seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 6:1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
a. John 6:7 Greek take two hundred denarii
This is an interesting story to me. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were getting nervous and this story tells us why. Jesus was a self contained traveling salvation show.
He was drawing huge crowds and that was not good in a city controlled by a man who had no problem nailing a human to a cross for all to see.
Jesus was back in the Galilee area. It seems he was using a boat to get away from the crowds but they were so thrilled to hear Him... they would follow Him by shore. So... Jesus found a spot.... a good grassy mound beside the sea.... so there was grass in this spot.... and according to the commentary.... grass in the desert was difficult to find. A grassy knoll big enough for 5,000 free men.... along with their wives and slave.....s would have been like finding a stadium in the middle of nowhere.... but it was there and Jesus found it.... beside the sea.... where they could probably enjoy a nice breeze from the sea.
The Passover feast was coming up. Millions of descendants of Jacob [Israel] were in Jerusalem, or on their way to Jerusalem for Passover. So... the Roman Guard would be on alert for the crowd..... and the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Temple leaders would be on alert for any disturbance that might get them in trouble.
Enter Jesus.... the Passover was a big enough crowd pleaser.... but now that Jesus of Nazareth was in town too.... the one that had attacked the Temple Venders and Money Changers..... and they did not like His attitude. He didn't kowtow to them.
The crowd found Jesus.... so Jesus parked His traveling Salvation show at the grassy mound by the sea.... and He wanted to offer them something to eat. They had traveled on foot for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles.... and the least He could do was offer them a little food.
The Bible says there were about 5,000 free men. If every one of them brought just one person.... their wife for instance.... the wife would not be counted but she would have eaten.... so He would have fed 10,000 humans.... and if that one free man also brought his slave with him.... then that would triple the number to 15,000 humans.... even though only the men were counted. That's a show!
Jesus asked a rhetorical question. He said He wanted to offer them all a little something to eat.... and His earthbound human disciples started to point out the issues it would present. The commentary says that even if they had the money for all the bread they would need to buy.... the volume of loaves required could not be produced on demand.... if they went to every shop in town they wouldn't come up with that much bread.
Jesus had it under control.... He was offered a little boys sack.... and from that... He fed the whole crowd with a basket left over for each of the twelve tribes of Israel..... Jesus knew how to run a pot luck.
They wanted to make Him king. He knew that. The people were starting to discuss that notion. That was not good for His Mission. His time here on earth was pretty much laid out.... make the Pharisees angry enough to cause a commotion getting Him to the Cross and then the Tomb so He cold defeat death and return home. But first there was a lot of work to be done.
Jesus was working for God. He didn't want to be an earthly king. It wasn't His time to rule the world.... He was there to teach, heal, and offer Salvation. He was not there to be worried over budgets and adversary governments. It wasn't time..... so He fed them... healed them... and taught them.... but He wasn't about to let them coronate Him. The time [which God controls] was not right.
I like that Jesus didn't let the adoration of the 5,000 go to His head. I gotta say.... if someone handed me a petition with 5.000 signatures of humans wanting me to run for a government office.... I would be extremely tempted to do so.... the adoration alone would be tempting.... but Jesus knew it wasn't His time to be king. He knew He would be returning to be King of Kings.... not just a king.
I love a man with a plan!
