“I am the bread of life.” John 6:35

Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel details what is probably the most well know of Jesus’ miracles – feeding at least five thousand people (some think it may be up to ten thousand) with a little boy’s lunch. In this post I want to skip on down to the day following this miracle, verses 22-70.

On this day, the same crowd followed Jesus to the other side of the sea of Capernaum. Jesus knew what was in their hearts and minds, even before they spoke. They had been given more than enough food the day before. They had seen the miracle and had called Jesus the Prophet, in reference to Deuteronomy 18:15. They were God’s people, who proclaimed to follow the teaching of Moses; the instructions that God Himself had given them. Yet, here was God among them and they did not recognise or receive Him.

They asked Him for a sign (v30) so that they could believe Him. Hadn’t He given them a sign the previous day? He had fed them, and in Matthew 14:14 we read that before feeding them He had healed all the sick among them. They didn’t want a sign in order to believe, they wanted a continuous supply of food (34).

We read yesterday about a man who had been crippled for 38 years, yet when Jesus healed him, he didn’t want to follow Him and become His disciple. This is the same scenario. These people had been fed, and many healed, but they didn’t want to follow Jesus, they just wanted what they could get from Him to satisfy their earthly desires.

When Jesus started talking about commitment and dying to self, they turned against Him. Instead of being The Prophet, he was now just the son of Joseph. They wanted miracles, but they didn’t want discipleship. They wanted as easy life, not self-sacrifice.

“From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.” (v66). It is the same situation we face today. Many want Jesus as their healer and provider, but few want to follow Him as their Lord.