Jim McDonald

The setting for John 5 was Judaea but the setting for John 6 was “on the other side of the sea of Galilee” (6:1). Great multitudes followed Jesus there because they had witnessed many of His miracles. As the day of preaching went on, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “The place is desert, and the time is already past; send the multitudes away, that they may into the villages to buy themselves food” (Matthew 14:15).

The miracle of feeding 5,000 is one of the very few of Jesus’ miracles found in all four of the accounts of His life. Three of the four accounts of this miracle refer to the place as “desert” (Matthew 14:15; Mark 6:31; Luke 9:12). Their reference to “desert” is not to a dry, arid place as we might suppose, but to a place which was isolated and had a small population. This “desert” place had green grass for the multitude to sit on while they ate (Mark 6:39).

Jesus fed these people by blessing five loaves and two fishes provided by a little boy who Andrew knew (John 6:8-9). Jesus told the people sit in groups of hundreds and fifties (Mark 6:40). It is called “feeding the 5,000,” but actually that number was a reference to just the men. Women and children also ate (Matthew 14:21) so the number may have swelled to 10,000 or more. When the appetite of the multitude had been satisfied, the twelve were commanded to gather the fragments and when they had finished, they had 12 baskets full. This was indeed a marvelous miracle.

The value of John’s gospel is in the additional record he gave. The day after feeding of 5,000 Jesus preached His sermon on the bread of life, and while that sermon was preached in a different location, it was preached to many of those who had been fed the preceding day. None of the other gospel records have this sermon, showing that we must consider all Scriptures to have all the truth.

This sermon was preached in Capernaum, His “own city” (John 6:17, Matthew 9:1). Late the day before, Jesus had sent His disciples back across the sea while He remained behind and prayed. When night had fallen, He walked across the sea, and while all four record that fact, only Matthew records that this was also the night Peter walked on water (Matthew 14:28-30). The next day the multitude searched for Jesus and, unable to find Him, got into boats and crossed the sea themselves. When they found Jesus they asked, “Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” (John 6:25).

Jesus had crossed the sea in darkness because He perceived that “they were about to come and take him by force and make him a king” (John 6:15). An earthly kingdom had no place in His mission (Premillennialists please note) and when the multitude asked after they had found Him, Jesus was blunt with them: “Verily, verily I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves and were filled. Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life” (vv. 26-27).

In these two verses are two illustrations of a unique Jewish expression in which two truths are uttered — the first is denied to emphasize the truth of the second. Of course, this multitude desired Jesus because they saw signs, but that miracle only caused them to seek Jesus for a selfish, physical reason: they wanted “free lunches.” Thus, Jesus’ second statement, “Work not for the food which perisheth.” Are men commanded to work for physical food? Certainly so. The Holy Spirit said, “If any will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Jesus’ lesson was that instead of concentrating on physical things, everyone should work for the “food which abideth unto eternal life.”

Jesus knew these people well and the following exchange proved that true. When they asked, “What must we do that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28), Jesus responded, “This is the work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent” (v. 29). Their response confirmed what Jesus charged them with. They said, “What then dost thou for a sign that we may see and believe thee? What workest thou? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven” (v. 31).

One could surmise that in their response they implied the feeding of 5,000 is a small thing compared with what Moses did. He gave the entire nation of Israel manna every day (excluding Sabbaths) for 40 years. We could surmise that but we dare not. That is God’s realm. He sees what we cannot see. One fact was certainly true of this multitude. They were interested in free food. It was from this that Jesus based His wonderful sermon on the true bread. Yet knowing the motives of the multitude (according to Jesus), one should not be surprised that when Jesus spoke something difficult to grasp, they didn’t try to understand, but instead “many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him” (John 6:67). The exodus of this number was so great Jesus asked the twelve, “Would you also go away?” (v. 67). To this Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life” (v. 68).

As long as the prodigal son had “money to burn” he had friends, but when it was gone he quickly became hungry and no one would help him (Luke 15:16). Churches may build large “fellowship halls” and give free food and attract large crowds for a while, but the multitude will eventually grow tired with what they’ve been offered and turn to other sources to satisfy their insatiable cravings.

But there are some — perhaps only a few — who hunger for the “food which abideth unto eternal life.” Our efforts must be to seek out those ones, and with God’s Word, satisfy their hunger with the “bread of life.” We must ever “Cry aloud, and spare not. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew unto my people their transgressions, and to the house of Jacob, their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). To the ones who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” Jesus made the beautiful promise that “they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Remember, people may grow tired hearing that message but there is no other source through which they may have life! Preach the Word.