When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached. Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses. Yet knowing this, He took no measures to avert the crisis. From the first He had held out to His followers no hope of earthly rewards. To one who came desiring to become His disciple He had said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." Matt. 8:20. If men could have had the world with Christ, multitudes would have proffered Him their allegiance; but such service He could not accept. Of those now connected with Him there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly kingdom. These must be undeceived. The deep spiritual teaching in the miracle of the loaves had not been comprehended. This was to be made plain. And this new revelation would bring with it a closer test.

Dette kapitel er bygget op over Joh 6,22-71
Da Jesus forhindrede folket i at udråbe ham til konge, vidste han, at han var nået til et vendepunkt i sin tilværelse. Store menneskemængder, som i dag ønskede at ophøje ham på tronen, ville næste dag vende sig fra ham. Deres skuffede egoistiske ærgerrighed ville forvandle deres kærlighed til had og deres lovprisninger til forbandelser. Men skønt han vidste dette, tog han alligevel ingen forholdsregler for at afværge faren. Han havde lige fra begyndelsen ikke foregøglet sine disciple noget håb om jordisk fordel. Til en, der kom og ønskede at blive hans discipel, havde han sagt: "Ræve har huler og himmelens fugle reder, men Menneskesønnen har ikke det sted, hvor han kan lægge sit hoved til hvile " Matt. 8, 20. Hvis mennesker kunne have fået verden sammen med Kristus, ville de i store skarer have tilbudt at adlyde ham, men en sådan tjeneste kunne han ikke tage imod. Mange af dem, der nu havde sluttet sig til ham, havde ladet sig lokke af håbet om et jordisk rige. Disse måtte rives ud af vildfarelsen. Den dybe åndelige betydning af underet med brødene var ikke blevet forstået. Dette måtte klargøres for dem, og denne nye åbenbaring ville medføre en hårdere prøve.