Feeding the multitude
So that you may believe - Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 55:11
0 ratings
· 26 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Crowds gathering
Crowds gathering
Rumor has it and it is getting around about Jesus the Nazarene healing people, so crowds are gathering and following.
Jesus had just been in Jerusalem and healed man at pool of Bethesda (5:1-9)
Was confronted about breaking the Sabbath (5:16-18)
Jesus claims equality with God (5:19-30)
Jesus witnesses presented (5:31-47)
You can find parallel with various focuses of this story in (Lk9; Mt14-15). Our focus tonight is on the John passage.
So, here we are trudging forward in our study of gospel of John.
As a reminder, what is the purpose for the gospel of John and where do you find the answer?
Tonight we will look at the passage, it is a longer passage, we will read it entirely, but then break it down
The crowd (6:1-4)
The question (6:5-7)
The help (6:8-9)
The miracle (6:10-11)
The gathering and results (6:12-14)
Lot’s of sub points tonight so we better get moving and see how far God allows us to go tonight.
Our Passage
Our Passage
It’s God’s word we are to study and treasure in our heart. So, let’s do that together tonight.
1 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?”
6 This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.
12 When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
What are your general observations?
Why was the crowd following Him (v.2)?
What was coming up, was near (v.4)?
You can see the testing question and response with Philip, can you describe it (vv.5-7)?
Who brought the boy (lad) to Jesus (vv.8-9)?
What was the number of men who were instructed to sit down (v.10)?
Did Jesus bless or thank God for the loaves and fish (v.11)?
What was Jesus instructions to His disciples, and why (v.12)?
What were the results of the miracle/sign (v.14)?
Some more points to make in using the parallels too. There were several solutions made.
Send the people away (Mk6:35-36; Mt14:15)
It is late, send them away to get their own food
Need to do some fund raising to do it (Jn6:5-6)
Where are we going to get the money to buy the food for them, even to get just a little?
Andrew brought another solution (Jn8:9; Jn1:40-42)
Andrew, the people person always making introductions and inviting people to Jesus like with Nathaniel in chapter 1, now this young lad here.
Andrew believed that Jesus could and would do something with what the boy had.
And the true solution came from the Lord Himself (Jn6:10-11)
Tell them to sit, kinda a remnant of what you find in Ps23:2, He makes me sit, lie down in green pastures.
He gives thanks for the Fathers provision and distributes more than enough for all to be full
I think the practical lesson from this story is whenever there is a need, give all that you have to the Lord and let Him do the rest. Begin with what you have.
The Crowd
The Crowd
John spends most of his time recording things that happen in and around Jerusalem, but a few in Galilee, this is one of those storied, and the crowd from Jerusalem followed Him.
After these things. After the healing on the Sabbath, after the feast Jesus heads back to Galilee.
We do not know the timing of exactly when, some commentators put John 6 prior to John 5 chronologically since John 6 mentions the Passover. But that is not the point of this chapter, of this story.
There was a great multitude that followed. Jesus had compassion of them.
Commentator Morris said “The multitude ‘kept following’ Jesus because they ‘continually saw’ the signs that He ‘habitually did’ on the sick.” (consider Lk9:10-11)
As mentioned earlier the other gospels reference this story, but only in John does it mention the Passover, could the crowd be a multitude that is following Jesus back to Jerusalem for the Passover and are in a deserted area now? Could this be their wilderness experience like the Exodus where God provided?
He went up on the mountain
FF Bruce says : The ‘high ground’ is the sharply rising terrain est of the lake, well known today as the Golan heights. From there one overlooks the level plain east of the river and the lake.”
(Transition) this brings us to Jesus question, Jesus test of Philip.
The Question
The Question
Sometimes a question is not really a question, it is a set up, a test. That is what we see here in the passage.
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
Why ask Philip? Was it because he was from Bethsaida and they are near there (Jn1:44; Lk9:10)?
Mark makes mention they had been listening to Jesus all day, and hence why Jesus was concerned about feeding them (Lk6:34ff).
Jesus asked Philip already knowing what He was going to do.
Philip had seen the signs Jesus had already been doing, so there should have been no question from Philip about the divine resources that Jesus had (Guzik).
Morris said “with greater faith and knowledge, Philip might have said: ‘Master, I don’t know where the food is to feed this crowd but You are greater than Moses whom God used to feed a multitude everyday in the wilderness, and God can certainly do a lesson work through a Greater Servant. You are greater than Elisha, who God used to feed many sons of the prophets through little food. What is more, the Scriptures say that man shall not live by bread alone, and You are great enough to fill this multitude from the words of your mouth.”
Philips assessment, two hundred denarii is not enough.
Philip was thinking logically, and should have been thinking with faith. With God all things are possible.
(transition) - This now leads us to the help, the provision in an unlikely way
The Help
The Help
Help can come from various ways, various means, but help comes from the Lord. And in this case from a young lad.
The word ‘lad’ in its use probable meaning ‘little boy,’ as most commentators believe.
The use of barley loaves displays more than likely the boy came from a poor family
many believed that barley was better for the animals than for people.
Two small fish
FF Bruce says “while other Evangelists use the ordinary word for fish (ichthys), John calls them osparia, indicating that they were two small (perhaps salted) fish to be eaten as a relish along with the cakes of barley.”
Not much to work with, but God really doesn’t need anything to work with does He? God often restrains, deliberately restrains the work until He has our participation.” (i.e. Salvation)
The Miracle
The Miracle
Jesus already knew what He was going to do (5:6) now it was time to do it. But it required some participation.
Tell them to sit (c.r. Ps23:1-2, 5-6)
Jesus the Great Shepherd (Heb13:20), is He fulfilling Ps23?
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
So the green pastures, the green grass, that there was much of.
Then a few verses later
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
In midst, presence of enemies, the flesh, isolation, hunger, doubt, the Great Shepherd prepared a meal, a table before them, not with a little but exceedingly abundantly more.
Participation needed (vv.10-11)
The ones who were fed were the one’s who sat down, who followed Jesus command.
Jesus gave more than enough to them. He gives more than enough to us who obey His commands.
Spurgeon in speaking of the thanks - given says:
“For five little cakes and two sprats Christ gave thanks to the Father; apparently a meagre cause for praise, but Jesus knew what he could make of them, and therefore gave thanks for what they would presently accomplish. ‘God loves us,’ says Augustine, ‘for what we are becoming.’ Christ gave thanks for these trifles because he saw whereunto they would grow.”
The miracle was not public, it was private, it was not announced, it was distributed.
Jesus distributed them by his disciples. Used the laborers, just as He uses us today as laborers for the kingdom.
Jesus had refused to make bread for himself before in the desert, but for others, He was willing to do it.
God loved and sent Jesus, He had man in mind, as we should have man in mind too, how can we serve God by serving man?
From 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fishes, it was turned into a all-you-can-eat buffet. For all who obeyed. For the boy willing to give the items to Jesus, to the people who sat on the grass.
(Transition) this brings us to the results
The Gathering
The Gathering
More then enough! The gathering proves it and brings a proclamation.
12 When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
When they were “filled” further instructions given.
A remarkable miracle from 5 small loaves and 2 small fishes feeding 5,000 men, seated on the grass not counting women or children.
They had their fill, all they wanted. This should have been a reminder to the disciples of the wedding in Cana. The miracle was done for them, the gathering was done for all the people to see.
Jesus demonstrated the giving character of God (Pro11:24)
24 There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
This division (dividing the loaves and the fishes) now turned into multiplication, increase from what they started with. As it was scattered among the people, it was multiplied to be enough.
Gather up the fragments so nothing will be lost
Gathered up 12 baskets and the word translated would describe a large basket that would be used for bulky items. So fragments were not crumbs but true leftovers. according to commentator (Tenney)
One more question for today, what does it take for someone to know, to truly know Jesus is the Prophet who is come into the world (v.14)?
(Prayer) (Close)