After feeding the multitude in John 6, the people followed Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus told them that they looked for Him because they ate the loaves and were filled. Although they enjoyed the loaves, the people missed the greater gift of God. All they could see was Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother they knew. Jesus told them that He was the bread of life that came down from heaven. When He said this, many of those who followed Him complained and walked with Him no more, (John 6:61, 66).
Many who followed Jesus and received His miracles were not able to receive the full benefit of what God gives. Think about the full benefit of what God gives. In 2 Corinthians 1:20 All of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Christ. When Christ is revealed, all of the treasures of God’s promises find entrance and fulfillment in our lives. We may be fed, blessed, healed, and receive the joy of God’s presence through Christ. The full bounty of God’s promises are in Christ. This relates to present and eternal blessings.
What good is it if we are healed and blessed but do not inherit eternal life? If we eat miracle food and do not receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we only have temporary relief.
Jesus said they looked for Him because they ate the loaves and had their fill. Their only interest was immediate comfort and reprieve. We all want and need the temporary relief from our immediate and pressing situations and sentence of death. Truly Jesus Christ offers hope, reprieve, and relief for our current pressing problems and battles. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus declared the larger benefit of coming to Him. In Luke’s Gospel, He took the scroll and read Isaiah’s prophecy.
Luke 4:18-19 NKJV “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Think about this for a moment. Jesus was declaring His mission to minister to the immediate and eternal need of hurting and sinful people.
We want to get the most out of what God gives. Our God is gracious and merciful, and full of kindness. Out of His mercy and great grace, we are blessed in many ways.
- The Lord Jesus Christ was anointed to come and give the message of salvation to the poor or spiritually bankrupt.
- He came to heal the brokenhearted. This refers to physical, spiritual and emotional hurts, griefs, disease, and injuries. Brokenhearted refers to all of the consequences of life that are hurt or destroyed as a result of sin.
- “He came to bring liberty to captives” refers to every aspect of life that is captivated, addicted, and bound. He breaks the chains of spiritual and physical bondage.
- His ministry recovers sight to blind, gives liberty to the bruised and oppressed, and proclaims the Lord’s favor has come.
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus’ ministry addresses poverty, sorrow, bondage, suffering and oppression.
Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
All of these benefits should have a greater purpose than the immediate need that is supplied. He blesses in order to draw to God and prepare a people for the kingdom. This really relates to being called out of the world into the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:19 NKJV If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Here is the real message. Jesus came into this world to do more than give food to the hungry. Jesus came to do more. He came to break the power and counteract the curse of sin. He came to bring people out of darkness and into the light and love of the presence of the Father. Here is the message of the good news.
While Jesus is preparing a people for the presence of the Father, He brings real relief to poverty of spirit, brokenhearted sorrow, captives and bondage, suffering and need for physical healing, and oppression and the bruised, crushed and broken down. For these things to happen, Jesus must do more than satisfy our temporary or immediate hunger. He must do enough to transform our lives. All of Jesus’ ministry and actions were formulated in the heart of the Father with the express purpose of drawing believers to Himself.
John 6:44 NKJV No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:65 AMP And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.
The religious people Jesus was ministering to stood in stark contradiction to the Lord. They misunderstood, rejected, and opposed Jesus. They radically disagreed with His claim that He came “down from heaven.” They questioned His origin, authority and words. Since they knew Him personally, they thought they knew everything about Him. They knew Joseph His father, and Mary His mother, and His brothers. To them Jesus was no different from any other man.
Before anyone can truly enjoy all of the benefit of Christ’s atonement, they must be able to see Jesus for Who He is.
They had two problems:
- They were ignorant of the incarnation. They rejected the fact that Jesus came down from heaven. They did not believe that He was the Son of God. To them Jesus was no different from any other prophet or man of God. He was a good man, but they did not believe that He was the Son of God.
- They were fixated on His place of birth and family origin, and could not accept Who He really is and His mission. God was doing many miracles, signs and wonders to draw them to Himself but they refused to hear what the Holy Spirit or the Father was saying. They were unable and unwilling to listen to the prophets and patriarchs of old. Their ears were closed to God’s instruction.
John 6:43–45 NIV84 Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me.
Here is a great tragedy. Jesus loved them and cared for them and had come to save and minister to them. He was prepared to give them much more than a meal in the countryside, but they were not ready to receive Him. All they could do was grumble, murmur and argue about Who Jesus was and His claims to be the Son of God. The Door, the Way and Truth and Life into all of God’s blessing and promise was before them. All of the promises of God are in Christ Jesus, (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Look at this major truth.
John 6:44 NKJV No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
God must draw you to Christ. To come to Jesus and receive all of His benefits, the Heavenly Father must draw (or call) us to Christ. Every blessing depends on the active work of the Father. Consider this fact, “God is faithful, by whom you have been called into the fellowship of His Son,” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
Philippians 2:13 NKJV For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
God wants to draw people to Himself and save sinners.
2 Peter 3:9 NKJV The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The Lord our God is faithful and has taken the initiative to call you to Christ. Think about this for a moment. Thousands of people came out to see Jesus. He provided loaves and fishes and healed their sick, but they refused to follow Him.
Revelation 3:20 NKJV Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Jesus is talking about more than sharing a meal. Jesus is referring to the universal call that has gone out to the world.
Revelation 22:17 NKJV And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Everyone who responds can receive God’s blessing and favor.
God is working before we respond.
We cannot come to Christ by our own effort and energy. We cannot come to Christ by our own works, thought, or will. We do not take the initiative.
The Lord is coming for us. He is seeking to save what is lost. We are on the other side of the door and He is knocking.
We must respond to the call of God.
How can we respond and have fellowship with Christ?
The multitudes came out to where Jesus was and listened to His sermon, ate the bread and fish, and many were healed. That sounds awesome, but John 6:66, says, “Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” All of those things were wonderful to experience, but they did not get the most out of what God was giving. God had prepared much more for them and for us.
Revelation 3:20 NKJV Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
We have to respond to God. God has more than bread and water or miracles and healings. Those things are good and necessary blessings, but God the Father has prepared Christ Jesus for you.
Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
God is working before we respond.
Have any of you ever gone fishing? Have you ever gone out to the lake and the fish just jump out of the water into your lap? Most of the time, you have to drag them in.
Jesus is saying, “I am standing at the door and knocking. If you will respond, I will come in to your life and you can feast off of Me.”
How can we get the most out of what God gives? When He draws, we must respond. He knocks, we have to open the door. God is not going to knock the door down or force an entry. He will bless and provide, He will call and do wonderful works, but He waits for us to respond.
Ephesians 4:22-24 AMP Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
When we respond and receive Christ, there are some things we must start doing. The Father and the Holy Spirit will offer a new life in Christ without the pain, shame or condemnation of the old life. Ephesians 4:23 say be “renewed in the spirit of your mind,” and “put on the new nature.” When we respond to Him, we must decide to lay down some things and start doing some new things. When we decide to lay them down, God gives strength to leave them behind and forsake them.
- When we decide to be clothed with a brand-new nature, He will continually renew us.
- We have to decide to forgive.
- We have to decide to live in joy.
- We have to decide to live in love.
- We have to decide to live in goodness.
God will not abandon those who put on the new man. God will not leave you alone to figure this out on your own. This is where the Holy Spirit works in our lives. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. (John 16:8) The Holy Spirit attracts us to the cross of Christ and shows us there is power in the blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit will reveal what is gained in Christ and stirs us to respond to Christ.
Isaiah 30:21 NKJV Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Our part in spiritual progress is threefold.
- We must hear the voice of God calling. We have to pay attention to the pull, tug, or movement of God’s Spirit. Listen when the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
- We must learn of God. If anyone wants to learn of God, He has to come to Christ. We cannot learn of God without Jesus Christ. This is related to the fellowship of Jesus Christ. We must start walking with Him and listening to His voice.
- We must yield to the drawing power of God. God reveals, pulls, and tugs at our heart.He will draw you to Christ and encourage obedience. We must learn to be quick to obey His voice.
Anyone that feels independent cannot find Him. This was the problem with the multitude of disciples in John 6.Many signs, wonders and miracles were done in their midst and they heard the wonderful news of the Gospel, but they murmured and grumbled. The self-centered and rebellious cannot find Him or grow. We have to respond to His quickening pull. If we resist and draw back, we will not find God’s blessing and favor.
Hebrews 10:38-39 NKJV Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
We are looking at how to get the most out of what God gives. Do you understand that you cannot get this blessing and favor of God on our own? This is why it is so critical for us to learn to be tender and sensitive to the very whisper of God. It is amazing that the crowds that were with Jesus could not see what was so plainly shown them. They ate His bread and fish, received His miracles and healings, but walked away because their hearts and minds were hardened by unbelief. All they could see was the boy down the street. They could only see the carpenter’s son.
If we will respond, He will give us life.
