JOHN 6:5-15 THE NEW MANNA OF ABUNDANCE

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

In the wilderness, Moses told the Israelites that God humbled them with hunger and then fed them with manna so that they would grow in their trust of God’s word and would know their dependence upon him (Deuteronomy 8:3). Each day they were to gather only as much manna as they could eat. In fact, when they tried to gather more it spoiled and smelled rank (Exodus 16:20). There was one exception every week and that was on the sixth day when they were to gather twice as much as they needed and keep the left over for the Sabbath (Exodus 16:5, 22). This was the way it would be until the people reached Canaan and celebrated their first Passover in the land (Joshua 5:10-12).

With manna in the morning and doves in the evening the people were sustained for their journey to the Promised Land. On the high place over the Sea of Galilee, the people were given bread and fish to sustain them as Jesus taught them about the Kingdom of God. The King was in their midst, therefore they were in the presence of the Kingdom. It was at the Passover so they would feed off the abundance of the Kingdom as it was provided for them by the King. Bread from the land and fish from the sea were made abundant for God’s people.

Is it any wonder that these Jewish people responded saying, “Surely this is the Prophet who is come into the world”, and sought to crown him as their king?

Jesus’ coronation was on the cross of Calvary. That was the Passover to end all Passovers. The Kingdom has been established on earth. Jesus has given us the bread that is necessary for our salvation, but also exceeds that need. May we daily acknowledge him as the King and rejoice in the spiritual abundance of his word.

You are the King of Glory, O Christ. May my soul delight in Thee, be fed by your Word and molded by obedience to your will. Help me to live everyday in the knowledge of the presence of your kingdom and in such a way that others will know that you are the true and only King. Amen.