Greek for “it is I.” The verb to be (eimi) possesses no predicate here and reflects God’s divine name given to Moses-I am. The disciples are beginning to realize this is the Messiah and His Presence means life.

The people followed Jesus because they wanted free stuff and an easier life that was right now and focused on the temporary. Jesus said seek that which is eternal and seek the Giver. It is out of love that God reaches down to us and does all the work to restore our relationship to Him.