Jesus Isn't Your Jehovah Jireh

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (John 6:15 ESV)

Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will provide.

We’ve sung this truth, preached this truth, reminded others of this truth, but Jesus ran from it. I’m not sure about you, but that makes me a little uncomfortable. That’s not the carefully curated picture of Jesus I’d constructed. My Jesus is always there for me, a big brother who’s got my back, a friend who won’t let me down, a King who is generous to a fault.

But this Jesus withdrew and hid in the mountain ravines. Why?

Because the people wanted a Jehovah Jireh that was heavy on the Jireh, and light on the Jehovah. The crowd had just had their belly’s filled, and they didn’t have to work for it. That’s a big deal in a subsistence farming culture. Jesus was their meal ticket, so what better guy to have as king?

But if that’s the Jesus you want— Jesus the meal ticket, Jesus the genie-in-a-bottle, Jesus the slot machine—don’t be surprised when he withdraws. Don’t be surprised when you look around and find that he’s not there. Because Jesus isn’t that type of Jehovah Jireh. Jesus won’t receive the songs of eternity because he can do tricks with fish and bread, or win ‘Heaven’s Got Talent’ with a cool disappearing act — Jesus will be the subject of our joyful worship for all eternity simply because he is. The Lamb is sufficient. The great I AM is enough.

Don’t get me wrong, Jesus will meet our need, more than we may even realise now, but don’t settle for less than what he’s truly offering. Jesus is the Bread of Life—one taste of him and all the bread this world can offer will never satisfy.