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The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher (31/TBD)

Focus Text: John 6.22-25

After feeding the five thousand, and after perceiving that the multitude wished to make Him a physical king, Jesus departed into the mountain alone. Meanwhile, His disciples entered a boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. In an eventful night, Jesus walked atop the waters of the lake, calmed a raging storm, quelled the fears of His disciples, and made it to His home town.

“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. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when did You come here?’” (John 6.22-25).

If curiosity killed the cat as the old adage says, and if these people were cats, they would be dead! Truly marvelous and unprecedented events were occurring right before their eyes! Food was multiplied to thousands of times over its normal feeding capacity. Sicknesses were lifted from off of people as though they were nothing. Truth such as man had never heard before was being preached and taught. Storms were being stopped and “minor miracles” such as walking on the water were occurring. Many had correctly concluded that the Man responsible for all these events was no mere man, but rather that He was that prophet which had been foreseen by Moses and other Old Testament prophets; they believed that Jesus was Messiah!

Yet, having seen and/or heard about these tremendous events, the multitude had but one question for Jesus when they finally found Him at Capernaum. Surely they had time to have come up with a more original and more relevant question; yet when they found Him, they asked, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Somehow, that question just doesn’t fit the magnitude of the occasion! There must have been hundreds of unanswered questions that could have been asked — questions about the Old Testament prophecies and how they related to Messiah, questions about the future plans for the kingdom and how things would be in the kingdom, questions about eternity and heavenly beings — yet, all they could think to ask was an irrelevant question about His time and mode of transportation!

Life is filled with “teaching moments” and “learning moments.” There is no time similar to that when a “teaching moment” and a “learning moment” coincide. Often we find ourselves wishing to learn, but alas, with no teacher. Frequently, teachers have somewhat to say, but with no student to hear. As disciples/learners, we must ever be on the lookout for “learning moments” and take full advantage of them when they occur. God ordained “learning moments” in our lives, some on a weekly basis, yet we fail to use them. What a pity it would be to miss the glory God offers because we see only the glitter of life’s fleeting gold!

Questions:

1. What mystery about Jesus’ absence did the multitude not understand?

2. What had forced Jesus into the mountain alone? Beyond the physical things involved, what thoughts might Jesus have had about the desires of the people in wanting Him to be king?

3. What motives might have been behind the question, “When did You come here?”

4. Can you think of other questions that might have been more apropos for One whom they believed to be Messiah? What does this say for their spirituality, or spiritual appetite?

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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