Today’s Reading: John 6:16-40; Psalm 39
That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. – John 6:16-18
SOON
All was going well, until it wasn’t. Does that sound familiar? Have you had seasons in life of waiting on the Lord, when all seems to be going as expected until there is a sudden turn of events? Does it ever seem like you are making progress and gaining ground, just to be faced with a setback that leaves you uncertain of what is next?
SUDDENLY
They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination! – John 6:19-21
Jesus was teaching his disciples through every encounter they had with him. They were learning what he was capable of while learning who he was and what he was calling them to do. And with each miracle, each healing, each parable, their faith was growing. They were coming to believe that with Jesus the impossible is made possible.
THE NEXT DAY
It didn’t take long for the crowd of people to find Jesus. He was no longer where they expected him to be, so they followed the disciples across the lake to Capernaum and, sure enough, there he was! They came hoping to see another miracle or to watch Jesus do something spectacular. But Jesus wanted them to dig deeper in their understanding of who he was; he wanted them to believe in him, not just in what he could do for them.
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” – John 6:26-27
Their response leaves me questioning their motives. They wanted the ability to perform the works of God, just like Jesus did. It was not the person of Jesus that they were seeking to experience more of, but rather the miracles they were most interested in. Jesus was calling them to believe in him and they demanded more miracles from him. After all, Moses had given their ancestors bread from heaven to eat, and all Jesus had done was feed them fish and bread from a boy’s lunch sack.
AFTER ALL
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. – John 6:32-36
EVERY DAY
The crowd wanted to experience the miracle of bread from heaven, just as their ancestors had, but they were so hyper-focused on the miracle of God’s provision that they were missing out on the bread of life himself. They didn’t want more of Jesus, they wanted more of the blessings that he could provide for them.
Do you see a reflection of our present day culture in this interaction between Jesus and the crowd of people he had just fed the day before? How often do we find ourselves having a stronger desire for the blessings that come from God than we do for having a deeper relationship with Jesus? That’s a dangerous posture to find ourselves in, don’t you think? When we position ourselves for greatness and God’s generous bounty, we can find our faith shaken when life brings us hardships and suffering.
For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” – John 6:40
AT THE LAST DAY
God is calling us to believe in Jesus, not for all He can do for us here on earth but so that we can experience eternal life in Him. He wants us to follow him every day, not so we can experience more of the good this world has to offer but so we can experience ALL the eternal blessings that God has to offer.
Let’s posture ourselves this morning for more of Jesus. He is the bread of life, and Jesus promises us that all who come to him will never be hungry again; whoever believes in him will never be thirsty.
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you. – Psalm 39:4-7