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JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND
JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND John 6:1-15 Key Verse: 6:5 “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?’” In today’s passage Jesus feeds the five thousand. This event appears in all four gospel books. We learn the mind of Jesus in this passage. We also learn what kind of people are useful in the work of Jesus. May God help each of us to be a useful disciple of Jesus. First, Jesus decides to train his disciples (1-4). Look at verse 1. “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias)....” The scene shifted from Jerusalem to Galilee, to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. The other gospels tell us that this was intended to be a retreat of rest for Jesus’ disciples, after their fieldwork mission (Mk 6:30-31). The disciples had gone here to get away from the crowds. Look at verse 2. “...and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.” A great crowd of people followed Jesus. Why? They saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. They wanted spiritual help from Jesus, mostly healing. Many sick people were following Jesus, arms outstretched, calling for his mercy: “Jesus, please heal my shriveled hand!” “Jesus, please heal my lame leg!” “Jesus, please heal my sleeping disorder!” These people were needy. Yet in their desperate situations, they believed that Jesus cared about them. They believed that Jesus was mighty to save. So they came to Jesus shamelessly, asking help. Each thought his problem was most urgent. Each tried hard to push through to Jesus for his help. The need of the crowd was overwhelming. No doubt, Jesus wanted to reach out to each person and heal them with a touch. Jesus wanted to heal not only their bodies, but their spirits that had been destroyed by sin. Jesus wanted to restore the image of God in them and make them men and women of mission. But Jesus did not rush in and begin to heal. Look at verses 3-4. “Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.” In his human flesh, Jesus faced a time limit. Very soon, he would go to the cross and die for the sin of the world. Jesus sat down with his disciples on the mountainside. Jesus must have looked at them one by one. They were ordinary young men and generally not well educated. But they believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They followed Jesus with commitment and listened to his word. If they became shepherds like Jesus, there was hope for the world. It was time to begin training them. Second, Jesus asks, “Where shall we buy bread?” (5-7). Look at verse 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?” Why did Jesus ask Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” It might be because Philip was from Bethsaida, the area they were currently in. Maybe Philip knew where all the local bakeries were. That’s possible. More likely however, was that Jesus knew this was precisely the question that Philip needed to struggle with, learn something and grow. Verse 6 tells us that “[Jesus] asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Consider Jesus’ question. Jesus said “Where shall we” which meant that Philip didn’t have to feed them all by himself. Jesus wants to include us in what he wants to do. Jesus wants us to participate in his work. Jesus doesn’t ask anyone to do something all by themselves. Jesus is with us all along. Next Jesus said, “buy.” Why did Jesus say “where shall we buy”? The word “buy” involves a cost. To buy something, we must spend money. Money does not grow on trees. Money must be earned through toil and sweat. Following Jesus involves a cost. Serving others involves a cost. One who is not willing to spend anything or pay the cost, cannot follow Jesus or serve others. Finally Jesus said, “for these people to eat.” These words expressed Jesus’ love and compassion for the people, who were tired and hungry. In the other gospels, the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowds away. But Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Jesus wanted to give the crowd bread to eat, even though he had no money. This was Jesus’ will and desire. Here we learn the heart of Jesus. Jesus had already decided to feed the crowd. Jesus regarded each person like one of his own children. Jesus knew they were hungry. So Jesus wanted to feed them. Jesus was compassionate, like a mother. Jesus’ compassion extended not only to one or two needy people, but to a great crowd of suffering people. The compassion of Jesus is beyond human comprehension. The compassion of Jesus is like heavenly sunshine descending from above. Jesus challenged Philip to think like a leader. Jesus wanted Philip to share his shepherd heart for the crowd. To do so, Philip had to shake off the mind of a sheep, that is, an ordinary man’s mentality. How does a person become a shepherd? It is not by assuming a title: “Shepherd.” A shepherd must have the heart of Jesus. One of Jesus’ greatest blessings is to teach us his shepherd heart. How did Philip respond? Look at verse 7. “Philip answered him, ‘Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’” Philip had a listening problem. Jesus did not ask him how much it would cost. Jesus asked him where they could buy bread. Philip was from that area. So he should have known where to buy bread. All Philip had to do was suggest a place. But Philip did not. With his human reason, he manufactured irrelevant data and concluded that Jesus’ request was impossible. He even implied that Jesus was irrational for asking the question. We see from his answer that he was brilliant. He could survey the situation at a glance and calculate how much it would cost. But he was uncooperative. He did not like Jesus’ question. He did not want to feed the crowd. He did not understand Jesus’ shepherd heart. Philip was self-centered and couldn’t do anything. Third, Andrew’s faith (8-9). Look at verses 8-9. “Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’” Suddenly another disciple spoke up. He was Andrew. Andrew had brought Peter to Jesus. After that, Andrew seems to have been ignored. Perhaps Andrew did not look like a leadership material. However, Andrew had been following Jesus quietly. Andrew did not care about human recognition. He was happy simply to be around Jesus. He paid close attention to what Jesus said and did. He had learned the heart of Jesus. We learn from Andrew what kind of attitude we must have toward Jesus’ words. When Jesus said, “Where?” Andrew answered, “Here.” Andrew had listened to Jesus’ question carefully, though it was directed at Philip. Someone else might have thought, “I’m glad Jesus wasn’t talking to me.” But not Andrew. When Jesus spoke, Andrew listened, no matter what. Andrew was ready to obey Jesus’ word. Andrew was like a good soldier, eager to please the commander. As soon as Jesus said, “Where?” Andrew began to look around. His eyes must have searched the horizons, seeking McDonald sign. Then he looked for Lotteria, then Burger King. But there was no place. Still, Andrew looked around. His eyes fell on a young boy with a lunch sack. Maybe Andrew made a big smile at the boy and asked, “What is in your lunch sack?” Andrew was so friendly and sincere that the boy trusted him and revealed its contents. It was five small barley loaves and two small fish. It was just a boy’s small lunch. But to Andrew, it was a beginning point to carry out Jesus’ command. Andrew brought the boy to Jesus and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.” When Andrew brought the boy with five loaves and two fish, he knew it could not feed the whole crowd of people. But Andrew was not trying to feed all the people by himself. Andrew was depending on Jesus to feed the people. Andrew knew the heart of Jesus and believed that Jesus would feed the people. So Andrew brought the five loaves and two fish with faith in Jesus. We too must bring what we have with faith in Jesus. Jesus gives us commands that are seemingly impossible to carry out. Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” When Jesus says this, he has already decided to make it a reality. Jesus will do it. But he wants us to accept his command by faith and participate in what he is doing. During the early days of UBF in Korea, there was a great work of God among students. Many were healed from fatalism and found new life in Jesus. They loved Bible study. But whenever they came to the end of a gospel, there was Jesus’ world mission command. At that time, it looked impossible for Korean students to obey. They were poor and under severe travel restrictions. But Dr. Samuel Lee and Mother Barry took this command of Jesus as God’s word, the expression of God’s divine love for all people of all nations. So they prayed to carry it out. Other church leaders told them, “You are crazy. World mission is possible only for rich Americans and Canadians.” Nevertheless, Dr. Lee and Mother Barry persevered in prayer and looked around for five loaves and two fish. Here and there, they found them. For example, Dr. Lee had been offered a scholarship to study for a Ph.D. in America. It was what he really wanted to do. But he offered it to another person on the condition that she spend one year as a missionary in Cheju Island. It was actually part of Korea, but was across the sea. The person agreed, served one year as a missionary, then studied in America on Dr. Lee’s scholarship. Dr. Lee cried a lot when he gave up his scholarship. In this way, he brought five loaves and two fish to Jesus by faith. Fourth, Jesus blesses the five loaves and two fish (10-15). The contrast between Philip and Andrew was a lesson to the other disciples. They realized that they should be like Andrew. Those who had been thinking like Philip all repented. Andrew’s faith was a good influence to make an atmosphere that Jesus could work in. Look at verse 10. “Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’” The disciples were now drawn into the heart of Jesus. They were one with Jesus. When Jesus said, “Have the people sit down,” they responded with positive attitudes and expectation. They knew Jesus was going to do something. This gave them spiritual authority. When they spoke, everyone quieted down and listened attentively. Soon, the crowd of people was seated in an orderly way. Look at verse 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.” Jesus took the loaves. They were just five small barley loaves. But they came through Andrew’s wholehearted obedience and creative effort. They were precious to Jesus. Jesus thanked God for them. Jesus thanked God for Andrew’s good influence. Jesus thanked God for the little boy’s sacrifice. Jesus thanked God for what God was about to do. Then a miracle happened. As they were being distributed, the five loaves and two fish began to multiply. Each person who was seated received as much as they wanted, but still, there was more left. Finally, everyone in the crowd ate as much as they wanted. Five loaves and two fish fed five thousand men. Jesus is God who satisfies all human need by his almighty power. Jesus fed the crowd of over 5000 with 5 small loaves and 2 small fish. The boy had enough to eat as well. His lunch box became a blessing to over 5000 people when he gave it to Andrew, who gave it to Jesus. Jesus didn’t spend any money to feed them. It would be easy to take for granted this blessing and throw away the leftovers. But look at verses 12-13. “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” There was one basket leftover for each of the disciples. When they followed Jesus and obeyed him, they were not only a blessing to others; they were also blessed and provided with a basketful themselves. The Lord provides abundantly for those who trust and obey him. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” They were right that Jesus was the promised Prophet who came into the world. But they misunderstood why Jesus came. It was not to be a worldly king or to give them free bread. They could not make Jesus king to do their will. Jesus came to do the Father’s will. Jesus would become King of the Jews, not in the way that they wanted, but in God’s right way and at God’s right time. Jesus quietly withdrew to a mountain by himself to pray. So what do we learn from today’s passage? What Jesus wants to do, he is more than able to do. And he wants us to participate in his work. We learn from Philip how we should not respond to something Jesus wants to do. If, like Philip’s response, we look at our own resources, we will quickly despair and give up due to our weaknesses and limitations. From Andrew’s response, we learn to listen to Jesus and act in faith, bringing something or someone to him for his blessing. Most of all, we learn about Jesus. Jesus was ready to pay the highest price for our salvation, with his own blood. It was costly for Jesus to save the world. It is costly for us to follow Jesus and to serve others in his name. But it is worth it. Jesus will take what we bring, multiply it and make it a great blessing to others. Jesus is able and willing to feed the hungry souls and he wants us to participate in his work. “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Will you respond like Andrew? What will you bring to him? |
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