Jesus the Creator God

Today we pick back up in the Gospel of John with a familiar story the feeding of the 5000. If you remember we left of in chapter 5 with Jesus explaining that he was God and then defending that statement. Today we see an example of Jesus displaying his Godhood as he miraculously creates enough fish and bread to feed over 5000 men, some estimating as many as 20000 counting women and children. Yet Jesus challenges the disciples to feed the crowd. I believe this was for two reasons one a test of the disciples faith and two to display his power to create. Look with me at John 6:1-15.

John 6:1–15 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. 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.

Testing the Disciples

John 6:1–6 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. 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.

Jesus has gone out on the mountainside to teach his disciples and along comes this perfect opportunity to test their faith. Remember at this point they have seen Jesus turn water into wine and heal a variety of diseases, as well as hearing Jesus claim to Godhood and John’s supporting statements. Thus Jesus presents the test how will we provide food for all these people.

I love this test because it is so easily relatable. Many a church has been tested by being presented with a seemingly impossible scenario. I think God does this on purpose to test our faith. How will we react? All to often I think we as believers are guilty of seeking to meet the need by our own power or ability. Yet God desires that we place our trust in him that he might be able to do the miraculous and demonstrate his own power.

The Disciples deficiency

John 6:7–10 ESV

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.

Several solutions are given in this story. We see here that Philip says there is no way we could buy enough bread it would take almost 8 months wages to buy enough bread. Obviously the disciples did not have that kind of money thus the first solution fails. This is the obvious answer let us take out of our excess and give to the less fortunate.

The second solution according to Matthew 14:15 was to send them away to the towns to provide for themselves.

Matthew 14:15 ESV

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Yet remember Jesus started by asking Phillip where will we buy enough bread

Jesus has said we will meet this need the test is how will we do it.

This then is our second response if I do not have excess then you must provide for yourself.

The third solution is to combine resources. The disciples go and ask everyone what they might have to offer. They come up with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Not enough to feed even a portion of the large crowd.

This then is our last resort let us combine resources with another church or another organization to meet the need.

Yet what do we do when even this is not enough. Imagine if due to say a supply shortage due to a world wide epidemic there is no food at the store for the next several months. What could our church do to meet the needs of all the people in just a mile radius of the church? None of the methods above would work, there is no food to buy anywhere so the first two are out and unless someone has hoarded lots of food even what food we have would run out. So how would we as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ meet the need.

Jesus multiplies the gift.

John 6:11–13 ESV

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.

Imagine the disciples confusion when a little boy gives Jesus his lunch and Jesus takes it and blesses it then and then begins dividing it up for the people to eat. It doesn’t take a genius to know there aint enough to go around. Yet Jesus keeps giving them more and more food to hand out and when they are done they gather up 12 baskets of leftovers.

Everyone is full from one little boys lunch and 12 baskets of leftovers besides. I picture Jesus over there literally creating more bread and fish until everyone has enough to eat. There are two lessons here we should learn from this. First that God is a provider of our needs and if he calls us to meet a need that we are unable to meet then we must trust him to meet the need. We should not back down because we are unable to meet the need instead we should turn to God and admit our own inability to meet the need and ask for him to work in the situation to meet the need and then glorify him when he does. This is the example of faith in action.

Yet there is a second lesson here that I think John is trying to show here. Jesus shows that he is the creator God. The Old Testament is ripe with stories of God’s miraculous provision creating food from nothing. Remember Moses in the wilderness Manna in the morning and Meat in the evening. Then you have Elijah in 1 Kings 17 fed for 3 years by the ravens, and 2 Kings 4 the widows jar of oil filled every vessel she could get her hands on. In each Case God’s power of creation was demonstrated. Here we see Jesus demonstrating that same power, thus showing once again his equality with God.

Invitation

When you are in need or you know of a need how do you seek to meet it. Do you place your trust in yourself and your own ability to meet it or do you place your trust in God to meet the need according to his power and his timing? What if the need seems to great will you still trust God to meet it or will you try to help him along? Maybe you just give up? Will you ask him to forgive you for you lack of faith and help you to trust him to meet all your needs. Let us not forget that God created all that we see and have and thus he can easily meet our needs.

Yet maybe you are not a believer and you have never placed your trust in God. Maybe even now the Holy Spirit is prompting you to come to Jesus, but your not sure what to do. The process is simple first you need to realize that God is a perfect God, a holy God, and that you are not perfect, you have fallen short of his perfect standard. We call this sin and the Bible says that the wages the payment of our sin is death eternal separation from God in hell. Yet Jesus in his love for us came down and lived a perfect life that we could not live to die on the cross so that he might pay the price for our sin and we could have forgiveness. Thus we must admit our sin and place our trust in Jesus and his death as payment for our sin, and make him Lord master of our lives. Will you trust him today? Let us pray.