March 16 | John 6:25-59

Dave Mann
Mar 16
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

The Gift or the Giver

By Dave Mann

Jesus has just accomplished another sign – feeding 5000 people on a mountainside. Why had these people followed Jesus onto a mountain side? Because they had seen the signs he had performed by healing the sick. What was Jesus intending to accomplish with these signs? One of the main points we have heard during this preaching series on the signs in the gospel of John is that the purpose of a sign is to point to something beyond itself. As wonderful as it is to heal the sick and to feed 5000 people, these signs pale in comparison to having an intimate relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Jesus calls out the crowd in verse 26, “You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” Jesus is aware the people are being motivated by getting their stomachs filled.

A few minutes later, the crowd asks Jesus for a sign that would be more spectacular than what their ancestors had received – manna in the wilderness. The people might have thought, “Come on, Jesus, do something really amazing! What happened among our ancestors was the feeding of several million people on a daily basis for 40 years. That is certainly more impressive than feeding a measly 5000 on one afternoon.”

In the face of such a complaint, Jesus makes the bold claim that he is the true Bread of Life. He is the purpose of the signs of the healing of the sick, of the manna, and of the feeding of the 5000. He is the true bread that came down from heaven. Jesus is God in human flesh. Having a relationship with him is the goal of all the spectacular signs that Jesus came to perform.

Perhaps we have as much to learn about getting stuck on lesser things that are meant to lead us on to the Purpose of it all. I genuinely enjoy the beautiful music made available every Sunday morning in our church. I am mesmerized by the oratorical skills we hear in the sermons. I appreciate the smiling faces and the warm social engagement before and after the gathering in our sanctuaries. In many ways, these are signs that attract me and others to church each week. But the purpose of these wonderful things is not the things themselves. They are good gifts intended to point us to the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ the Son of God.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for all your good gifts. You certainly are generous, giving me more than I deserve. Please grant me yet one more gift – to be enthralled with you more than with your good gifts. This certainly comes through the name of the One in whom I pray, even Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of seven. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.