Thoughts on the Gospel of John (69) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world. Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he departed again to the mountain by himself alone. Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.
John 6: 14 - 17.

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (69)
That 5,000 men's hunger could be satisfied with five loaves and two fish, and that the leftovers filled twelve small baskets surpasses human expectation. The people were aware that it was a sign from God. They remembered Deuteronomy 18: 15: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren." Maybe Psalm 132: 15 as well: "I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread." So they concluded that Jesus must be the promised Messiah, the Jahwe of the Old Testament.

The Jews longed for someone with such power as their king to save them from the much hated Romans. But the time for Christ's reign had not yet come. The Father had other work for Him: He was to be a High Priest . The one was accomplished in His atoning death on the cross, the other is happening now in heaven, where Christ is active for believers, so that they reach the heavenly goal unharmed.

Christ as our High Priest in heaven, and the believers on earth in a gloomy, hostile world are here illustrated by Jesus on the mountain and the disciples in the storm-tossed boat on the lake.

(to be continued next Sunday)

Today‘s reading: Ezekiel 20: 1 - 26 · Psalms 121: 1 - 8