John 6:14,15

“ The people therefore, having seen the miracle which He did, said: This is of a truth the prophet that should come into the world. 15. Jesus therefore, knowing that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him King, withdrew again into the mountain Himself alone. ”

Here is the beginning of the crisis of which we are to see the development even to the end of the chapter. A selection among the adherents of Jesus becomes necessary to purify His work from all political alloy. Jesus had received this multitude with open arms; He had made a feast for them. It was an emblem of that feast which He was procuring for them in a higher realm. By thus giving His bread, He had symbolized that gift of Himself which He had just made to mankind.

But instead of rising to the hope and desire of such a spiritual banquet, the Galileans occupy their thoughts only with the material miracle, and in their exalted state see in it already the inauguration of a Messianic Kingdom such as they picture to themselves. This is what is expressed by the connection of the participle having seen, seen with their eyes, with the verb ἔλεγον, they said. This exalted state, altogether carnal it is true, is the indisputable proof of what was absolutely extraordinary in that which had just now occurred. The prophet, whom the multitude thought they recognized in Jesus, had been presented in John 1:21; John 1:25, as a personage distinct from the Messiah. But it seems from our John 6:14-15, that many regarded Him as possibly being the Messiah Himself. They imagined probably that, after having been once proclaimed by the people, He would become the Messiah. The plot of which John 6:15 speaks implies the highest degree of enthusiasm on the part of the multitude. John does not tell us how Jesus became aware of it.

The word γνούς, knowing, is explained, according to Weiss, by the conversations with these people; according to Keim, by certain indications in their mode of action. Certainly all this is possible. But an immediate perception, like that in John 5:6, is not to be denied. The participle ὁ ἐρχόμενος, he who comes, is the present of idea; it is an allusion to the prophecy on which the expectation of such a personage rested, Deuteronomy 18:18. The term ἁρπάζειν, to seize, does not allow us to doubt that the plan was to get possession of Jesus, even in spite of Himself, that they might go to Jerusalem and crown Him. The task of Jesus at this moment was a difficult one. If He went away again immediately with His disciples, the commotion instead of being quieted, would be in danger of extending widely in Galilee. If He remained there with His disciples, they might be infected by the contagion of this carnal enthusiasm which would find only too much sympathy in their hearts. It might even be asked whether some one among them, Judas for example, did not secretly direct the plot (John 6:70-71). It was necessary, therefore, to take measures speedily: First of all, Jesus bestirs Himself to send back His disciples to the other side of the sea, in order to break all immediate connection between them and the multitude. Thus is the singular expression of Matthew (Matthew 14:22) and Mark (Mark 6:45) explained: “He straightway constrained His disciples to enter into the boat and to go before Him to the other side, till He should send the multitudes away.” This term constrain, which is not suggested by anything in the Synoptical narrative, is explained only by the fact which John has just related (John 6:14-15). Perhaps most of the apostles were ignorant of the true reason of this step which was so suddenly taken by Jesus. After this, Jesus calms and dismisses the multitude, which scatters itself through the neighboring region. Matthew and Mark also say: “ And having sent the multitudes away, He withdrew to the mountain, apart, to pray.” This moment in their narrative evidently coincides with the end of our John 6:15. After this only a part of the multitude undoubtedly, the most excited part remained on the spot (comp. John 6:22).

The reading φεύγει, flees, of the Sinaitic MS., which is adopted by Tischendorf, is absurd, especially with πάλιν, again. This last word which is rejected by some Byzantine MSS. is to be retained. It contains an allusion to ἀνῆλθε, he went up (John 6:3), which was not understood by certain copyists. We must conclude from this that Jesus had approached the shore for the repast, which is in conformity with the Synoptics: He went forth, He received them; and now He returns to the heights whither He had at first gone with His disciples. Αὐτὸς μόνος, Himself alone, is in exact contrast to the words of John 6:3: with His disciples. Weiss also places the πάλιν, again, in connection with John 6:3, but without holding that Jesus had descended for the multiplication of the loaves. The meaning would thus be: “He went up to a still higher point.” He supports his view by the: they descended (John 6:16), which, according to him, proves that the whole preceding scene had taken place on the height. This reason is of no value (see John 6:16), and to go up again is not equivalent to go up higher.