Bible Verse Lookup
Jn 6:14-15
Chapter 6
14
When the people saw the sign Jesus had performed, they said:
“This is really the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
15
Jesus realized they would come and force him to be king, so he went to the mountain alone.
Commentaries
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
The crowd does not come to Jesus seeking healing, as the first Gospel notes (Mt 15:30), but is motivated by messianic excitement due to the signs he has performed. Jesus himself creates the suspense. He does not address God, as Moses did, but instead speaks to Philip, highlighting the human impossibility of the miracle. Jesus’ instruction is for people to lie down to eat, to “sit at the table.” Jesus not only distributes the food but also leads the gathering at the table. John uses language similar to that of the institution of the Eucharist (11), which clearly foreshadows the Eucharistic banquet; additionally, it symbolizes the abundance and lasting nature of the Eucharistic food. Only John hints at a messianic appearance. Jesus, knowing that the crowd was coming to make him king, withdrew to the mountain. This action foreshadows what he will declare in his speech: only through his death will he become king and the true bread of life.