What does John 6:14 mean?
Even in Jesus' day, Deuteronomy 18:15 was interpreted as a prediction that a great leader, like Moses, would come to the people of Israel (John 1:19–21). Jesus has attracted a large crowd due to His miraculous healings (John 6:2). In another Old Testament passage, the prophet Elisha miraculously feeds 100 men with 20 small barley loaves, with food to spare. The miracle just performed by Jesus far surpasses that (John 6:9–13). As a result, many in the crowd feel Jesus is this prophetic figure they have been waiting for: the prophet-leader promised by Moses.On one hand, the people's reaction to Jesus miracle is appropriate. This verse refers to the event as a "sign," from the Greek term sēmion, referring to an event bearing some specific meaning or message. The gospel of John features seven of these miraculous signs, intended to prove that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be: God incarnate.
Unfortunately, the people's response to Christ's latest miracle is not entirely correct. The following day, Jesus will attempt to explain the purpose of His ministry to these same people. When told that bread and miracles are not the point of His mission, most of the crowd will abandon Jesus. This proves that, for most, their attraction to Jesus is based on spectacle and selfishness, not a genuine interest in spiritual truth.'
This is the pinnacle of Jesus' worldly popularity. As the following verse indicates, Jesus has to reject the crowd's knee-jerk desire to proclaim Him as the King of Israel. Jesus is firmly committed to God's divine timetable (John 2:4; John 7:6; John 16:25; Matthew 26:18), and the moment to openly declare Himself King has not yet arrived (John 12:12–15). The overnight miracle on the Sea of Galilee means these people will need to find Him in Capernaum the following day. There, this spike of public enthusiasm will shrink as Jesus clarifies His message.