When
therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:14-15
John 6 [8.] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”
John 6 [10.] Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6 [16.] When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, and they entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
Meaning:
John 6:14-15 reveals what happened in the crowd after Jesus fed the five thousand. Filled with bread and amazed at the miracle, the people concluded that Jesus was “the prophet who comes into the world”, the great prophet like Moses whom Israel expected. Then they went further: they planned to seize him and make him king by force. Jesus, knowing their intentions, slipped away alone to the mountain. This explains why Mark says Jesus immediately sent his disciples away by boat and dismissed the crowd (Mark 6:45-46).
- “The Prophet Who Comes into the World”
Moses had promised that God would raise up a prophet like him from among the people. By the first century many Jews were waiting for this prophet. Moses had fed Israel with manna in the wilderness; now Jesus had fed thousands with bread in a deserted place. The comparison seemed obvious. The crowd was right that Jesus was the promised prophet, but they misunderstood what that meant.
- A Crowd Ready for Revolt
John notes that the Passover was near. Passover celebrated Israel’s liberation from Egypt, and every year it stirred up hopes of liberation from Rome. Galilee was a hotbed of resistance, and several would-be messiahs had raised followers there. A miracle-working prophet who could feed an army in the wilderness looked like the perfect leader for an uprising. Five thousand men, many of them probably pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem, could quickly become a rebel force.
The phrase “take him by force” shows that the people wanted a king on their own terms. They wanted a Messiah who would give them bread and political freedom, not one who would call them to repentance and lay down his life.
- Jesus Withdraws
Jesus refused the crown the crowd offered. He would indeed be King, but not by popular violence. His throne would be a cross, where Pilate placed the title “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19). He withdrew “to the mountain by himself”, and Mark tells us he went there to pray. In prayer he held to the Father’s will against the pressure of the crowd.
The Significance of John 6:14-15
- Seeking Jesus for the Wrong Reasons
The next day Jesus told the crowd that they were looking for him because they had eaten the loaves and been filled, and urged them: “Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life” (John 6:27). People still try to use Jesus to serve their own agendas, whether material, political or personal. True faith receives him as he is.
- The Humble King
Zechariah foresaw Israel’s King coming “lowly, and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Because Jesus refused a crown of force and accepted the cross, God has given him the name above every name, so that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
Cross-References:
Mark 6:45-46: Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray. Mark’s account of the same moment, without explaining the danger.
John 6:27: “Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.” Jesus redirected the crowd from bread to eternal life.
Zechariah 9:9: “Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The true King comes in humility, not by force.
John 19:19: "Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. There was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”" Jesus was declared King on the cross, the throne he chose.
Conclusion: John 6:14-15 shows a crowd that saw a miracle and wanted to make Jesus a king to suit their own hopes. Jesus refused and withdrew to pray, choosing the Father’s way of the cross. The passage invites us to examine why we follow Jesus, and to welcome him as the humble King who gives the bread of eternal life.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible