Oct. 20, 2024

                                                             John 6:1-14

                                              “THE CHRIST OF THE CLAIMS”

October 20, 2024                                                                                          Dr. Don Bazal

      It is one thing to claim a thing but where is the proof or truth of the one making the claim?  So with Jesus.  His miracles are proof of the truth of His claims to full equality in every way to God.   Hebrews 1:8a:  But of the Son He says, 

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,.

          Miracles have been termed “acted sermons” or “parables in concrete.”  

    Augustine said, “They have a tongue of their own. . .All the acts of God are 

    themselves words for us.  They are not as pictures, merely to look at and 

    admire, but as letters which we must seek to read and understand” (Alan   

    Richardson, The Miracles-Stories of the Gospels, SCM Press Ltd, London, n.d., 

    p.58).

The purposes of Jesus’ miracles are expressly three-fold:  (1) compassion 

(2) revelation (3) to yield and grow faith.  Faith is the primary purpose.

THE QUESTION OF SPECULATION:  vv 5-9

Acts 8:29-35 – Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” ³⁰ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth.
³³ “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.” ³⁴ The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Psalm 81:10 – “I, the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Matthew 19:26 – And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Luke 18:27 – But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27 –  Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

John 1:40-41 –  One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).

Mark 6:4-5 –  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

THE ANSWER TO THE SITUATION:  vv 10-14

Luke 24:28-30 –  And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.

Ephesians 3:20 – Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

Jeremiah 32:27 – “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

Philippians 4:19 – And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 3:8 – It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

Malachi 3:10 –  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.