Analysis process of inductive study of John 6:1-2

Tim Chang • April 8, 2020

John 6:1-2, analysis


From the observation of John 6:1-2, we have discovered many hidden things that were not apparent.


The following are the summary of the observation:


1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee

2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them

3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the normal route that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4.

4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee.


To an in-depth analysis of the passage, you reflect on the observed facts.


1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee.


If it takes at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, why did John left out the details of the journey?

How did the Jews travel in those days?

Why did Jesus travel so much from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee to go back to Jerusalem at a later date for the feasts of the Jews?


2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them

How do we know that Jesus healed all of them?

Who are these multitudes? Were these multitudes mainly Jews? Were the great multitudes related to one another?

How big were the many multitudes?

What were the interests of these multitudes? Did they work? Why were they in Jerusalem? What caught their attention that they followed Jesus? Where are the twelve disciples of Jesus?


3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the usual way that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4.


Did Jesus take the shortest route cutting through Samaria? If he did, why did he do that? What effect did John 4 account of the woman at the well in Samaria have on this journey for Jesus and his disciples? Why did Jews avoid Samaritans? How would a Samaritans react to the Jews hating on them? If the woman at the well in Samaria was the reason for Jesus going through Samaria, did Jesus visit this place often? Then, why did John not record these journeys in detail?


4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the great multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee.


Were the great multitudes the Jews? If they were, why did they go through Samaria following Jesus? If they followed Jesus into Samaria, it must have been their first time in Samaria.

What were the responses of the Jews and Samaritans in their first interaction? What were their prejudices against the Samaritans that were shattered when they come into the town? What did Jesus do in Samaria? If Jesus healed the sick, cast out the demons, and taught in Samaria, what were the responses of the mixed crowd of Jews and Samaritans? Did the Samaritans harbor hate against the Jews that they did not feed or sheltered them or they welcomed the Jews because of Jesus? After this event, did the Jews return to Samaria and visit them, as they have become friends? The Jews who came into Samaria, did they continue to go through Samaria when they go to Jerusalem or did they revert to their old ways of avoiding Samaritans?


These are some of the obvious questions that we can derive from the observation of the passage.


During the analysis phase of the inductive process, the qualities of the questions asked will determine the qualities of the analysis you will do, resulting in quality application and conclusion. When you first begin the analysis phase, your questions might not be as good as you want them to be. There may be many reasons why this may be the case. One of the main reason for it is that you did not spend enough time and energy observing the text. Good observations lead to good analysis.

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For a Christian to be healthy, we must sleep or rest in Jesus. Just like sleep is essential to the health of our physical body, sleep or rest in Jesus is essential to our spiritual walk with Jesus. When Jesus came to the world, he came to do the works of the Father, and he completed them on the cross, when he said, It is finished. The very reliance of the blood of Jesus that he shed for us on the cross gives us the rest that our spirit needs. To sleep or rest in Jesus means to cease all our agendas. Many Christians fall into a trap that once you become a Christian, you must do so many things and not do so many things. Being a disciple becomes a matter of checking off a list of dos and don’ts. However, this is far from rest that Jesus gave us when he said, It is finished, on the cross. The rest comes to us when we die in Jesus. When we follow Jesus as a disciple, Jesus is inviting us to pick up our own cross, deny ourselves, and follow him. Where did Jesus end up? 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They delight in worship and even give up many things for the Lord and His body. But that one thing, no matter how minor it seems, Jesus asks the question, “Can you give up that one thing for me?” Which is the question of death. The death of our old self. To Abraham, it was to offer Isaac on an altar. To Jacob, it was to deny his ability to cheat, steal, and lie. To the Apostles, it was to give up their life for the sake of the gospel. So many of our ancestors of faith have demonstrated giving up that one thing that matters the most to them for the sake of Jesus. Why would they do that? The most important question of all is, how were they able to do that for Jesus? The answer is simple: daily eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood; daily excrete out what the Holy Spirit is telling us; daily rest in Jesus. This daily trust and obedience provides us with a sense of security and guidance in our walk with Jesus. The death of oneself does not come from human effort nor willpower. It comes from trusting in Jesus even till death. It can only be done when one is deeply involved with Jesus and Jesus’ DNA becomes their DNA. Without questioning, they hear the voice of Jesus, respond, and lay down their lives and their most essential things for Jesus. It is a daily walk with Jesus and having a moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus. Jesus said My sheep hear my voice and follow me. It is interesting to note that when Jesus calls his sheep, it is among other sheep that are not of Jesus’. Jesus calls his sheep to take them through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus’ sheep hear his voice and follow initially. Then, when the sheep sees Jesus walking away from the green pasture and onto the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep begins to wonder if the voice it hears is Jesus’ or not. But as Jesus continues to call the sheep, the sheep respond by trusting in Jesus’ voice, recognizing it as their own. But as the sheep nears the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep gets close to Jesus, embracing his breath, scent, and sweat. Following him closely, as he fears he might be lost if he does not hear the voice of his true shepherd. Ultimately, the valley of the shadow of death separates the true sheep of Jesus from other sheep. Jesus calls all of his disciples to carry the cross, deny oneself, and follow Jesus daily. Which ultimately leads to death. Death is not to end our essence but to deliver us from ourselves, our old ways of living, and to redefine our DNA to become like Jesus; ultimately leading us to the resurrection of Jesus, as he has said, I am the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is not something that we find when the last day comes; the resurrection that Jesus gives us is the very nature of all of his disciples that must go through to become faithful followers of Jesus. Many modern Christians are what we might call 'zombie Christians'. This is not a metaphor, but a reality. When Jesus calls us to die with him, many reject this calling, believing it to be from Satan. They know deep down that it is the call of Jesus, but they prefer to be deceived in their hearts as it seems logical, reasonable, and satisfies their current values. However, when a Christian rejects the call of Jesus, the life of Jesus leaves that Christian, and that person becomes a 'zombie Christian'. A 'zombie Christian' is a person who knows about Jesus but does not follow Jesus because they have denied the call of Jesus to be his disciple. There are many 'zombie Christians'. Many become like Pharisees, and they are satisfied with knowing about the Scriptures, rather than obeying them. They begin to lose the joy, rest, and light of Jesus in their lives and begin to replace it with religious activities and the endless pursuit of knowledge about Christian life. When the Father speaks, He speaks once, and the Holy Spirit continuously reminds us to obey what the Father has said. However, once you become a zombie Christian, it is difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, nor the voice of the Father. The Holy Spirit continuously prays to the Father with groaning that cannot be uttered because the Holy Spirit is in agony over the disobedient Christian. Just like the Prodigal Son, the Father waits for the son to return. An interesting observation can be made regarding the story of the Prodigal Son, that the father did not go after looking for the son, nor did the older brother. The reason the father did not go after the prodigal son was that the son made the choice, and the father respected the son's choice. But an interesting thing is that the older brother did not go after his brother, even though he could have. The older brother did not know the heart of the father, and when the prodigal son returned, the older son’s response reveals his true intentions. The Father waits for the zombie Christian to return. To return means to realize that their effort and ways of living caused much turmoil and must abide under the ruling of the Father. The Father gives another chance to zombie Christians. But when the second chance comes, the sacrifice that a zombie Christian makes seems greater than the first time. As that person has drifted away from the proper way of living and been replaced by religious activities that have no life. Every disciple of Jesus knows that one thing that Jesus asks us to give up. It is not to destroy us but to trust in the Lord. Just like when Peter asked Jesus to walk on water, Jesus is telling us to walk on water like Peter did. When we die in Jesus, it is the very spirit of Jesus that resurrects us. When we experience death and resurrection through Jesus, that is when we truly find the peace and rest that Jesus desires for us to have, not through religious activities, disciplines, and training. When we realize that our death does not lead to destruction, as the one inviting us to death is Jesus, who is life and resurrection, we trust in Jesus and follow through our death, and we wait on Jesus to resurrect us in his power and spirit. That is when we are truly free from the world and its bondages, and nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. We become one with Jesus as we suffer with him, and we glory with him. We can become truly victorious in all aspects of our lives, not with our power or abilities, but by what Jesus has done for us in himself. A true crown of glory awaits those who follow Jesus even to death.