Jesus Is Greater Than Moses, Part 1 (John 6:1-21) Series

AJ (Author of John) has forced us to consider one basic question, over and over, throughout his gospel. Who is Jesus? What AJ claims-- and Jesus claims-- is that Jesus is from above-- from God. Jesus' Father sent him into the world to save the world-- to be God's lamb (John 1:35), to free the world from its sin, to give it life. And this life that Jesus gives is not just spiritual healing; it's physical healing as well. Life, is life. And Jesus came to make people whole.

Now, how can you make a decision about whether or not you will trust Jesus? How do you know that Jesus is, who he says he is? How do you know that Jesus has authority to give life to whoever he wishes, and judge whoever he wishes?

Last week, in John 5:31-47, Jesus pointed to five witnesses in his defense. He did this, not because he needed witnesses, or because he needed someone to tell him who he is. He pointed to these five witnesses for your benefit, so that you would find it easier to give your allegiance to Jesus.

Who were the five witnesses?:

(1) John the Baptist, the lamp, the one sent by God to point to Jesus.

(2) The signs/works that God the Father gave Jesus to do.

(3) God the Father himself.

(4) The OT.

(5) Moses.

Let's pick up this week, by rereading about the last of the five witnesses, Moses. John 5:45-57:

(45) Don't think that I will accuse you before the Father.

The one accusing you is Moses, toward whom you have put your hope.

For if you "believed/gave allegiance" toward Moses, you would believe/give allegiance toward me.

For about me, that one wrote.

(47) Now, if in/to that one's writings you don't believe/give allegiance, how in/to my words will you believe/give allegiance?

When did Moses write about Jesus? When did he witness about Jesus? That's something that hasn't really been explained so far in the gospel of John. But the answer is a passage we've looked at once already. Let's turn to Deuteronomy 18:13-21, where we find Moses addressing Israel at the edge of the promised land:

(13) Blameless you shall/must be with Yahweh your Elohim/God,

because these nations that you are dispossessing/driving out, to soothsayers and to diviners they listen,

while you, He has not in the same way given to you-- Yahweh your Elohim/God.

(15) A prophet from your midst-- from your brothers-- like me-- Yahweh your God will raise up.

To him you shall/must listen

(16) in accordance with all that you have asked from Yahweh your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying,

"I shall no longer listen to the voice of Yahweh my God,

while this great fire I shall no longer see,

and [so] I shall not die,"

(17) and Yahweh my God said,

"They have done well in what they have spoken."

(18) A prophet I shall/will raise up for them from the midst of their brothers like you,

and I will give/set my words in his mouth,

and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him,

(19) and then, the man who doesn't listen to my words that he has spoken in my name, I shall hold him accountable.

(20) However, the prophet who acts presumptuously by speaking a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, and that he speaks in the name of other elohim/gods, that prophet shall die,

(21) and if you say in your hearts,

"How can we know the word that Yahweh hasn't spoken to him--

what the prophet is saying in the name of Yahweh, the thing shall not happen, and it shall not come.

That is the thing that Yahweh hasn't spoken to him.

In presumptuousness the prophet has spoken it.

Don't be afraid of him.

Throughout Israelite history, there was only ever one Moses. No one rose up after Moses who was like him. None of the great prophets of the OT were his equal.

But God is a promise-keeper. If God said he would raise up another prophet like Moses, then that's what He would someday do. And every Judean at the time of Christ, looked forward to the day when God would raise up the prophet from their midst. Some wondered if John the Baptist was that prophet (John 1:21), but he wasn't.

In today's passage, Jesus will show himself to be the prophet. He is more than this, for sure. But Jesus is this.

In verses 1-4, AJ creates a picture for you to visualize. If this was Sunday school, this would be the background flannel board, that everything else happens against:

(1) After these things, Jesus departed to the other side of the sea of Galilee, of Tiberias.