When its all you got
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· 15 viewsevery try to feed 5,000 with 2 fish and five loaves of bread? Jesus did, and succeeded.
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4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. 7 Philip answered, “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?”
Intro: So we have this item, its fish food, and I felt like we needed to look closely at the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 this morning. Now this miracle is recorded in all 4 of the Gospels, and it provides a pretty profound message on the doctrine of God’s Providence.
We have all had our days where we feel like all we got, is 5 loaves of bread, and two fish. Let me explain what I mean. We have all had days where we feel like what we have to offer, isn’t enough.
It might be a struggle your in with making time for your family with such a busy schedule, I’ve definitely been there, or maybe give your spouse the energy, and the love that they need and deserve. It might be in just merely keeping your financial life above water, or maybe it has been in trying to help someone else out, maybe even family that is in need, and you feel like your coming up short.
We’ve all been there, and some of us, some of us are at that point right now, and that’s why God has you hearing this message today. Because your in a position where you feel like all you got, is some bread and fish, and you need to feed 5,000.
So lets get into the text this morning a bit, and I’ll get to the point.
When:
We know when this took place, its in Jesus’ ministry nearing the time of the Jewish festival, the Passover.
Where: near the sea of Galilee
What:
was happening, is crowds were following Jesus and the apostles, again like I talked about last week, seeking healing, they were excited about the miracles of Jesus, and they all wanted to get in on that action.
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, 33 but many saw them leaving and recognized them. People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.
Matthew in his account also says that Jesus was healing there sick when the crowd followed Him across the sea of Galilee to the other side.
John’s account tells us that Phillip makes the comment, 200 denarii wouldn’t be enough to give everyone even alittle!
A Roman silver coin, equivalent to a laborer’s daily wage. Also: “Denarii.”
1 denarius = $8 USD
This was before inflation, lol.... Now you can’t live on that a day, no you’d get a couple gallons of gas maybe, and I can’t even think of a meal to feed the family on, maybe spaghetti, but even then your getting close to $8 or more if you put meat in your sauce.
I guess you could live on Ramen noodles for that, but the Bible says man can not live on Ramen alone but by every word from the mouth of God… Just kidding, it doesn’t say that in the Bible.
So about the bread and fish:
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Bread)
Barley bread was less appetizing but also less expensive and therefore common among the poor.
So chances are, this boy who gave his bread wasn’t wealthy.
Now he also gives two fish, considering the Bible tells us the disciples got the fish from the boy, I’d have to reason that he wasn’t bringing them 2 80lb catfish, or something massive, it would be something this boy could carry, again a meager offering for a crowd so big.
Three types of fish were primarily sought by fishermen in antiquity in these waters. Sardines likely were the “two small fish” that the boy brought to the feeding of the 5,000. Sardines and bread were the staple product of the locals. Barbels are so known because of the barbs at the corners of their mouths. The third type is called musht but is more popularly known today as “St. Peter’s Fish.” This fish has a long dorsal fin which looks like a comb and can be up to 1.5 feet (0.5 m) long and 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) in weight.
https://www.bibleplaces.com/seagalilee/
The only fish with some legitimate weight is the Barbel, which is from the carp family, and could weight 13-15lbs.
10 Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.
We call it feeding the five thousand, but did you notice, it says the “men” numbered almost 5,000! Scholars believe it could have more realistically been 7-8,000 people!
How much to feed 50?
Bread, sandwiches or side dish- 4 loaves (22-24 slices per loaf) 2 slices per person
Fish, Fillets and steaks, fresh or frozen - 14-16 lbs uncooked - 3-4 ounces, per person
https://www.chef-menus.com/food-quantity-chart.html
But look at what happens next when Jesus receives this food.
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 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.
The Bible says they were all FULL! This my friends is in fact a miracle.
God the provider
God supplies the needs of all creation, but gives special care to his own people.
God is called “The Lord who provides”
Ge 22:13–14 The name “Yahweh Yireh” (or “Jehovah Jireh”) is from the verb “to see”, and means “The Lord foresees” or “The Lord will see to it”.
Our text says that Jesus was testing His disciples in Johns account, right, He knew what He was gonna do, but He tested His disciples, they doubted being able to feed the multitudes. Jesus foresaw what He’d do, and he saw to doing it.
Whats my Point:
1. God is your spiritual provider
if your spiritually starving, then your not eating from what God provides,
4 But He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Jesus, in the middle of His temptation recognized that His spiritual needs outweighed His physical needs.
2. You will never have enough if your not resting in the Lord.
Notice in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, that often when He would go off alone, or to a remote place, it was to take rest in the Lord, to be in prayer and communion with His heavenly Father. In fact, In this miracle account, just before the Gospel of John says He withdrew to a remote place, and in Mark He tells His disciples to come by themselves to a remote place and rest awhile.
3. Be willing to give what you got, and let God cover the rest.
Notice the boys food. He didn’t have much, but clearly he gave it away to feed others. He gave it to the Lord, and it fed thousands!
When we give what we cant do over to God, we do more than we ever could have. You can’t do it on your own, God wants you to know that, and He wants you to know who to look to for help.
Some of you today are feeling like you don’t have enough, your circumstances outweigh your means. God is the provider of all things my friends, He provides our spiritual needs, He provides for our physical needs, just think of the mana He gave to the people of Israel, or the feeding of the 5000. But He also provides for our mental needs by giving us peace when we lean on Him.
So whatever it is that you are in need of today, you may feel like all you got is some fish and bread, and it’s not enough, but where you come up short, God comes through.
let us commit to give all that we can for the Glory of the Lord, trusting that He will always cover the remainder.