JESUS WAS NOT COME
John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
This passage provides us with a very important pattern of the works of God. It takes place in the transition period between the Old and New Covenants. Messiah has physically come, but Israel is still under the authority of bulls and goats blood in their approach to God. The temple vail has not yet been torn providing for the new and living way with the bold entry into the Presence of Holiness! (Heb. 10:19,20). And the travail of Christ’s soul has yet to be witnessed by the Father, finally bringing him eternal satisfaction! (Isa. 53:11).
So we see that even was now come! (v.16). And darkness had come!(v.17). But Jesus was not come! They were still under the law which had only a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things! (Heb. 10:1). And these souls still sat in darkness! (Matt. 4:16). They would still be engrossed in darkness when they would go to the grave site, seeking their God’s dead body! (John 20:1,2).
But we also read that a great wind had come (V.18). The prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), was still blowing mankind about with every wind of doctrine! (Eph. 4:14). The Lord Jesus Christ would later be given all authority in the heavens (Matt. 28:18), to be able, once for all, to effectually say, Peace, be still to the winds, casting Satan out. But Jesus Was Not Come in that power as yet! This would take place at his death!
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. These verses reveal that Satan’s power over death, which he obtained by the temptation of Eve, was destroyed through the death of our Lord Jesus!
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. These two “nows” along with the qualification of verse 33 clearly reveal that Satan was cast out of the heavens at the cross!
He would later be revealed as having control of these evil winds in order that the elect might be brought in during the symbolic “thousand years” of gospel evangelism. We see this set forth in Rev. 7:1-3. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (See also Ephesians 4:30).
And not only was Jesus Not Come unto the disciples in our scripture passage account, but he was gone in the opposite direction from them! They went down unto the sea, but he was gone up into a mountain himself alone! He was gone up for intercession, while he sent them down to be instructed by experience!
We read in Matthew 14:23, And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. After virtue was gone out of himself from all the healing and miracles, he went up to be in the presence of the Father, who at times sent angels to strengthen him (Lk. 22:42,43).
But here the reason given for his going up into the mountain in verse 15, (listed above), was due to the fact that the multitude had an improper understanding of who he was! The same thing is occurring across our land today! For those who only feed physically from God, not knowing at all what it means to eat his flesh and drink his blood spiritually, will always have an erroneous view of his kingship and kingdom! To them God is just a Sugar Daddy, or a Santa Clause! To the majority of religionists he is just here to provide a pay check and comforts for the natural life!
And this is a most dangerous matter! Those who labor for the food which perishes, changing God into only a physical provider do great damage to their souls! For this comes with a hardening of one’s heart! Those who change the glory of God are given up by God to uncleanness, vile affections, and reprobate minds! (Rom. 1:20-28). Notice that our account of the walking on the water, listed above has two sobering verses added in Mark’s gospel! There we read, Mark 6:51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. The disciples themselves inordinately wondered at the next miracle, (walking on the water), because they had received hardness of heart for improper attitudes like the multitude, in the previous miracle (the feeding of the 5000)!
Death Was Afoot!
The death of John the Baptist is listed in Matthew 14:8-15 as being the event leading into this event of the feeding of the multitude with the lad’s lunch of loaves and fishes. Matthew 14:13 states, When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart:… So the death of the one man proclaimed by the Lord as the greatest man born of woman, was shown to be that which leads to this situation.
But notice what he added to that proclamation of Matthew 11:11. He continued, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. This shows that one born of natural birth under the Old Economy, which was only sustained by bulls and goats blood, as great as he may be, has not a birth to compare with those born of the Spirit, and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, in the New Covenant! Thus the husbandman, the pruner of the vine, (John 15), did find it to be gracious to take his great servant, John the Baptist, out of this life. Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
For one born of the spirit, and used of God to preach the first gospel message on Pentecost, and as great as the Apostle Peter was, would state, And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:18). Make no mistake about it, dear reader, the wickedness that stands against the believer is great! It is said that death reigned by the first Adam’s offence! And it is only by the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness that any one of us reigns in life, and that only by one, Jesus Christ! (Rom. 5:17). The true church in our day shall also be made to realize, like the disciples sent down into the darkness of the terrifying sea, that our hope is solely in the Person of Jesus Christ as Lord over all! Never forget our admonition as recorded in Ephesians 6:13, Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Down Into the Sea
There can be no doubt that the sea represents the masses of human kind. (Revelation 17:1,15). And we see the great wind, stirring up that sea produces beasts that seek political and governmental control upon men! See Daniel 7:1-3.
The disciples had witnessed the Lord perform numerous miracles on all kinds of diseased people. But they could not visualize his feeding them. And when he did feed them their hearts were hardened by seeing him as only a provider of physical bread! (This is the point of rejection for many “disciples” walking away from Christ, never to return! – John 6:66). Yet these Apostles were soon called upon to go out and preach him to be the Bread of Life! For he taught his disciples that the multitudes need not depart, telling them, Give ye them to eat! (Matthew 14:16). That is, “Break the gospel bread to their souls that they may believe on me!”
The gifts used to feed them to the full, with baskets full left over, were already among them! The lad had the lunch, and Andrew had the humility and kindness to speak to a mere lad to find this out! This was the lesson that their Lord wanted to impress on their minds and hearts! For he does not send his church forth improperly equipped! As they were swallowed up by the hungry masses, so they were now swallowed up by the waves on the sea. And Christ was the solution to both situations, ruling within them by his Spirit, and without, in sovereign control over every predetermined providence.
When – not ‘if’ – the Lord sends us down unto the sea, surrounded by darkness, and set upon by Satan’s blowing us about with every wind of doctrine, it is to show us that he has been in the mountain of God interceding for us, and he is soon to be on his way to us!
Psalm 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
And WHAT was it all for? – That his church should praise the Lord for his goodness to them, and for his wonderful works among those to whom they minister the spiritual bread! Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
In Revelation 10:1-11 we see another mighty angel, representing our glorified Lord, coming with the gospel book in his hand open! He sets his feet upon both the sea and the land {which is where proselytes (converts) are sought!} (Matt. 23:15), swearing that there shall be no more delays. But his prophets, instructed by the Holy Spirit (the heavenly voice), shall be given command to take the open gospel from Christ and eat it themselves. None can truly preach, Ye must be born again, who himself never has experienced the birth of the Spirit! It is essential to be in obedience to Christ’s commands in order to have power to teach others! (Matt. 28:18-20).
The eating – believing, experiencing – of the little book, which Christ alone can open to them (Luke 24:32,45) is sweet in their obedience to his call, but bitter in the digestion of a persevering gospel ministry! Luke 9:62: No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Pastor Gene Breed
January 17, 2010
