FOLLOW JESUS TO HEAVEN
John 6:22-37
MIRACLES UNNOTICED
A good teacher can guide his students from ignorance
To knowledge, from the flesh to the spirit, and, from immaturity to
Maturity. Jesus was a good teacher. When He ascended back into
Heaven, He sent one just like Him, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus meets us where we are and gradually guides us to where we need
To be to serve Him. Jesus had taught the Word and fed 5000
Not including women and children with a boy’s lunch of two fish and five
Pieces of bread. The people focused on the meal, not the miracle of
The meal. Nowhere in the text do we find those that were fed, asking where all the fish and bread came from, and who did the cooking? Other than Jesus, we don’t find anyone thanking the Father for the meal.
Jesus sent His disciples to the other side of the lake. The fed folk observed
Who got in the boat, but they didn’t see Jesus. Jesus provides for everyone,
The good and the bad. Those who show up to listen and those who show
Up to get are blessed. Whenever you are in the company of Jesus, believers
Or non-believers, you will be blessed.
FOLLOW JESUS TO THE OTHER SIDE TO BE FED
V:22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
People are watching you. They observe when you come and go. They pay
Attention to who you associate with. If you did something for them once, they
Expect you to do it again. The fed folk followed Jesus across the lake
To be fed again. People will travel great distances to get something free.
It should be our business to wake in the morning in search of the spiritual food
From Jesus. Fulfillment will be found in the continued study of the Word.
FOLLOW JESUS TO LEARN THE TRUTH
V.25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, \”Rabbi, when did you get here?\”
26 Jesus answered, \”I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Jesus does not answer questions that lead down a rabbit hole. He redirects your
Questions to areas of enlightenment. How Jesus got to the other side of the lake
Was not important. What the followers needed to know was the truth
About their motives for following Him.
Why do you come to church? Do you come to learn or be entertained? Do
You come out of habit or to develop a closer relationship with Jesus? Do
You come to learn of Jesus or to tell Jesus what you know? Do you come
To worship the Lord or to be seen?
The crowd participated in the miracle of a boy’s lunch meant for one, stretched to
Feed 15000 people if you include women and children. They ate of the
Miracle, but didn’t recognize their meal as a miracle. Every day there are miracles
We don’t recognize it. When our eyes are focused on the flesh we are blinded to
The relationship with Jesus.
We shouldn’t follow Jesus to satisfy our stomachs, but follow Jesus to learn of
Him and the power He possesses that connects us to the Father. What we need
Most from Jesus is the truth.
FOLLOWING JESUS IS A WORK IN PROCESS
V:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval.\”
Notice Jesus refocuses our questions of Him to that which will enlighten us.
He does not get upset because we are slow to learn. He guides us to a place
Where we ask the right questions. To ask the right questions, we need the
Right information.
What we learn here is tolerance for those who are not at our level of
Maturity. Everyone learns at different levels.
Don’t work for food for the stomach which lasts a moment, but works for
Food that provides eternal life. It takes an awareness that only by studying
God’s Word that we find the truth that has lasting value.
Man changes, our circumstances change, and world ideas change, but the Word
Of God is unchangeable. The Spiritual food we eat does not need the FDA
Approval, because it has the seal of approval from the Father. The Spiritual
Food is the Word which is the Son of God, our Lord, and Savior.
THE RIGHT QUESTION
V:28 Then they asked him, \”What must we do to do the works God requires?\”
29 Jesus answered, \”The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.\”
Days of discussions brought those who followed Jesus across the lake
To the most important question. What must we do to do the work, God
Requires? The answer Jesus gave would take a change in the hearts of
Followers. To believe that Jesus was sent by the Father was against
Their traditions. According to their traditions. Any person who claims to
Being the Son of God was blasphemy. They couldn’t see Jesus, a
Son of a carpenter, Mary’s son was anything other than a teacher from
Galilee. However, Jesus spoke the truth they needed.
It is only our belief that Jesus was sent by the Father to die for our sins that get us eternal life. For a non-believer, it takes a transformation that
Only Jesus can do it. Everyone who comes to Jesus as something that draws
Them to Him. In this case, the drawing card was fish and bread.
WRONG QUESTIONS REVEAL WRONG BELIEFS
V:30 So they asked him, \”What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: \’He gave them bread from heaven to eat.\’\”
They heard the Word, they had the evidence of the truth of the Word, and
The author of the Word was in front of them but couldn’t believe the Word.
Jesus spoke about spiritual truth, but they were focused on physical proof.
They recalled what Moses did in the desert, but attributed the manna given as
From him and not God. They want proof by the sight of another miracle to believe. In Jesus. Faith is belief in the Word of God without proof.
If we listen carefully to unbelievers, we will discover the areas of enlightenment
They need. The conversation with Jesus revealed why they believed what they
Believed. The conversation also revealed the Word they needed to guide them
To the truth.
BELIEVE AND RECEIVE THE BREAD OF LIFE
V:32 Jesus said to them, \”I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.\”
Jesus did not debate their unbelief but gave them more truth to consider.
You and I cannot change anyone’s belief, we must let the Word and
The power of the Holy Spirit does the convicting. Through the power of the
Holy Spirit, hearts are softened and minds are changed.
THE RIGHT DESIRE
V.34 \”Sir,\” they said, \”from now on give us this bread.\”
This should be our daily prayer, give us this bread for this day. We have a desperate need for the Word of God. We need to be guided and directed by the Word to make the right decision. We need the enlightenment of the Word to resist the devil\’s deceptions.
JESUS NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU
V:35 Then Jesus declared, \”I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.
A relationship with Jesus is all we need. When we rely on Jesus we never
Hungry for the desires of the world because Jesus promised to provide
All our needs. We will never thirst for the pleasures of the world because
True joy comes from Jesus. Faith requires us to wait on Jesus and allow
His will to be done in our lives.
The just live by faith and not by sight. Many of the followers of Jesus
Wanted more miracles to believe. You will never believe it unless you
See the daily miracles Jesus provides. At night we can’t see the sun, but
We know it exists. In the daytime, we can’t see the stars, but we know
They exist. We can’t see Jesus, but we must have faith that He exists.
We have the evidence in nature, the testimony of the Word, the testimony of the prophets, and the evidence in our lives that Jesus lives.
Who better to follow than the one who made everything, has knowledge
Of all things, and has all power. I would rather follow the creator than one
Who was created.
Isaiah 40:28-29
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
FOLLOW JESUS TO THE CHURCH
Rev. M. Mitchell
