Friday 25th February
Read John 6:22-24
“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realised that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realised that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.” (NIVUK)
What is the longest you have ever waited in line for something? I look at people lining up for Grand Final tickets days before they go on sale and think ‘who would be that desperate’? We did queue for six hours in Paris one day because our youngest wanted to see the catacombs under the city. It certainly raised expectations about what might be down there if thousands of people were queuing for that long…
The passage today has that feel of desperation about it. They have been miraculously fed by Jesus when they were a long way from food and shelter and should have gone home earlier the previous afternoon. Yet not only did they stay to listen to Jesus that evening, they stayed overnight (v22a) in the hope of something even greater the next morning! They saw the disciples leave without Jesus, so assumed that Jesus was still there (v22b). So they stayed. When they realised Jesus had gone they piled into boats in pursuit . They were desperate to find Him. They were searching for Him earnestly (v24). Is that how you wake up each day? Looking forward to spending time with Jesus? Searching for Him?
There is a bigger question that needs to be asked though. Do you search for Him in hope of what He might do for you, like the crowds in Palestine? Or do you search for Him because of who He is? Mark’s account recalls how everyone was excited by the miracle, by the provision, by the ‘sign’, but even the disciples failed to see what the ‘sign’ pointed to. They failed to grasp what it ‘signified’. It signified the majesty and greatness of Jesus – it pointed to Him. Spend time this morning simply praising Jesus for who He is, rather than what He might be able to do for you.
