John 6:60-66 • The Ecstasy of Access

In John 6 verses 60-66, we encounter a sad fact and a breathtaking reality.

First, the sad fact is that some people will make the choice to turn away from following Jesus.

The passage opens by disclosing that many of those who’d been following Him since the loaves and fishes miracle and heard Him describe Himself as the Bread from Heaven that provides eternal life, complained that they just couldn’t understand His message. They said it was too hard to grasp.

He responded by saying that if they couldn’t comprehend this prerequisite truth, they would certainly not be able to move on to the rest of what could be revealed to them. He also clarified the problem as a paradigm issue not a communication failure. It was neither that they weren’t intelligent enough nor that He wasn’t clear. It was that they were refusing to let go of their faithless frame of reference.

A paradigm is a framework of understanding. It’s the lens through which we see things. And when He said, “The flesh profits nothing,” He meant that insisting their humanistic, natural-world, unbelieving framework could handle spiritual understanding was folly. He was introducing them to a whole new paradigm. He wasn’t just trying to get a point across, His words were literally spirit and life.

He went on to say their comprehension problem was not the difficulty of the concepts, it was their lack of faith. Belief is the fist step into the paradigm of the spirit, and it cannot be skipped. As long as a person resists believing in Christ, there’s only so much they can receive from Him. And sadly, many in this crowd had reached the end of the line. And so, they walked away.

But not all of them. And that’s where we discover the breathtaking reality described in the heart of verse 65.

Here we see a completely different outcome for those of us who DO choose to believe. Instead of turning away, we find ourselves coming TO Jesus. And we’re told the Heavenly Father is the One who grants this amazing access.

This is stunning on so many levels. It means that when we’re hurting, we can come to Jesus. When we’re weak, we can come to Jesus. And it also means when we’re confused, unclear, or uncertain about anything, we can come to Jesus.

So even though we might encounter spiritual truths that initially challenge our comprehension, our faith has ushered us into the paradigm of the Spirit and given us direct access to the One who can and will open those truths to us.

I challenge you, Dear One. Don’t be among those who turn away in unbelief. Daily choose to faithfully, fearlessly, and continuously follow Jesus by faith and experience the ecstasy of access.

John 6:52-59 • The Bridge Builder

In John 6:52-59, we have the conclusion of the conversation Jesus had with the Jews about Him being the true “Bread from Heaven” and the “Bread of Life.” This final section of the passage begins by describing the struggle they had comprehending the concept of eating His flesh, or in other words, spiritually feasting on Jesus in order to gain eternal life.

But, without even a hint of frustration, the Lord patiently explained it all again, providing them with yet another opportunity to grasp this truth. He was building a bridge of understanding from something they already knew – manna in the wilderness – to something they didn’t yet know – the cross. And even though we’ll discover that most of them chose not to cross the span, this demonstration of His patient willingness to escort them over is deeply moving to me.

Why? Because I’m often very slow to comprehend spiritual truth. And knowing that my Savior won’t give up on me and is willing to lovingly work with me until I get it, is profoundly soul-securing.

For example, after nearly forty-five years of my marriage, I finally feel like I’m starting to understand what Ephesians 5:25 means when it says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her.” And I can’t thank Jesus enough for hanging in there with me through that steep learning curve, because the impact on the sweetness of my relationship with Sue is simply indescribable.

We don’t know what we don’t know. So, in our human pride we assume we understand eternal things when we really don’t. The truth is that our earth-bound, sin-scarred, and materialistic frame of reference is so narrow and shallow that we are completely dependent on the Bridge Builder to lead us from ignorance to knowledge. So, thank God we have the promise of John 16:13 – “He will guide you into all truth.”

In light of the immeasurable kindness of our patient, loving teacher, let’s stay teachable today as He leads us from what we think we know to what we have yet to discover.

John 6:47-51 • You Are What You Eat

I’m a bottom-line kind of guy. As an internal processor, I respond best to conversations where I know what we’re talking about upfront rather than having to wade through a lengthy preamble or setup before arriving at the heart of the matter.

God bless my dear wife. She’s the exact opposite. She’s a verbal processor. Her most natural way to communicate is to begin with a detailed description of the process that produced what she wants to say before she actually says it.

Early in our marriage, this drove me crazy. But over the years, I’ve come to appreciate and even highly value this aspect of who she is. I’ve learned how to stay engaged with her through these verbal wanderings and to even encourage them because my life is vastly richer and my understanding much broader due to this gift of her communication style.

But on those rare occasions when she approaches me with the words, “Honey, here’s the bottom line,” I just go weak in the knees, and I’m putty in her hands.

So, John 6:47 is my kind of verse.

With absolute clarity and economy of words, Jesus emphatically stated the bottom line. He said, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life.” Then, after coming right to the point, He proceeded to explain what this kind of belief is like.

In verses 48-51, He described Himself as the Bread of Life and said that salvation is the result of eating this Bread. And He leaves no mystery about it. He plainly states that the Bread He’s talking about is His body and that He will be offering it up in order to provide life to the world.

In other words, saving faith requires more than just arriving at an intellectual or philosophical agreement with the truth of His Messiahship. It requires consuming, taking in, or internalizing this truth. It means welcoming Jesus INTO our lives.

There’s a saying, “You are what you eat.” And it means the food we consume exerts profound influence on our lives. Our health, energy, appearance, mood, intelligence, and so much more are shaped by it. We literally can’t live without it. But it has to be eaten in order to be of benefit. Being in the same room as a plate of food or just sitting there looking at it and considering its attributes will accomplish nothing.

In a similar way, exercising a faith that goes beyond mere contemplation and actually begins ingesting the Bread of Life is what brings our spirits to life and shapes every aspect of our eternal selves. So, you’ll understand what I mean when I say salvation requires feasting on Jesus.

And He clarified what He meant by this when in Matthew 4:4 he quoted Moses in Deuteronomy and said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” We internalize Jesus as we feed on God’s Word, the Bible.

So today, let’s sit down at the table He’s prepared for us and dive in. Open His Word, and enjoy the feast that produces life everlasting.

John 6:45-46 • Keys on the Ring

I love it when Jesus quotes Scripture! And that’s what happened in John 6:45. So, we have the Word of God quoting the word of God. It’s just so cool!

And He uses an interesting communication technique here – one He employs in other places in the Gospels as well. He quotes just the first part of Isaiah 54:13 confident that it’s so familiar His hearers will automatically recall the rest of the context.

It’s like what happened the other day when a friend commented on the tendency of people to associate with others who share similar interests. My friend said, “Birds of a feather…” And he didn’t have to finish the saying because he knew my mind would search my memory and fill in the rest, “flock together.” I knew the whole quote, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

This technique stimulates a person to think more deeply about what’s being said, and that’s what Jesus wanted.

As His audience continued wrestling with His claim to be the Bread of Life, He wanted to lead them beyond the shallow, literal thinking that was constraining their ability to hear what He was really saying. So, He injected into the conversation a small piece of a very familiar and much-loved passage of Scripture that at first glance seems completely unrelated. But as their minds reflexively became engaged in the process of completing the quote, He knew they would find themselves recalling the sweet promises of God’s grace contained in those verses.

He wanted them to see His role as Bread of Life in the context of that flow of God’s redeeming love to them.

It’s amazing how God’s word can do that, take us to a deeper and richer place when we get stuck on the surface. And that’s part of the reason why it’s so important to read the Bible and allow its treasures to become stored in our memories. It gives the Lord something to draw on when He needs to point our minds and hearts toward an unexpected discovery.

The direction of my entire adult life hinges on one of those times.

As a young man in my early twenties, I’d reached a point where my future was completely uncertain. It seemed that the trail I’d been following suddenly disappeared. My heart began to fill with anxiety and my mind became exhausted from running what-if scenarios.

Then, out of the blue, as I sat alone on a lunch break at my warehouse job, the first part of 2 Timothy 2:15 bubbled up unbidden into my thoughts from the place in my memory where I had stored that verse as a child. And as my mind filled in the balance of the quote, I knew God was speaking to me through it. He was restoring a calling to pastoral ministry I thought I’d disqualified myself from, and He was preparing me for the next steps along that journey.

The door to the rest of my life opened in that moment and having that little verse of Scripture committed to memory was the key.

Dear one, let’s make a fresh commitment to having more keys on the ring by soaking in God’s word today.

John 6:43-44 • It’s All Him

In John 6:43-44, Jesus responded to the faithless murmurings of the Jewish religious elite regarding His claim of divinity. He said that embracing this truth is a response to something God initiates. It starts with Him not us. The process that results in placing faith in Christ begins with God drawing us toward belief.

There’s something wonderful about that don’t you think? To realize that my faith in Jesus as Savior began with the Heavenly Father pursuing me – enticing me – takes my breath away. I am His child because He WANTED me. And if that weren’t amazing enough, Jesus went on to say that my relationship with Him will endure through the last day of my life in this world, and then, He will raise me up into His eternal presence.

And that reminds me of something.

Our youngest grandchildren are one-year-old twin girls. And the other day, I was watching one of them playing on the floor. I called out her name. And when she turned to look at me, I reached out to her, and she started crawling toward me. I gathered her up in my arms, snuggled her, kissed her cheek, told her I loved her, and would have held her like that all day if I could have.

Now, I know it’s an imperfect example, but a relationship with Jesus is like that. It’s all Him not us. It’s not about us finding Him or trying desperately to hold on to Him once we do. He reaches out to us. And then, when we respond to His great love, He wraps us in his embrace and holds on forever.

Dear One, rest in His love today. He desires you. He’s holding on to you. And no matter what, He won’t let go.

John 6:41-42 • The Issue of Familiarity

Earlier in John chapter 6, Jesus had announced to the crowd that He was the bread of life sent from God, His Father, to satisfy their spiritual hunger. But now, in verses 41-42, we’re told that they – especially the religious elite who are described as “the Jews” – we’re choking on this truth and unable to receive it because of what they thought they knew about Jesus. They thought they knew where He came from. They knew He was raised in Joseph and Mary’s household. So, they just could not accept it when He claimed God was His Father. Their familiarity with Jesus hindered them from hearing what He said about Himself – a truth they desperately needed to embrace.

We all face a withering assault from the Devil attempting to keep us from the spiritual fulfillment God has provided in His Son. And he does this by trying to convince us we are unloved, forsaken, and forgotten. If he can’t undo our salvation, he intends to at least diminish its impact on how we live by using those lies about God’s heart toward us to keep us bound in lives of frustration, discouragement, depression, dishonor, and destruction.

But the truth sets us free. When we believe what our Savior declares is true about Himself and His love for us, chains shatter, strongholds break. I’ve witnessed this miraculous transformation in people’s lives countless times over the years of my pastoral ministry. And I’ve experienced it myself.

But I’ve also noticed that one of the greatest challenges to being able to hear Jesus when He speaks truth over us is familiarity – that sense that we already know where He’s coming from so to speak. Our knowledge ABOUT Him can get in the way of our knowing who He really is.

This morning, I was trying to connect a credit card reader to my phone via Bluetooth. Now, I’m computer savvy and I know my way around digital gear. But I just couldn’t get it to work. So, after several failed attempts, I determined it must be broken. Have you ever been there? I was just about to go buy a new one when I decided to try one more time. But this time, I opened the device’s app on my phone first before doing the Bluetooth pairing. And for some reason, that did the trick. Everything worked perfectly. But I came very close to allowing my familiarity with technology to keep me from discovering something I needed know to be able to benefit from using that device.

I think you can tell where I’m going with this. Is there an area of your life that isn’t working and has left you feeling spiritually trapped? If so, there’s a lie from hell keeping that chain in place. Can you identify it? Jesus wants to shatter that with the truth. What falsehood has the enemy convinced you of regarding who the Lord is and wants to be for you? Don’t allow your familiarity with where you think the Lord is coming from regarding your bondage to keep you from hearing what He’s trying to say.

Lay that lie out before Him. Open His Word. Quiet your heart. Hear His voice. Live free.

John 6:37-40 • Daily Believing Involves Daily Seeing

John 6:37-40 sits at one of the hotspots of the predestination / free will discussion that people much wiser and devoted than me have gone back and forth about for centuries. And, although I have a deeply held opinion about this issue, I’m certain that nothing I have to say will change anyone’s mind. So, I want to be upfront with the fact that I’m just not going address that aspect of this passage.

Instead, I’d like to talk about how these verses reveal that there’s more than one way to SEE something. For example, when I open my eyes and view the things in my field of vision, I’m SEEING them. But if I take it a step further and carefully consider what my eyes have observed, it often results in an awareness or understanding that can also be describe as SEEING. I can SEE a painting hanging on a wall. But as I consider its artistic significance, I can come to SEE its depth, beauty, meaning, and importance. And I’m raising this distinction because it helps illuminate an important truth contained in these verses.

In verse 36, Jesus had addressed the crowd that personally witnessed His power when He fed them by multiplying the loaves and fish. He said they’d SEEN Him but did not believe. Now, in verse 40, He says that everyone who SEES Him AND believes will have everlasting life.

These two verses use two different Greek words to describe two different ways of SEEING resulting in two VERY different outcomes.

In English we have a saying, “Seeing is believing.” But according to Jesus here, that’s not always true. For instance, I think you’d agree that it’s entirely possible for someone to SEE evidence of the power of God and still make the choice to not believe.

But since you’ve taken the time to listen to me today, it’s likely that you’ve SEEN and do believe. You’ve observed the display of God’s power hanging in the gallery of the natural world, considered the exquisite truth depicted in His Word, contemplated the gorgeous image of His grace portrayed in the cross, and as a result have chosen to place your faith in Him as Savior.

But that SEEING and believing is not just a one-time event. The Bible says in several places that we who have been justified by our faith in Jesus “live by faith.” Our believing is a daily thing. And I would suggest to you that daily believing involves daily SEEING. Just because I’ve already chosen to believe doesn’t mean I can afford to allow myself to stop carefully observing, considering, responding to, and delighting in the experiences of the revelation of the Lord on view moment-by-moment.

I want to SEE Him today. How about you?

John 6:30-36 • A Dog on a Bone

John 6:30-36 records an example of how spiritually blind we can be when we become fixated on something we want.

Jesus had just told the people that believing in Him as Messiah is the one thing God is asking us to do. And to paraphrase, they responded by saying, “If You really want us to believe that You’re the Son of God, what miracle will You perform to convince us? Yes, we enjoyed the free meal You provided us the other day. But You only fed thousands and just once. Moses gave manna – the bread of heaven – to more than a million Israelites every day for forty years.”

Jesus corrected them by clarifying that it wasn’t Moses but God, the Father, who provided the manna during the wilderness wonderings and that it was meant to symbolize His ultimate provision of the true bread of heaven – the sending of His Son to give life to the world.

Their reply sounds good: “Lord give us this bread always.” But it’s clear by the Lord’s immediate response as well as what follows in the rest of the chapter that they still didn’t get it. He bluntly stated, “I am the bread of life.” And He went on to say that anyone who would come to Him could have their spiritual hunger and thirst completely satisfied. Then He sadly added, “And yet you do not believe.”

They were like a dog on a bone. They just could not let go of the dream of having Jesus provide them with free food. But their insistence on the satisfying of that desire caused them to miss the bigger picture altogether. And I’ll bet you’ve experienced that yourself. I certainly have.

In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I became infatuated with the idea of getting a pair of hiking boots like the ones I bought on our honeymoon when I was nineteen. I know it sounds crazy, but for several days there I spent all my free time dreaming about how much better my life would be if could just relive that part of my wardrobe history. And after several internet searches, I actually found some for sale. I came this close to spending $150 plus shipping on a pair of 44-year-old used boots. Now, that’s nuts!

What did I miss of my Savior’s voice and the ministry of His Spirit during those days when I was so determined to fulfill that desire? What spiritual hungers went unsatisfied by the bread of heaven while I pursued that temporary satisfaction?

And the same thing can happen when we get it in our heads that God ought to do what we think He should, when we think He should, and in the way we think He should. That presumption, if not quickly repented, can grow to the point where it chokes off our spiritual sensitivities.

Be careful not to let that happen. Is there any desire that you’re consumed with or insisting on today? Is the white-knuckled grip you have on that desire flowing out of your relationship with Jesus or something else? I encourage you to be honest with yourself and willing to surrender that hunger to the true bread of heaven.

John 6:28-29 • Scoot Over

In John 6:27, Jesus told the crowds to spend their labor on that which is eternal not temporary. And in verse 28, they responded by asking Him to explain. They wanted to know – as most people do – what kind of WORKS please God. And in verse 29, Jesus answered them in a completely unexpected way. Instead of telling them to pray, read the Bible, attend church, evangelize, tithe, love enemies, and feed the poor – along with a hundred other things we might have expected Him to say – He told them that BELIEVEING in HIM is the DOING God is looking for from us.

Now, when we hear this, most of us can’t help but think there’s got to be more to it. That’s just too easy. Surely, pleasing God requires something more labor-intensive than that. Belief is just too simple.

But hold on, just because something is simple doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging. Climbing a mountain isn’t complicated but it’s also not easy. Placing my faith in Jesus is pretty straightforward but living it out requires everything I’ve got. Trusting Him means placing my life, my future, my security, my provision – all that I am – in His hands.

And that’s why John 6:29 makes a lot of us uncomfortable. We’d prefer a list – no matter how long and complex – of things we need to DO to please God because checking off a to-do list doesn’t require surrendering control. Belief does.

So, we tend to want to add layers of DOING to our relationship with God. It makes us feel like we’re in the driver’s seat. But it also leads to spiritual exhaustion because our sin has made it impossible to ever DO enough.

So, let’s keep it simple. Let’s just scoot over to the passenger side and give Him the wheel. Let’s give up our DOING and rest in what He’s DONE.

John 6:22-27 • Free Food

John 6:22-27 quietly cuts like a knife to the heart of an issue I regularly need to re-consider. It challenges me to honestly evaluate why I follow Jesus.

After their hunger had been satisfied by the miracle of the loaves and fish, the crowds saw the Disciples get into their only boat and depart. But they also noted that Jesus didn’t go with them, and that He had headed off alone to a secluded area instead. Then, the next day, when they couldn’t find Him, they got into some other boats that had arrived later and went looking. When they located Him in the Capernaum area, they wanted to know how He’d managed to get there.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus didn’t answer them by telling how He’d walked on water. As dramatic a story as that would have been, He chose Instead to answer their question with a searing statement that revealed the true nature of why they’d followed Him there.

To paraphrase, He said their pursuit was not because they’d just seen this amazing sign of His messiahship and wanted to submit to Him as their Lord. He bluntly declared that the only reason they’d come looking for Him was because He’d provided them with free food. Ouch!

He challenged them to stop viewing their relationship with Him as a means of satisfying the temporary needs of the flesh, and to focus on eternity instead.

I have a relationship with the giant online retailer, Amazon.com. I pay an annual fee for its Prime service so that I can purchase items at what I hope will be discounted prices and have them shipped to me for free within two days. But that’s as far as the relationship goes. It’s transactional. And I’m at the center of it. I will pay that fee and be a loyal customer right up until the moment another company provides me with better prices or service. And if I’m honest, my relationship with Jesus can sometimes look like that.

I can sometimes drift into a state where I’m following Him because of what He provides me: forgiveness of sins, peace that passes understanding, joy inexpressible, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the supply of all my needs according to His riches in Glory. And as much as the Bible makes it abundantly clear He delights to bless me – and you – in these ways, Matthew 6:33 reminds us that it’s AFTER seeking Him and His kingdom first that all these things are added to us. He wants a relationship with me that’s anchored in the eternal not the temporal. He wants to lead me beyond the here and now into the forever after.

Lord, I pray you’d help me reclaim an eternal perspective as the only motive for why I follow you. May it always be that our relationship is centered around You alone.

John 6:16-21 • Divine Guidance

John 6:16-21 describes an event that took place after Jesus fed the multitudes when He withdrew from the crowds to be alone in prayer. And when you include the additional information supplied in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, it illustrates some very important principles for anyone desiring divine guidance.

It says that around sunset, Jesus told the Disciples to get into a boat and sail in the direction of the town of Capernaum which wasn’t very far away along the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. And at first, they probably just hugged the coastline assuming Jesus would catch up to them on foot. But by nightfall, they still hadn’t seen Him, and a powerful storm came up which they battled all night while it forced them more than three miles out into the middle of the lake.

But we’re told that Jesus was watching them the whole time. And suddenly, when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, there He was, drawing near to them, walking on the wind-whipped waves, assuring them everything would be OK as He got into the boat with them. And immediately after that, the storm miraculously ceased, and they found themselves at the “land where they were going.” Only…it wasn’t Capernaum. It was Gennesaret.

Why the storm? Why the change in destination? Well, let’s talk about it.

Most of us deeply desire to live our lives in obedience to God’s will. We want to follow the path He’s laid out for us. But much of the time we struggle to know what that is, primarily because we’re looking for the wrong things.

We’re looking for a route that takes us along the path of least resistance. We don’t want to face any obstacles, uphill climbs, or bad weather. But those are often the very things God needs to lead us through in order for His will to be fulfilled in our lives. The value of the personal and spiritual growth that results is priceless.

We also want to know where the road will take us before agreeing to set out on the journey. But it doesn’t work that way. God’s will is based on His eternal perspective, knowledge, and wisdom which are so much higher than our own, we don’t even have the frame of reference to comprehend that information. And if we could, we would be tempted to plot our own course and leave Him out of the picture altogether, which brings me to the bigger point. With God, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. The relationship, dependence, and faith we develop along the way are His priorities.

Here are some things to consider regarding divine guidance:

1. In the same way that Jesus sent the Disciples TOWARD or in the direction of Capernaum, it almost always begins with less clarity about the ultimate destination than you want. God can usually only give us enough of a glimpse to get us pointed in the right direction. But that’s really all we need, because…
   

2. What’s important is that we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step or one oar stroke at a time. Remember, it's all about the journey. And…
   

3. Don’t panic or lose heart when a storm comes up and you wonder why Jesus doesn’t seem to be coming to your rescue. Just as He SAW the Disciples in the darkness, His eye is on you too. And He will make His presence known, stepping into your boat right on time, stilling the storm, and delivering you safely to shore.

John 6:15 • The Opposite Direction

John 6:15 describes Jesus doing something so contrary to my experience, I simply stand in awe. When the crowds were determined to make Him their king, He literally walked away. He went the opposite direction – toward solitude and away from the cheers and adoration. In our current season of human history which is so obsessed with celebrity – with the quest for attention, acclaim, and fame at a fever pitch – the Lord’s actions here are stunning by contrast.

Now, I need to confess something. A couple of days ago, I posted one of these Bible study videos on my website, podcast, and social media. And over the next twenty-four hours, I caught myself checking for likes and comments every fifteen minutes it seemed. I was behaving like an addict. But once I was able to exercise enough self-control to stop, I began asking God why I craved these “hits” of affirmation so much. And I’m ashamed of the answer.

At first, I tried to convince myself that it was just due to being a little insecure about my identity since I recently retired from being a local church pastor after nearly forty years. Having had such clarity about my life and ministry for so long, I was feeling a little uncertain about my role in this world.

But the truth is, I wanted to be noticed. I wanted to be admired. I wanted to feel important, relevant, esteemed. Let me just call it what it is, pride, and not the good kind, the kind that’s focused on self-promotion. And get this, that’s what motivated Lucifer’s rebellion against God and ultimately is at the root of all evil. Yuck!

Now look, I believe the desires all of us have for significance and to be valued are God-given. And, dear one, He intends to fulfill them within the embrace of His relationship with us. But pride’s another thing altogether. It can NEVER be satisfied. And the more you feed it, the more it’s hunger grows.

Jesus understood this and refused to allow himself to be in a position where He could even be tempted by it. He was leading us by example. Matthew’s gospel says He withdrew from the spotlight at this moment of ecstatic popularity specifically to be alone with His Father in prayer.

And when we find ourselves in the crosshairs of the Spirit of Pride, we would be wise to do the same, turn and RUN to the throne of God. There’s something about being on our knees before the Sovereign of the Universe that puts things in perspective and escorts us into a deep place of security that pride can’t touch.

I’m talking to you right now after having spent time at the Lord’s feet regarding my sin described earlier. And as always, I discovered there His lavish grace to cover and cleanse. But I wonder. Do you find yourself being offered pride’s empty promises today? If so, don’t hesitate. Run to the Father right now.

John 6:13-14 • On the Street Where We Live

John 6:13 surveys the aftermath of a miracle. And I’m just mesmerized by the simple statistics. Five loaves and two fish produced twelve baskets of food AFTER filling the bellies of five thousand men plus women and children.

Now, I think we need to take just a few moments to consider the implications of this.

Doesn’t it force us to reevaluate our faith? Did Jesus actually do this or not? If He did, how can it be so easy for us to just carry on with the routines of our lives without any expectation that He might want to invade our circumstances with His miraculous power?

The next verse, John 6:14, says that those who had front row seats for that miracle became believers on the spot. And wouldn’t you? So why is it possible for us to read the account of what happened and not be equally moved to belief?

Maybe it has to do with the way we casually read the biblical accounts of miracles as though they’re disconnected from our personal reality.

Perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I’m a bit of a Star Wars nerd. I love watching the Millennium Falcon travel through hyperspace in the films and imagining the lightsaber duels I read about in the books. But I’m well aware that these things only happen in a galaxy far, far away, not on the street where I live.

So, I have to ask myself, “Is that how I categorize the epic displays of the supernatural I read about in the Bible? Do I intellectually relegate them to another time and place?” If so, how do I square that with John 14:12 where Jesus said that after He returned to the Father, those who believe in Him would experience even greater works than He performed?

I don’t think the Lord could be clearer about His intentions to continue being who He is, the omnipotent God. Everything He does is miraculous, beyond the constraints of this natural world. He can’t be any other way. So, let’s get our expectations aligned with His attributes in this regard. If we want our miracle-working God to be active on the street where we live, it WILL involve miracles.

So, today, let’s allow Jesus to help us read the Bible differently, to see in its pages not some fantastic story of what happened once upon a time, but as a preview of what God is prepared to do right now.

John 6:12 • Sufficiency and Economy

John chapter 6 verse 12 graphically illustrates two important truths about God: He is both lavish AND frugal. He is both abundant with His grace AND meticulous with His care. Let me explain.

My wife and I are currently remodeling a home. And our contractor is continually asking us if we want this fixture, that color, this window, that door, this tile, or that trim. Frankly, it’s wearing us out. But we have to answer each of his questions with one of our own: “Can we afford it?” We only have so much money.

You know what I mean. Every resource we have as human beings is finite. We have a limited amount of time, talent, and treasure. And since this is our frame of reference, we tend to imagine God as though He’s in the same boat. And even if our theology is better than that, all of us experience times when we hesitate to bring our needs to Him because we feel like we may be pushing the limit of what He can afford. But God doesn’t have to stretch His supply or budget His benevolence.

The end of verse 11 and the first part of 12 tell us that Jesus didn’t stop multiplying the loaves and fish until everyone in the crowd had eaten all they WANTED and until they were FULL. He didn’t cheap out. He doesn’t have to. He’s the maker and master of all things. And when we come to Him with our needs, our requests are NOT evaluated against a limited supply. His gifts of every sort – spiritual, physical, and material – are abundant.

Now, don’t misunderstand. This verse is not licensing our GLUTTONY. It’s showcasing God’s SUFFICIENCY. But this is also juxtaposed against His ECONOMY which is illustrated when He commands the Disciples to gather up all the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.

And there’s clearly a lesson here about our need to exercise better care in how we manage what God gives us. But I think there’s even more.

Many of us know what it’s like to mourn the ways we have squandered the goodness of God in our pasts. And we imagine that those lost expressions of His love are irretrievable. But John 6:12 reveals a Savior who is concerned about discarded fragments. We have a God whose amazing grace is so powerful He can insure that nothing of His intentions for us are ultimately forsaken.

As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce, “Heaven, once attained, will work backwards…The good man's past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven…”

Dear one, today, bring your needs to our all-sufficient God, AND trust Him to carefully gather up all the pieces of your life you thought were lost.

John 6:11b • Bite-Sized Miracles

The last half of John 6:11 describes how Jesus involved the Disciples in the loaves and fishes miracle. It says He distributed the multiplying food to the hungry people through them. The miraculous literally passed THROUGH their hands. They were conduits of wonder. I can’t even begin to imagine what an amazing experience that must have been for them.

But as someone who longs to be more USEUL when God is moving to meet people’s needs through displays of His power, I notice two things here that I find extremely helpful.

First, through the events of the preceding verses, Jesus made it clear to the Disciples that they were not responsible to MAKE the miracle happen. Neither THEIR money nor THEIR culinary skills were involved. It was ALL Jesus. Their role was to simply dispense what He was creating. They were like divine delivery-persons. UPS and FedEx drivers aren’t required to purchase or manufacture the items in their trucks. Their job is to just make sure the boxes get to the right address, ring the doorbell, and leave them on the porch.

So much pressure comes off when I understand that. Miracles are not up to me. My job is to lay hands the sick. It’s His to do the healing. My job is to speak the words of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, and discernment HE gives. My job is to pray for the bound and broken-hearted. His is to deliver and comfort.

The second thing I see here is that the grand miracle of feeding the multitude unfolded in stages, mouthful by mouthful. The Disciples got to be involved in distributing a series of bite-sized miracles that altogether became something legendary.

Now, don’t misunderstand. A miracle is a miracle. The terms “large” and “small” do not really apply. And God can work massive miracles in an instant. But I’ve found that for the most part, He invites me to participate in a lot of little ones that accumulate over time into an amazing expression of His glory.

As an older man who has walked with God for a long time now, this is deeply moving to me. I look back over my life and rejoice with amazement at the times I’ve witnessed demonstrations of God’s explosive power. But I also cherish the cumulative weight of all those quieter ones. And I’ve come to understand the value of living in the daily expectation of a steady stream of God’s manifest power.

So, if you’re desperate today for a large, loud, and immediate miracle from heaven, we have a God who is more than able. But it may just be that His provision is on the way to your doorstep a box at a time. Don’t miss them.

John 6:11a • The Power of Gratitude

The first part of John 6 verse 11 says that AFTER Jesus had received the loaves and fishes from the young man and BEFORE those meager provisions became bounty, He gave thanks.

Now, EVERYTHING Jesus said and did was intentional, purposeful, and strategic. Among other things, He was modeling for us what a life of faith looks like. So, it’s incredibly important to pay close attention to EVERY move He made and EVERY word He spoke.

There’s a reason He paused en route to a miracle of provision to first give thanks. And since I’m often in need of God’s supernatural provision, I want to understand why. What was He thankful for? I think it’s clear He was thankful for what He’d already been given – five loaves and two fish.

They weren’t nearly enough, but Jesus focused on what He’d been given, not on what was still needed. And there’s something extremely powerful about that heart-posture that opens the door for the Lord’s supernatural supply.

But to be honest, when I’m in need…of money, healing, wisdom, comfort, guidance…gratitude is not usually my response. In fact, quite the opposite. I’m far more likely to complain, expressing my impatience and even venting my anger than to be grateful.

And you know what I’ve found? Thanklessness is habit-forming, and it poisons my soul. So that when God in His faithfulness does supply my need, I’m more likely to think, “Well, it’s about time,” than to fall on my knees with praise for His goodness. And ultimately, I think that makes me less likely to even recognize the wonderful miracles He regularly performs on my behalf.

I wonder if that might be true for you too. What do you say we choose to survey the circumstances we’re in today noting with thankfulness what we’ve already been given instead of grumbling about what we still need? I wonder how that might change what happens next?

John 6:10 • Obedience Paves the Way

In John chapter 6 verse 10, we’re told that Jesus asked His disciples to instruct the crowd to be seated in the grassy field. And Mark’s gospel gives us the additional information that Jesus wanted the people to be seated in groups of fifties and hundreds. And Mark also takes the time to specifically tell us that they did as instructed.

Now, John 6:10 is easy to skip over on our way to the main event. But there’s no “filler” in the Bible. God never wastes words. And the importance of the principle contained here cannot be overstated. Jesus was setting the stage for a miracle. And if you think you might ever need one of those, pay attention.

He was preparing for the organized distribution of a large quantity of food. He was about to supernaturally multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children. But He was the only One who knew that. No one else there that day had ANY idea what was about to happen.

Just stop and think about that. The Disciples and the hungry crowd obeyed Jesus without even the slightest understanding of why He was asking or how their compliance could have anything to do with the meeting of their need.

And that’s the point. They did what He said simply because He said it. That’s what faith is ALL about: Trust-filled obedience. And displays of God’s miraculous power are nearly always preceded by an act of faith that rarely seems to be relevant to the need. Like when Jesus directed the servants at the wedding in Cana to fill six pots with water and take them to the master of the feast. They could NEVER have guessed that water would become wine. But their simple obedience facilitated an amazing miracle.

Or like the time, I responded to a very vague prompting I thought might be from the Lord. I was just folding the laundry at home one day when I sensed He was asking me to reach out to a young couple I’d heard about but hadn’t yet met and ask if they’d be interested in allowing me to mentor them in ministry. There was no way I could have known the miracle Jesus was setting up. At that time, I had no idea that my wife and I would soon be embarking on a new season of ministry assignment. And with the small step of obedience I exercised in contacting that couple, the Lord was arranging what became the miraculously smooth transition of pastoral leadership our church experienced when they succeeded me and my wife as senior pastors just eighteen months later.

Listen. If you need a miracle today, stop worrying about how in the world God is going to feed the multitudes. Instead, start looking for the nearest divine command you can obey. And if you draw a blank, consider opening the Bible, it’s full of them. Your step of child-like obedience, whatever it looks like to you, will place in the Lord’s hands the loaves and fishes He can work with to do something wonderful.

John 6:7-9 • The Faith of a Child

Last time, we talked about how John 6 verses 5 and 6 show Jesus using a need – the hunger of thousands – to test faith. We learned that when God allows our faith to be challenged, His purpose is to INCREASE our spiritual health not deplete it. And we also learned that our Lord is ALWAYS in control of a trial’s outcome. He can be fully trusted.

Now, verses 7 through 9 reveal three different types of response to this test of faith. Let’s see if we can find ourselves in them, and by comparing, discover a better way to handle the faith-trials WE encounter.

Jesus had posed a question. “How are we going to feed all these people?” And the first response came from Philip. He whipped out his calculator, did the math, and reported to Jesus that there was no way they could AFFORD to buy anywhere close to enough food. He focused on the size of the need and said, “It’s too big.”

Next up was Andrew. He came to Jesus with five barley loaves and two small fish he’d gotten from a kid who’d brought a lunch with him that day. But then, he asked his own question, “What are they among so many?” You see, he was focused on himself and was saying, “I don’t have enough.”

But there’s another person involved in this episode, the boy with the lunch. And although the text doesn’t specifically say so, it clearly implies that this young man freely offered his loaves and fishes. They weren’t taken from him, they were given. And by doing so, he was demonstrating that he was focused on Jesus, and by his actions, saying, “I believe You can do anything.”

Oh, the faith of a child!

Dear Lord, when I next face a need that tests my faith, may my response be the simple childlike trust demonstrated by that young man. May my choice be not to focus on the size of the need or my own limited resources to meet it. Help me instead, to trust in the greatness of Who you are. May my heart’s cry be, “You can do anything!”
 

John 6:5-6 • The Outcome is Never in Doubt

John chapter 6 verse 5 moves us into the “loaves and fishes” narrative. A massive crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children was approaching. And when Jesus saw the multitude, He asked one of the Disciples a question: “How are we going to feed all these people?”

Then, verse 6 tells us two very important things WE should remember whenever WE encounter a need that has the potential to overwhelm us whether it’s spiritual, physical, financial, or relational.

First, we’re told the Lord was using it as a test. Need always does that – tests our faith. And although these trials can seriously rock our world and challenge us to our core, God’s purpose in allowing them is NEVER to disqualify or defeat us. It’s always to reveal both how far He’s already brought us and to expose areas of trust He wants to help us grow into.

It’s like the gym that a friend of mine manages. All day everyday, people walk through his doors determined to put their bodies to the test. They pay my friend’s company for the opportunity to be challenged with weights, machines, and instructors for the benefit of seeing their health, strength and fitness increase.

In the same way, the Bible tells us to REJOICE when our faith is tested because it’s increasing our spiritual health. God is using it for our good.

The second thing verse 6 tells us is that Jesus knew in advance what He was going to do. The outcome was NEVER in doubt. God is in control. And oh, how good is that! As believers, these what-in-the-world-am-going-to-do kind of situations always reach us through the filter of God’s love, mercy, and grace. We square off against them in an environment managed by the power of the Sovereign God. As His kids, we are never – and I repeat, NEVER – in jeopardy.

Now, I can’t know what kind of need may be testing you today. But Jesus does. And as challenging as it may seem, remember these soul-securing truths. One, if you let Him, your Savior will use it to strengthen your faith muscles. And two, Jesus already has a rock-solid plan for meeting that need.

Trust Him!

John 6:1-4 • There’s Always a Backstory

John chapter 6 opens with an account of the occasion when Jesus fed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish. Pretty exciting stuff! But before going any further, I’d like to focus on just the first three words of verse one, “After these things…” Why? Because there’s ALWAYS a backstory. And this phrase lets us know there’s a context for what follows.

The first four verses of the chapter set up the “loaves and fishes” story by giving us the time of year and the location where it happened. We’re told that it was springtime just before Passover and in a deserted area across the Sea of Galilee.

But by saying, “after these things,” John lets us know there’s even more to the story and implies that we should consider these additional details. He makes it clear they’re worth digging for.

And we don’t have to search far. The other three Gospels – especially Mark – fill in the six-month gap between John chapters five and six. And we find out that there was a reason Jesus had taken His disciples across the lake. He was leading them to a wilderness area for some rest. They were all dealing with the emotional impact of John the Baptist being beheaded by Herod. The Disciples had just returned from their first ministry tours and needed debriefing. And the intensifying of Jesus’s miracle ministry was creating so much activity that we’re told they didn’t even have time to eat.

So that’s why they crossed the lake. And it makes a difference to know that, doesn’t it?

In a very crude way, it’s like this sign here. Unless you take the time to stop and read it, you probably wouldn’t give this tree a second thought. But if you do, you find out that it was brought to this island by a sea captain from a distant port and planted here more than a hundred and fifty years ago. There’s a backstory. And digging for it makes a difference in how you see the tree.

And that’s true for people too. There’s ALWAYS a backstory.

But we usually interact with others based on the superficial. We rarely stop to even think that there may be more to consider.

And this is especially true for how we relate to ourselves. We waste so much of our emotional resources focused on our surface issues instead of asking Jesus, “What’s the backstory here?” But if we did, we’d be much more likely to discover the context for what He’s trying to deal with in our lives and be better able to cooperate with Him as He brings us healing and deliverance.

So, I encourage you today, when you find yourself wrestling with the “stuff” in your life – and you know what I mean – ask the Lord to help you see the backstory. Stop ignoring the real issues while whining about what you think God should be doing to help you but isn’t. And be willing instead to stop and read the signs that reveal how these things got rooted in your life in the first place. Then, you’ll be better able to allow the Lord to set you up for what comes “after these things.”