Who is this Jesus? [Part 2]

Jesus shows Himself to be the Lord over the created world.

In chapter five Jesus shows by a miracle that he is more than just a good man or wise teacher. He healed a man who was a life-long invalid on the Sabbath. When challenged by the Judean party for breaking the Sabbath, Jesus claimed God as his Father, claimed to be doing God’s will, and claimed to be able to give eternal life. The Judean party knew what he was claiming. John comments on the situation: John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

In chapter six Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee and fed more than five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. This is not a matter of people being satisfied by eating only a small pinch of food. They all had enough to eat (John 6:12). The left-over food filled twelve medium sized baskets.

John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” They recognized that such a powerful miracle could only be accomplished by the promised Messiah. However, in order to avoid a wrong-headed political movement to make him their king, Jesus left them to go be alone in the mountain. This should begin to tell us what sort of King Jesus is. He is not a political king. As we will see later he is not the King that the people expected.

He deomonstrated his claim to be God’s Son by healing a man and miraculously feeding a very large crowd. This is the setting for what follows. Now he is about to demonstrate that he is the Lord over creation. The disciples had gotten into a boat to cross the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee). At night his disciples were in a boat, rowing across the sea, in a storm, about three or four miles out from the shore. The storms on the lake are notoriously violent. They come up suddenly and grow to treacherous proportions quickly. This was a very dangerous situation. In the middle of this situation, Jesus came to them walking across the water. This breaks all the physical laws of the created world. Imagine if you will the startling effect this must have had on the men. They were justifiably afraid.

John 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I (literally- I Am); do not be afraid.”

What does the fact that Jesus healed a long time invalid, claimed equality with God, miraculously fed a large crowd, and had the ability to set aside the laws of the physical world say what about who he is? His actions show us that he is truly who he claims to be, the Son of God, the Lord of Creation.

Do we need to fear Jesus? It depends upon what he is for you. Is he your judge? Is he your Savior?

Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Psalm 2:10-12 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life.

Some of the people who were fed miraculously earlier in this chapter found Jesus after he crossed the sea. He begins to teach them about their true need and the gift that he offers. They were following him because of the miracles. He tells them there is something much more important. He uses imagery taken from the miracle of feeding five thousand to explain what he offers to them.

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (See also John 6:48, 51.)

What is the basic, most fundamental, human need? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is often used in counseling. (It is not without its critics, however.) Imagine a pyramid beginning on the bottom and moving toward the top the needs that Maslow proposes are: physiological, safety, love-belonging, esteem, self-actualization. Do you notice a glaring omission in this list? Like all of us, the people Jesus talks to in this chapter have their focus on what they can see, taste, or feel. They miss the most important thing.

Jesus uses the language of essential physical needs, hunger and thirst, to speak to their most important need. A basic understanding of Jesus’ focus is that while he does have concern for our physical existence, his real purpose in coming is to meet the greatest need of all.

So, what is the emphasis of Jesus’ promises--material blessings, personal advantages, power and influence? John 6:27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem (House of Bread), is the source of this promised eternal life. He offers to give us eternal life by giving himself.

Remember, apart from Jesus we are already condemned, John 3:18-19 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” Before God, what do condemned sinners need most of all? What is Jesus offering us?

Jesus tells them that Moses had given them bread from heaven (manna), but God has sent true bread, that is Jesus himself (John 6:32-33). Even though Jesus speaks clearly here--he says that he is the true bread from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:34-35)—they misunderstand this language. They think that Jesus is saying that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:52). Others are offended because they do not believe Jesus has come from heaven (John 6:42). Of course this implies something very disturbing to them—Jesus truly is God’s Son.

Jesus explains that the eating and drinking is believing in him as to who he is and what he has come to do. A person receives the promised blessing by faith in Christ’s sacrifice.

John 6:35, 47-48, 51 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life . . . I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Here eating and drinking are figurative ways to speak of believing that the sacrifice Jesus made, in giving his body to death on a Cross, is for our sins. Anyone who believes in him will have eternal life. The Bible teaches that we receive this promised, gracious gift of God through faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Both salvation and the faith that receives the promised salvation are God’s gift. God’s gracious act of offering and giving life comes to us through faith. We are empty handed before God. God gives us the gift, freely, graciously. What does Jesus do to make this gift possible? Jesus' flesh and blood speaks of the sacrifice he made on the Cross. Those who believe the promise he makes receive the benefits of that sacrifice.

Does Jesus ever reject someone who believes in him?

John 6:35, 37, 44 Jesus said to them, “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst . . . All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out . . . No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Who enables us to come to Jesus, that is, to believe in him? Can we believe in Jesus apart from God’s work in our lives?

[Part 3 will continue this study.]