John 6New American Standard
Bible (NASB)
Five Thousand Fed
6 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea
of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed Him, because
they saw the [a]signs which
He was performing on those who were sick. 3 Then Jesus went up
on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. 4 Now
the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Therefore
Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him,
*said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6 This
He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7 Philip
answered Him, “Two hundred [b]denarii
worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” 8 One
of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him, 9 “There
is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for
so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people [c]sit down.”
Now there was much grass in the place. So the men [d]sat down, in
number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and
having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of
the fish as much as they wanted. 12 When they were filled, He *said
to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be
lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets
with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who
had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the [e]sign which
He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the
world.”
Jesus Walks
on the Water
15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were [f]intending to
come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to
cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet
come to them. 18 The sea began to be stirred up because
a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about [g]three or
four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat;
and they were frightened. 20 But He *said to them, “It is I; [h]do not be
afraid.” 21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat,
and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
22 The next day the crowd that stood on the other side
of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that
Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His
disciples had gone away alone. 23 There came other small boats
from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had
given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not
there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to
Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25 When they found Him on the other
side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”
Words to the
People
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say
to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the
loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food which
perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” 28 Therefore
they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus
answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him
whom He has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “What then do You do
for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31 Our
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is
not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who
gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God
is [i]that which
comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then
they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who
comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 But
I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 All
that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will
certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven,
not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This
is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose
nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the
will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will
have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Words to the
Jews
41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him,
because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” 42 They
were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we
know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus
answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No
one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise
him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard
and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone
has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Truly,
truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am
the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes
down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I
am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread,
he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the
world is My flesh.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue with one
another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of
the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He
who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is
true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides
in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I
live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.
58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the
fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
Words to the
Disciples
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught
in Capernaum.
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this
said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But
Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this
cause you to stumble? 62 What then if you see the Son of
Man ascending to where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who
gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are
spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not
believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe,
and who it was that would [j]betray Him. 65 And
He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me
unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
Peter’s Confession of Faith
66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew
and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the
twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon
Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy
One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose
you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now
He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, [k]was going to
betray Him.
The IVP New Testament Commentary
Series
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
(6:1-15)
Jesus has said that Moses wrote about him, and now, when he miraculously
feeds the five thousand, the people conclude that he is the prophet Moses wrote
about (6:14; cf. Deut 18:15). Jesus is indeed the prophet, but he is also
something much greater. He is not only the prophet that Moses wrote about but
the God that Moses wrote about, the one who gave bread in the wilderness.
Once again we find Jesus in Galilee with people attracted to him because
of the signs he has done (cf. 4:45). The crowd's faith is defective, as was the
faith of the earlier crowd. The fact that it is described as a great crowd at
the outset (6:2) contrasts sharply with the desertion of all but the Twelve at
the conclusion of the story (6:66). As we watch the dynamics that lead from acceptance
to rejection we learn something about the nature of discipleship.
The reference to the Passover (6:4) alerts us to another developing
motif in this Gospel. At a previous Passover feast (2:13) Jesus made reference
to his coming death (2:19-22; 3:14-15), and the opponents sought to kill him
(5:18). Here, again in the context of Passover, he provides one of the most
profound discussions of his coming death, which is to occur at a later
Passover. The exodus of this new Moses is accomplished in his own sacrificial
death as the Passover lamb, whose flesh and blood give life to the world
(6:51-58). "The multitude, by coming to Jesus instead of going to
Jerusalem, finds in him the true meaning of Passover" (Talbert
1992:131-32).
The account of the feeding begins with Jesus' asking Philip, Where shall
we buy bread for these people to eat? (v. 5). Since Philip is from the area
(1:44) this could come across as a simple question of where the shops are
located posed to a local boy. But in fact it is a test (v. 6), and Philip
fails. He is asked "where" and can think only in terms of
"how." It is a very difficult test because Jesus refers to
"buying" bread. A correct answer, in keeping with faithful responses
earlier in the Gospel (for example, 1:38; 2:5), might be something like,
"Lord, you know." Or perhaps even more could be expected: Jesus'
question echoes that of Moses in the wilderness (Num 11:13), and if Philip
caught this allusion and remembered that Jesus has turned water into wine, he
might have said, "You, Lord, are able to provide." But Philip does
not grasp the full significance of his earlier confession that Jesus is
"the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also
wrote" (1:45).
Thus the test is ultimately concerned with the recognition of Jesus'
identity and the graciousness of God. In fact, even in this test itself Jesus'
identity and God's graciousness are evident. Jesus is acting like God, for in
testing Philip, Jesus is treating him like God treats his own people in the Old
Testament. Indeed, in the Old Testament, God tests only his own people, not
those outside the covenant relationship; and the only individuals God is said
to test are the godly, not the ungodly. What God is looking for is faith, trust
that God will be loyal to his covenant obligations to care for his people
(Schneider and Brown 1978:799-800). This question is meant to reveal Jesus as
the presence of that gracious God who is providing the ultimate
blessing—eternal life.
God's children continue to be tested in this same way today. We who have
the benefit of the revelation of the New Testament and the witness of the
Spirit still find ourselves in situations that challenge us to think and act in
keeping with our recognition of God as the ultimate reality in every situation,
even situations of great fear or grief, when God seems absent or cruel (cf.
comments on 6:20 and 11:27). Such testing is not comfortable, but it is part of
God's graciousness, for it achieves a deepening of our faith by revealing our
own weakness and God's all-sufficiency.
Philip has called attention to the enormity of the problem. Then Andrew
points to the meagerness of the resources (v. 9). The availability of twelve
baskets for collecting the leftovers (v. 13) suggests this child was not the
only one who had brought food. But there is no suggestion that this feeding was
accomplished by getting people to share their lunches. Indeed, the reference to
this event as a "sign" rules out such an interpretation (6:26; cf.
Mk. 6:52). Rather, Jesus takes a child's lunch and from it provides for all.
Andrew does not see how the child's lunch can be of help, but just such
weakness is characteristic of the way God provides. He produces sons from
barren women (Gen 18:11) and even from a virgin (Mt 1:18); he chooses what is
foolish, weak, lowly, despised and even nonexistent (1 Cor 1:27-28). He is the
God of the impossible (Mk 10:27), as the salvation of each of us testifies.
Given the allusions to Moses and the stress on both the enormity of the
need and the meagerness of the resources, the actual account of the miracle is
striking in its spare simplicity. The disciples are told to get the people to
sit down. The disciples play no further role, unlike in the Synoptics where
they are the ones who distribute the food (Mt 14:19 par. Mk 6:41 par. Lk 9:16).
John does not suggest otherwise, but his focus is entirely on Jesus. He took
the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed (v. 11). Jesus is clearly in charge
from first to last, having taken the initiative (v. 5; contrast Mt 14:15 par.
Mk 6:35-36 par. Lk 9:12) and now distributing the food himself. He is acting as
the father of a family, but in giving thanks he refers it all back to his
Father, as will be developed in the following discourse. Everyone received as much
as they wanted (v. 11), they were all full (v. 12), and twelve baskets full of
food was left over (v. 13). This leftover food echoes the account of Elisha's
feeding a hundred people from only twenty barley loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44). Here
we see the same gracious abundance evident in the provision of more than one
hundred gallons of wine at the wedding (2:6-9). It is a sign that reveals
Jesus' identity and the Father's gracious gifts. All food and drink come from
God, so Jesus here continues to do what he sees his Father doing (5:19). But
provision of nourishment for physical life is itself a sign of nourishment for
life in a deeper sense, as will become clear later in the chapter.
The people who have been following him because they saw signs now
interpret this sign correctly. They identify Jesus as the prophet like Moses
(Deut 18:15) and want to make him king. Among at least some Jews, Moses was
viewed as both the greatest prophet and the ideal king (Meeks 1967), a
connection that seems reflected in the response of this crowd. But, like the
disciples in chapter 1, they are applying correct titles to Jesus with no real
understanding of what they are saying. They think of kingship in earthly,
political terms whereas Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36).
Furthermore, their attitude is as wrong as their understanding. The desire to
come and make him king by force (6:15) is totally opposite to the humble and
docile attitude that is characteristic of true disciples. They are working on
their own agenda, not God's, and thus ironically they share a chief
characteristic of Jesus' opponents. Jesus escapes from them, just as he will
escape from the opponents later (8:59; 12:36).
Each of us probably knows from experience how easy it is to come up with
our own ideas and confuse them with the Lord's will. Only great humility and
docility before the Lord and his revelation can protect us. Part of God's grace
is seen in his continual correction of our false views. In the discourse that
follows in this chapter we see him trying to correct and deepen these folks'
understanding, but to no avail. We should fear lest we also are as obtuse as
these people. True receptivity is itself a gift from God for which we can trust
him.
The Bible Panorama
John 6
V 1–3: SIGNS AND SITTING Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee and many
follow Him because of His signs in healing diseased people. After that, He goes
to a mountain and takes time to sit down with His disciples. Jesus is as
interested in personal time with His disciples as He is in working in the lives
of others.
V 4–14: POWER TO PROVIDE A huge crowd, including 5,000 men, are fed by
the miraculous multiplying by Jesus of five loaves and two fish. All are
filled. The disciples are involved in the distribution of the food and in the
collection of what is left over. This sign convinces the men that Jesus is the
Prophet who is to come into the world
. V 15–21: WALKING ON WATER Jesus resists the popular acclaim and goes
to a mountain to be alone. His disciples start rowing to the other side of the
lake, towards Capernaum. It is night and a storm arises while they are three or
four miles out. Jesus walks to them on the water and assures them of who He is.
When Jesus enters the boat, it immediately reaches its destination.
V 22–42: GIVEN FROM GLORY The people, still impressed by the feeding of
the huge multitude from a few loaves and fish, come to find Jesus. He warns
them about seeking Him just because they are taken up too much with the
miraculous feeding itself rather than with what that shows about the character
and Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ, and tells them that the important thing
is to believe in Him. He declares Himself as coming from heaven in just the
same way as manna was given from heaven in the wilderness. He is the Bread of
Life. He gives eternal life and fulfilment to those who come to Him. The Jews
complain, because they recognise that He is talking about His heavenly origin
and they know that He is the ‘son of Joseph’, probably remembering that Joseph
was not the natural father of Jesus. They dispute that Jesus is given from
glory
. V 43–66: DIFFICULTY IN DOCTRINE Jesus teaches that those who come to
Him are drawn by the Father and then develops the thought of Himself as the
Bread of Life. He says no one may have everlasting life without eating His
flesh and drinking His blood. The disciples are offended by this difficult
saying and do not understand it. Jesus then explains that He is speaking
spiritually. This is merely an illustrative parallel, and not a literal cannibalistic
requirement! He is talking about spiritual faith in Christ, and stresses that
it is belief that saves. (Over the years, some people have sought to support a
wrong view of the meaning of holy communion from these verses, but Jesus is
clearly teaching a spiritual belief in Him through a dramatic illustration.
Nowhere in the Bible is it taught that the bread and the wine actually become
His body and His blood. If that were a requirement for everlasting life, then
all of His physical disciples would be lost because at the time they ate
communion with Him, He had not even died upon the cross, and clearly His body
and blood were intact.) Some go back and walk with Jesus no more when He tells
them that He knows those who believe in Him, and who will betray Him.
V 67–71: DISTINCTION IN DISCIPLES Simon Peter confesses that Jesus has
the words of eternal life, and that He is ‘the Christ, the Son of the Living
God’. Jesus reveals that one of the twelve is against Him but He does not
reveal that his name is Judas Iscariot.
Warren Wiersbe BE Bible Study
Series
1. Jesus Feeds the Multitude
(6:1-14)
The problem, of course, was how to meet the needs of such a vast crowd
of people. Four solutions were proposed.
First, the disciples suggested that Jesus send the people away (Mark
6:35-36). Get rid of the problem (see Matt. 15:23). But Jesus knew that the
hungry people would faint on the way if somebody did not feed them. It was
evening (Matt. 14:15), and that was no time for travel.
The second solution came from Philip in response to our Lord’s “test
question” (John 6:5): Raise enough money to buy food for the people. Philip
“counted the cost” and decided they would need the equivalent of two hundred
days’ wages! And even that would not provide bread enough to satisfy the hunger
of all the men, women, and children (Matt. 14:21). Too often, we think that
money is the answer to every need. Of course, Jesus was simply testing the
strength of Philip’s faith.
The third solution came from Andrew, but he was not quite sure how the
problem would be solved. He found a little boy who had a small lunch: two
little fish and five barley cakes. Once again, Andrew is busy bringing somebody
to Jesus (see John 1:40-42; 12:20-22). We do not know how Andrew met this lad,
but we are glad he did! Though Andrew does not have a prominent place in the
Gospels, he was apparently a “people person” who helped solve problems.
The fourth solution came from our Lord, and it was the true solution. He
took the little boy’s lunch, blessed it, broke it, handed it out to His
disciples, and they fed the whole crowd! The miracle took place in the hands of
the Savior, not in the hands of the disciples. He multiplied the food; they
only had the joyful privilege of passing it out. Not only were the people fed
and satisfied, but the disciples salvaged twelve baskets of fragments for
future use. The Lord wasted nothing.
The practical lesson is clear: Whenever there is a need, give all that
you have to Jesus, and let Him do the rest. Begin with what you have, but be
sure you give it all to Him. That little lad is to be commended for sharing his
lunch with Christ, and his mother is to be commended for giving him something
to give to Jesus. The gift of that little snack meant as much to Jesus as the
pouring out of the expensive ointment (John 12:1ff.).
But did Jesus really perform a miracle? Perhaps the generosity of the
boy only embarrassed the other people so that they brought out their hidden
lunches and shared them all around. Nonsense! Jesus knows people’s hearts (John
2:24; 6:61, 64, 70), and He declared that the people were hungry. Surely He
would have known of the existence of hidden food! Furthermore, the people
themselves declared that this was a miracle and even wanted to crown Him King
(John 6:14-16)! Had this event been only the result of mass psychology, the
crowd would not have responded that way. John would never have selected this as
one of the “signs” if it were not an authentic miracle.
It is significant that twice John mentioned the fact that Jesus gave
thanks (John 6:11, 23). Matthew, Mark, and Luke all state that Jesus looked up
to heaven when He gave thanks. By that act, He reminded the hungry people that
God is the source of all good and needful gifts. This is a good lesson for us:
Instead of complaining about what we do not have, we should give thanks to God
for what we do have, and He will make it go further.
Yours by His Grace
Blair Humphreys
Southport, Merseyside, United
Kingdom
30th July 2015.
