Be Alive!Jesus Loses His Crowd

John 6

By Warren W. Wiersbe

Jesus Feeds the Multitude (6:1-14)

The feeding of 5,000 was recorded in all four gospels

Four solutions were proposed1. Disciples suggested that Jesus send away the

people (Mark 6:35-36). But Jesus knew that the hungry people would faint if no one feed them. It was evening (John14:15) and no time for travel.

2. Philip was asked by Jesus (John 6:5) and responded to raise enough money to buy food. 200 days wages1. Still it wasn’t enough to satisfy the hunger (Matt. 14:21)

2. Often we think that money is the answer to every need

3. Jesus was testing the strength of Philip’s strength.

3. Andrew found a little boy with a lunch: two little fish and five barley bread

Andrew was a “people person” who helped solve problems

4. True solution from the Lord: He took the boy’s lunch, blessed it, broke it, handed out to the disciples who in turn fed the crowd.

The people were satisfied and 12 baskets of leftovers

Practical Lesson: When there is a need, give all that you have and let Him do the rest.

Begin with what you have, but be sure to give it all to Him

People declared that it was a miracle and wanted to crown Jesus King (6:14-16)

God’s the source of all good and needful giftsWe should give thanks with what we have instead of

complaining with what we do not have.

Jesus leaves the multitude (6:15-21)

He broke up the meetingHe forced the disciples to get into the boat (Matt

14:22, Mark 6:45)

He sent them into danger to rescue from fanatical crowd

The Lord has to balance our life

Feeding was the lesson, but the storm was the examination

The reason for being caught in the stormDisobeying the Lord, such as Jonah

Obeying the Lord

Several miracles in storm:Jesus walked on the water

Peter walked on the water

Jesus stilled the storm

Boat to the shore safely and disciple on green pasture (6:10)

Likewise He is a shepherd who brought us into still water (PS 23:2)

Jesus wasn’t impressed with the crowd for He knew their hearts

Rome’s formula for keeping the people happy was bread and circuses

93 days for public games at government expense

Never be deceived by the popularity of Jesus Christ among certain kinds of people today: may want Him only as Healer and Provider or the one who reserves them from problem and few want Him as Savior and Lord

Jesus Teaches the Multitudes (16:22- 71)In grace Jesus fed the hungry people, but in

truth He gave them the Word of God

They want the food, not the truth

Most of them abandoned Him after a sermon

Jesus’ sermon began outdoor and then discussion moved into the synagogue (6:59). The sermon was the “Bread of Life”

Four responses of the crowd to the Lord:Seeking (22-40):

People followed Him because of His miracles, but their motive was food

Two kinds of food:Food for the body

Food for the inner man, or spirit

What people need was not food but life and life is a gift

Food only sustains life, but Jesus gives eternal life

Labor: they misinterpret meaning to work for salvation

One work: believe on the Lord JesusNo credit in believing for it is what God does in response to

one faith (Eph. 2:8-10)

Jews require a sign (I Cor. 1:22)The faith that is based on signs alone and not on the truth

can lead a person astray for Satan is able to perform “lying wonders” (II Thess. 2:8-10)

John 6:31 quoted from Ps. 78:24

God gave the manna and is now giving the true bread in the person of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven for the whole world, not just Israel.

Come and believeTo come to Jesus is to believe in Jesus

To believe in Jesus is to come to Jesus

Believing is not only an intellectual thing

It means to come to Jesus and yield to Him

To come to Christ and believe in Him means to receive Him within, just as you receive food and drink

Illustration of eating and drinking

The first of seven ”I AM”: I am the bread of life.

Salvation involves both divine sovereignty and human responsibility

The Father gives men and women to the Son (6:37, 39)

Those people must come to Him, believe in Him

Who comes to Him would not be lost but be raised at the last day

“Last Day” refers to His return to earth

I Tim. 2:4,II Peter 3:9 Father’s Will that sinners be saved

Murmurring (41-51)“For I came from heaven” (6:38) disturbed the

religious leaders due to the claim of deity.

Jesus was the legal son of Joseph, but not a natural son for He was born of a virgin (Luke 1:34-38)

The issues of murmuring: “where did He come from?”

Father draws sinner by His Word (6:44-45)

The sinners hear, learn, and come as the Fathers draws him or her.

The real need was to learn something through His Word when the crowd wanted to see something.

The Claim of being the Living BreadThe manna sustained life for Jews, but Jesus gives life to the

whole world

Manna: eventual death and from Jesus eternal life

No cost in sending manna daily, but He gave His Son at great cost.

Manna: “what is it?” (Ex. 16:15) and Jesus was a mystery

Manna came at night and Jesus came when sinners were in moral and spiritual darkness

Manna was small (His humility), round (His eternality), white (His purity).

Manna was sweet to taste (Ps. 34:8) and met the needs of people

Manna was to the rebellious people and so the gift of eternal life through Jesus to all sinners.

His flesh 6 timesSacrifice “for the life of the world” (6:51), not only for our

sins but also for the sins of the whole world (Eph 2:2)

Striving (52-59)Striving means to “fight and quarrel”

Prohibition against taking human flesh or any kind of blood (Gen. 9:3-4, Lev. 17:10-16)

Misunderstanding a spiritual truth by treating it literally

Lord Supper: He was discussing with disagreeable unbelievers

He wasn’t speaking in literal term (6:63)

Eating and drinking were absolutely essential for eternal life

In John 6:50, 53 tense is aorist, meaning once for all

Communion is a repeated thing

FLESH is never used in Lord’s Supper, just body

In John, Jesus’ message is filled with symbolism and imagery

Departing (60-71)Once you understand Jesus’ teaching, it isn’t hard to

accept, but when you misunderstand, you regret like the religious leaders. His language was spiritual and figurative, not literal.

No salvation in flesh, nothing good (Romans 7:18) and no confidence (Phil. 3:3)

How do we “eat His flesh and drink His blood”? through His Word (6:63)

Jesus was made flesh (1:14)

The result of this message: loss of our Lord’s disciples

Back to the old life, religion, and hopeless situation

Apostles deserting Jesus, too?Peter: “Thou hast the word of eternal life”

Peter knew Jesus was speaking about the Word, not literal flesh and blood

The preaching of the Word of God always leads to sifting of the hearts of the listeners

Those who rejects the Word reject the Savior, but those who receive the Word receive the Savior