Coming for the Loaves
Posted by: henkf <henkf@...>
Coming for the Loaves
One of the more ignored lessons in God’s Word is found in John chapter 6.
In this chapter, we are told how the crowds kept coming to Jesus.
Jesus performed a miracle that none of the so-called miracle workers today try to imitate. He took a young boy’s lunch and fed 5,000 men, not counting the women and children, and had twelve baskets of leftovers. When the crowds saw this, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14). They wanted to make Jesus their king immediately.
When Jesus saw that they wanted to make him their king, he withdrew from the crowd to be alone. He sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee, and during that night, he walked on the water to the boat during a storm. When he got in the boat, not only did the storm disappear, the boat was immediately at their destination on the other side of the sea (John 6:21, Matthew 14:32). This is also something the modern miracle workers do not try to imitate.
The next day, when the crowds whom Jesus had fed saw that He was gone, they, too, got in boats and followed Jesus. From all appearances, it seems that Jesus would be pleased that they went through so much effort to follow him. When the crowds caught up with Him, instead of praising them, He rebuked them and said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John 6:26).
Instead of giving the crowds what they wanted, Jesus spoke words to them that they needed. He reminded them that there are some things more important than physical food. As the discussion continued, He told them that He was the Bread of Life that everyone must eat. The Jews did not understand what He meant, so instead of seriously thinking on His words, they began to grumble against Him (John 6:41).
The day before, they wanted to crown Him as their king and were saying that He was the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy in Deut. 18:17-19. Now, because He spoke some difficult words that required some thinking to understand, they began to grumble against Him.
Why? How could this be?
The answer is simply that they were following Him for the loaves, not because they wanted to serve God first.
Instead of calming them with a quick compromise like many modern religious teachers, Jesus kept on speaking words that were difficult for the crowds to accept.
He went on to tell them that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood (6:53-55). As He spoke, the crowds continued to grumble.
Instead of trying to calm them down, Jesus continued with more words that would shock them (6:60-65).
Instead of trying to properly understand the Lord, the crowds withdrew and no longer walked with Jesus (6:66).
When Jesus offered the loaves, to the multitude, they were willing to follow Him. They were even willing to travel across the sea of Galilee to be with Him!
When He offered Himself to them, they quickly lost interest and went home.
Only a small minority was willing to remain with Him when they understood He was not going to continue to hand out free meals.
They didn’t want to try to understand the words! That would require thinking and effort. They wanted to eat more loaves and fish, but it was the loaves and fish that proved He was the one they needed to listen to.
They did not understand how the gospel that Jesus taught is a spiritual message to build a spiritual kingdom.
Its purpose is to save men and women from eternal damnation and bring them into the presence of a holy God.
Jesus could have kept on feeding the crowds and kept them coming so He could continue slowly teaching.
Instead, Jesus let them walk away.
He would not cheapen the call of the gospel for these carnally minded Jews!
He told them, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (6:44).
What method does God use to draw men and women to Him?
The answer is found later in John 12:32.
There, Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
He is simply saying that when we see the love of God made manifest through the crucifixion of His Son, we will be drawn to Him.
If the crucifixion of the Son of God and Him giving His flesh and blood for us is not enough to draw us to God, then God will let us walk away.
Throughout the Scriptures, God never used the carnal methods that many churches are using to draw the crowds.
Today, many churches are no more than a social club or recreational center providing such services as aerobics, gymnastics, entertainment for children, and baby sitting services. This is nothing but a blatant attempt to gain numbers on their rolls without concern for true conversion and holiness. Food and fun will not draw souls to Christ. Instead, it fills the church with unconverted people whose main interest is not on spiritual matters, but physical. This will draw the crowds today just as multitudes followed Christ when they thought loaves and fish were available in the first century! If any of these carnal churches let the food and games cease, then the crowds will quickly disappear, just as they did in the first century. If someone happens to turn to God while attending one of these religious carnivals, they would have been honest enough to turn to God by hearing the gospel preached without the entertainment!
The early church offered the world nothing but the gospel.
It was a message that called for a life of sacrifice and obedience. They offered nothing physical! There were no games, no retreats, no amusements, nor any ball teams.
Instead, they offered an opportunity to come to God, be forgiven and have the privilege of becoming a child of God. Instead of receiving psychological counseling to get them through the hardships of life, early Christians were expected to remain faithful even after watching their houses burned and seeing loved ones slowly tortured to death.
Nothing was offered as far as this world is concerned, yet this is when the church grew the fastest in all of history!
When the message of the Son of God dying for our sins was heard by those with good and honest hearts, it bore fruit.
This message will still bear fruit today among any with a good and honest heart.
When the message of the gospel is adulterated and prostituted with carnal appeals, it will still draw large crowds, but it will draw multitudes whose god is their belly!
Keep them entertained and fed and they will be your friend for life.
Speak of hardship, self-discipline and sacrifice, and they quickly disappear!
The sacrifice of Christ was not so we can have gyms, dinners and games! The pagans had all of these without Christ!
Christ came to redeem us from our sins (Galatians 4:4-5).
Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
The mission of His church is to save men’s souls and to help us have a right relationship with God.
To alter this prostitutes the mission God intended for the church.
There is a place for recreation and good times but this is not what God has chosen to draw men to Him.
He has chosen to draw men to Himself by demonstrating His love for us by the death of His Son on the cross.
If God becoming man and paying the penalty for sin that we deserve does not draw us to God, we are not worthy of the Kingdom of God.
What attracts us?
What are we converted to, the loaves or the Lord?
The Lord was all the early church had to offer.
The Lord is all what any church should offer.
How can we claim to have true love for God if He is not enough to cause you to come to God in repentance (Romans 2:4)?
The Only True Drawing Power of Christianity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32
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