Question

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JESUS FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND

John 6:1-15

Key Verse: 6:11

1. What was the time and place of this event (1,4)? What motivated the great crowd of people to follow Jesus (2)? What did Jesus do (3)? Why did Jesus bring his disciples up on the mountainside?

2. What did Jesus see, and what did he ask Philip (5)? What does Jesus’ question reveal about him? How was he testing Philip (6)? What does Philip’s answer show about him (7)? Do you think Philip passed the test?

3. Who spoke up (8; 1:40-42)? In what sense was Andrew’s suggestion hilarious, and how does it reflect Jesus’ mind (9; 6b)? How did Jesus involve his disciples (10)?

4. What did Jesus do with the five loaves and two fish (11)? What can we learn about Jesus? (Eph 3:20) How can we feed physically and spiritually hungry people around us?

5. After feeding the crowd, how did Jesus teach his disciples stewardship (12-13)? How did the crowd respond to the sign that Jesus performed (14)? Why did Jesus withdraw (15)?

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Attachment

• Jn06_1-15q (1).pdf

Message

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THE FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH

John 6:1-15

Key Verse: 6:11

 "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."

Before delivering this message, I have to confess that the majority of this message is based on Dr. Samuel Lee's message. The reason that I used his message is first Dr. Lee is the person who feed God's people with the words and experienced God's miracles and His help a lot. The second reason is I am not the right person who could assert something and deliver the message. I just hope that I may learn something from this passage with you.

In today's passage, Jesus feeds 5,000 people, which is the fourth miraculous sign in John's gospel. All miracles were done not to demonstrate his magic power. But they were done because Jesus had a great shepherd heart for his people and wanted his disciples to do the same for God's flock. His feeding the 5,000 people teaches us that Jesus has a great shepherd heart.  Jesus also teaches us to have faith to feed the 5,000 hungry people with five small loaves and two small fish. I pray that all of us may experience the great faith by offering our five loaves and two fish.

I.  Jesus' shepherd heart (1-9)

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)." Before this, Jesus' disciples were on mission trip. When the disciples depended on Jesus' authority, "They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them" (Mk 6:13). After the trip, Jesus knew that the disciples needed some rest. So Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. 

The disciples must be very happy because now they could enjoy their vacation. But out of nowhere, they heard the cacophonous sound. It was the sound that the crowd made. Every kinds of people were following Jesus and his disciples. Sick people, wounded people, hungry people, and so on. Then why did they follow Jesus? According to verse 2 it was because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed many times. They wanted to see another miracle of Jesus for themselves.

All those who came to Jesus were sick or needy people. They almost ruined Jesus' and his disciples' vacation. But what did Jesus do for them? Jesus welcomed them and wanted to help them. Matthew 9:36 says, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus was compassionate instead of being annoyed.

Again, Mark 6:34a says, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus saw them with shepherd heart. Jesus saw them with God's eyes.

Jesus thought that they were in that miserable situation because they had no shepherd.  Jesus saw them with God's shepherd heart. We must also see people as Jesus did. It is because we receive the grace and forgiveness from God when we are sinners.

Looking at great number of people, Jesus knew their specific needs. 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?'" Jesus knew that the crowd of people were very hungry.  Mark 8:3 says, "If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." So Jesus said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" When Jesus said this, what did he want to hear from Philip? The best answer must be "Lord, I know that you already decide to feed the crowd. I don't know what to do, but please tell me then I will obey."

But Philip did not say like this. Look at verse 7. "Philip answered him, 'Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!'" He spent his tremendous temporal energy to calculate this and finally revealed he is a smart person. When Jesus asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread?" it was to test him, to see if he had faith in God or if he had a shepherd heart. But he failed Jesus' test because he only calculated, then despaired to be negative. He depended only on his ability and calculation. But he had no faith in God. In his calculation, there is no Jesus.

At this moment, another disciple appeared. He was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He said in verse 8, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" He brought five small barley loaves and two small fish to Jesus. The loaves and fish Andrew brought were not even his own. Maybe Andrew saw a boy who had brought a lunchbox for himself. Andrew drew near the boy and persuaded him to give them to Jesus. Here we can characterize him in two aspects.

First, Andrew was a man of possibility. Philip thought only of what he didn't have. He didn't have eight months' wages, so he could not feed the 5,000 people. But Andrew was different. He began to think about what he had. When he realized he did not have anything, he did not stop there. He looked around here and there again and again until he found a boy with a small lunch box. We learn from Andrew how to find a certain possibility, even when the situation looks impossible. Andrew was a man of a certain possibility and a brilliantly creative person.

Second, he was a man of faith. He had faith in Jesus. When Andrew brought the five loaves and two fish to Jesus, he knew that they were not enough to feed the crowd of 5,000 people. But he believed that Jesus would accept these loaves and fish. Yes! Jesus accepted his five loaves and two fish. Andrew was a man of faith. He had faith, "We can do nothing, but Jesus can do everything" (Php 4:13).

We agree that God gave each of us at least five loaves and two fish. So we must discover what our five loaves and two fish are. We must give them to God. Then God will not only bless us, but also this nation and the world.

II.  Jesus' blessing is overflowing (10-15)

When Andrew brought the five loaves and two fish, Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Jesus coworked with his disciples.  The disciples made people sit down. Verse 11 says "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 prayed that God would accept his sincere prayers and feed the crowd of 5,000 people with Andrew's five loaves and two fish.

Jesus fed the hungry people until they were all satisfied. God blessed Andrew's five loaves and two fish. When they had all had enough to eat, Jesus said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. God blessed Andrew's faith until it overflowed.

Yesterday, I sat at the desk, feeling very tired. Suddenly I got a call from M. Heyseon Cho from Washington UBF. She was one of my Bible teachers when I was in Korea. In that call's beginning, it was not me but her to be surprised because she pressed wrong number. Anyway we talked for about 10 minutes. And I thought about what this meant to me at the point that I was preparing this message.  Soon I wondered if I did not meet Bible teachers what kind of life I would be living? 100% sure, it must be worse than now.

After the phone call and with this thought, I started to pray. And my heart became tender and I could sense that my bitterness against people and past memories faded way. Only Jesus is there. Jesus cares me as he cared 5000 people and his disciples. He does not control or deceive anybody. Jesus is the shepherd who knows my agonies and concerns.

This Jesus invites me to have faith in him. He promises to show miracles in the five loaves and two fish I bring to him. Jesus is willing to reveal his miracles for God's glory. Upon this invitation, I could not insist my human thoughts and complaints. As his grace has been abundant, I must follow and choose Jesus. I pray that I may hold onto this Jesus in my heart and live a life of faith. I may offer my time to visit students on campus every weekends.

As a conclusion, In this passage we learn that we must live by faith, not by calculation.  Moreover, we must give our five loaves and two fish to God so that God can bless us and this nation abundantly. Amen.

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Attachment

• John 6 - five loaves and two fish.doc