John 6:15-33

15 Exactly a year later (Joh_12:12-16) He presented Himself to them as their King. This effort to make Him King was premature and arose from the fact that they had not comprehended the significance of the sign. They had not been filled with the knowledge of God, the true sustenance, but with perishable provisions. His kingdom is not food and drink (Rom_14:17). It will not be established by human hands, but by divine power. It will not be set up in man's day, but in Jehovah's day. Most significantly He retires into a mountain alone and His disciples descend to the sea. So He later ascended to His heavenly throne, while His followers were dispersed among the nations.

16-21 Compare Mat_14:22-33; Mar_6:45-52.

16 The parallel is continued. Israel is now in darkness, tossed about by the raging sea of the nations, which has been stirred up by the spiritual forces of wickedness who rule the world during the absence of the Messiah. The Jews will be scattered among the nations and hated and persecuted with the utmost cruelty and injustice and inhumanity. It is evident to all who have studied their history that there must be some cause which cannot be seen. Just as the wind lashed the waves of Galilee into a fury and threatened to drown the fearful disciples' so malignant spirit forces are at work, stirring up hatred to the Jews, for they know God's purpose concerning the nation, and resent it, and would prevent it if they could. For this reason men persecute the Jews without reason, and both men and demons carry out the doom they decreed for themselves when they cried that His blood be on them and on their children (Mat_27:25). But when Christ comes He will still the wind and the waves and bring them to their desired haven. He will bind Satan (Rev_20:2) and judge the nations (Mat_25:31-46), and establish the kingdom (Rev_11:15). Then, and not till then, will His word be fully fulfilled, "It is I, be not afraid! " This is the fifth sign.

26 The miracle of feeding the five thousand brought the Lord to the highest pitch of His popularity. Up to this time He had not been despised and rejected. The turning point came when He filled them with food, and they were too blind to see its signiflcance. Now that He explains this to them, they stop following Him. He is not flattered by the large following which flocks after Him, and does not hesitate to offend them by disclosing their own hearts to them. They came to be filled with food and cared nothing for the spiritual sustenance for which it stood. They wanted food and needed faith. Instead of reading this sign and recognizing the Messiah, the Son of God, they actually as asked Him for a sign! He had just given them that. They further display their blindness by reminding Him or the manna which God gave their forefathers in the wilderness (Ex.16; Psa_78:23-25). The true Manna was with them and they ask Him for a sign such as Moses gave! He Himself was all that the manna signified.

28 After being fed gratuitously, and having heard that God would give them the true bread, we would expect them to see that God had not put a price on His presents. But, instead of this, like Jacob their forefather, they try to strike a bargain with God. Blind pride demands that they do something. Thus today, though man is taught in all spheres how dependent he is on what God does, the moment he gets into the presence of God, it is "what must I do?" Faith, not deeds, is what God demands.