5000 Fed

John 6:1–5 CSB

1 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2 A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him…

Mark 6:34–37 CSB

34 …and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.” 37 “You give them something to eat,” he responded. They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

John 6:5–13 CSB

5 …he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

When it is evident God is working, people will come.

Jesus was performing miracles and the people knew it, they came to see what was happening

Even if their motives for coming were not the best, the people heard the message of Jesus (if butts aren’t in the seats the message won’t be heard)

People today are still looking for a shepherd.

People often look in the wrong places, social media, education system, government, friends, etc.

Focusing on the size of the problem and the limits of what we have, leads to inaction.

The disciples had a legitimate issue, there were 5000 men present and we have not even counted the women and children who came as well… the actual number was probably closer to 8 or 9000

Looking at the mass number of people the suggestion was to send them away and not address the problem

Philip new he could do something with the money, but it would not be enough

Andrew at least looked for a solution but what he found could never feed so many… or could it…

What we have is all God needs, if we are willing to let Him use it.

I want to meet this boy someday - we do not know anything about him or why he had these food items - what this his lunch, maybe he was holding his family’s food while his parents listened to Jesus, who knows - but here is standing before Jesus watching his 5 loaves and 2 fish about to be part of a miracle

God is a multiplier

God not only meets the need but often blesses beyond the need.

God had a purpose in providing the extra

How many baskets were left? 12 - one basket for each of the disciples, see they had been serving all day so God made sure they were rewarded at the end - it was also a huge faith building exercise