Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
6:1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 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!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
I Am the Bread of Life
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. (ESV)
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Jesus asked Philip the question to test his faith to see if Philip trusted in him to provide. But Philip did not pass the test as he looked at his surroundings he was overcome by them and could not see past them. I am stuck with the the thought that many times I am like Philip. I look at my circumstances and what I can or can not do instead of focusing on Christ and being confident that he can do the unthinkable. When we are in those moments or circumstances that seem hopeless, and doubt and defeat seem to hang over us may we remember that Jesus is testing us in our faith. And although in that moment it looks like our circumstances are dim and there is nothing else that can be done may we hold on tightly to the faith that we profess, and trust in Jesus to provide our every need. What a great story to remember. What encouragement it brings to know that If Jesus did for the disciples and his followers he can do it for us. May our faith in Christ carry us through every day as we hold on to the confidence that our God who is mightier and more powerful then anything or anyone is working in our lives that he may be glorified through us and is teaching us and training so that we may persevere and in the end receive the hope to which he has given us our eternal hope.
John 6 – two more miracles that prove Jesus is God and His love and kindness towards His enemies (us!). What more evidence do I need to respond to God and do what He says? Time is short and many people need the bread of life and to be reached for Christ. Lord, thank You and please let me be a part of Your plan of salvation today by sharing your gospel with someone today.
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
What an incredible revelation about our Jesus, Who knows just what we will ever do. Yet He is so amazing in all His omniscience, that He gives us over to ourselves, so that we can live out what is really in our hearts, and the truth of our hearts may be evidenced through our choices. I am no robot. I am a free-thinking, free-choosing individual, created by God, intended to give Him glory through ALL of my choices. Andrew showed the faith he had in Jesus by gathering what the crowd had, and bringing it straight to Jesus. AWESOME.
Please pray for my Aunt Vicky. She accepted Jesus into her heart last night. She needs prayer, please. Thank you, my TN brothers and sisters…
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
I can imagine the shock the disciples felt as they saw Jesus walking toward them ON the water! Jesus did not walk on water just to amaze the disciples, He did it to show His sovereignty over the world that He created! This passage is a testimony to the truth that Jesus is omnipotent, He has the power to do anything just as easily as anything else. As I meditate on the truth that Jesus is sovereign (in total control over every circumstance in my life) and omnipotent (has all the power to do anything He wants) it changes my perspective over difficult circumstances in my life. I do not need to despair in tough times because God has sovereignly allowed them into my life and because He has the power to take them away as soon as it serves His will. That is a comforting thought as I face a few issues that are difficult and I wish could be taken out of my life. Thank You, God, for being in control and all-powerful! You deserve all my worship and trust.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
This is amazing! In the midst of such a great miracle, usually a place for personal or self glory, Jesus turns to God and thanks Him. I couldn’t even imagine such restraint to completely blow over the fact that he bent the laws of human ability and caused bread to multiply, from nowhere! Jesus truly portrays the statement “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory”(Psalm 115:1).
Since the God of the universe, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, etc…humbled himself, although he truly did extraordinary miracles worthy of praise, I, who have done very little to be recognized or praised should humble myself even lower, considering all others better than myself. May my life be to the glory of the Lord, and not to me.
God is good!
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Nice post Alicia! I agree that there are times where I am like Philip and I know I need to trust in God under all circumstances. He really can do the unthinkable and there should be no doubts in what the Lord can do! instead of taking situations into my own hands, I realized that the outcome is never good. Yet, if I trust in God and seek out his will, he will take care of it! It is really comforting to know that he will never leave nor forsake me. Jesus tests us in our faith, as Alicia mentioned! And that we need to stand up for the gospel and the faith that we profess!
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
It must have been tempting to embrace the fame and power that would come with being king. Of course he is the KING but he did not act like it. Instead he humbled himself and sought the Father’s will and timing for things. He took on the role of a servant and eventually made himself nothing as he took on the cross for our sake (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus is the ultimate example of how life should be lived. I should try and follow His example in everything I do.
14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
After Jesus has been performing awesome miracles in front of people, such as this feeding of the five thousand (men, not including women and children) found in this chapter. The people saw what he was doing and they began to declare of how Jesus is the long-awaited Prophet who had come into the world. Hearing stories that they would be saved, they expected a king to save them by driving out the Roman Empire and leading the people as king. Therefore, they tried to reach Him so that they could force Him to be their king immediately. They didn’t know that Jesus had come to save them from their sins and eternal punishment in hell, but Jesus kept in mind His true purpose. He knew what He was to accomplish on earth, and so He withdrew Himself to mountainside. These people were ready to crown Him and obey and of His commands. Yet Jesus denied this. He could have lived in all of the luxury that this world could ever provide, but the temptation didn’t phase Him. He kept His eyes set on His role in salvation. He knew He had come not to be served, but to serve, and not to enjoy life here, but lose it to bring true life to others. I need to not get sidetracked by the things of this world. Even if I was to be offered all of the best that this world can offer, I need to always realize how those things are temporary and this world is fleeting. Nothing can compare to my eternal reward, a reward which I can always be sure of and can always look forward too!
Everyone has such good comments, awesome!
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Wow….Jesus testing people’s faith? O-Yeah! The more I think about it the more I realize that tests and trials in life are great oppertunities to grow in my relationship with God and depend more on Him. Instead of turning to worldy things and being depressed/anxious when I face trials I am going to rejoice in them because God is soverign and good. I want to take full advantage of the oppretunities God has given to grow stronger in my faith!
20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Very Interesting…. Jesus tested the faith of one of his disciples by allowing an issue to arise. In the same way he allows issues to arise for us. I failed my last test miserably. Stay strong and dont fail!!!!
ELLO… I read
I like verse 15,”Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
I like this verse because it talks about JESUS already knowing what the people wanted to do. This verse shows that JESUS is all knowing and nothing will happen out of his will. HE controls everything and HE is my king.
CYA
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
It is so amazing how Jesus is able to perform miracles for His people, such as this one. He was able to provide for the multitude from only a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish; this is such an astonishing and humbling thing that He did for His followers. We should be thanking Jesus for the miracles that He does for us in our daily lives. It truly shows His love for us and how He is always there to help us when we need it. Give thanks to the Lord!
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
The problem was the people did not want to make him king for the right reasons. They wanted to make him king so that they could eat every day! To have a king that could provide all the food they ever needed! That would be awesome! But that is not what Jesus came for. He came so that people would repent of their sins. He came to fix our ultimate problem which is separation from God. This Christmas season I’m going to remember why Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one came. He came to tell me I had a problem and then to fix my problem.
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
I used to be a little bit sad that I couldn’t physically see Jesus, and watch him with my own eyes perform a miracle. Then I realized that having faith that the Bible was true, and that Jesus did do these things was all I needed. All the people of Jesus’s time who saw his wonderous works began to believe him because of what they sawww, not necessarily because of what he saiddddd. This passage made me think of the saying “To a watching world, your life is the only Bible some will ever read.”
If other people nowadays are like how I used to be and want to see Jesus’s miracles for themselves, showing them my love and telling them of the works Jesus has done in my life may lead them to saying that Jesus is a ‘Prophet who is to come into the world.’ =]
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
What I find so incredible about this chapter is how Jesus already knows what He is going to do, yet He still allows the disciples to think about whats gonna hapen. Its like how God has a plan for our lives, yet we wonder what is gonna happen each day. I find that after reading this verse, I only want to trust in God and His plan for me. I dont want to, nor do i need to, wonder about tomorrow and so on. He already knows what is going to happen, and its the best that can and will happen!
Maranatha!
6 “He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”
God is all-knowing. Knowing this comforts me, God knows everything about me and has a plan for my life. I can trust God with my life. It is also good to know that God tests me. He doesn’t test me because He wants to see what I’ll do, He already knows, but He tests me because He loves me and wants me to prosper.
!!!MARANATHA!!!
One thing i see in this chapter is Jesus “testing” Philip.
Lets stop for a moment and think of testing. A test is not taken so a teacher can see how smart the student it. It is rather for the student to see how smart he is, and how smart he has grown.
In the same way, Jesus is not testing Philip to see how smart Philip was. Jesus tested Philip to help him grow in his faith, and so Philip could understand who Jesus was and Jesus’ purpose of coming down to earth.
When I take this concept and apply it to my life, I see that God can test me with trials in my life. It is not to see how well I can do during those hard times, but how I will grow in my faith after those trials. James 1:2 says that I should consider trials as pure joy because from that, comes perseverance that will help me grow in my faith.
God Bless!!
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid
What an amazing picture I have what would your reaction be if you say a man walking on water. AMAZING what a miracle how awesome I can’t even describe this wow how amazing. Praise God.
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
This verse shows Jesus’ great power of being perfect and omniciesnt. He is so powerful and we should be in awe of that!!
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Although the disciples had already witnessed Jesus perform the miraculous, when a trial comes along–the lack of food for the crowd assembled–they lacked faith that the problem could be solved. In the same way, I unfortunately sometimes lack the stong faith I should have even though God has answered so many prayers in my life and has blessed me greatly. I want my faith to be steady and great; not wavering. Reading Matthew and John has been a good encouragement to keep my eyes and heart on the cross and remember that my God is an awesome God. Matthew 19:26!!!!!!!!
2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
these people who follow Jesus follow Him only because of His awesome works. we learn later in verse 26 that Jesus calls them out on this. but this verse applies to a lot of people today. some people claim to be Christians and follow Christ because they think that the life of a Christian is easy, filled with what they want. but this is the opposite. Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 16:24-27 that we need to deny ourselves to follow Him. i pray that i am not like these people in the crowd who follow Jesus for the blessings He gives, but because i love Him and want to please Him. i need to be following Christ for the right reasons not just enjoying the blessings He gives!
19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid”
I’m pretty sure that if I witnessed this, I would either have a heart attack, pass out, or tremble in fear. The fact that they went 3 miles and Jesus is walking right up to them is AHMAZING. There’s so many miracles and incredible tasks that Jesus performs in the bible that completely blow my mind. It helps me understand how ridiculously powerful and mighty God really is. God is good!
———————————————————————————————–
Maranatha!
12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
I think that this is so cool that Jesus made so much food that they had left overs. This verse just shows me how powerful God is. I am so thankful that He is my God.
14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
We need to get more people to post! The people of Israel believed because they saw miraculous signs, but JESUS said that they had little faith even though they believed. True faith does not have to involve seeing.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
I love this. Jesus creates matter out of nothing which could possibly make the universe unbalanced, but he’s God and can do what he wants. Jesus breaks the laws of physics and chemistry (the ones that he made) in mere seconds. This verse makes me see the power of God. It’s going to be awesome in heaven to see it in person. Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!
This is an amazing chapter because it shows the amazing power of Jesus. He can feed five thousand with only a few barley loaves. He can walk on water. He was so amazing in the things that He did while on Earth. But that’s not why I worship Him and that’s not why I celebrate His birth at Christmas. Jesus came down to Earth to become a lowly human and die a humiliating death so that I can be free of my sins and live with God for eternity! I am so thankful for that. Any other thing this “holiday” season that takes my focus away from that is despicable for taking my attention away from the truly amazing gift God gave us.
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
Jesus walking on water is one of my favorite miracles in the Bible. It is important that I always trust in Him and not lose sight of him by becoming distracted by other things. If I keep my eyes and my life focused on him, I will not sink into sin.
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Jesus did not come to the earth to be king in the sense the people were thinking. He came to give salvation and I am so thankful and praising God for who he is and what he has done this season! When it says Jesus withdrew again to a mountain by himself I am guessing in that time he was alone, he may have gone off to pray like so many times Jesus went off and prayed by himself. I don’t know if that is what he did, but this verse reminded me of that and how I need to make sure I am following that example because prayer is so important!!!!
In the feeding of the 5000, Jesus Christ shows his power and divine providence. He performed a miracle that was impossible in the eyes of man. Knowing that my Lord is able to perform these mighty acts and has all things in complete control should change my reaction to unknown situations. Rather than worry about what I can’t control, I should rest in knowing that my faithful God has everything under control. My reaction to these situations show how much I trust in Him. He is completely trustworthy and I pray that I would remember this next time I am faced with a trial or difficult circumstance.
Whenever I read John 6 one word always comes to my mind: epic.
Now that word comes to my mind after many things but this chapter really stands out with Jesus feeding 5,000, walking on water and as we will read tomorrow…he lays down a hardcore sermon. It is important to remember the power Jesus has over the physical world and also the spiritual authority that he spoke with. Jesus was a lot more awesome than we usually realize!
I am excited to celebrate his birth this week!
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
The people using the word Prophet reminds me of pastor Mike’s sermon this morning. Jesus came into the world. He was the great Prophet. He came first of all to let us know about the problem, to tell us that everything is not okay. We’re sinners and thus deserve God’s wrath for eternity. Amazingly, He also came to be our Priest, to mediate between us and God; He came to take God’s wrath on Himself so that we would not have to experience it. He came to die for our sins. I want to think not only about His birth this Christmas, but also about why He came and what it is He ultimately did for us: took away the sins of the world. All the miracles that Jesus did during His life were incredible; but I want never to forget the most incredible gift and miracle of all: His death and resurrection for the sins of the world.
Wow we serve an awesome God. Jesus performed two amazing miracles in these 25 chapters alone, proving his pwer and majesty. This is kind of a sneak peak to what is to come when Jesus rules the world. I can’t wait for my own eyes to see Jesus’ face unveiled with his glory and majesty.
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
The discipes were super scared at te image of jesus walking on the water, and I probably would have been too. But how perfectly amazing would it have been to be there witnessing Jesus perfom these miracles. Praise jesus for what he did on earth to show his awesome power!
Even when Philip didn’t trust in God to provide for them, Jesus made a miracle by feeding more than five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two small fish. Being able to trust in God in every situation is important. Sometimes I’ll try to do something and I won’t really put my full faith in God to help me. I hope though, that I will be able to trust in God all the time.
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
I love this verse and it shows me that the Lord already has in mind what he is going to do. All along, he has known what i will do with my life. From the very beginning he has known the plan for my life and i think that is so cool that the Lord has given my life and planned out what i will do in it. Now it is my job to glorify Him in all i say and do! I seem to stress out a lot about college and my future and how many kids i want and i my dream of becoming a professional dancer….but the truth is that the Lord knows what i will do so i need to be following Him and what he wants for me, not want i want or desire for myself! I praise the Lord for planning out my life and i pray that i will follow HIm because his way is always the best way to go!
Praise the Lord<3
When i was younger i remember hearing about how Jesus turned the loaves of bread and fish into enough to feed about 5,000 people i was amazed and to this day that is one of my favorite Bible stories to read. Its just amazing how indescribable GOD is !!!!
19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
I thought this verse is so amazing because a man could walk on water; and the only person who has ever been able to do this is Jesus. Because Jesus was`nt just an ordinary man; he is Gods one and only son. And I think that we should recognize the great wonders that Jesus had performed and still does to this day. And that we should also recognize the miracles he puts in our lives because he loves us. :)
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
when i got to this verse i had to go back and read it again cuz i thought it made me smile. God is so awesome and can do anything. i like how this verse is iin the perfect place. i just get this picture of God showing is power in what He is doing but also explains it just to make sure we know how powerful he is and that he already knew what was going to go down. i love God and his superiority over all
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
I thought this verse was very meaningful because this is where the people truly realized that Jesus was the son of God. I think that Jesus is very powerful and he has great importance to true Christians because of his great example to mankind. I think we all should praise him for all his wonderful miracles and greatness :)
Jesus was not just some man who was crucified. He is God! He is in control of everything in this world and that means we can trust in him to do anything. Jesus, the Lord, is faithful and answers all prayers and is always faithful to forgive. Praise the Lord!
Wow! To sum up this chapter: Jesus performed such amazing miracles and reveals through these that he truly was God in the flesh! Only God can do such extraordinary things. I am so thankful that he humbled himself to human form and saved me from what I truly deserved, death. After reading chapters about miracles that Jesus performed, I am so in awe of what a truly indescribable God I serve! I am so excited to be celebrating his birthday this week and want to make sure that I am acknowledging him though this season! After all, it is all about him!!
20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid”
Awesome! The disciples did not need to be afraid because Jesus was with them. Even if they didn’t have enough food, even if they were in a storm, they was never any need to fear.
I don’t need to be afraid either. No matter what situation I may find myself in, I can have a confident trust in the Messiah!
Verse 6 is a great example of how jesus uses peoples questions to bring to them an even greater answer than what they asked!!! Jesus already knew what they were going to say!!!!! Jesus knows everything about everyone!!!! He does not have to wait for people to ask him questions, he could just come forth and give them the answer but he waits for them to come to Him!!!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
It’s sad how Jesus does something so awesome like feeding 5,000 people with a couple loaves of bread and fish, only to have the people take it the wrong way. Jesus was the Son of God who had come to save mankind from their sin, but these people selfishly just wanted Him to bring physical deliverance from the Romans. This just convicts me to think about whether I truly love God or whether I just want what I think God can give me. Life would be so pointless without my God; LORD, please help me to love you for who you are- the altogether perfect LORD of the Universe-more than anything else. Please help me not to act out of selfish ambition but in all things because I love you and want to see you praised.
2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
This reminds me of Bobby’s sermon where he started to talk about street cred. Whenever there is something new out there we always here about it because of one of our friends or ads out on tv, internet, or outside. I remember I first heard about the Ipod when my friend Madison showed me hers and I remember when I first got Facebook because I heard Bobby tell everybody to get facebooks. This should be the same with talking about Jesus Christ. I only heard about Jesus Christ because other people told me about him. My mom introduced me to Him and Church and I became a Christian at Compass Bible Church. The only way some people may hear about Jesus Christ is by us going up to them and asking them if they know who Jesus Christ or if they know anything about the Gospel. I have gone up to several people and they have told me that they have no idea who he is and the conversation would go on for like a half hour to an hour long!!! I would have thought that everyone in Orange County would have to know who he is!!! Well some people out there will only hear about him because of True North street cred going around at the Town Center, Kscope, or Spectrum!!! Let’s step it up in evangelism this year in 2010!!!! MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
awesome 1st half of this chapter in John 6!
So much info!!! :D
Jesus tests people on their faith. wow…
It’s cool as always reading about the miracles Jesus performed, and if the Bible is true, utterly assures me of my savior’s awesome power and worthiness to provide my salvation!
6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
I found this verse interesting…it reminded me that God always has a plan. It made me think about how God works through our “free will” and still acomplishes his plan…I want to be in line with God’s will…and his plan…and I might as well be because God never fails so what he says…is going to go…
I read…
This chapter reminds us of how powerful God is, that He can multiply food so that everyone can eat. As we are in the Christmas season, let us remember the power of Jesus and how awesome He is.
9When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
I loved Beth’s comment on these same verses…Jesus is completely sovereign over his creation! Reading about this miraculous display of his power seems dramatic and shocking for sure! But I totally see how this Jesus is the same Jesus that I live for today and that has big implications for my every-day anxieties. I find it all too easy to get worked up or worried about circumstances around me but they definitely fall into perspective considering that Jesus–who is all-powerful, working wonders– is sovereign over them and me! Tonight I just am praying, thanking God that he is sovereign and all powerful. That he can do so many miraculous things that I cannot explain but can praise him for. It is sad that his children look at life and act like they don’t know their good and powerful Father is totally in control over it. No circumstance deserves half the energy and focus I give to it in freaking out about it. He deserves all of my trust!
John 6
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
The Jew’s believed that the Messiah would be sent from God to become their new king that would save their people from the tyranny of the king and the Roman Empire. King Herod was also afraid that the prophecy of the coming Messiah was a threat to his kingdom. Jesus flees from the crowd knowing that the people would try to force Him to become their King. God never intended to send His Son to become an earthly king but to become a savior not only of the Jew’s but of the world who would reign from His heavenly kingdom.
John 18:36 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Jesus Christ was sent as a living sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of man who would be resurrected into His heavenly kingdom to become King over all nations.
I pray that we who are in Christ Jesus will stand firm for His Gospel this Christmas so His light will shine and the Truth will be revealed to those who live in darkness.
15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Jesus, the king of the UNIVERSE came down as a man and completely humbled himself for man. The amount of humility shown here is beyond what any person could ever show… I know that I would NEVER become an ant to save the ants. If that weren’t enough, he even refuses when the people try to make him king of a place on earth. He is the King of everything in existence, yet is still so humble that he won’t even allow himself to be given high position on earth. He knew he had a far different purpose to serve, and his incredible humility caused him to do it. I need to be displaying the same kind of amazing humility that Jesus showed every single moment of every day! Pride is a horrible thing, so I need to stray as far away from it as possible. It is so easy to find myself feeling good about myself, when I do well in school, sports, or do something that is pleasing to the LORD. But I am so wrong- I wouldn’t even be able to do these things without the LORD as my strength! I am worthless without his mighty power. I just want to serve the LORD as much as possible while remaining completely humble while I do it! I know that will please him and show him how much I think he is worth it!
PRAISE THE LORD!!! MARANATHA!!!!!
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
Great comments, guys! I LOVE this story. Can you imagine witnessing it?! God displays so much power through this and it totally makes me feel secure in him! He is our mighty creator and he has total control over ALL things. Nothing is impossible with God and I am so very thankful for that! Next time you are afraid of something going on, remember to surrender it to the Lord. I’ve been learning a lot of that lately! We have no control over anything, only our Maker does =)