Iron Girls ~ John 6 Notes

Verses 5 – 9

Jesus is teaching the multitude but also teaching His disciples how to be His disciples.

Five thousand men and their families had gathered on the hillside. Jesus asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

Verse 6, “But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew shat He would do.”

The word “test” here is the word “peirazo” (Strong’s #3985) and means to examine or prove. It describes the testing of the believer’s loyalty, strength, opinions, disposition, condition, faith, patience, or character. Peirazo determines which way one is going and what one is made of.

I think it’s interesting to see the differences in the disciples’ personalities. We all have one! 

Philip begins to calculate the costs of purchasing enough food, while Andrew scans the crowd for what may be at hand.

Verses 14 – 15

Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah thought the kingdom he had come to establish was an earthly kingdom. When they saw that He fed the multitudes, their minds went to Moses who had led them when God fed them daily manna in the wilderness. Once again, God’s Chosen people were under a type of servitude as they were ruled by the Roman Empire. 

Imagine 5000 men preparing to forcibly take Jesus and lift Him up as their “Bread – Messiah.” After this sign of feeding over 5000 with a few loaves and fishes, they began discussing how they could remove the present government and make Jesus their king.

Verses 28 - 68

But Jesus “departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

Jesus continued to teach those who had ears to hear that:

1)      Rather than looking for signs, He wanted the focus to be on believing and trusting in Him.

2)      Just as He told the Samaritan woman that He could give her living water and she would never thirst again, He teaches that He is the Bread of Life and in Him they will have eternal life.

3)      He continues to teach them eternal truths rather than temporary solutions.

Even though the inner twelve are challenged to understand Jesus’ deeper meanings, still Peter sums up their devotion with, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 

Go with God and carry on!