Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“And after these things Jesus was going about in Galilee. For he did not want to go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the feast of the Jews—the feast of Tabernacles—was near. So his brothers said to him, “Depart from here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also can see your works that you are doing. For no one does anything in secret and yet he himself desires to be publicly recognized. If you are doing these things, reveal yourself to the world!” (For not even his brothers believed in him.)” (John 7:1-5)

Chapter six starts with Jesus crossing the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). A great crowd of people who had witnessed what Jesus had done for the sick followed Him. Jesus went up a mountain with His disciples, and it was near the time of Passover. Jesus looked and saw the great crowd following Him and had compassion on them. He asked Phillip where they could buy bread to feed them. Phillip was very specific with his answer. He said that not even two hundred denarii (eight months’ wages) would be enough – so it appears as if that was the amount they had on hand (Jesus did not lack any needed tools for His ministry and neither should we). Andrew piped up that a boy had five barley loaves and two small fish, but he didn’t think they could do anything with that. Jesus told them to make the people lie down in the grass (Psalm 23:1-2). Then Jesus took the loaves, was grateful to the Father for them, and He gave them to the disciples who gave them to the people – 5,000 men and not counting any women or children there with them. When they were full, Jesus commanded them to collect all the fragments so nothing got wasted – according to traditional Jewish law (Shabbat 50b) the destruction of food was prohibited. Jesus wasn’t BOUND by their edict, but He honoured it. They ended up with twelve baskets full of leftovers. The people were THRILLED and started calling Him the Prophet who was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). Jesus saw their intention to install Him as their physical king, so He left and went up a mountain alone.

When evening came, the disciples got into a boat and went to cross the Sea of Galilee. It was dark and Jesus hadn’t come to them. A storm kicked up and they rowed against it for about four miles, but they were not doing well. They saw Jesus walking on the water near the boat and they freaked out. But Jesus called for them not to be afraid because ‘I AM’. They gladly helped Him into the boat and immediately, the boat was at the shore where they were headed – they had been translated there. When the next day dawned, the people started looking for Jesus. They searched everywhere and finally found Him. But they weren’t really looking for HIM, they were looking for more miracle food. He told them that there was a true bread from Heaven and it was Him. That whoever believed in Him would never thirst. That whoever ate of this bread would live forever. That His flesh was this bread. Not everyone could receive this and even some of His disciples (not the Twelve) left Him over it. Jesus told the Twelve that the flesh profits us nothing, only the Holy Spirit gives life. Then Jesus acknowledged that even now not everyone believed (Judas, for example).

At the beginning of chapter seven Jesus walked in Galilee. He was keeping out of Judea because there were Jews there seeking His death. The Feast of Tabernacles was upon them and Jesus’ brothers encouraged Him to go to the Temple. Do more works, they said. You want fame, they asked, go there and do signs. They didn’t believe in Him. Jesus knew His time hadn’t come – for the sacrifice He was going to offer – but after everyone else had gone to the Feast, He also went quietly. People looked for Him, but no one could find Him until about halfway through the Feast when He started teaching in the Temple. People were surprised at His wisdom, because He had not been taught in any of their rabbinical schools. Jesus spoke about those seeking to kill Him, but others scoffed and insisted He was demonized. Others demanded to know about where He was from so that they could compare it with prophecies about Messiah’s birth. It was total confusion. They didn’t believe, so they couldn’t classify Him. The chief priests and Pharisees sent Temple officers to arrest Jesus.

On the last day of the Feast, Jesus cried out that He was the Living Water. Whoever believed in Him would have rivers of living water flowing from their heart. He spoke of Holy Spirit who was going to be given to all believers (Acts 2). Some people believed He was the Prophet. Others said He was the Messiah. Others disagreed with both because Messiah was going to come from Bethlehem, not Galilee (they didn’t know the details of Jesus’ birth story). There was a lot of division because of Him. Some wanted to arrest Him. Others were afraid because of the people. No one touched Him. Finally, the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees who demanded to know why they didn’t bring Jesus. The officers told them that no one had ever spoken like Jesus did. They scoffed at the officers and told them that the chief priests and Pharisees were not fooled and they should not be fooled like the people were. Nicodemus asked whether the Law said people should be judged before being heard? They mocked him too, wondering if he had been fooled also. Everyone who knew the Law, they said, knew that no prophet ever arose out of Galilee.

Finally, for that day at least, all the people dispersed and went back home. It wasn’t Jesus’ hour for trial, so it all fizzled out and came to nothing.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Jews

Key Verse(s): John 6:43-64; 7:14-24