Friday, May 2 – John 6, Matthew 15

1. In which region did Jesus feed the five thousand and the four thousand? (John 6:1)

2. According to Matthew, how many people did Jesus feed on one occasion? (Matthew 15:38)

3. Why did Jesus use the miracle of feeding the five thousand to present His great discourse on the Bread of Life?

The evangelists John and Matthew offer powerful accounts of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Capernaum), Judea (Jerusalem), and Tyre and Sidon. How many beautiful and practical lessons can we draw from these stories!

Taking advantage of the miracle of feeding five thousand men (not including women and children, perhaps totaling twelve to fifteen thousand people), Jesus delivered an extended discourse in which He declared Himself to be the Bread of Life. As expected, this caused a strong reaction among the Jews and even among His disciples, who were confused by such a declaration.

Since Moses, when God fed the people with manna from heaven, the Jews focused solely on physical food. They were unable to perceive the spiritual dimension of the miracle. As evidence of this, after being miraculously fed, many of the Jews attempted to take Jesus by force and make Him king. They continued to believe that the expected Messiah would be a political leader, capable of performing signs and miracles to benefit them above other nations.

Perhaps we would have reacted similarly if we had been in that congregation. However, the Lord frustrated their plans and withdrew to the mountain to pray.

The next event John records is Jesus walking on the sea, a summarized version of what Matthew narrates in chapter 14. John does not mention Peter walking on the water, nor does he note that the storm ceased and the disciples worshiped Him when Jesus entered the boat. They arrived at Capernaum, and the crowd that had been seeking Him found Him there. They asked, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” His response was direct:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:26–27)

Jesus showed them that our greatest need, even as we eat our daily bread, is to recognize that God is the Provider and that Jesus is the true Bread who nourishes our souls.

Faced with murmuring and resistance to His words, Jesus reiterated that He, as the Bread of Life, could satisfy our hunger for eternal life. The Jews, unable to grasp the truth, absurdly interpreted His words as an invitation to cannibalism: “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)

As Paul wisely said: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
John 6 concludes with Jesus inviting us to “eat His flesh and drink His blood” spiritually so we may abide in Him. Ellen G. White beautifully summarizes this truth:

“It is through the word that Christ abides in His followers. This is the same vital union that is represented by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. The words of Christ are spirit and life. Receiving them, you receive the life of the Vine” (The Desire of Ages 677)

As was often the case, the scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus not with sincere motives, but to challenge His identity and authority. Sometimes, they came with tricky questions to see if He would contradict their beliefs and traditions.

In this instance, the issue involved an oral tradition of the rabbis that supplemented and explained Scripture. The Pharisees regarded it as equal or nearly equal in authority to the Scriptures. Jesus strongly rebuked such traditions whenever they conflicted with the principles of God’s law. This time, the matter at hand concerned the ritual washing of hands.

Jesus called them hypocrites for teaching human doctrines. What did Jesus mean in verse 11 when He said: “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man”?
He was not abolishing the health laws of Leviticus. His point was that spiritual defilement does not come from food (even if clean) but from what proceeds from the heart, evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, etc.

Thank God for the richness and light that each evangelist brings to the life, works, and teachings of Jesus.

Blessings to all.