The book of John is not a diary offering us the full scope of Jesus' ministry! There is an obvious substantial chunk of time between the narratives of chapters 5 and 6, very possibly a year. Chapter 6 clues us in that the timeline of John's story is 'near another Passover'. John 2:13ff tells us about Jesus' first Passover after He began His public ministry. That was when He cleared the temple!
Chapter 5 doesn't tell us if the feast mentioned is the Passover - but it was certainly one He honored and went to Jerusalem for. If that marks Jesus' second Passover, then in chapter 6 we are Passover #3, a full 2 years after Jesus' ministry began. That makes sense. He is really ramping up His ministry for the final thrust.
Details grab my attention. My trips to Israel in 2005 and 2011 make me far more aware, and provide an immediate visual of the area. The Sea of Galilee was called by many names over the years - the Sea of Tiberias, The Sea of Kinnaret, The Sea of Genessaret. Old cities that were there at the time of Christ still exist, some as functioning economies, some as walk-through monuments of history. Tiberias covers the mountainside leading down to the Sea on its west side. It is a thriving city blending both the present and the historical. Capernaum is situated on the north shore, and has been preserved as a historical site. And Ein Gev, where we ate St Peter's fish at a Kibbutz-run restaurant in 2011 - with the eyes peering at us (which we later learned was Tilapia) - is on the eastern shore, almost directly across from Tiberias.
The Sea of Galilee is part of the deepest depression of below-sea-level land on earth. The Dead Sea is the absolute lowest point - but the Jordan River flows through this deepest area, beginning north of the Sea of Galilee, and out through the south of the Sea of Galilee, reaching its final destination at the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on earth, at +-702 feet below sea level - making it the second lowest place on earth, with the Dead Sea being the absolute lowest place on earth at 1388 feet below sea level. Of course those levels are at the water's edge, so the levels vary from time to time....
Memories fill my mind.... It occurs to me that John wrote from memories as well, and what he was reminiscing about this particular time he sat down to write was the story that we so fondly know as 'The miracle of the loaves and fishes' or 'The feeding of the 5000'. A huge crowd of people had gathered to experience Jesus' miraculous healing power. Seeing the large crowd, Jesus asked his disciples, "Where are we to buy bread....?" They only heard the temporal question, even though any one of them might just as easily have answered with affirmation that Jesus was the 'Bread of Life'. Philip saw it as hopeless, citing how much it would cost for everyone to just have a taste of food, let alone be filled. Andrew offered a little boy's lunch.
I am indeed thankful for that little boy! I know I mentioned it in a prior year's journey - but it touches me....God's kid in God's place at God's time. And - willing to trust Jesus with his lunch!
Another thing that grabs my attention is the order Jesus models. He instructed the disciples to have everyone sit down, no small feat with 5000 men plus the women and children who were present. Then in full view of the crowd, He took the 5 barley loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. Then He did the same with the 2 fish. All of the people ate until they were full! Can you imagine the sight? As He broke the loaves they multiplied, and I'm thinking that as the loaves were passed down the rows they multiplied until at last everyone had been completely satisfied. And, at the end, the remaining fragments were gathered - and the leftovers filled twelve baskets. All from 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish.
When the people saw the sign, with bellies filled and the emotion of the moment propelling them to declare Jesus as the promised Messiah, they would have taken Him by force to make Him king - but the timing for that procession was not to be for another year.... Jesus withdrew by Himself and left the crowds.
That night, his disciples finally took the boat and started across the Sea of Galilee, headed to Capernaum, which was Peter's hometown, and Jesus' home base during the 3 years of His' ministry. A wind came up and they rowed frantically against the storm for 3 or 4 miles. They were terrified when they saw a figure walking across the water, coming near the boat. Even after the miracles they had witnessed, this one was frightening. Jesus said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
How often I need to hear those words. I know Jesus has everything in His very capable hands - but I still get upset by the storms. Thanks, disciples, for being so real. They were glad to let Him step into the boat - and John's narrative tells us that immediately the boat was at its destination....
The story continues the next day, for many of the people stayed where Jesus had fed them. They knew there was only one boat - and that the disciples had shoved off without Jesus being one of the passengers. Boats from Tiberias came over to the place where Jesus had fed the 5000+, so they got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. They were understandably curious about how He got there, but He knew the underlying motivation of their hearts, and He uses this as a teachable moment...a moment that could cover several sermons! And undoubtedly has!
They ask Jesus about what works they should do, and Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe on the One He has sent.... That is our work. Everything else comes through the nudging and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is a result of living out our love for the Lord....but nothing we do saves us, and nothing we do makes Him love us more than He loved us the first day we came to Him and believed. Our salvation is not based on works. It is based on His grace. The celebration we are progressing toward this Passover season is an annual remembrance of His amazing act of grace.
God gave their ancestors manna from heaven to sustain them in the wilderness. Jesus gave them food on the hillside to sustain them the day before. And now He teaches them that He - and He alone - is the Bread of Life.
to be continued....
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