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Explore the biblical account of Jesus feeding the crowd and revealing himself as the true Bread of Life. Learn how our dependency on God's provision and faith in Him can sustain us spiritually. Discover the significance of Jesus' teaching and the importance of trusting in Him in difficult situations.
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1. Feeding by God (6:1-15) • The Test question to Philip: “Where are we going to buy food to feed these people?” • Jesus already knew what he was going to do; he just wanted to see what Philip would do with a difficult situation. • Philip focused on a human solution and concluded that it was impossible. • Man is dependent on God for his needs.
1. Feeding by God (6:1-15) • Andrew is a model of faith; he brought a boy and his “sack lunch” to Jesus. • 2 fish and 5 “barley” loaves—the bread of the poor. • It’s an inadequate solution—the lunch was never meant to feed a large crowd. • The important thing wasn’t what Andrew had brought, but rather to whom he had brought it. • Andrew is saying, “I don’t know how, Lord, but I know you’ll do something.
1. Feeding by God (6:1-15) • Andrew’s faith brought the problem to Jesus, even in the face of hopelessness. • We’re not called to figure everything out for ourselves; we’re called to trust God. • Note: Jesus is the only one who acts in John’s account; everyone else, including the apostles, are passive (this is different from the Synoptics). • Lesson: God provides for us; humanity’s passivity (Gen. 22).
2. God’s Bread (6:22-59) • “I tell you the truth,” he said, “you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Work not for the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life” (v. 27). • The people asked Jesus for a sign to prove that He is the One sent by God. • Even though He had just performed one, it wasn’t good enough for the people. • Instead of a “sign”, Jesus gave them a teaching.
2. God’s Bread (6:22-59) • Jesus corrects two statements related to the giving of Bread by Moses in the desert: • 1. Moses was not the giver; God was. • 2. Manna in the desert was not the “true” food. • Real bread is not a “what” but a “who.” • Jesus claims to be the bread of God, the One who feeds our spiritual need for sustenance. • The people think Jesus is offering physical food: (v. 34)— “Give us this bread!”
2. God’s Bread (6:22-59) • “I AM the Bread of Life” (v. 35). • Note the other “I AM” statements of Jesus: • I am the Light of the World (John 8:12) • I am the Door of the sheep (John 10:7, 9) • I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) • I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25) • The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) • I am the True Vine (John 15:1)
2. God’s Bread (6:22-59) • Jesus claimed to be the God himself who satisfies the hunger of the soul and focused on the permanency of his provision: “they shall never be hungry or thirsty.” • The life Jesus brings constantly and completely provides the nourishment our souls need. • “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare (Isaiah 55:1-2).
3. Too Hard to Handle (6:60-71) “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” John 6:66
3. Too Hard to Handle (6:60-71) • Background: Jesus has been teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum on being the “bread of God.” • Problem: He told them that they had to “eat his flesh and drink his blood.” • Jesus wasn’t speaking literally; he meant their fellowship with him in the Lord’s Supper. • It was a “hard teaching,” meaning it was difficult to accept (harsh, unpleasant).
3. Too Hard to Handle (6:60-71) • Some truths in the Bible are easy to accept; others are more difficult. • Some things are true even though they are hard to accept (for example: God’s judgment). • Jesus’ question: “Does this offend you?” • “Offend” comes from the Greek word, skandalizo. We get our word “scandal” from it. • A “skandalon” was a trap-stick used to set a trap and snare an animal.
3. Too Hard to Handle (6:60-71) • A skandalon also meant, “to throw someone into ruin,”; it causes you to abandon Christ. • You have to trust God more than you listen to the potential skandalons out there. • Some unanswerable questions may cause us to lose our faith. • We are called to trust God even when we don’t understand everything.
3. Too Hard to Handle (6:60-71) • Question: “Do you also want to leave?” • Peter’s reply: “To whom shall we go? We believe and know that you are the holy one of God.” • Lesson: Obedience does not wait to have all the questions answered before it acts; it simply recognizes that Jesus is Lord. • We follow Jesus because we trust he knows the way.
His Calming Presence (6:16-25) • Setting: The Sea of Galilee • Occasion: the disciples cross the lake as Jesus prays on a mountain. • Problem: The disciples are caught in a storm. • The miracle: Jesus comes to them, walking on the water. • Matthew tells us it was the 4th watch= 3-6 am. • The reason for their fear: Jesus walking on the water. They were afraid because they couldn’t explain what they were seeing.
His Calming Presence (6:16-25) • Jesus reassured them: “I Am” (Ego eimi); this is the same way God identifies himself to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:14). • The disciples were to take courage because they were in the company of the Almighty God. • Jesus is God, unconquered by the turbulent waves and strong wind. • Lesson: God accompanies and reassures us in our moments of fear and takes us through them. • Psalms 107:28-30.
