Unlimited
Notes
Transcript
New Interpreter's Bible Commentary (NIBC):
John 6 begins a new section in John - chapters 6-10
Very similar themes to chapters 2-5 but in a new context and greater opposition.
Chapter 2 begins with a miracle in Galilee. So does chapter 6.
Chapter 2’s miracle was about wine. Today’s text is about bread.
Hmmmm - wine and bread - communion - interesting......
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Unlimited vacations days,
unlimited minutes,
unlimited data,
unlimited fries,
unlimited buffet
Thought for today: The grace, love, and indwelling of Christ is unlimited and can satisfy our spiritual hunger.
Let’s read how Jesus shares this truth with 2 miracles near and on the Sea of Galilee.
Please stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word:
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),
2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.
4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
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?”
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).
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.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.
18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.
20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
THE WORD OF GOD, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Andrew Lincoln - Black’s NT Commentary:
Since this is the only miracle story common to all four Gospels, it is not surprising that the relationship among the accounts has generated a huge amount of discussion.
It is easy to be so impressed by its differences that one concludes that it must be a quite independent account of the same tradition that lies behind Mark.
The three Synoptic stories have 53 words that are common to all of them, while John has only eight words in common with the others, and they are the ones absolutely necessary to be telling the same story (five, two, five thousand, the loaves, twelve baskets of pieces). However, a different picture begins to emerge when one takes the broader context of John 6 as a whole into account and notes the parallels with the material in Mark 6:32–8:30.
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We have a miracle near the Sea of Galilee - a physical miracle to teach a spiritual lesson. But it also teaches a lesson about both physical and spiritual needs.
NIBC - Jesus has gifts and resources to meet the full range of human needs. He does it on a daily basis to provide us life which comes from Him.
The Prophet in verse 14 is the one we discussed last week and also earlier in John’s gospel. Moses in Deuteronomy says: We must listen to Him.
Verse 5 Jesus asks a question - “Where shall we buy bread?”
“Where shall we buy bread?”
“Where shall we buy bread?”
Verse 6 tells us this is a test. Jesus already knew what he was going to do.
God already knows what he is going to do when He asks us to take notice and get involved with His activity.
Our response today is often similar to the disciples.
Disciples’ Responses:
++“Too much money for just a bite”
++“Here’s what we have - which isn’t much!”
Disciples’ Responses:
Phillip says not enough money and Andrew says not enough food.
Basically, not enough resources.
“Too much money for just a bite”
we feel overwhelmed - what impact can we have?
About 200 days of wages to feed that many.
That would be a big credit card charge even today - 5,000 men + women & children. They definitely would tack on a minimum tip, too.
It can feel overwhelming when God asks us a question or to consider something He says to us in His Word.
“Here’s what we have - which isn’t much!”
small church or individual Christian - what impact on the world can we have?
5 loaves of bread and two fish - enough to feed 2-3 people but certainly not 5000+
I don’t have much to offer. When Jesus is involved - what we have is all that is needed.
God often provides an answer as we watch Him work with His people...
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ”
44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
What God did here in 2 Kings - In our reading today - Jesus does it with less food and more people
The result is the same.....
Jesus’ Responses:
++“As much as they wanted”
++“It is I !”
Jesus’ Responses:
God, Jesus, is constantly doing things among His people.
He does things for the crowd. He does things for His disciples.
Two miracles have an impact in our reading today.
“As much as they wanted”
First miracle - he made the 5 small loaves and the 2 fish multiply to feed the crowd “as much as they wanted.”
It was ”unlimited” - the supply didn’t stop until they were full - until they were satisfied - and there was a surplus - Jesus met their needs and wants and then some.
And He does the same for us. He meets our needs and then some.
“It is I !”
Second miracle - Jesus walking on water.
In Job chapter 9 verse 8 - Job exclaims: “God alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.”
Don’t know if the disciples remembered Job’s words about God walking or treading on the waves of the sea.
The Greek words translated “It is I!” are also translated in other contexts as “I am” - God’s name for Himself. Some scholars believe that is meant here with the disciples. To remind them that He is God. He is not only human, He is divine.
They knew it was Jesus. They were in awe that he was walking on the water like it was dry land.
In the midst of choppy seas in our lives - Jesus says to us: “It is I! Do not be afraid.” He is there with us.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The grace, love, and indwelling of Christ is unlimited and can satisfy our spiritual hunger. We will talk about the Life’s Bread next week.
Truth - we don’t need to be afraid - “It is I” “I Am” - God who walks on water like it is dry ground. Jesus says - trust in Him even during the “rough seas.”
Thought for today: The grace, love, and indwelling of Christ is unlimited and can satisfy our our wants and needs.