Miraculous Provision

Experience in Scarcity

When has God’s provision been your only option?

Does your testimony include both scarcity and abundance?

A Miraculous Provision For 5000+

Only miracle recorded in all 4 gospel accounts (except resurrection)

Matt, Mark, and Luke all similar

John has significant differences

John 6:1–15 NIV

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

The Passover Was Near

A seemingly out of place remark that John uses to frame the story

Only John gives this detail

The story of Exodus is John’s context for this story

Tired and Hungry

In the Synoptics, the disciples tell Jesus to send the people away after lengthy teaching and healing, so they can eat

In John, Jesus wants to feed the crowd as soon as they arrive

Jesus asks Philip where to buy food

Philip knows the cost is too high

A Poor Child’s Meal

Andrew offers up a child’s meal

The average daily meal for a single poor person

5 small loaves and 2 small fish

Andrew asks, “But how far will they go among so many?”

Jesus Provides

Jesus took what was scarce and multiplied it into abundance

All ate until they were full and there were left overs

John centralizes Jesus in distributing the meal

A Test of Faith in God’s Provision

Synoptic accounts are lessons in God’s abundant compassion

John’s focus is on Jesus exhibiting God’s power of provision

Mirroring mana in the wilderness

Purposeful Leftovers

Mana was not to be hoarded and leftovers would spoil the next day

Disciples were told to collect all the leftovers

12 full baskets remained, one for each tribe of Israel

Israel Still Seeks a King

A king’s job is to feed the people

The crowd believed Jesus would be this king

The crowd intended to make Jesus Israel’s king, by force

Jesus had other intentions

The Test of Scarcity

John put the focus on faith

Jesus used the situation to test and teach the disciples

In displaying Jesus’ divinity and power over scarcity, John is holding a mirror to the reader

Impossible, Or a Test?

Do we put scarcity in Jesus’ hands, or are we controlled by what we lack?

Faith that God will provide requires following Jesus’ lead

Does “Jesus is king” mean we have faith that he will provide?

Or are we seeking to make him king by force?