The 5000 John 6:1-15

The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not.

Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word!

-Jesus shows us He is Lord by providing for our needs

I. Jesus Attracts a Crowd vv. 1-4

In our story this morning, Jesus has transitioned again, this time to the other side of the Sea of Galilee

As He goes, He is followed by a crowd of people

This is noteworthy for a couple of reasons

First, it tells us that word has gone out about His healing ministry and there are others who come to Jesus, hoping to find hope there

Second, it tells us that He is ready to receive them when they come; He does not object to their following

Third, we see that He genuinely engages with them; Matthew even tells us that He had compassion on them, as sheep without a shepherd

I have no doubt that the crowd was incredible, but John focuses in on the intimate connection between Jesus and His disciples

What is it about these guys that is special? Jesus has called them out of the crowd to Himself

I think that same call is going out to us today

It’s good to be a part of the crowd

It’s better to come in closer!

Matthew 11:28–30

[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)

II. Jesus Tests His People vv. 5-9

Jesus identifies a crisis point, motivated no doubt, by His compassion for all of these people following Him:

They are hungry, having been with Him all day

Night is falling and there is nothing for them to eat and clearly they were not prepared to provide for themselves

Philip understands the nature of this problem:

They don’t have the financial resources available to buy bread for a crowd like this

They don’t have the bread on hand for people to share

Jesus forces Philip and the other disciples to consider what is happening because He intends to test their faith

They have been walking with Jesus

They have seen Jesus do other kinds of miracles

This however, will be on a larger scale than anything they’ve ever witnessed and they will play a direct part in what takes place

I think it is important that we remember these times of testing:

Our faith will be tested, that is certain

We do not have to be afraid of the test because it is intended by the Lord to reveal our faith and His power

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Character, Test Of)

You can judge a man pretty well by whether—if given a choice—he would ask for a light burden or a strong back.97

III. Jesus Proves His Power vv. 10-12

When the time comes, Jesus demonstrates His total authority over the situation:

He instructs the disciples on what to do, giving clear direction

There are two things that are true at the same time:

The disciples have a role to play and they are going to be a part of the miracle

However, the miracle is coming through Jesus

Jesus presents Himself as an agent of God

Before breaking the bread, He gives thanks

Even as the disciples work at the direction of Jesus, He is working at the direction of and by the power of His Father in heaven

When Jesus acts, the little gifts of the boy who gave them are multiplied many times over

Something impossible happens

They are left with more than what they started with

Both Jesus and the disciples have passed the test

They trusted Jesus and He proved Himself to be trustworthy; He is able to provide bread in the wilderness

This is one more experience with Jesus that will strengthen their faith; He never fails

John 6:31–35

[31] Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” [32] Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” [34] They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

[35] Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (ESV)

IV. Jesus Invites Belief vv. 13-15

At the end of the story, each disciple is presented with a basket of leftovers. They have evidence to consider!

The crowd makes two wrong conclusions:

They recognize Him as a great prophet, a teacher who is worthy of hearing

They recognize Him as a great King, a leader worth following

They do not recognize Him as the Lord, who is worth believing

You can trust Him today with your whole life, both present and eternal in the certainty that He is more than sufficient to care for you!

Sometimes, we fear the fake. Several years back, I checked my e-mail to find a surprising invitation. A renowned pastor’s conference wanted me to come and preach in the UK at their event. I had several months to prepare, and would be rewarded handsomely for coming. All my expenses would be taken care of. There was just one minor glitch: to get the ball rolling, I would need to send a little money ahead to start the customs process. For just a few hundred dollars, they could get the paperwork taken care of and, once through customs, I would be well on my way to London. Thankfully, I didn’t fall for the scam. What seemed too good to be true was, but the Lord’s invitation is not.

Colossians 1:15–20

[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)

He is able to:

-Hold things together

-Lead you in the path of righteousness

-Rescue you from sin

However, you only find this if you trust in Him!