## Believe in Miracles: Feeding the 5000

## John 6:1-15

I. The Lord's Action

A. Background v1-4

1. Jesus and His disciples were at Bethesda on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

2. The Passover Feast was near and many in the crowd gathered around Jesus were on their way to Jerusalem.

3. Jesus knew the people had come because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. (v2)

4. Yet, He had compassion on them and decided that they must be fed.

B. Jesus never neglected an opportunity to teach His disciples. v5-13

1. They didn't fully understand the lesson, but they would get it later.

2. Jesus took the disciples aside and asked Philip " Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"

a. Bethesda was Philip's hometown.

b. He knew where bread was baked.

c. But he saw the task of providing food for so many as hopeless.

d. Andrew was a bit more optimistic.

e. He knew a boy in the crowd who had "five barley loaves, and two small fishes."

3. Jesus took what the boy was evidently willing to offer and miraculously fed the crowd.

a. Jesus instructed the disciples to 'help' with this miracle.

b. Much like the servants at the wedding feast in Cana.

c. They were to orderly have the multitude sit down (5000 men).

d. Then Jesus blessed the food and gave to His disciples…who in turn distributed the food to the multitude.

e. Notice…everyone received as much as they wanted! (The first all you can eat seafood buffet!)

4. Everyone was satisfied and twelve baskets of food were gathered up after the meal.

II. The People's Reaction. v14-15

A. He is a prophet. v14

1. The people remembered that Moses had said God would someday raise up a prophet like him.

De 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

2. Many decided that Jesus was this prophet who had come to free them from Roman rule.

3. And with Jesus' power to feed them they would never again go hungry!

4. Like Moses who provided for their forefathers in the wilderness.

5. But in reality, it was God who had provided through Moses!

B. Let's make Him our king. v15

1. Jesus knew their hearts on this.

2. Because they were thinking more of their stomachs than their souls Jesus left them.

3. But He cared about them.

4. He longed to move their thinking from the physical to the spiritual.

5. The next day when the crowds followed Him back across the lake to Capernaum Jesus began to teach them.

Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

III. The Disciples' Weakness

A. Their faith was tested and found to be weak.

Joh 6:6-7 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

1. The Lord tests our faith even today.

2. Someone said that a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.

3. Peter talks about our faith being tried like gold in the fires of adversity.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

B. Their compassion for the multitude was also weak.

Mt 14:15-16 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

1. The disciples were ready to send the hungry crowd away to fend for themselves.

2. Jesus told them that would not be necessary.

3. They saw the need, but had little compassion on them.

4. This would illustrate a wonderful truth concerning everlasting life.

Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

C. They didn't understand the miracle.

1. It isn't that they didn't believe it to be a miracle…they did.

2. But they didn't understand the significance of what was done.

3. This is brought out later by the Lord.

Mr 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

a. Their hearts were hardened.

b. This doesn't mean that they didn't believe.

c. It simply meant that their minds were dull to perceive the miracle.

d. They were slow to perceive his power; they did not quickly learn, as they ought to have done, that he had all power, and could therefore allay the storm.

e. Later on the Lord brings this out again.

Mr 8:18-21 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

IV. The Lessons to be Learned

A. With Jesus there is no problem too big to solve.

B. With Jesus there is no person too small to be used.

C. With Jesus there is no hunger too deep to be satisfied.

Next: Jesus Walks on Water John 6:16-21