THE GOSPEL: What Do We Really Want?

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. (Mark 6:53-56; Matthew 14:34-36)

 

Jesus and the disciples had just left Tiberias, and traveled across the sea to Capernaum.  While in Tiberias, Jesus had fed over 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread.  (see THE GOSPEL: Two Fish, Five Loaves, 5,000 People)  After sending the multitude of people and the disciples away, Jesus walked on the water and joined the disciples in the boat to Capernaum. (see THE GOSPEL: Walk On Water, With Jesus, Yes)  As soon as they arrived on the other side of the sea, the people started coming, and asking for Him to heal anybody, everybody, that they might just touch the hem of His garment, and He did. But the people who had been with Him on the other side came looking for Him the next day: On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. (John 6:22-24)

 

And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:25-27) We may think to ourselves that the people traveled across the sea to find Jesus because they really wanted to be around Him and continue hearing what He had to say about the kingdom of heaven, but we must remember that God ...knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21) Jesus tells them plainly that the only reason they followed Him is because He fed them the loaves and were filled. Surely they had had food before Jesus came to their region, but that fish and bread must have been the best they ever had, for them to travel all the way across the sea for more. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. (Isaiah 55:2)

 

How many of us, just like them, travel or go all over the place, looking for something or someone that will fill a desire or craving we have, only to find once we get what we thought we wanted, that the satisfaction doesn't last?  That we have to keep going, looking, seeking, finding, something or someone better each time, but it's never enough? Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him. Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” [Exodus 16-17:7; Psalm 105:40-42] Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:28-33)

 

“Oh, that My people would listen to Me, [and] would walk in My ways! He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock [Christ] I would have satisfied you.” (Psalm 81: 13, 16) These people just experienced being one of over 5,000 people being miraculously fed by Jesus with two fish and five loaves of bread.  Now they're asking Jesus,  What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? What??? But aren't we the same way?  We've been blessed beyond measure!  If we take the time to evaluate our lives and see where we started and where we are, even if we have had or are having difficulties, we can remember a time when things were difficult in our past, and there could be no other explanation for us overcoming those times other than I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. (Psalm 40:1-2) For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:9)

 

God commanded us, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ... For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:25, 31-33; see THE GOSPEL: God and His Kingdom First) God is our Heavenly Father, Abba Father, and He will take care of us, if we do the work; “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (see HEBREWS: Abba, Father will Fix All) Let's stop looking for things and people to satisfy our needs and desires and stop looking for things to fill the voids in our lives.  All of us are "hungry"; Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8)

 

Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:34-40) Although we haven't' seen Jesus with our physical eyes, we have "seen" Him, through the Word of God.  Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

 

What do we really want?  Do we want our needs provided for? (Philippians 4:19) Do we want our desires satisfied? (Psalm 37:4) Whether things are good for us here or not, do we one day hope to be with The Father and The Son in the new heaven and the new earth? (Revelations 21:1-4) Then the first thing we HAVE to do is that you believe in Christ Jesus whom God sent!  Through our faith in Christ Jesus, we will have access to ALL the wonderful promises of God, as recorded in the scriptures.  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst!  If we really want to be blessed by God, then we have to understand more clearly Who this "bread of life" is...