Based on John 6:1-15 (New King James Version)
“After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’ Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
Today we read about one of the many manifestations of the Lord's power, how He produced something great from something small. It is believed that there were many more than 5,000 people present at this miracle, because it speaks of 5,000 men, and does not mention the women and children. However, it is very easy to assume that there were also women and children present. The Bible mentions the men at this point to indicate that there were possibly 5,000 families. In short, the Bible gives this account not so that we might engage in a census exercise, but rather to help us understand that there were thousands of people who personally witnessed the Lord's work. What He did was something great, undeniable, and unprecedented, demonstrating who He was (and is). But something happened that might be seen as unexpected by many, as it is written: Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Many might wonder, "Why did he prevent them from making Him king? Wouldn't He have accomplished more, or wouldn't it have been more advantageous to continue what He was doing as king?" And we can understand through Scripture two general concepts that explain why He withdrew from everyone when they wanted to make Him king.
First, He wasn't seeking the things that are attractive or convenient to most people. Although He was 100% man, flesh and blood, just like us, He didn't have our worldly desires, because the vast majority of people seek high positions, places of prestige, wealth, or power. He had no interest in excelling in the human sense. Second, He didn't depend on human things or positions to fulfill His ministry. Yes, it would have been more practical from a human perspective to have the position of king to influence more people, to have people pay more attention to Him or take Him more seriously. And of course, being an earthly king, the religious leaders could no longer harm Him. And third, as an earthly king, He could have established order to spread the things of His kingdom here on earth. Humanly speaking, all of this makes sense, but blessed be the Lord that He never allowed Himself to be swayed by earthly things, not even when the devil himself tempted Him in the desert, offering Him all the kingdoms of the earth. If He had yielded to such things, the Father's will, which is perfect, would not have been accomplished.
But the most essential reason why He avoided being made an earthly king was for an even more powerful reason: because the people did not recognize Him for who He truly is. They wanted to make Him king because they saw Him as a prophet, but nothing more, which was (and is) a fundamental and even insulting mistake. Someone who doesn't fully understand God's will, or even lacks basic human reasoning, might argue: It wasn't offensive to recognize Him as a prophet, since being a prophet was a very respectable position or status, especially in Jewish society. Others might think: You should start somewhere. And I will explain it in a very earthly way so that it can be understood why it was an insult. Is it an honor to recognize the president of a nation as a senator or a governor? It's not bad to be a senator or a governor, but these are lesser positions than that of a president, and therefore, even though they are prestigious positions, it would be a great diplomatic insult to treat a president in that manner. Similarly, it would be like seeing the owner of a company as nothing more than a supervisor. So, this matter of recognizing the Lord as a prophet is a mistake of immense proportions, one that goes beyond mere insult. It is blasphemy. The Bible makes this matter of how to recognize the Lord's divinity very clear through its constant repetition. References to "God" as such appear in the Bible more than 4,300 times. And references to "Lord" as such appear in the Bible more than 7,000 times. All other references are far less frequent, even that of Savior, because the primary message of God's Word is to accept Jesus as Lord, and nothing less, under no circumstance. Furthermore, the only way a person can be saved through Christ is by fully believing in and accepting Him as Lord, as it is written: “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10. It is an absolutely essential condition accepting His Lordship so a person can attain salvation, just as important as complete repentance and conversion from all sins.
Now, the Word of God further clarifies that recognizing and accepting Jesus as Lord must be genuine, literal, and effective. That is, the title of Lord means that we belong to Him and that we are fully subject to His will and not our own, completely willing to do whatever He says, literally. And if this is not the case in us, then we will not be able to enter His kingdom, as it is written: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So, what can we understand from this? That it's possible to witness even miracles from God in our lives, things that are truly incredible, but if a person doesn't come to the realization that He must be Lord in their life, sooner or later, He will depart. Recognizing Him as the Lord He is not a favor, or flattery, or a compliment to Him, but rather a universal reality that must be accepted if a person desires to be saved. Otherwise, it's impossible to obtain eternal life. The time will come when every being, even the devil himself and his demons, will have to kneel before His majesty, but when that happens, it won't be for redemption or forgiveness, but rather for eternal punishment. Don't wait until it's too late. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord for your own good now, while you have the opportunity. So, have you decided to submit to Jesus as Lord, or are you still doing something else that will lead you to eternal condemnation? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!