The Gospel of JohnSampl

John provides a brief context to get the two sign-scenes started: (1) Jesus goes to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to get away from the crowds; (2) many follow him anyway “because they saw the signs”; (3) Jesus was on a mountainside and “sat down,” which was a customary posture for teaching; and (4) the “Jewish Passover was near” (6:1–4). Passover indicates it was a year since the previous Passover event (2:13, 23; Exodus 12). Remember the original Passover led to the manna miracles in the wilderness (Exodus 16). This anticipates Jesus’s provision of bread.

Jesus tests the faith perceptions of his followers, but those closest to Jesus fail (6:5–9). Jesus, unperturbed by their lack of perception, orders the disciples to get the crowds to sit down. Then Jesus utters words that are now familiar to us because they are part of the Lord’s supper: “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks [eucharistein], and distributed to those who were seated” (6:11). As with the wine at Cana, there was plenty left over (6:12–13; cf. Exodus 16:4–18). Twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers (one basket for each of the apostles/disciples).

The “people” experiencing this abundance openly express that Jesus had to be “the Prophet who is to come into the world,” that is, the future Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; cf. 1:21). For John this is a thin perception because John’s comment is that Jesus perceived that the people wanted to make him “king” and to do so “by force,” which means a coup d’état (John 6:15; see 1:49). Their sign perception fails sight test.

What does this sign reveal about Jesus? Jesus will explain the Bread sign in our next passage (6:25–59), but for now we note that he is revealing himself as the abundant divine provider of both material sustenance, like the provision of manna, and eternal redemption that satisfies the deepest human hunger. He is more than that prophet and more than and different than any king they may want. His kingdom, we will read later, is not of this world (18:36), which is why he “withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (6:15). They want a king; he wants a different kind of king and kingdom.

That very evening the disciples decide to return back to the western side of the Sea of Galilee to their mission headquarters in Capernaum (which is more the northern end of the Sea). A “strong wind” breaks out and the “waters grew rough” (6:18). On a recent tour with Northern students in Galilee we crossed the Sea in the midst of a rain storm. While listening to a wonderful reflection by Julie Murdock on this story, I was more than once distracted by imagining how dangerous it would have been without a motor and in a much smaller boat. The storm’s fierceness spelled danger for the disciples.

Enter Jesus. At 3–4 miles away, they spot Jesus “approaching the boat, walking on the water” (6:19). Instead of the disciples saying, “Of course, the One who can stir water into wine, who can speak healing into a man’s bones, and who can multiply bread and fish, could also walk on the water,” they were scared. Jesus reveals himself with, not “It is I” but simply “I am” (ego eimi; 6:20 as at 4:26; cf. Exodus 3:14), which indicates the presence of God. Jesus does more than identify himself as a water-walker. Then comes the calming words “Do not be scared.” The words of the Logos himself pierce their fears, they invite him into the boat and then, what seems to be another miracle, “immediately the boat reached the shore” (6:21). Or were they so pumped that time flew by?

Signs reveal Jesus to the eye of faith. What that eye perceives here is at least that Jesus, like God, is Lord of nature and the winds and the waves (Psalms 77:16–19; 107:29–30). As Lord of the sea, like in Exodus, he rescues humans in the midst of the dangers of water and ushers them into the tranquilities of safety. Those who thought Jesus was the Prophet or a king (John 6:15) perhaps now see that Jesus is more than that: he is the I Am, the incarnation of God (6:20).

Respond

• Why do you think Jesus’ disciples and followers continually failed to rightly perceive him?
• Compare God’s provision of manna in Exodus 16 to Jesus’ provision of bread and fish. What is similar? What is not?
• Look again at the definition here of a sign: “public deeds of Jesus that reveal who he is but to perceive them as signs a person must enter into the deed by faith, trusting in what that deed reveals.” What role does faith play in interpreting signs? What signs of God’s work in your life have increased your faith?