God Help Us

Sermon-year B-proper 12-July 26, 2009
In seminary we had Eucharists every day of the week. Usually there is a saints day at least every other day, so the readings and theme for the sermon would change regularly. But one week, for some reason, there were no saints days, no changes. So every sermon that week had to be on the same 3 lessons. By Friday we all were dreading ONE MORE SERMON. We’d just heard 4 already on the same lessons in 4 days. The preacher on the 5th day stood up and started off saying, “ some day YOU will have to preach a sermon 5 times on the same lessons. God help you.”
This year the gospel every week is from Mark. But the year that we read from Mark, the lectionary stops just when Mark gets to the story about the feeding of the 5000, and instead the people in charge insert a chapter from the gospel of John. And they don’t just use the gospel of John for one week. You will hear the 6th chapter of the gospel of John for 5 weeks. This whole chapter is essentially devoted to one saying by Jesus, “I am the _____________(Bread of Life)”.You get to hear all about this saying for the 5 weeks. God help you.
Let me set up the story for you. John the evangelist is a lot different than Mark the evangelist. You won’t hear this story in the same way as you have been hearing Mark. No sandwiches here. One important way you k now that it’s the gospel of John is because he points out the “signs” of Jesus. “Signs” are miracles that John says show the true nature of Jesus. John says that Jesus does seven signs that point to his being the Son of God, and by chapter 5 he has already done 3 (water into wine, raising the official’s son, and healing the paralyzed man) . Notice how John points this out in verse 2: 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.
Ok, so now you’re looking for signs, miracles that show who Jesus really is. So we hear the only story that is told in all four gospels-(not Jesus’ birth, not the Good Samaritan, not the raising of Lazarus). The only story that is told in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is____(the feeding of the 5000). Do you think it’s important?
So you know that this is going to be a miracle story. You know it’s going to be one of the seven signs. And you know that this story is so important that all the writers chose to include it in their gospels.
Here’s one more thing that you need to know. JOHN WILL HAVE LOTS OF OLD TESTAMENT REFERENCES IN THE STORY. That’s what John the evangelist likes to do. Here are a couple of clues. Who was the greatest leader in Jewish history? (Moses). What was Moses greatest claim to fame? ; (He led the Hebrew people out of captivity into freedom). As they fled from Egypt, what great miracle had to happen so they could escape? (the parting of the Red Sea). And when they were stuck in the wilderness what did they do (they grumbled). And what miracle was given the Hebrew people so they could survive? (manna/bread from heaven). (12 baskets of crumbs, THE mountain)
Greatest leader in Jewish history, Moses, listen: 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
As Moses led the people out of Egypt he showed God’s power over the sea-. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When the disciples had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
What did the Hebrew people do in the wilderness? They complained. 7Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”
And finally, what miracle occurred so the Hebrew people could survive in the wilderness? 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
Ok, I’ve spent a lot of time proving a small point. John the evangelist wants his hearers to see Jesus as the new Moses, the new leader, the new king. Only there is a difference. Jesus wasn’t Moses. He wasn’t going to be their new king, he wasn’t going to spend his life healing the sick-or raising the dead-or feeding the hungry. He wasn’t going to spend his life doing miracles. John wants us to see very clearly who Jesus WASN’T: ”15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”
Jesus wasn’t going to give people what they wanted. He wasn’t going to be the answer to their prayer. He wasn’t what they expected. And that is why John tells this story. Jesus could do miracles, but that’s not why he came. He could do wonders. But that’s not why he came. He could turn water into20wine, heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry, calm the waters. But_____________ (that’s not why he came).
And that’s how the 6th chapter of the gospel of John begins: with 2 miracles, 2 signs- the feeding of the 5000 and the rescue of the disciples in the storm. But John takes great pains to say that Jesus didn’t do these to show that he was a wonder worker. He had something more important that he wanted to show the crowds that followed him-and us. And so begins the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, the story of the feeding of the 5000. John is going to reveal to us that Jesus does more than just answer our wants-he also gives us life. But John is going to do this slowly, carefully, as he peels back layer after layer of this wonderful story to uncover who Jesus really is-and what he is really about. So get ready, we have 4 more weeks of listening and learning to understand what this simple miracle is really about. Let’s enjoy this story. For John the evangelist, it’s not JUST a miracle. It’s sign. It’s pointing to something greater than just multiplying a few loaves of bread for hungry people. Man does not live by bread alone. The 4 evangelists all included this story because it was more than “just” a miracle. It is supposed to show us how Jesus can live in us, and we in him. God help us.
John 6:1-21
6After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five ba rley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Seven Signs
This section recounts Jesus' public ministry.[2] It consists of seven miracles or "signs," interspersed with long dialogues and discourses, including several "I am" sayings.[3] The miracles culminate with his most potent, raising Lazarus from the dead.[3] In John, it is this last miracle, and not the temple incident, that prompts the authorities to have Jesus executed.[3] Jesus' discourses identify him with symbols of major significance, "the bread of life" (John 6:35), "the light of the world" (John 8:12), "the door of the sheep" (John 10:7), "the good shepherd" (John 10:11), "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and "the real vine" (John 15:1).[3] Critical scholars think that these claims represent the Christian community's faith in Jesus' divine authority but doubt that the historical Jesus actually made these sweeping claims.[3] The teachings of Jesus are so different in John from those found in the synoptic gospels, that since the 1800s scholars have understood that only one of the two traditions could be authentic, and they have unanimously chosen the synoptics as the source for the teachings of historical Jesus.[11]
The Seven Signs of Jesus' Deity in John's Gospel:
Turning water into wine at Cana (2.1-11)
Healing an official’s son in Capernaum (4.46-54)
Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (or Bethsaida) in Jerusalem (5.1-18)
Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6.5-14)
Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6.16-21)
Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9.1-7)
Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11.1-45)