This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world

 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundered denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."    Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

- John 6:1-15

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse to the leadership in Jerusalem (see the beginning here), who accused Him not only of violating Sabbath rules by healing a paralytic, but also of blasphemy by calling God His Father, and thereby declaring Himself equal to God (see Tuesday's reading):   "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  My study bible tells us that the sixth chapter of John, similarly to the way in which the beginning chapter paralleled the creation story of Genesis, parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt.  Here there's a parallel to the Exodus account (Exodus 11-17) in which God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, then gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here in today's passage, the multitudes follow Christ because of His signs.  This too takes place at Passover.

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundered denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" My study bible says that Christ tests Philip's faith here, because Philip needed help in understanding Him (see 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii would be over six months wages for a laborer.  Andrew shows that he has greater faith than Philip.  He knows that the prophet Elijsha had multiplied bread for 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so he offers the five loaves and two small fish that has been brought by a certain lad.  But Andrew is still weak in faith, questioning what these provisions could do for so many people.

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.   This miraculous feeding of five thousand men (and more women and children) parallels the passage in the Exodus in which the Jews ate unleavened bread as they were hastily driven out of Egypt and had brought no provisions (Exodus 12:39).  Jesus feeds this great crowd with earthly bread as they had brought no provisions, because they had rushed out to see Him.  As Moses led the twelve tribes of Israel, so Christ has the disciples gather up twelve baskets of fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."    Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  Although Jesus had performed greater signs than this one, the crowds fed by Him were so desirous of an earthly Messiah that they declare Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  But this happens only because they were filled earthly things, as Jesus will later comment to them (see 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, my study bible says, Jesus departed from them.

All the concerns about who Jesus is mark John's Gospel.  We call Him King and Messiah, but He will not become an earthly king of the type the people are expecting.  In  worldly way, we might think that if He were a worldly king He'd be able to institute and teach what He has to teach people.  But faith just doesn't work that way.  Nothing happens with Christ by coercion or deception.  He wants people to know who He is, to understand Him.  He won't even assume worldly power without the faith He seeks in people.  Throughout the Gospels there will be people who fail to understand Him, and who cannot accept His identity.  He will be accused of blasphemy because of who He says He is, and He will be put to death for it.  But He never accepts the misunderstanding to His advantage.  His truth seems to be inextricably linked to fundamental notions of freedom.  Those who cannot accept His truth are free to reject it.  He will not assume a place in others' eyes based on falsehood.  He is continually working to open the eyes of people to God and to Himself and His identity.  And that work goes on through the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit sent at Pentecost.  He chooses His battles and His moments, but He always tells it true.  This is an example for us of purity; what it means to be the same on the inside as on the outside.  Contained in it is an understanding of freedom and free will that always respects this fundamental principle that belongs to human beings.  We're not forced into faith, although faith is what He's looking for.  In the readings that follow, Jesus' words will create for us parallels of this feeding in the wilderness with the Eucharist, His own being which feeds us.  He  will experience a great falling away because of the hard sayings He will give.  But He always tells it to us as it is; the freedom in which God creates us to live seems to ask of us always what we can accept, what we can receive, what faith we find in our hearts.