The Gospel of John Made Easy
Chapter 6
Verses 1 -40
Verse 1-14
Jesus is in Galilee. He goes over the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. This sea is more like a very large lake.
Many people are following him because they saw his miracles and hoped to see more things.
Jesus went up into the hills or mountains and sat with his disciples.
Then they saw a large group of people coming near them.
Jesus asked his disciples, “Where can we buy bread so these people can eat?” (But Jesus did this to test them to see what they would say, because Jesus knew what he planned to do.)
Philip said, ” We do not have enough money to feed them.” Then Andrew (Peter’s brother) said, “There is a boy here with a small lunch of 5 rolls of bread and 2 fish. But what good is that with so many people?”
Jesus told them to have the people sit down. There were about 5000 men—-there were women and children, too.
Jesus took the lunch. He prayed and gave thanks. Then he began to give the bread to the disciples to pass out. The bread just kept coming. The 5 rolls and 2 fish just kept making more.
When everyone ate all they wanted, they picked up what was left—their were 12 lunch baskets full. There were 12 disciples—-must have been for their lunch.
When the people saw this miracle, they said about Jesus, this must be a prophet.
Verses 15 21
Jesus listened and watch them. They seemed like they were about to take him and try to make him a king or leader. He did not want that to happen. That was not the reason he came to the earth. In the future, he will come as a king over all the earth.
Jesus slipped away from them and went up into the hills/mountains to be alone.
Night was coming, Jesus was still up in the hills, the disciples decided that they needed to get in the boat and go back across the water to where the town was. So they got into the boat and went toward the town of Capernaum. It was dark by now.
The wind began to get strong and blew the water into big waves. As they were trying to row in the waves, they saw the shape of a man walking toward them on the water.
At first they thought it was a ghost. Mark 6:47, Matthew 14:23
It was not a ghost. It was Jesus walking on the water.
Then Jesus said, “Do be afraid, It is I.”
Matthew tells how Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus. Matthew 14:28-31
As soon as Jesus got into the boat—it was immediately at the land.
They did not row any more. Jesus’ power made the boat be at the land in a second.
Verses 22 -35
The people came looking for Jesus. They finally came to Capernaum and found him.
Jesus told them, “You are looking for me only because I gave you bread.” “Do not work just for bread which is only for this life but work for things that will be eternal.”
They asked, What should we do that would be the “work of God” ?
Jesus said, “The work of God is believing on the person God has sent.” In other words, believe on Jesus.
They said to Jesus, “Give us a sign so we can believe you.”
They just saw 5000 people fed with a little lunch!
Then they said, “The people in our history ate manna that came from heaven.” Exodus 16: 15
They were trying to get Jesus to give them bread every day like the Hebrew people got long ago when they came out of Egypt.
Jesus told them, “Moses did not give you that bread. God gave you the bread.”
“God is my Father. He now has given you true bread from heaven—Me.” “I am the Bread of Life. I give life to the world.”
Real bread gives life to their bodies, but Jesus’ as “Bread” gives life to their souls.
Verse 36
Jesus tells them that they have seen him and his miracles and yet they still do not believe in him.
Verse 37
This is a wonderful verse. Jesus said, “All that the Father has given to me will come to me. Whoever comes to me I will not cast out (throw out or keep away).”
All who come to Jesus, he will receive. No one needs to be afraid that Jesus will not receive them. No matter who they are or what they have done.
Verse 38, 39, 40
Jesus came to do the Father’s will—-not his own will.
The Father’s will is that all who come to Jesus—–Jesus will keep—-and in the last day that person will be raised up from the dead until eternal life.