What is the message of Jesus?

Jesus performed many miracles that John did not include in his gospel, but he records miracles so that we may believe and trust Jesus as the Messiah: «Jesus did many other signs before his disciples that are not written in this one A book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, because you believe, you may have life in his name” (John 20,30:31).

The miracle of feeding the great crowd pointed to a spiritual truth. This is also why Jesus wanted Philip to think about it: “When Jesus looked up, he saw crowds coming to him. Then he said to Philip, Where can we buy bread for all these people? He asked this to see if Philip would trust him; for he already knew how to take care of the people” (John 6,5-6 Hope for All).

Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven to give life to the world. Just as bread is food for our physical life, so Jesus is the source of spiritual life and spiritual energy. When did Jesus feed a large crowd, of which John reports: "Now it was just before Passover, the feast of the Jews" (John 6,4). Bread is an important element in the Passover period, Jesus reveals that salvation does not come from physical bread, but from Jesus himself. Philip's response shows that he did not recognize this challenge: «For two hundred pennies bread is not enough for them that everyone may have a little” (John 6,7).

Andreas didn't speculate about the price, but must have been good with children, he had made friends with a boy: "There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what is that for so many?" (John 6,9). Perhaps he was hoping there were more people in the crowd who had wisely brought lunch. Jesus instructed the disciples to make the people sit down. About five thousand men sat down in the meadow. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and gave them as much as the people wanted. He did the same with the fish. Everyone ate as much as they wanted.

"When the people saw the sign that Jesus did, they said, 'Surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world'" (John 6,14-15). They thought that Jesus was the prophet whom Moses foretold: «I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and put my words into his mouth; he shall speak to them everything that I command him" (5. Mon 18,18). They weren't willing to listen to Jesus. They wanted to make him king by force, to force him into their idea of ​​what a messiah should be, instead of allowing Jesus to do what God had sent him to do. When everyone had had their fill, Jesus said to the disciples, "Gather up the fragments that are left, so that nothing perishes" (John 6,12). Why would Jesus want to collect all the leftovers? Why not leave those extras to people? The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers, John tells us. He writes nothing about what happened to those half-eaten loaves. What is there in the spiritual realm that Jesus did not want to perish? John gives us a hint later in this chapter.

Walk on the water

Towards evening his disciples went down to the shore of the lake. They got into their boat and set off to cross the lake towards Capernaum. It was already pitch black and Jesus had not yet come down from the mountain. They left Jesus alone because it was not uncommon for Jesus to want to be alone more often at certain times. Jesus was in no hurry. He could have waited for a boat like other people did. But he walked on water, apparently to teach a spiritual lesson.

In Matthew the spiritual lesson is faith, John says nothing about Peter walking on water, sinking and being saved by Jesus. What John tells us is this: «They wanted to take him on board; and immediately the boat was on land where they were about to go" (John 6,21). This is the element of the story that John wants to convey to us. The story tells us that Jesus is not limited by physical circumstances. As soon as we accept Jesus, we are on target spiritually.

The Bread of Life

The people sought Jesus out again, looking for another free meal. Jesus encouraged them to seek spiritual food instead: “Do not strive for food that perishes, but for food that endures unto eternal life. The Son of Man will give this to you; for on him is the seal of God the Father" (John 6,27).

So they asked him, What must we do to gain acceptance from God? Jesus answered them that one thing would suffice: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6,29).

Don't try to work your way into the kingdom of God - just trust Jesus and you will be inside. They demanded proof as if the feeding of the five thousand was not enough! They expected something extraordinary, like Moses feeding their ancestors in the desert with "manna" (bread from heaven). Jesus replied that the true bread from heaven not only nourishes the Israelites - it gives life to the whole world: "For this is the bread of God, which come down from heaven, and gives life to the world" (John 6,33).

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not go hungry; and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (John 6,35). Jesus declared that He is the bread from heaven, the source of eternal life in the world. People had seen Jesus perform miracles and they still didn't believe him because he didn't meet their requirements for a Messiah. Why did some believe and others not? Jesus explained it as the work of the Father: "No one can come to me unless the Father brings him to me!" (John 6,65 Hope for All).

What does Jesus do after the Father has done this? He shows us his role when he says: «Whatever the Father gives me comes to me; and whoever comes to me I will not cast out" (John 6,37). They may leave Him of their own accord, but Jesus will never cast them out. Jesus wants to do the Father's will, and the Father's will is that Jesus should not lose any of those whom the Father has given him: "But this is the will of him who sent me, that I lose nothing of all things what he has given me, but that I will raise it up on the last day" (John 6,39). Since Jesus never loses a single one, he promises to raise them up on the last day.

eat his meat?

Jesus challenged them even more: «Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6,53). Just as Jesus was not referring to the product made from wheat when he called himself the true bread, so Jesus does not mean that we should actually eat his flesh. In the Gospel of John it is often a mistake to take Jesus' words literally. History shows that Jesus meant something spiritual.

The explanation for this is given by Jesus himself: «It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6,63). Jesus is not making any reference to his muscle tissue here - he is talking about his words and teachings. His disciples seem to get the point. When Jesus asks them if they want to go away, Peter replies, "Lord, where shall we go? You have words of eternal life; and we believed and knew that You are the Holy One of God" (John 6,68-69). Peter wasn't concerned about having access to the flesh of Jesus - he was focused on Jesus' words. The unanimous message of the New Testament is that the holy comes from faith, not from a special food or drink.

From heaven

The reason people should believe in Jesus is because he came down from heaven. Jesus repeats this important statement several times in this chapter. Jesus is absolutely trustworthy because he not only has a message from heaven, but because he himself is from heaven. The Jewish leaders did not like his teaching: "Then the Jews grumbled against him, because he said, 'I am the bread which came down from heaven'" (John 6,41).

Nor could some of Jesus' disciples accept them—even after Jesus made it clear that he was not speaking of his literal flesh, but that his words themselves were the source of eternal life. They were troubled that Jesus claimed to be from heaven - and that he was therefore more than human. Peter knew he had nowhere else to go, for only Jesus had the words of eternal life: «Lord, where shall we go? You have words of eternal life; and we believed and knew that You are the Holy One of God" (John 6,68th). Why did Peter know that only Jesus had those words? Peter trusted Jesus and was convinced that Jesus is the Holy One of God.

What is the message of Jesus. He is the message itself! That is why Jesus' words are trustworthy; that is why his words are spirit and life. We believe in Jesus not just because of his words, but because of who he is. We don't accept him for his words - we accept his words for who he is. Since Jesus is the Holy One of God, you can trust Him to do what He promised: He will not lose anyone, but will raise you up, dear reader, on Judgment Day. Jesus had all the bread gathered into twelve baskets so that nothing would perish. That is the will of the Father and that is something worth pondering.

by Joseph Tkach