What does John 6:25 mean?
After Jesus fed more than five thousand people with a miracle (John 6:9–14), He sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, away from the crowd (Matthew 14:22). This, and His retreat into the hills, was meant to cool off the sudden surge of enthusiasm from the crowd. The throngs of people saw Jesus command the disciples and they saw Him enter the hills. However, they didn't see Jesus walking on water overnight, or His miraculous transport of the boat to Capernaum (John 6:16–21).In a literal sense, the crowd is asking Jesus "when" He arrived in Capernaum. However, the real intent behind their question is "why" Jesus left. As later verses will show, this mob is focused on spectacle, free food, and political concerns. From that perspective, there is no good reason for Jesus to avoid publicity. They assume He would want to be adored and lavished by His followers. Jesus' response (John 6:26) will prove just how wrong their attitudes are. The people are seeking, but not after truth. They are only looking for selfish reasons.
John 6:22–40 describes the initial aftermath of Jesus' feeding of thousands the previous day. The crowd's actual desire is for another supernatural spectacle and more free food. In this passage, Christ begins to explain the true meaning behind His miracle and His ministry. This includes the first of seven ''I am'' statements in the gospel of John—moments where Jesus declares His own divinity. Jesus clarifies that physical things such as bread are symbols of a spiritual truth. In the following segment, the crowd will stop seeking and start complaining.
In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small meal, leaving more left over than He had to begin with. At first, the crowd is amazed and they enthusiastically praise Jesus. After sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee and rescuing them from a storm by walking on the water, Jesus once again addresses the crowd. This time, He emphasizes the spiritual lesson behind His prior miracle. In response, most of those who had been praising Jesus turn away in disappointment.
