John 6 - Part 1...The Crowd

A few weeks ago, I had a particularly amazing time with my Savior.  Even though I sat in the midst of a crazy lobby, dinging elevators, blaring televisions, multiple cell-phone conversations happening all around me - the cacophony of my setting did not eliminate my ability to sit still in the presence of the King.  With my heart attuned to His voice and the harmony of His Spirit's illumination of the Scriptures, He led me to examine a passage from John 6.  May the Lord use this text and the next several blogs for His fame. 

The Gospel writer records:

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 toPhilip, “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 worth of bread would not be enough 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.  (John 6:1-15, ESV)

I am sure that this is an all-too familiar passage.  Probably one of the first stories you learned of was when Jesus "fed the five thousand."  Well, my encounter with this text was unlike any other I had previously experienced, again in that words that I seemingly read over before leaped off the page and straight to my heart.  Verse 2 indicates that there was a large crowd following Jesus because they saw the signs he had done.

I pondered this for a great while essentially asking myself,

"Why do I follow Jesus?"  

Obviously, the answer is because He saved me from my sins and I am hidden in Him.  He called me to be His, and I worship Him because He alone is worthy to be praised, adored, followed.  However, that doesn't mean that I always live like that is my motivation for following Him.  Although it should be to glorify His name and to know Him more...sometimes...I too follow Him just because I have seen the things He has done...Put in another way...

There are times that I follow Him 

in response to ONLY what He can do instead of for WHO He is.

That was a convicting thought.  Really, it's what He can do for me.  He provided so my bills could be paid.  He gave me a great church of which to be a part.  So many other things He has done for me.  Essentially, when I am in this state of mind, I make my discipleship about pleasing me instead of about pleasing Him.  Reality.

Bringing it home, I don't desire my family to love me just because I am dad and I buy things for them - or because I am a husband who works to provide us a home - I want them to love me for WHO I am (which they all do by the way - I just like the illustration :) .  

Infinitely more, I believe I should desire the Lord and follow Him for Who He is.  His actions could be seen as what He does in response to His very nature.  He shows love because He IS love.  He brings peace because He IS peace.  He does miracles to point people to Himself because He IS Savior.  I know that He wills and acts according to His good pleasure, but I don't want to be like one of these in the passage that at this point followed Him for what they saw.

They should have followed Him for WHO they saw.  

The Psalmist declared, "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." (Psalm 86:15, ESV)

As you seek the face of Christ today, may you pause and ponder the greatness of WHO HE IS.  Lord.  Grace.  Omnipotent One.  Son of God.  Son of Man.  

I read a quote by John Piper which states, "God wills to be displayed and known and loved and cherished and worshiped."

May we worship Him, cherish Him, follow Him, not just for what He has done, but also for the fact that He is God, and He IS Glorious!

#4hisfame