John 6
September Memory Verse: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
Read: John 6
In the beginning of this passage, Jesus feeds a large crowd. The number of men was 5,000, but with women and children it was probably close to 20,000 people. This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-23, Mark 6:30-46, Luke 9:10-17). This sets the stage well for Jesus’ discussion about being the bread of life.
Many of the crowds that followed Him were motivated by a desire for physical healing or free food rather than any understanding of the true spiritual significance of Christ’s purpose and mission. They were looking for simple answers and more proof that Jesus was who He said He was. They seemed to believe that Jesus feeding ~20,000 people was a small miracle compared to Moses providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. They essentially wanted Jesus to outdo Moses. Jesus points out to them that God is the one who provided the manna, and now God has provided something better.
The manna that God gave them was temporary and perished, and really was only a meager shadow of what God was currently offering them through the true bread, Jesus Christ, who gives eternal life.
The crowds were blind to what Jesus was really saying, and kept looking for an easy solution like eating physical bread to give them life. Jesus had to plainly explain that the bread of life was Himself. Many were offended by this challenging teaching, and some turned away and made a decision not to follow Him anymore.
Christ’s teachings are not always easy to accept. But if it was easy, everyone would do it! Following Christ should set us apart from the world, and not be for personal gain but for His glory.
Am I following because of who Jesus is, or because of what He can do for me?
Do I pick and choose teachings to follow?
By: Kaitlin White
Read: John 6
In the beginning of this passage, Jesus feeds a large crowd. The number of men was 5,000, but with women and children it was probably close to 20,000 people. This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-23, Mark 6:30-46, Luke 9:10-17). This sets the stage well for Jesus’ discussion about being the bread of life.
Many of the crowds that followed Him were motivated by a desire for physical healing or free food rather than any understanding of the true spiritual significance of Christ’s purpose and mission. They were looking for simple answers and more proof that Jesus was who He said He was. They seemed to believe that Jesus feeding ~20,000 people was a small miracle compared to Moses providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. They essentially wanted Jesus to outdo Moses. Jesus points out to them that God is the one who provided the manna, and now God has provided something better.
The manna that God gave them was temporary and perished, and really was only a meager shadow of what God was currently offering them through the true bread, Jesus Christ, who gives eternal life.
The crowds were blind to what Jesus was really saying, and kept looking for an easy solution like eating physical bread to give them life. Jesus had to plainly explain that the bread of life was Himself. Many were offended by this challenging teaching, and some turned away and made a decision not to follow Him anymore.
Christ’s teachings are not always easy to accept. But if it was easy, everyone would do it! Following Christ should set us apart from the world, and not be for personal gain but for His glory.
Am I following because of who Jesus is, or because of what He can do for me?
Do I pick and choose teachings to follow?
By: Kaitlin White
2 Comments
Thank you Kaitlin! Verses 68 and 69 are high on the list of my favorite parts of the Bible. Who else offers eternal life? Who else can satisfy the desires of our heart but Jesus? In my own life when I have questioned my faith and the teaching of the Bible, I always come back to this encounter between Jesus and his disciples. I am thankful that God opened my heart to see and understand that Jesus is the only way to God (v45). And I pray that even though other people walk away from the faith (something I have also struggled with) I will remain faithful.
Great message! Even now, 2,000 years later, many still turn away from the Gospel. We need Christ more than ever. I had to trust heavily on Jesus to get through these difficult two years. He has been my anchor.