Not a Bread King
John 6:1-15
March 14, 2021 anno Domini
In the beginning of John chapter six Jesus is the most popular Jesus you will find in the New Testament. He’s working His largest crowd – 5000 men, plus women and children, which probably meant of crowd of at least twenty thousand with Him.
If all we had was John 6:1-15 you might get the wrong idea about Jesus. You might think He came to earth so He could give you the abundant earthly life. He’s the King who is so rich you don’t have to do a thing. He’ll fill your freezer, cook the meal, and serve up so many of His good gifts you’ll have an abundance of leftovers. Who wouldn’t want a King who gives out His wealth to you for not doing anything?
Now please don’t think when the government gives out $1400 checks they are doing God’s work. Never confuse government checks with compassion or charity – charity is done freely from the heart with what God has given you. All the government does when it gives out money is give you back your money or someone else’s money. The United States government has no money in its treasury and if it did – that wouldn’t be their money. That would be your money – if you pay taxes.
Jesus is the definition of compassion and charity. He is gracious and merciful with all that He is and has, but not in the popular way. He is not out to please people. He doesn’t let the people make Him their King. (Read John 6:15) That evening Jesus performed another great miracle – he walked on the stormy water to His disciples’ boat and immediately got them safely out of the storm and to the far shore.
The next day when the crowds found Jesus on the other side of the lake they asked Him how He got there. They knew He didn’t use a boat. Jesus could have boasted another miracle, but He didn’t. He chided them for merely wanting their bellies full again. (Read John 6:26-27). The crowd hadn’t given up hope on Jesus the Bread King so they asked, (read John 6:28) and when Jesus answered (Read 29) they said to Him (read 30-31)
Just so we’re clear. Jesus fed twenty thousand people with fives loaves of bread and two fish. He walked three to four miles on a stormy sea to rescue His disciples. All this within the last 24 hours and when Jesus says, “Believe that My Father sent Me. Believe that I am the Son of God. Believe that I am the Bread of Life by which you will live forever.” Their response was “prove it. Give us a sign.”
Jesus used the sign of the loaves to teach. It is very important never to separate the deeds of Jesus from His teaching – the signs from what they signify. For instance, in John’s Gospel right after Jesus changes the water (which was to be used for cleansing) into wine, He went into the temple and cleaned out the money changers. Jesus didn’t make wine just to upset the Baptists. He made water into wine because He had come to cleanse the world of sin and make it (and all who believe) new. He multiplied the loaves so He could teach the people that He was the same God who rained down manna from heaven upon the Israelites in the wilderness and that if you are to live you need to eat the Bread of Life, the flesh and blood of Jesus.
(Read 6:40, 51, 53-55). Do you remember how the crowd responded? (vs. 66)
What should we make of this? Everyone you know would tell you that if God worked some miracle for them, they would believe. No, they wouldn’t and neither would you. Rarely do people come to faith by way of the miracles in Scripture. Jesus commends many people for believing who received miracles, but they already believed before Jesus did anything. Often Jesus’ miracles win no one, but actually cause Jesus to lose followers. After the feeding of the 5000, many turned back and no longer walked with Him. After He raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests decided enough was enough. Jesus had to die.
You think you want a sign. You think you want God to do something special for you. You think your faith would be stronger if God would just give you what you want. You don’t need to be a millionaire or have the body of an actress – just more than you have. If you don’t believe me keep track of your complaining this week or your coveting or go over your prayers and see if you’re praying for God’s will or your will.
If you got what you wanted from God do you think your faith would be helped? Do you think you would cling more to Jesus? Far more likely you would cling more to this world – you’d cling more to the abundance of bread and fish than to the Bread of Life. This is why Jesus isn’t popular. It’s why the crowds dwindled away. This King is not in the business of making you happy by filling your belly. His business is making you pleasing to His Father by giving you an abundance of forgiveness. His business is giving His flesh and blood for your flesh and blood – His righteousness for your wickedness, His obedience for your rebellion His life for your sins, and His body in your grave,.
You would make the sign and the Kingdom about you, when God the Father has made the Kingdom about Jesus. How do you react when someone says, “This isn’t about you?” Meghan Markle somehow thinks the whole British monarchy should now revolve around her and she can’t believe that it didn’t and the media are fawning over how much she suffers. But who among us isn’t a Meghan? Who among us doesn’t doesn’t think of my way first and your way last? Do you think Meghan would be a better person if she got what she wanted? Do you think you would?
This is the offense and the great blessing of the Kingdom of God – it isn’t about you, but it is all for you. Every sign Jesus performed and every hard word He spoke is for you. You’re not the center of His Kingdom, but you are the object of His rule. Jesus says, (read vs. 39). He’s talking about His disciples, but He’s also talking about you. God the Father gave you to Jesus. The Father said to the Son, “Save those people. I’m giving them to you. They are yours. Deliver them. Resist the Devil’s temptations for them. Obey the Law for them. Suffer hell for them. Atone for them. Die for them. Rise for them. Call them to repent. Preach to them. Baptize them. Feed them. Resurrect them to life.
Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He speaks hard words, true words. “You are a sinner. You are dying because of you. Your only hope is Me. Whoever feeds on Me will live forever.” It is hard to hear you are the problem. It is hard to believe there is only one true God and one way to salvation and that way is the body and blood of Jesus. That is not a popular message, but Jesus didn’t come to be a popular King. He came for you, to rule over your sin with His forgiveness, over the Devil with His righteousness, and over your death with His resurrection. In the name of Jesus. Amen.