Now or Forever

John 6:66-69 - After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

It is very easy to focus on now. When we want something, we want it now. Our desires are immediate, and when the choice is between satisfying an immediate desire and getting a much longer term benefit, too often the immediate wins. This is why dieting can be so tough. The long term goal of being in better shape has a tough battle against a delicious eclair sitting in front of us.

John 6 shows Jesus gaining then losing a huge crowd. Their initial interest in him was “because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” (6:2) Perhaps some were bored and wanted to watch a show. Some likely were sincerely seeking the Messiah. Maybe many were sick or had sick relatives they wanted to see healed.

Whatever the reason for initially coming to see Jesus, his feeding of the five thousand spoke to their immediate physical desire and led many to focus there. Who does not enjoy a delicious free lunch? The crowds started to grow even more with the prospect of more free food to come. (6:26) Yet, when Jesus did not generate Free Meal #2 but instead started talking about the more important, longer term nutrition of eternal life that comes from believing in Jesus, most of them turned away. They were not willing to stop looking at the now to gain the forever.

The good news is that not everyone felt that way. When Jesus asked his twelve closest followers if they wanted to leave, too, Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” They knew what mattered most, and they kept their focus on the long term because they understood Jesus was (and is) the only Holy One of God who can bring eternal life.

May we never make the mistake of trading a lot of forever for a quickly passing now.

Keep the Long Term Focus

John 6:26-27 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Have you ever received word of a giveaway of a product you really wanted? Did you make it a priority to drop what you were doing to run to the store and grab one before they ran out? That was the case for a huge crowd of Galilean Jews. Five thousand of them had been fortunate enough to eat a free meal Jesus had given them. Even though that meal was in a remote spot, word quickly got to Tiberias, the biggest city in the region, and crowds of people hopped in boats to get to the place Jesus had fed the 5,000. (vs 23) They were hoping for another free lunch that they would be able to experience this time.

However, when they got there, Jesus was gone. Yet, the people were still anxious for the free meal, so they tracked Jesus down to the fishing village of Capernaum. (vs 24) They had not seen him walking on the water, so they asked him when he arrived. (vs 25) Jesus immediately knew what they were after. They wanted another meal, but Jesus urged them to get something that lasts longer, eternal life.

It can be so easy for us to focus on temporary things. Maybe it is your next meal. That will last you a few hours. Maybe it’s your next car. That can last you several years, but it will eventually break down. Even your next house won’t last forever.

The “stuff” of life that we see and touch can captivate all of our time and attention, but there will be a day for each of us when life as we know it now will cease. That is not the end. Jesus urges us, like he urged the hungry crowds, to seek the food he gives that lasts forever – eternal life. Like he said in verse 35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Come to Jesus. Believe in him. He is far more fulfilling than all the stuff of earth. Eternal life is worth your focus.

Fear? Gone!

John 6:17b-19 - It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

The disciples had good reason to be afraid. Although they had just seen more than 5,000 people miraculously fed, things had changed, and they were scared. You may know what that’s like right now. There were several things John noted about the disciples situation that may apply to yours.

First, it was dark. They had seen the miracle in the daylight. They had no doubt that Jesus was who he claimed to be when they saw that supernatural lunch, but now that it was dark, it was easy to forget the reason for their trust in him.

The second factor contributed to this even more. “Jesus had not yet come to them.” They were alone. The Master they had walked and talked with, the Master who performed the miracle, had left them. They probably felt abandoned. They wondered if he would return. This made the other factors even more frightening.

The natural circumstances around them constituted the third reason for fear. On a small boat in the middle of a big lake, waves and wind can sink one quickly. You probably know what it is like to face challenging circumstances beyond your control that are capable of sinking you in a heartbeat. You may have seen others go down because of lesser storms, and now you face this one alone.

The final cause for their fear was seeing something they did not understand. In Matthew’s account, the disciples assumed Jesus was a ghost. John simply tells us they were afraid when they saw Jesus. It did not make sense that a man could walk on water. This culminated a very scary situation. They seemed to have good reason to be afraid, but what they missed was that this final cause of fear was about to bring them full victory over fear.

Verses 20-21 tell us that Jesus told them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Jesus showed up in the midst of their fear in a way they did expect, but by receiving him gladly the reasons for their fear were over, and their ultimate goal was achieved.

Whatever may be causing you fear today, look for Jesus’ coming to you in ways you do not expect, remember his words to not be afraid, and receive him gladly.

Are You a “Can’t” Person or a “So Little” Person?

John 6:7-9 - Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

We all see problems. Not everyone sees solutions. Problems are real. Some problems are enormous and without clear ways to overcome them. Problems pervade every area of life. How do you react when you run into a problem? Some refuse to even consider a way out. Others see the reality of the problem and what little they have to respond but to offer it anyway.

John 6 describes a big problem. More than 5,000 people followed to listen to Jesus, and they were hungry. Two of Jesus’ disciples gave two responses to the problem. Neither would have earned an A on the exam of faith. Neither appeared to be a hero. There was only a slight difference between their responses, but that difference made all the difference.

Philip was the “Can’t” person. He saw only the problem with no possible solution. Are you ever like him when a big problem emerges? It is easy to fall into that trap, but that reaction never solves problems.

Where Philip said, “Can’t,” Andrew said, “Here is what we have, but it is so little.” It, too, paled by comparison to the magnitude of their problem, but he offered it to Jesus anyway. That “So Little” became the seed of the miracle of Jesus that impacted the most people in an immediately tangible way while he was here on earth. 5,000 people had a great lunch that day.

The next time you face a big problem, don’t immediately fall into the “Can’t” trap. Though you may only have a little, give it to Jesus, step out, take the risk, and you might see your own miracle happen.

Evidence for Jesus

John 5:32 -There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

If you have not yet become a Christian, it makes sense you should want to know for sure Jesus is truly one you can believe in. A life change of that magnitude should have some evidence to back it up, and we have that from Jesus himself. In the last portion of John Chapter Five, Jesus gives four solid sources of evidence for his unique role as the Son of God and Savior of the world.

The first is John the Baptist (John 5:33). If you read through John 1, as well as Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3, you will see what an impact John’s preaching had on the Jewish people. He came in clear fulfillment of four to seven hundred year old prophecies found in Isaiah 40 and Malachi 4. Yet, he constantly spoke of Jesus who was coming after him yet greater the John himself could ever be. ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ (John 1:30) Jesus was to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and “the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33) John boldly called Jesus the “Son of God.” (John 1:34) Thousands of Jews heard that acclaim from a man they trusted and respected above all others. That was good evidence, but there was more.

The miracles Jesus did were the second – and even more persuasive – evidence of Jesus’ uniqueness (John 5:36). He healed the sick, made the lame walk, caused the blind to see, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. These works were amazing then. They are still amazing today. Craig Keener’s two volume and well-researched masterwork, Miracles, is my favorite on the subject, but many scientific studies have shown a connection between prayer and healing. I have had the privilege myself of seeing many immediate, medically unexplainable healings in response to believing Christian prayer. Jesus did and does show his divinity through what he does.

God the Father also gave evidence of Jesus as his one and only Son (John 5:37-38). At a few key times, God spoke from heaven to people around Jesus to give witness to his glory and power. At Jesus’ baptism a voice from Heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) On the mountain while Jesus was transfigured, God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”  (Matthew 17:5) Later in the day on Palm Sunday, God’s voice came in the presence of Jesus when he was speaking to some Greeks who were curious about him. (John 12:28) Of course, God has given other nonverbal yet unmistakable evidence of Jesus through the dramatic life change he has made in those who have believed in him. I know I fall on that list.

The final source of evidence Jesus points to is found in the Scriptures – what we call the Old Testament (John 5:39) Hundreds of scriptures written hundreds of years before Jesus’ coming could only have been fulfilled by him. We can start in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, but the list expands quickly. Jesus’ point remains true. He was not random. He was not an imposter. He was not a legend. He was and is the only savior of the world. Hopefully, you will not be like those Jesus spoke those words to: “You refuse to come to me that you may have life (in spite of the evidence).” (John 5:40) Come to Jesus. He is. This is the best life you can have.

Why the Fuss Over Jesus?

John 5:18  - This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus can polarize. Talking about Jesus with others can bring one of three reactions: love, hostility, or tempered complacency. The last option comes from those who acknowledge many good things about Jesus – like his commands to love another and help the marginalized and his helping the hurting like the man he healed in John 5 who provoked this conflict. People in the third category like to say Jesus was a good man, but they struggle with what they see as the arrogant claim of Christians that Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life. Although people in the third group try to rewrite history and say Jesus’ exclusiveness was an addition of his later followers, people in the second group get it right. They understand you cannot separate Jesus’ ethical teaching and good works from his claims even if they do not like it.

The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were in that second group. They understood that Jesus claimed to be God. They understood Jesus considered himself above their law that forbade carrying a sleeping mat on the Sabbath day – an added interpretation of God’s law that missed the point. They understood that even though a man who had been crippled for 38 years was able to go to the temple completely healed for the first time in his life, this Jesus who healed him challenged their entire system, and they were not willing to accept him.

Where do you fall in those three groups? Do you resent this Jesus like the Jewish leaders did or do you just consider him a good man while rejecting what he said about himself? Either of those options has the same bad result. Look what Jesus told them a few verses later: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) Jesus explains here that he has the unique role of eternal judge and the ability to set free those who believe in him. As good as his teaching and benevolent actions were, the main reason Jesus came is to change our eternity through his death in our place on the cross. That required him being the only begotten Son of God the Father. It is not our arrogance as Christians to claim Jesus’ exclusivity. It is his nature. He is the only one. He is the way to eternal life.

Whichever of the three groups you started today in, I pray you believe that Jesus was more than just a good teacher. You eternal destiny is at stake. Receive him as the Lord that he is.

Why That Guy?

John 5:6-7 -When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

There were a lot of sick and lame people by the Pool of Bethesda the day Jesus showed up. We know he had the power to heal them all, but, based on John’s account, it sounds like only one was healed. He was not the prime candidate for a miracle. He had suffered with his physical issue for 38 years. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to get healed, he didn’t even say yes. Instead, he whined about why he could not get healed. In most of Jesus’ healings, the faith of the one asking and receiving – or at least his or her friends – was specifically stated as the reason the healing happened. That man uttered no words hinting any kind of faith in even the remotest sense. Why did that guy get healed and no one else?

Even after the healing took place that guy manifested an attitude. He blamed Jesus for his own ”breaking of the Sabbath” (by the Pharisees’ definition) through carrying the pallet he lived on for those 38 years (5:11). Then, after at first not knowing who Jesus was then being checked up on by Jesus, he turned him in to the authorities (5:15-16). Certainly, there had to be a nicer, more deserving person Jesus could have healed that day by the pool. Why did he pick that guy? Perhaps a related question more relevant to us is, “Why does Jesus do some really good things for some really (seemingly) undeserving people?”

If you took five minutes, I am sure you could put some names on that list: the high school deadbeat who is now a millionaire business owner, the jerk who dumped you but now has a happy family, and that guy who cut you off in traffic this morning and beat the red light you did not. Why is God so unfair?

The answer is that we are upset when God does not meet our own definition of fairness. Look closer at the text and you can see that Jesus knew that man had been suffering a physical distress for 38 years. Can you imagine that? That is almost a lifetime. Perhaps he had been suffering longer than all others. Maybe that’s why he had such a bad attitude.

Also, he probably did not know who Jesus was when he gave that initial hopeless response. Yet, notice what he did do. He obeyed Jesus when the Lord told him to pick up his mat and go home. That took real faith. It was in his action the healing came. What looked like a man lacking faith was not so lacking after all.

It may feel like it is easy to judge the fairness of what happens to others. In some cases earthly benefit is not well earned, but we do not always get to know why God does what he does. Let us not be too quick to judge God’s fairness since he knows and see so much we do not. I know I have been that guy more than once.