2136) Many people have a wrong idea of who God is. Some see him as a judge, waiting to pounce. Others see him as a spiritual Santa, wanting him to give them what they want. Still others see God as a cosmic being entirely removed from us.  

None of these are accurate, but does it really matter as long as a person is seeking God? John 6:14-15 answers this question.  

In this chapter of John, we see a huge crowd of people gathered to listen to Jesus and they were also hoping to see miracles. They aren’t disappointed because Jesus feeds all of them with only five loaves of bread and two fish.  

John goes on to tell us in verses 14-15 that the people try to make Jesus king by force. I’m concluding this is because they want a king who will do miracles and some, perhaps, want Jesus to become their king so the Romans can be displaced.  

There is something else found in verse 15 and it can be lost in the details of the miracle and that is, because the people want Jesus to be the “genie” king, one they can ask for 3 wishes and more, Jesus withdrew from them. The people’s idea of why Jesus came to earth was wrong.  

What I wonder about this part of the verse is, did the people miss out on more teaching and maybe more miracles because they had the incorrect idea of what Jesus’ mission on this earth was?  

If they had listened more closely to Jesus’ words, they would begin to understand why he came to this world; to seek and save all of us who are lost. Luke 19:10.  

In order to gain the right idea of God’s truth to us, we need to go to the original source.