Part 13 – John 6

Jesus left behind and where is Jesus?

• Where is Jesus?
• What happens when Jesus is not with us?
• Are we looking for Him in the right place?

Let’s look at this section in John 6:15-29.

After the great miracle that Jesus had just accomplished with very little resource he became aware that the people wanted to exalt him to something he never came to be, an earthly king, a god to be bowed down too and eventually an idol that would misplace mankind’s need for salvation by something that could become some kind of talisman and superstition, so he, Jesus, withdrew himself to the hills. 

How long was it before anyone missed him? After all they were full and satisfied, they had no need for him just at that moment. We read that eventually the disciples left and went down to the shore to wait for him but alas as darkness fell the need arose for them to continue on without him. How often do we wait and then get impatient and press on without God with us? 

We may have very legitimate reasons to press on but to do so without Jesus is often fool hardy and tragic. The disciples pressed on, got into their boats and left Jesus behind, a situation that could have cost them dearly. However, Jesus being God, was able to come to their rescue. After they had been battling a storm and had rowed some 3 – 4 miles just trying to get to land and safety there was Jesus in the middle of the storm. Notice it is Jesus that calls out to them not the other way round, they did not have to do anything other than let him into their boat and all was well. The lesson here is make sure that Jesus is with you before you push your boat out to sea. Life has unexpected ways of rocking the boat and without Jesus in our boat life can be incredibly tiring, all the needless rowing too and fro. Even in the event that you or I push out to sea without Jesus and life becomes somewhat turbulent, Jesus by God’s mercy, will find you and bring peace and calm to the situation. 

The people that Jesus had just slipped away from the evening before suddenly realised that Jesus was not with them, they have a different question, Where is Jesus? Whereas the disciples had not waited for him, these people couldn’t find him, although it didn’t take them long before they realised that the only boat available for them to cross over lake Galilee had been taken by the disciples and for some reason they knew that Jesus had not gone with them. In the event, they managed to secure passage across the lake to Cappernaum to look for him using some boats that were “passing by”. I wonder what was the reason they were trying to find him? However, Jesus wasn’t under any illusion as to why they followed him and searched for him, in a very straightforward way he tells them they only wanted to find him for what they could get from him to satisfy their physical bodies. He then goes on to say don’t spend your energies on acquiring materialism, but rather seek eternal life that I (Jesus) can give. 

These people were no different to people today in that they asked the question: “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” John 6:28 kjv. Jesus answers “believe on Him whom He has sent” John 6:29. So often we think we have to earn God whereas really all we have to do is believe on, trust in and obey the ONE that God has sent, our lives are in God’s hands. Belief, trust and obedience is salvation because it is not what I do that saves me it is all about what God has done for me.

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