Feeding of the 5,000

Introduction

John 20:30–31 (ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Feeding the 5,000 - John 6:1-69

Please open your Bibles to John 6.

There will not be the text in PP. I will put up verses other than key text.

Events (6:1-15)

Events preceding this miracle (6:1–9)

Location (1-4)

John 6:1–4 (ESV)

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.

the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand

“A yearly holy day set apart for the Israelites to observe the Exodus from Egypt, particularly the passing over of the Israelite firstborn males when the firstborn of Egypt were struck down in the last of ten plagues.”

Large crowd followed Jesus because they saw him healing the sick.

Jesus’ interaction with his disciples. (5-9)

John 6:5–9 (ESV)

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?”

Events during this miracle (6:10–13)

John 6:10–13 (ESV)

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.

Events following this miracle (6:14–15)

John 6:14–15 (ESV)

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.

Jesus (6:25-40)

Setting (22-24)

John 6:22–24 (ESV)

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

Do the works of God (25-29)

John 6:25–29 (ESV)

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Jesus’ Communication (26-27)

Why they came.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." (26)

They came for more food. Jesus uses this situation to teach what is more important.

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." (27)

The food you work for will perish, but God is offering you food that will bring you eternal life.

Son of Man (Jesus) will give you.

Son of Man—The title Jesus most frequently used for himself that emphasized both his divinity as the prophesied one in the Old Testament and his identification with people. (Gangel, Kenneth O. John. Vol. 4. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000. Print. Holman New Testament Commentary.)

Son of Man in Gospels (82X)

Son of Man is a reference to the prophecy in Daniel about the Messiah.

Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Their Question (28)

John 6:28 (ESV)

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Jesus’ Response (29)

John 6:29 (ESV)

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Believe - to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’ (Louw, Nida)

I AM the bread from heaven. (30-40)

John 6:30–40 (ESV)

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The people are looking for the that will not perish. Jesus makes it known that the bread from heaven that gives life is not food, but himself. He is the bread from heaven and He is the one that gives eternal life.

John 6:41–51 (ESV)

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me (OT writings)— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jesus is again explaining that he is the bread from heaven.

John 6:52–59 (ESV)

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

“Here we have another example in John’s Gospel of the people misunderstanding a spiritual truth by treating it literally (see John 2:19–21; 3:4; 4:11). All Jesus said was, “Just as you take food and drink within your body and it becomes a part of you, so you must receive Me within your innermost being so that I can give you life.” (Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996. Print.)

People (6:41-69)

Critics (41-42, 52)

He is simply the son of Joseph (6:41–42).

John 6:41–42 (ESV)

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Grumbled - to express one’s discontent—‘to complain, to grumble, complaint.’ (Louw, Nida)

No one can (physically) eat his flesh and drink his blood (6:52).

John 6:52 (ESV)

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Disputed - serious conflict, either physical or non-physical, but clearly intensive and bitter—‘to clash severely, struggle, fight.’ (Louw, Nida)

Although we do not know for sure, I feel as though these critics ended up rejecting Jesus

Followers (60-66)

Many of his followers now decide against him (6:60–65).

John 6:60–65 (ESV)

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Teaching was to hard to follow.

There are many teachings of Jesus that are very hard to accept.

Luke 9:23–24 (ESV)

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Luke 14:25–27 (ESV)

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Many of his followers now depart from him (6:66).

John 6:66 (ESV)

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

They no longer followed Jesus.

Apostles (67-69)

John 6:67–69 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Takeaways

Miracle - Jesus feeds 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Teaching - Jesus is the true bread from heaven given by the Father to bring eternal life to all who believe.

Response

Rejection

Find easier path.

Accept by faith