Joh 6:15 | KingComments | STEP | The wonder of the feeding is again called a sign by John. It is the fourth sign mentioned of the Lord. This sign was done in front of a large crowd. They are so impressed that they come to the correct conclusion that He is the Prophet Who would come into the world ( ; ; cf. ). They even want to make Him king. The Lord Jesus certainly fulfills the conditions attached to kingship. He has just proven that. He has provided for their temporal needs and that is the reason why they want to make Him king. They do want Him as their political leader. In this the crowd lets itself be guided by the devil. They want Him, like the devil at the temptation in the wilderness suggested to Him ( ), to take dominion without having to die. What matters is that He meets their national pride. The Lord knows that the people do not meet the conditions to enter His kingdom. He also does not take glory from people, as He has said in the previous chapter ( ). That is why He avoids them. He will not and cannot be made their King by them, because their motives are no good. They see in Him a benefactor, but not the necessary Savior, as the Samaritan woman has come to know Him. He goes away from them and again takes the mountain as a refuge. He first went there with His disciples ( ), but now He goes by Himself alone. In this we can see a picture of the place He has taken in heaven, where He is now to intercede for His own as Advocate and High Priest. And they need that, as we see in what happens to the disciples during His absence.

‏ John 6:15

The People Want to Make Him King

The wonder of the feeding is again called a sign by John. It is the fourth sign mentioned of the Lord. This sign was done in front of a large crowd. They are so impressed that they come to the correct conclusion that He is the Prophet Who would come into the world (Deu 18:15 ; 18; Psa 132:15; cf. Jn 4:19 ; Jn 7:40 ; Jn 9:17). They even want to make Him king.

The Lord Jesus certainly fulfills the conditions attached to kingship. He has just proven that. He has provided for their temporal needs and that is the reason why they want to make Him king. They do want Him as their political leader. In this the crowd lets itself be guided by the devil. They want Him, like the devil at the temptation in the wilderness suggested to Him (Mt 4:8-9), to take dominion without having to die. What matters is that He meets their national pride.

The Lord knows that the people do not meet the conditions to enter His kingdom. He also does not take glory from people, as He has said in the previous chapter (Jn 5:41). That is why He avoids them. He will not and cannot be made their King by them, because their motives are no good. They see in Him a benefactor, but not the necessary Savior, as the Samaritan woman has come to know Him.

He goes away from them and again takes the mountain as a refuge. He first went there with His disciples (Jn 6:3), but now He goes by Himself alone. In this we can see a picture of the place He has taken in heaven, where He is now to intercede for His own as Advocate and High Priest. And they need that, as we see in what happens to the disciples during His absence.