JOHN 6 – HSI 2.0
Many at times we think that it is only when God wants to lift someone that He tests him or her, so anytime we go through tests, we only have in mind that God is about to lift us and that is all. In the normal world, for someone to be promoted to another level in a school, that is when they are tested but it cannot be same for workplaces. Some workplaces promote based on your service and also based on your qualification. But as for the school, you have to be tested before you are lifted. God can also test you and lift you but its not always that anytime that we go through a test then it means God must lift us. Certain tests are even given to specific to show them something or to demonstrate something that might be complex to the. In John 6, after the people came to Jesus and He was supposed to provide something for them to eat, Jesus asked Philip saying “Where will we get to buy
bread for these people to eat?”, then it continues “He said this to test them because He Himself knew what HE would”. S,o does this means that God was about to lift Philip that was why He was testing him by asking such a question? NO!!!
Jesus knew what He would do and wanted to know if they also trusted in Him? He also wanted to reveal another dimension of Himself to them because they only knew Him as a healer and someone who can turn water to wine. Sometimes the tests that we go through, God wants to see if we will fully trust in Him to help us or deliver us, He wants to tests our loyalty if indeed we Love Him. It depends on the kind of tests that He takes us through. For this one, He wanted to reveal another dimension of Himself to Him. So though He knew what to do, He was also expecting to see if they knew something about the situation; Jesus wanted to know if they knew that He could multiply bread or work this kind of miracle as well. Because from the time they met Him till John 6, He had performed only three miracles thus
turning water int wine, healing the Nobleman’s son and the man who has been paralyzed for 38 years. These were the only things they have seen Him do apart from Preaching. I am sure if it was a sick person that Jesus asked Philip that, what can we do for this sick man or woman, Philip would have replied , “LORD, Heal them like you did to the Nobleman’s son or the man at the pool of Bethesda”. He would have said that because he has witnessed Jesus do something like that before, so he knows perfectly well that Jesus can do it. But with this type of miracle, they haven’t seen that before, So Jesus was drawing their attention to something, thus another dimension of Himself that can cause a multiplicity. This test was to reveal another dimension of Him to them, many of us have gone through certain tests but we haven’t learnt anything from it. Maybe the reason why God allowed that sickness to come to you was to make you know that He is a Healer. Till someone gets sick, they would never understand the value of peace, healing and medicines. When someone is not sick, telling them
to take a medication will sound awkward to them because it is of no value to them, no matter how sweet that medicine may seem. But when they get sick, no matter how bitter that medicine may be, they will place value on it because they know it can heal them from any infirmity. The woman who was healed of Infirmity would understand the value of Healing than the Pharisees that were only concerned about Jesus healing her on the Sabbath day. Because being bent for 18 years is never easy; some of us God allowed that problem to come to us because HE wanted to reveal another dimension of Himself as a Deliverer unto us. He allowed that strange dreams to come to us to show us that a thousand shall fall by our side and 10, 000 by our right side but it will not come near us. he took us through the moment of rejection to make us Trust Him more than anything to even prepare us for other greater rejections ahead. He even allowed hunger to come upon us to sometimes show us that He is the provider, because if we have everything why should we need additional provision.
What has God tested you on and why was He testing you on that thing? In the case of Abraham though God wanted to reveal another dimension of Himself as Jehovah Jireh unto him, He also wanted to test his Love for Him, his fear and his loyalty. This is because after the test God said, “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me”. This means God didn’t actually want a human sacrifice but He wanted to test the Fear of God in Abraham. He wanted to know if indeed Abraham feared God for who God was or it was because He wanted the son that he trusted God during the process. Some of us have failed the test because what God gave us, when He is requesting for it, we are not giving it back to Him. This is to say that we only revered Him because of what He can give. That is why someone can ask for a Job and after they get a job, they will always choose their job over God. And even at the work place, they will choose bribe over loyalty; do you think it was just normal that the daughter of Jephtha was the first person too met him after he has made that
covenant and gained victory? Hannah I am sure had been praying every year at Shiloh yet no answer, but the day that she made a Covenant with the LORD, that next year she conceived and bare exactly what she asked, a son. God wanted to see if indeed she will do as she said. Many of us have failed the test of loyalty once again because we made certain promises and we haven’t kept those promises. Someone made a promise to God that when they get the job they would bring their first pay, yet when the pay came, they said, Father let me use this one then the next one I give it unto you.
Someone has promised God his or her life but after God helped him or her from that situation they have even forgotten about God. Abraham upon all the Obedience and Faith that he had in God, God is now saying that “now I know that you fear God”. Sometimes the tests will come when we have what we actually wanted. Abraham didn’t ask for a son in the first place, God Himself promised him a son and for 24 years no performance. In the 25th year this son is born unto Abraham and God asks
for this son. God made specifications knowing perfectly well knowing what was at stake? “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell thee”. Some of the tests are even scary, because this one hmmmmm. Your son, you only son whom you love, it was a matter of the heart. God also wanted to test the Love of Abraham for Him as well. Many at times we tend to love what God gives more than God Himself. And this is very evident when it comes to the place of Spiritual Gifts, certain people love the gifts of the Spirit more than the Holy Spirit Himself, than God Himself. That which you Love you give more attention to that and your heart is also attracted or drawn to that thing. That is why people love to use the gift more and yet still live unholy life, secret and sinful lives; because we know that Scripture says that “Do not Greive the Spirit”. What does it mean to grieve the Spirit, or someone; this means causing someone pain and sorrow by deliberately doing what they dislike. Thus,
intentionally doing that which will cause the person sorrow and pain; and that is why John said he who is born of God does not sin. Thus, the person does not continue sinning because they are born of God and do not dwell in darkness again as they sued to do. But the question is are we grieving the Spirit or we are not? Many are because they tend to Love the Gifts of the Holy Spirit more than the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter told the people that the “Gift of the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and grandchildren”, He was talking about the Holy Spirit Himself as a gift given to them that believe. Then Paul makes mention of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, thus the Gifts that accompany the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Like booking a room at a hotel; in the room is furniture and other things, but you can only have access to those things in the room only when you have the room. Its like wanting to build without owning a land; many of us only value the Gifts the Holy Spirit bring and we use them but yet still we grieve the Spirit by sinning especially in your bodies. Paul said know you know that your body is the
temple of God and the Spirit dwells in you? He also told the Romans that offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, Holy and Acceptable unto God which is your reasonable sacrifice. Jesus upon all the miracles and preaching He was fulfilling purpose and sacrificed Himself even after everything. Many of our hearts are with the Gifts and not God who is the giver. So, we will use the gift, after that we go and spoil ourselves, we will go and defile ourselves, because our hearts are with the gifts and not God. Our hearts are not with God so we will not consider the act first before we do it, whether it will be for God or against God. Because after all even if we do it, we will still operate in the gift so we feel comfortable grieving the Spirit. That is why someone can train their voices so much to be good at pitching high and perfect sounds but yet still they enjoy sleeping around, stealing, lying and others. That is why Jesus said,” Where your treasure is, that is where your heart is”. Where is your heart, is it with God or with what God gave you, or with that gift. She prayed for marriage and after the marriage, they
don’t do their devotions again, they don’t pray again, they don’t attend church programs again because of marriage. After the job they don’t have time for God again; are we passing the test?
What do you Love and have you passed the Test concerning that which you love? that is why someone will be confused between "Come over, I am home alone" and “Let us go for Prayer Meeting”. That is why A Christian Sister will be stuck between the decision of: “You know I will marry you so let us have sex” and “If I do it, I sin against God”. That is also why that young guy is stuck between “If you accept this my proposal and satisfy me anytime I want, I will provide all your needs” and “No, I cannot sin against My God”. Many of us though are born again, our hearts are partially with God because of what we want, Yes I know Jesus when it got to a time He wished that the cup would pass over Him. But when He gave a second thought, HE had to accept it because “HE LOVED THE FATHER” so even if it costed Him His Life, He doesn’t care. When He was saying “If for the Gospel’s
sake you loose your life, You will live again or will have Life”, He was not only talking to the Disciples but He was telling them something that He Himself would demonstrate.
SENSLESS UNTIL DONE
Abraham’s heart was with God and not fully with Isaac, because Yes, He loved Isaac; but the Love of God surpassed the Love he had for Isaac because he didn’t even try to bargain or try another alternative. I am sure he would give a second thought about it, but he comes to the conclusion that I will do it and the next morning he sets off to offer his son. Many times, for you to pass the test you must know who Your God is. I am very sure that Abraham would consider all that the LORD had done before and the kind of dimensions God has shown him and took the action. Even if we don’t have past experiences with God, we should know that HE IS GOD, nothing is too hard for Him. Abraham though was executing was still hoping for God to come through; so,
when Isaac asked him where is the lamb he replied “The LORD will provide”.
The LOVE of Abraham was tested and His Fear for God and He passed the test. After that God blessed Him, you want God to bless you, how much do you this God. If He is willing to everything for you and you also willing to do anything for Him? The Test of Abraham was a test of His Love, Fear and Loyalty to God, that which is of John 6 was to reveal another dimension of Jesus unto them as a multiplier. I am very sure when Jesus told Adrew that let the people sit down’ Andrew will ask himself, “What is Jesus up to this time?”. I am sure they would all be in doubt and questioning themselves as He took the bread and fishes and was praying. I am sure they will start asking questions that,” why Didn’t He let us go and buy additional bread or send them away”. When walking with God, it may sense useless and senseless until He is done. Just like the previous miracles; Turning water into wine. He made them fill the pots and told them to fetch it and serve it to the Master of the Feast first. It will not make
sense because they wanted wine and not normal water placed in pots to be served. Whether it was from the lake, or pool, or river, or well it doesn’t matter, what matters is that God is the one in charge. It doesn’t matter the method, as long as it is Christ who is in charge, it will make sense even if it didn’t use to make sense at first. It didn’t make sense till the master of the feast had tasted and testified. The Noble man’s son as well, as soon as the man went to Jesus…Jesus told him “Go your way, your son lives”. At first it will not make sense because Jesus didn’t even offer prayer nor anything, He just said “Go your way, your son lives”. Many at times what God says or directs doesn’t seem to make sense at first until He is done with what He intends to do. If it were to be in this Generation, we might have called Jesus a too known or bragging apostle or prophet or pastor or evangelist or teacher, because he didn’t even make a prayer. I am sure the man will be wondering what will happen while he was going but as He went and the son was healed, it will then make sense to him.
Also, the man at the pool, he knows that healing is only in the pool at a particular season then asking him do you want to be healed? I am sure he will be thinking this man wants to take me to the pool since I have no man. Then he starts to narrates his story to make Jesus know that the kind of healing he wanted was in the pool and he needed a man to achieve that. Then all of a sudden Jesus just says “Rise, take your bed and walk”. It will sound foolish. Because in the normal sense if he was able to walk to the pool, would he be lying there for 38 years? But when he believed and rose up, he was made well. What God is doing seems to make no sense because it is totally opposite of how we think it should be done or how it is supposed to be done. Jesus telling the Disciples to make the people sit down will make the people think that “Jesus is up to something again”. Or He has ordered for bread somewhere that don’t know. I am sure Thomas the one who doubted when Jesus came to them after Resurrection might even be contemplating through his thoughts “Jesus, we know you can turn water to wine,
heal the sick but for this one dijjjj, I am not sure you can do this one”. They didn’t know When Jesus took the bread and lifted it up, He had already placed a heavenly order for bread and fish. And breaking the ones in his hands was just thanking God for what He had done. The bread was not for five thousand men.
The Bible mentions that five thousand men, lets look at in in different direction. Meaning there will be women and children as well because the one who gave out the bread was a small boy. Or, even if it was only five thousand people but they used men to represent all…there is something that’s proves beyond all that the bread was beyond 5,000. John 6:11
As much as they wanted. Meaning it wasn’t to their exact number but as much as they wanted, so lets say if it was five thousand men and every man ate 2 loaves, we have 10,000 here; and lets assume there were 5,000 women and they also took 2 loaves each also making 10,000. Then the children are 1,000 and they took one each, making 5,000. Adding it all makes 25,000, and there was
even excess of twelve baskets. Use the same calculation for the fishes and get 25,000 making 50,000. If there were 5,000 men, 5 000 women and 1000 children, they got 50,000 pieces of bread, and 50,000 pieces of fishes.
And this scripture concludes the Scripture Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”. Jesus did provide bread and fish, exceedingly(because 5,000 bread was worth more to provide) abundantly by giving them as much as they wanted(it can even be that some even took 5 loaves of bread, others took 6, some might be too hungry and might even take 10) it was far above their number and even had excess. Jesu was now showing them that I cannot only make wine out of six jars/pots but I can also multiply bread exceedingly abundantly above what you cane even think or ask. That what God is testing you with, He knows what He would do…it might not make sense to you initially but when You trust Him, “He will do Exceedingly Abundantly Above
what you thought He would do, because as the Heavens
are far above the earth, So are His Ways and Thoughts
far above our Thoughts”