John 6:1-15
Notes
Transcript
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
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.
Pray!
Where are we? Context. Read verse below and go.
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
After what?
John 5 highlights
Healing a man lame man on the sabbath
Jesus then goes on to say that He was just doing what He sees His Father doing.
Sends the religious elite into a frenzy with this claim, to the point of no longer saying “hey, what are doing” to “He must die”.
Then Jesus doubles, triples, quadruples down on what He is claiming
He is “The Son of God” as well as “The Son of Man” The Messiah/Christ foretold in scripture.
God the only true Savior for His creation.
This is the “after this” in today’s verses.
With one exception...if we read about this miracle in the other gospels, we find that some time had passed and during this time His cousin had been killed.
Not just a distant cousin that He hardly knew. But His close cousin John the Baptist.
The one gifted with the very introduction of the Messiah.
The one that says these things about Jesus.
He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
and then says
John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
and also says
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
This great prophet sent before Jesus to prepare the way had been killed by being beheaded.
Beheaded for calling out sin and a kings pleasure in a woman.
This is the “after this” context.
And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
Define “a large crowd”
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
This is a large number of people. Minimum of 5,000 men and a boy that is close by, probably with his dad that has some food.
For context, Price City has around 9,000 people in it.
Carbon County has around 21,000 people.
Most commentaries estimate close to 20,000 people if you include women and children with this 5,000 men.
Nonetheless, even if it’s just 5,000 men and one little boy with his Father, that's more than half of Price following Jesus because they “saw the signs that He was doing on the sick”.
I think it’s safe to say, times haven’t changed much. All have a death problem and all are seeking a cure.
Skin treatments, colored hair dyes, balding cream, you name it, we try to hide the truth.
Unfortunately, many put their hope in the wrong cure. And what is a major camp of that wrong cure? Themselves! I’m mostly a good person.
There is only One true cure!
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
I can only imagine the thoughts that Jesus was dealing with.
The loss of His cousin weighing heavily on Him.
Sharing in these truths with His disciples.
And the truths of what’s to come later in His life.
The Sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
Seeing Jesus “getting away” so speak after these things, speaks to His being fully man at the same time being fully God.
Being fully man and feeling as man feels, a sense of brokeness and wrong, He goes away to focus on truth!
What a great teaching of truth and humility!
Truth in only One hope and humility of being fully man!
Oh such a High Priest do we have in Jesus.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
“lifting up his eyes” more of the previous talk about Jesus communioning with the Father.
And what does Jesus see during this time of communioning? A large crowd coming toward Him.
What a picture of the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Son as a man seeking to do the Father’s will, prays to the Father for guidance during these difficult times, the Son being obedient to all God’s request looks up and sees a lost, dying people, and the Holy Spirit gives a heart of love and truth to the situation.
Not the heart of man, that “good grief I’m tired and can’t you leave me alone for two seconds?”. This is the transformation that believers goes through by the power of the Holy Spirit. From death to life and through this new life a love for God and others!
Another teaching moment, God gives rest and renewal!
In this renewal of the power in the Holy Spirit, He sees two things.
One, a real situation that a lot of people of come a ways seeking life without no food for the Journey.
and two, a teaching moment for His disciples.
There is a need and how are needs met?
Jesus identifies the need and lobs in the pitch to teach in the same question.
John 6:5b Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
And how do we know it’s a teaching moment?
He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
And what does Philip reply?
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
Truthful answer right?
One denarius is roughly worth one day's labor in a so called unskilled trade.
According to the google machine, the average hourly wage for unskilled trades in the US is $18.73. Times that by an 8 hour day comes to roughly $150.00 for the day.
So $150.00 dollars times 200 comes out to be $30,000 dollars. That is a lot of bread!
That’s a feeding of a lot of people!
Philip thinking in worldly, human terms is correct in saying something like this.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
Out of the blue Andrew brings this up. I’m not 100% sure what is going on with this besides maybe thinking in human terms and how to best help within the limits of worldly thoughts, thinking “look there is a a very small portion of food, maybe we can help those who desperately need it”.
I see this for what it is, a great teaching moment for all the disciples.
When problems are identified where do we first go?
This testing of Philip wasn’t to shame him but to bring truth right in front of him.
Sometimes we view testing as something won or loss but miss the value of its teaching.
This isn’t a test to see how smart or dumb Philip is God already knows this.
This is a test brought forth to identify direction.
Where to to put it and not put it.
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
Truth God provides. This great miracle is wrote about in all 4 gospels. This and one other are the only two documented in all 4. The other being the resurrection of Jesus.
Telling us this has some importance. One, Jesus’ truth wasn’t hid for just a select few. But for many to see. All of Price if not Carbon County seen this and could testify to its truth. They ate when there was nothing to eat.
There wasn’t no food truck sitting off the side of the road.
Only One provides.
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.
And through this truth brings a heart of thanks.
The heart of today’s message couldn’t be said any better than this.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We give thanks. It’s a heart of gratitude and thankfulness in full faith to the One who saves.
In all circumstances, rejoice, pray, give thanks.
This is a heart that has faith in Jesus.
A heart first and foremost of faith in only Him.
A heart first and foremost of trust in only Him.
And through this One and Only Truth we...
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Why do we give thanks.
Point to the cross. Our biggest problem. Sin and separation from God.
Through the cross we have restoration through the works of Christ, not us.
So that we my have this..
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
In closing..
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
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.
No doubt the people saw something great and wanted everything now (even though in Christ we have everything we really need).
Remember this last teaching. It’s all about God’s timing, not ours.
And you know what, that’s good. How many would be here if God came 20 years ago, 10 years ago or even 1 year ago?
Rejoice in the days that are given to possibly bring more into the fold.
And remember these truths while we endure the hardships of this world.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
And we stand on the promise of
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let’s pray in rejoicement and thanksgiving!
