John Lesson 16

Introduction

It’s a sad thought, but a true one, that a person can search the Bible and not come to the understanding of truth. And the fault is not because the Bible cannot be understood, but because some people have a closed mind, a closed heart when they search the scriptures. Such is what Jesus said about the Jews in John chapter five and verse thirty nine when he said, Ye search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me, and yet ye will not believe or receive me. You see, the Jews sought the honor of men, and not really the honor of God. They were quite happy with their human traditions, they were quite happy with doing what they had always done and believing what they’d always believed.

And when Jesus came on the scene, they were not willing to accept him as the Son of God, because Jesus dis did not fit their ideas about what this King of Kings should be like. But Jesus said in John chapter six, uh that or John chapter five, verses thirty-nine through forty-seven, that the very Moses they claimed to believe, indeed bore witness that Jesus was the Christ. And the very ones who said they believed Moses were condemned by Moses. That’s true today. When some study the Bible, they say they believe the Bible to be the Word of God. But they are like those in Second Timothy chapter three, verses seven and eight, who are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. They’re reading and misapplying verses.

They isolate passages here and passages there, and rather than taking the Bible verse by verse and studying the Bible in its intended context, they never really come to the knowledge of the truth. They’re always searching for some kind of proof of what they already believe, rather than of what the Word of God really says. Indeed, there is religious confusion today, and it’s a sad fact in the religious world. But if we’re ever going to come to the unity of the faith, if we’re going to come to the knowledge of the truth, we need to simply take the Bible and go verse by verse and search what it does say, and then accept what it says, regardless of the changes that it may make in our lives.

We call this program Let the Bible Speak, because that is our sincere plea and attitude to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent. To simply take an open Bible and to go verse by verse studying what saith the Lord, and then willing to make the changes. We encourage you to keep your Bibles open as you study with us. We believe this program is rather unique in that in that we’re simply doing a Bible study and a verse by verse examination of the Gospel of John. We’ve had many friends who have written and who have called in. We appreciate your responses and your commendations, and if you have any questions, we certainly would be welcome to receive those and to help you in your understanding of the Word of God.

We believe that all men can understand the Bible if they’ll just keep it open, and that’s what we ask you to do is to study together with us. If you’d like to call in or even to write, you will have the address shown on the screen and the telephone number, and we’d welcome your your request. If you’d like to study along with us, the Bible study notes that we have on the Gospel of John, we’ll send them free of charge to you. We’d be happy simply to study with you God’s word. Our study this time continues in the sixth chapter of John, where we find two miracles that Jesus worked as are recorded. The Gospel of John is written to convince us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

1. Signs Selected That You Might Believe

There are only seven miracles that are signs that Jesus worked that are recorded in this book, and two of them are in our lesson today from John chapter six. The scripture says in verse 1, after these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. Now, you may notice a similarity in as chapter 6 begins with the way chapter 5 begins. The scripture in chapter 5 is simply says after this. And we noted then that we’re not certain how long a period of time after this or after these things may indicate.

There’s really no specific period of time. And the Gospel of John is not trying to give us a day by day or even week by week chronology of the life of Christ. In fact, in John chapter 5 and verse 1, we’ve noted that probably that was a Passover feast, the second Passover feast in the life of Christ. Now in John chapter 6 and in verse 4, this specified a Passover feast of the Jews was nigh, and this is believed to be the third Passover. Actually, a whole year passes between the events of John chapter 5 and John chapter 6. So the expression after these things is really a broad statement, isn’t it? It doesn’t give us a specific tie. But what we’re looking at with John chapter 6 is the beginning of the last year of the Lord’s personal ministry on earth.

If this is the third Passover, it is at his fourth Passover that he is crucified at that point in time. So now from John chapter 6 to the end of the book, we’re looking at the events, or some of the events at least, of this last year of his personal ministry. Actually, the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which are called the Synoptic Gospels, because they can be seen together. That’s what the word synoptic means. Those three books do give us a more detailed account of the life of Jesus and of the chronology of his life. And the events between John chapter 5 and John chapter 6 are told much more in detail. If you read in Matthew chapter 4 and beginning about verse 12 through chapter 14 and verse 12, it tells about the second year of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ, or in Mark chapter 1, verse 14 through about chapter 6 and in verse 30.

And then in Luke chapter 4 and verse 14 through about Luke chapter 9 and in verse 9. You have several chapters there in all three of those books that tell us about many events in his second year of his personal ministry, the the selection and limited commission of his apostles. It tells about the imprisonment and the death of John the Baptist. It tells of many of the miracles that and the parables that he uh the miracles he worked and parables taught parables that he taught in the region of Galilee. But then as we come to this passage in John, John is not telling us all those events, but what he is telling us are the things that will convince us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

And now he tells us about two significant signs that he worked. In this chapter of John chapter six, we’re going to see that he worked the sign of feeding the five thousand with but two fishes and five loaves. And then of his walking on the water. Now, in John chapter 20, verses 30 through 31, John gives us the keynote and the purpose of the book when he says, Many other signs. Truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name. You see, John did not tell us every miracle Jesus worked, but he selected certain signs.

We’ve seen from John chapter 2 that the sign when he turned the water into wine proved his power over quality. He made the best wine. But there’s a different feature about the power of Christ when we were reading John chapter 4 that he healed the son of the nobleman. There was power over distance. The nobleman’s son was sick at Capernaum, and Jesus was at Canaan. That was some twenty miles, or really at that point in time, a whole day’s journey, distance between. But Jesus did not have to go to his bedside. He could say, Thy son liveth, and he did. And then there was power over time, as we studied in our last study from John chapter 5, the man who had been infirm for some thirty-eight years, and was hopeless and helpless.

2. Power Over Quantity: Feeding the Five Thousand

Yet it didn’t matter how long he had been ill, Jesus healed him. Take up thy bed and walk, and so he did. Now in John chapter six, we find this miracle, the first one, the feeding of the five thousand, as being a power, power over quantity. He could take so little, and yet feed so many. The scripture, as we continue reading, verse 5 said, When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to prove him. For he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five body loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down and in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples and the disciples to them that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would, when they were filled. He said unto the disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above, unto them that had eaten.

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. As we were saying a moment ago, this miracle takes place in the life of Christ at the beginning of his last year of his ministry. Luke chapter 9 and verse 10 tells us that it was soon after that Jesus had learned, the apostles had returned, telling him about the death of John the Baptist. And Jesus sought to go alone somewhere to pray, and says he crossed over the Sea of Tiberius, which is the same as the Sea of Galilee, went to a place near Bethsaida, and there he sought a quiet place to pray. But his fame had spread because of the many miracles that he worked, and the multitudes followed him.

And the scripture says that there Jesus taught them, and this great company as they were gathered with him. The time came that they were hungered, it came mealtime. And Jesus said, When shall we buy bread? Or he said unto Philip to test him, When shall we buy bread? Where are we going to get bread to feed so many? Now, some of the details of this parable we read from the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Of the seven signs that are selected for the Gospel of John, only two of them are recorded in the other accounts of the life of Christ. And those are the two that appear in this chapter. The other five signs that are recorded in John are unique only to the Gospel of John.

But we can learn more of the details about the feeding of these by by studying in Matthew. For example, in Matthew chapter 14, verses 15 through 21, we learn that the number was not just total five thousand, but the total was five thousand men plus women and children. And so the question that Jesus asked of Philip is rather an obvious one. How are we going to feed so many people? Five thousand plus women and children, perhaps there are over ten thousand people gathered. We’re not really certain, but at least five thousand men plus women and children. And as Philip said, Why two hundred pennyworth of bread wouldn’t be sufficient. Now, in our terminology, two hundred pennyworth may not mean much, but a penny in this day and age, in the Lord’s day and age, was like a day’s wage.

You see, in Matthew chapter 20, there’s a parable Jesus taught about hiring laborers, one at the first hour and the second hour, even up to the eleventh hour, and he sent laborers into the vineyard, and he paid or agreed to pay each of them a penny. The man who went to work at the first hour was going to get a day’s wage, which would be worth a penny. Now, in bare times, uh a penny was equal to a day’s wage. So to really get in perspective what Philip is saying, if we had two hundred people earning a day’s wage, all of that put together wouldn’t be enough to feed this multitude. And you could see why it would say that you could take the average day’s wage today and multiply it by 200 and it wouldn’t feed a crowd of of maybe 10,000 people.

Philip said, how are we going to feed so many? And then one of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, well there’s a lad here who has who has five barley loaves and two small fishes. We’re told in the original to say five barley loaves is like to say five small pancakes, maybe flat pieces of bread. And the two fishes were small, perhaps like we would think of a sardine, very small. There wasn’t much food just enough to feed that one lad really was all they had. How are we going to feed so many? Well Jesus said, make the men sit down. And then he took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the disciples and they to the people and the scripture says that they were filled they all had sufficient.

And even after that he said the disciples gathered up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost. And they gathered up twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Indeed power over quantity he could take so little feed so many and still have twelve baskets left over. Indeed Jesus had to be the Christ the Son of God. And these signs were selected and they were given to us to show us that no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. That’s the observation Nicodemus made in John 3 and verse 2. And the very purpose for the miracles in Acts 2 and verse 22 was that that’s God’s witness that indeed he is the Son of God.

That’s the purpose for the miracle. And really we see the effect in verse 14 when it says, Those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. They were looking for the coming of the Messiah. Indeed, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verses 15 through 18. Moses had said that God would raise up a prophet like unto him. And that under this coming prophet men should hearken. They were looking for a deliverer. They were looking for a Messiah. They were looking for a lawgiver. And the effect, when Jesus worked this miracle, they first said, This is that prophet. This must be the one of whom Moses spake. That was the intended effect of the miracles.

3. Jesus Refused to Be an Earthly King

But sadly, as we’ll see as we continue on in John chapter 6, they were not willing to accept the words of this prophet. Even as we studied in the events in the Jewish Passover at Jerusalem almost a year earlier, the Jews searched the scriptures, but they didn’t really have an open mind. And even now, they believe or they see the miracle, and at first say this is that prophet, but they’re not willing to accept him. In verse 15, when Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

They came to make him a king. For you see, according to the scriptures, the scriptures had also testified that one of the seed of David would come, and God would set up the throne of David, and he would establish an everlasting kingdom. 2 Samuel chapter 7, verses 12 through 16. And so they must believe this is that prophet, and this must be that king. And they come to take him by force and make him a king. It is very significant. Jesus refused to be an earthly king. Jesus did not allow them to take him and make him a king by force. And the reason for that is, although Jesus came to establish the kingdom, Mark chapter 1, verses 14 and 15, he said, The time is fulfilled.

The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. Though he came to establish the kingdom, though he came to be the king of kings, yet he refused to be an earthly king, and to have an earthly kingdom. You see, his kingdom is spiritual. Premillenalist, even of our day, make the same mistake the Jews were making here. There are those today who are looking for Christ to return to the earth and reign on the earth for a thousand years. There is not the first scripture that says Jesus is coming back to this earth to reign. Christ came to be a king, but you see his kingdom is spiritual. John chapter 18, verses 36 and 7 to Pilate. He said, My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. When Pilate said, Are you a king? Jesus said to this end was I born for this cause came I end of the world to bear witness of the truth. He is indeed a king, and he is a king of a kingdom, but he said, It’s not of this world. It’s not an earthly kingdom, it is a spiritual kingdom. In Luke chapter 17, in verses 20 and 21, Jesus said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say, Lo here or lo there, for lo, the kingdom of God is within you. It is spiritual. It is within you. Romans 14 and verse 17, the scripture says that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The kingdom is spiritual. We need to realize and remember that he’s a spiritual king of a spiritual kingdom. And in fact, those who are citizens of his kingdom have a spiritual birth. That’s what Jesus said in John 3, verses 3 to 5 of Nicodemus, except you be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. And then he explained that new birth consisted of water and the spirit. Except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. It’s a spiritual kingdom, and its citizens have a spiritual birth. Jesus refused to be an earthly king. When they sought to make him a king by for by force, he left them. Why? Did he not establish his kingdom? Oh, most certainly he did.

4. He Arose to Sit on David’s Throne

In Acts chapter 2, Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, that when Jesus Christ arose from the grave, that he arose to sit on David’s throne. He said, Men and brethren, Acts 2 29, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, but of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He, seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither is flesh did see corruption. This Jesus that God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

What Peter is saying here in quoting from David is that when Christ was raised from the grave, he would be raised to sit on David’s throne. If you believe in the resurrection, then you need to believe that he was on that he is on David’s throne. Now, David’s throne is simply over God’s people. You see, David was a king over a physical kingdom. He was over the children of Israel, a physical kingdom. They were children of God by fleshly birth. The Jews were. That’s the kind of throne David reigned on. But it was God’s people that David was reigning over. Now Jesus Christ is reigning over a spiritual kingdom, God’s people still, but people who’ve been born again. And now that Christ is reigning on David’s throne, it’s the throne of the Lord, but it’s the throne of a spiritual kingdom.

People who have been born again are citizens of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And indeed, Jesus Christ, as verse 33 continues, Acts 2, being by the right hand of God exalted. Having received with the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he said himself that the Lord said unto my Lord, sit down on my right hand until I make thy foes, thy foot stew. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. He is now Lord, ruler, and Christ, the anointed one. He came to do what he was sent to do.

He is King of kings and Lord of Lords. He brought salvation to the world, and he rules over his kingdom. Acts 237, the scripture said when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. You want to be in the kingdom of the Lord today, you need to be born again. Repenting of your sins, being baptized. That’s the time at which you are born again. And you will then serve under the rulership of Jesus Christ, the Lordship.

5. Power Over Nature: Walking on the Water

He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Well, the Jews wanted to make him a king by force. Jesus refused that. But you can accept the Christ. And you can put him into your life as your king by obeying him. Not by looking forward to an earthly throne, but rather by serving him in obedience to his will. Well, as we continue on in John chapter 6, there’s another sign that proves that he is the Son of God worthy to be King of kings. The scripture says in verse 16, when Eben was now come, his disciples went down into the sea and entered into a ship and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or or thirty furlongs, they saw they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship, they were afraid. But he saith unto them, It is I, be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. Jesus walked on water. Many people may at least know about this miracle. They may not know where to find it, but it’s recorded in three of the accounts of the life of Christ. It’s recorded here in John chapter 6. And also in Matthew chapter 14, verses 22 through 33, and John chapter 6, verses 45 through 51. And the accounts in Matthew and Mark tell us some details that John doesn’t.

For example, Mark tells us they thought it was a ghost or a spirit. And Matthew tells us how that Peter also got on the water and started walking towards Jesus. John doesn’t tell us that. Well, you see, John is really trying to tell us from a doctrinal point of view who Christ is. And so from this point of view, he’s telling us another sign that Jesus worked. And just as the earlier signs showed his power over quality, turning water to wine, John 2. His power over distance, healing the nobleman’s son, John 4, his power over time healing the man who had been in firm for 38 years in John chapter 5, and now then power over quantity in John 6, feeding the 5,000 with with five loaves and two fishes.

Now this one shows his power over nature. He could walk on the water. He had the power to come to them in the middle of the night. It said it was the fourth watch, which would be probably between 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. And the King James Version speaks about them being so many furlongs, and we don’t really measure by furlongs, but they were 20 or 30 furlongs out in the furlongs, about 600 feet. So if you multiply that out, they’re about three to four miles out on the Sea of Galilee. And it’s in the middle of the night, and a storm arises, and they are afraid. But Jesus comes walking toward them. Only the Son of God can do that. Man cannot walk on the water.

It was a miracle. It’s a sign. It’s another sign to convince us, John 20, 30 and 31, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Do you believe him to be the Son of God? These signs were selected, John said, that ye might believe, and that believing you might have life in his name. How do you receive him? Is he your king? Are you really willing and ready to obey him as your Lord? When we study the account in Matthew, there’s a story there that I think is rather interesting, where in verses 20 chapter fourteen of Matthew, verses twenty-eight and twenty-nine. The scripture speaks about Peter in this same scene. He said, Lord, if if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water, and he said, Come.

Conclusion

And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. Peter walked for a distance, and then he began to sink. But the reason he began to sink, the scripture says he looked at the waves. He took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves. There are some today who say they believe in Christ, but they do not keep their eyes on the Lord. They grow faint hearted and they grow weary, they turn aside. And then indeed they sink spiritually.

Keep your eyes on him. As long as Peter looked at him, he could walk on the water. When he turned to the wind and the waves, he grew fearful and sank. And we’ll sink also if we take our eyes off of him. Keep the word of God, keep it open. Steady with us again as we continue in John chapter six in our next lesson.