Jesus Feeds 5,000

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Welcome!

March 30th: Communion service and potluck

INTRODUCTION:

One of the events that took place in Jesus’ ministry is the feeding of the 5,000. This miracle must have made a significant impact on the disciples because it is one of the few miracles that all four gospels records.

What is so significant about the feeding of the 5,000? Well Jesus fed 5,000 men with only enough food to feed a few men. He took what was available, multiplied it, and what they had at the end after feeding the multitude was more than they started with.

But what is important here is not that Jesus fed a large crowd of people, but the spiritual significance behind Him feeding all these people. And that is what John is about, the deeper spiritual truth to be seen in this lavish banquet

Let’s turn to John chapter 6 and we will begin in verse 1 and go down to verse 15

The deepest longings of people are not physical but spiritual

John 6:1–4 NASB95

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

Verse 2: “A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs”

Explanation: This is such a common human response to God. It is knowing that God is able to do the impossible and in pursuit of that, they pursue God. But that kind of faith is insufficient to truly know God. People who come only wanting problems fixed, only wanting the blessings of God, only wanting something from God will miss Him all together. And that is exactly what happens to this crowd as we will see later on in this chapter.

John says they came because of the “signs He was performing”. It’s important that we understand what John means by signs. He is not just referring to Jesus’ miracles.

Signs tell us something that we cannot see on the surface

A flashing yellow sign tells us to be cautious because something is up ahead that could be dangerous.

Road sign give us the names of roads that we are not aware of.

Jesus’s signs were miracles that point to deeper theological truths that we cannot see on the surface

In this miracle, Jesus feeds 5,000 men, not including women and children with just a few barley loaves of bread and two fish.

The sign is not that jesus has the ability to feed a lot of people with a little bit of food. Or that Jesus will take a loaf of bread and a hotdog from our house and feed our entire neighborhood.

The sign points to something deeper.

Now with that in mind let’s look at these opening verses again

Jesus goes up on the mountain. Without even trying much, this scene takes us back to Moses in the wilderness who goes up on mount Sinai to meet with God. Jesus Himself being God helps us to see it is the very hand of God who will feed this crowd.

Secondly, John mentions the Passover. What is the Passover? A yearly Jewish festival where an animal is sacrificed and eaten in remembrance of the God’s saving hand during the first exodus. The Passover also alludes to the death and sacrifice of Jesus.

Thirdly, we should also remember in this story of the time when God fed the Israelites with manna which was bread from heaven. When the Israelites had nothing to eat, God sent them manna every morning to nourish them as they headed towards God’s promises.

So this sign is not just about God providing physical food for hungry people, it is about Jesus who is the bread of life providing spiritual food for ALL the needy people.

John 6:51 NASB95

“I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

(v 2) “A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick”

On the surface, we see a group of people who were following Jesus because they saw Him do miraculous things. And that is very true, and would attract many people today for those same reasons. But below the surface, we see in these people, a deep sense of need that they cannot seem to satisfy.

These people are not sick, at-least the majority of them were not sick, but that is what they saw Jesus do (heal the sick). And they had no idea jesu was going to feed them. This was a complete surprise to all of them including the disciples. So why were they following Him?

Because there was a longing for something meaningful and satisfying deep down in their hearts and they did not know what it was, but they did believe that Jesus could give it to them. They came to Jesus out of a need, they just did not understand what that need was.

Principle: God has made us for Him, and we will never find true peace and satisfaction until we are united with God through Jesus Christ

That longing that we see here in the hearts of this crowd is the same longing that exists in every human heart today.

People search in earthly things hoping to gain what can only be gathered from heaven.

No matter how much we gain, no matter how great of things we gain, no matter who we gain, nothing will ever fill the human the deepest need of the human hearts.

And I am fully confident that we know this, but we forget this to often. And we spend much of our lives trying to find satisfaction is all the things that will never satisfy us.

How many of us in here today can truly say that we are truly seeking the things which only Jesus can give us? How many of us, if being completely honest, would say that what drives you right now is seeking fulfillment in Christ?

2) A Test of Faith

John 6:5–9 NASB95

Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”

Explanation:

“This He was saying to test him” (Philip)

Now Jesus knew exactly what He was going to do. So His question of, “where are we to buy bread” was just a test to see how Philip would respond to this situation. For Jesus already knew what He was planning to do.

What is the test that Jesus was giving Philip? IT WAS A TEST OF HOW HE LOOKED AT JESUS

look at the question again: where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat

Philips answers by saying 200 denarrii is not sufficient. That would be around $16,000 in American money today. He is thinking about this in an earthly understanding.

Jesus and his disciples did not have $20,0000, so this is obviously not a viable option.

What was the other option? It was to look to Jesus to meet this need. Jesus does not need money, nor does Jesus need a bakery who has 5,000 leave of bread on hand. Jesus needs nothing except to say a word and the provisions would be made.

Jesus’ test to Philip was whether or not He would see Jesus alone as the One who is able to provide.

All Philip need to do is remember how Jesus met the need at the wedding of Cana. Philip was there, saw the water turned to wine, heard the headwaiter say the best wine was served last.

Or Philip could have remembered how Jesus healed that man at Bethesda which was humanly impossible.

He was testing Philip’s faith. Did He really think Jesus was capable of feeding all these people, making something out of nothing, or making much out of little.

Bridge: The natural question then to us is, “how do we look at Jesus when we find ourselves in impossible situations?”

And I know when we ask that, that in our minds right now we are saying yes absolutely! I know Jesus can meet all of my needs. But that is not the best way to determine the answer to that question. Because we often respond differently according to the circumstances in our life.

I have found in my own life that when things are going well, all my needs are meant, there is money in the bank, relationship are going well, God is working in the church, it’s easy to trust God. It’s easy to say, Lord I will walk with you into the deepest darkness places and I will not waver no matter how hard things are!

But when things are not going well, when I find myself in seemingly impossible situations, life is hard and difficult, then I find that is the most difficult to have strong unwavering faith. Because what often happens in our lives during times like this is to doubt God.

Does God test us like He tested Philip?

Absolutely! God brings us into circumstances time and time again, setting up the events and things in our lives so that we come to these crossroads again and again where we are forced to turn to God or turn to the world.

And the testing is not comfortable, it is not enjoyable, it can almost seem cruel to us at times, but is essential to our maturing as believers.

God tests our faith in many ways. He allows temptation to come into our lives to test us and demonstrate whether or not our faith is real.

“A faith that has not been tested cannot be trusted”

He ALSO tests our faith also in ways to trust Him when we find ourselves in impossible situations to deepen our faith. And thats what God was doing here with Philip.

Maybe God is testing you right now. Maybe you are at a place where God has touched your life and He is saying to you are you going to look to Me, and see Me as the One who gives life, or are you going to look to this world and seek it to provide for you?

Let me give you this advice: no matter how impossible or difficult the situation you may find yourself in, it is far better to depend upon Jesus, stand with Jesus, trust in Jesus rather than to look within at our own wisdom and ideas.

Impossible situations are just an opportunity to see God work in supernatural ways. And most oftenGod’s tests lead us into places where it looks impossible to give us the opportunity to truly trust God and deepen our faith.

3) Jesus’ ability to fill us

John 6:10–13 NASB95

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

Explanation:

Here we are with 5,000 men, seated down in the grass, looking up to the mountain at Jesus, wondering what He is going to do. Some scholars say there was likely around 15-20,000 people there including the women and children (John only mentions men). Huge crowd of people, any restaurant or commercial kitchen would have been seriously overwhelmed with this before them.

Then it says, Jesus gave them all that they wanted. They ate until they were completely “filled”. In fact, there was such an abundance that after everyone had finished eating, the disciples went around and picked up 12 full brackets of fragments which is more than they had at the beginning when they started!

What I want to do is draw a couple principles from these verses:

1) Jesus takes what we have and multiplies it

What began with five Barley loaves and two fish, enough to satisfy one or two people, Jesus made into a banquet to satisfy thousands of people.

What this little boy placed in the hands of Jesus solved a problem that none of the disciples had an answer for. Jesus took what was so little and made it much when it was entrusted to Him.

And that is exactly what Jesus does with our lives today. I am not talking about taking money and putting in the offering plate and Jesus multiplying that. I am talking about a spiritual return!

When we take what little things we may have and put them in Jesus’ hands, He multiplies that to bring about Spiritual satisfaction.

And there is no better place to start than where you are right now! What is it that you are clinging to in your life that you are trying bring fulfillment to your life from something of this world, what needs to happen is that be put into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ and let Him fill you up!

There are so many who are just like this crowd, coming to Jesus for earthly things trying to fill voids that only Jesus can fill! And they love their lives longing for the wrong kind of bread, the bread that does not nourish, the bread that dries us up spiritually, and Jesus is saying to us, give it to Me! Trust Me! Follow Me and let me feed you and you will be filled and completely satisfied.

John 12:25 “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”

2) Jesus wastes nothing

I think that we believe that when we 100% commit ourselves to Jesus, we are going to throw our lives in the garbage can and all will be wasted. That we are going to miss out on so much the world has to offer, that our kids are going to miss out on so much by not playing all the sports, and taking all the vacations, and not having the relationships that everyone else in the world gets to have AND that our time, our money, our dreams EVERYTHING WILL JUST BE WASTED IS WE TRULY COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM.

But the truth is WE are the ones who waste our lives away by clinging to all those things rather than clinging to Christ and what He has to offer. We run day after day, year after year, pursuit after pursuit, seeking this fulfillment in all these things that can never give us what we are longing for the most. And every person who does will eventually wake up one day only to realize how much time we have truly wasted.

You wanna make a good return on your gift of life? Then you must place it completley in the hand of Jesus and trust Him with it. He wastes nothing!

Jesus is the heavenly King

John 6:14–15 NASB95

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Explanation:

This concluding paragraph will give us some insight into the motives of those in this crowd. They confessed that Jesus was the promised One who was to come (which is just a reference to the coming of the Messiah).

But their application of that truth was misguided. Instead of understanding Jesus as the bread of life, they saw him as the bread giver in this life. They wanted Him to be an earthly King, who would give them earthly things, and the kind of life they wanted.

In other words, they tried to fit Jesus into their worldly plans and objectives rather than fit themselves into God’s plan.

Bridge:

And that is a great mistake and very common mistake we are prone to make today. Jesus this is what I am planning to do, I am doing this. Now, come and bless all that I am planning to do and make it great, and make it satisfying, and make it everything that I ever dreamed of.

And then those people who do that end up frustrated, disappointed, and doubting that God is who He says He is. Because they take Him and mold Him into their plans rather than take their lives and place them into the hands and plans of Jesus.

Application:

Let’s think about our own lives. Are we more like the boy who hands Jesus everything he has and trusts Him whatever He wants to do with it, we trust him.

Or are we like the crowd, who takes Jesus and tries to force Him into our mold, our plans, our dreams and blessings what we are doing?

The two approaches have extremely different outcomes.

The people had it right, Jesus is a King and He should be looked to as a King

But His kingdom is not of this world and the king of heaven does not conform to our lives, we must conform to His.

Conclusion

Everyone serves someone. Everyone worships something. Everyone follows something.

Who is it that you truly serve?

~PRAYER~