Today, we look at one of Jesus’ most famous miracles. We look at when He feeds the multitudes with a boy’s sack lunch. In just a few moments, we invite all believers in Christ to take the Lord’s Supper with us.
Invitation
After today’s message, you will be invited to respond to Jesus’ offer of a clean, fresh start. You can respond by going to the Encourager’s Room or a virtual room. If you would like someone to pray with you, we are here. We would love to meet with you personally.
The classic name for this story is the Feeding of the 5,000, but there were likely at least 10,000 or more people there that day (Matthew 14:21). The Bible says there were only 5,000 men, so many women and children would have been there too.
Today’s Scripture
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:1-15).
This is the only miracle during Jesus’ ministry that is recorded in all four Gospels. We learn the hour is late when Jesus suggests feeding everyone in the other gospels.
Sermon Preview
Here are three signs along our journey this morning:
1. He Puzzles You
2. He Tests You
Lastly, 3. He Astonishes You
Jesus refuses to be the king we want, but He’s the king we need.
1. He Puzzles You
“Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:15).
If this were an American movie, Jesus would be lifted up on the shoulders on the disciples and carried off to rule the world at the end of the story.
1.1 Jesus Puzzles Us
Here is the famous miracle where Jesus feeds the 5,000. It’s a miracle in which Jesus takes a few loaves and fishes and miraculously feeds a huge multitude of people. Jesus withdraws and secludes Himself on a mountain. Why didn’t Jesus drink in the praise? Why didn’t Jesus acquiesce to the plans where He would be king? He would be a better king than everyone else.
Jesus’ actions puzzle us here. To help us understand Jesus, it’s important to “the lay of the land,” or the backstory.
1.2 The Setting
John gives you the place. In verse 1, he says it’s on “the other side of the Sea of Galilee” and that “Jesus went up on the mountain” in verse 3. This is the east side, or probably what is known today as the Golan Heights.
John gives you the time. He says, “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand” in verse 4. We don’t know which Passover exactly, but this was a holiday for Israel. It’s their “July 4th,” where they celebrate freedom from Egyptian slavery. Although they may not have celebrated with sparklers, fireworks, and hot dogs, this was always a special time for the Jewish people. John gives you the scene. The Bible says there was “a large crowd was following him” at the beginning of verse 2. And it tells us why so many followed Him around at the end of verse 3, “a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” Jesus “Lifting up his eyes, then, and” sees “that a large crowd was coming toward him,” verse 5 tells us.
1.3 Miracles
A miracle is simply, “A supernatural event.” And the Bible is a book of miracles. Jesus would be known as a miracle worker after He rose from the dead.
1.3.1 Do You Believe in Miracles?
We don’t know exactly how everyone figured out Jesus was doing a miracle. Maybe word began to spread that Jesus performed miracles. Those closest to Jesus began to circulate the word that He miraculously took a boy’s lunch and made it feed thousands. There have been all kinds of efforts down through the years to explain this miracle away. One theory is Jesus hypnotized the people into thinking they were full. Another theory is that rich people provided the food, though none of the eyewitness accounts say anything about this. My favorite is this one: Jesus broke the pieces into really small amounts so everyone could have some.1
1.3.2 Are You Gullible?
Do you think you can investigate a miracle? Do you think you should investigate when someone claims a miracle, or do you automatically believe? When it comes to miracles, are you open to where the evidence leads you? Jesus told a man he had healed of leprosy to go get himself checked out (Mark 1:44). Jesus invites the skeptic to investigate Him and His actions. God doesn’t want us gullible in believing anyone and everyone who claims to do miracles.
1.3.3 My Personal Take
All cards on the table now: I would have been skeptical had I been there that day. Yes, I would have been skeptical. I would have been looking around to see if someone else brought food. Had He only fed the multitudes, I probably would have never believed this story. But the cumulative weight of all of His miracles pushes me further. The cumulative weight of turning the water into wine, the cumulative weight when He knew all about the woman at well in Samaria even though He never met her, the cumulative weight when He knew all about Nathaniel even though He never met him, the cumulative weight when He healed an invalid who couldn’t move for thirty-eight years, and the cumulative weight when He healed the official’s son even though Jesus was day’s journey away from the boy. Yes, the cumulative weight of all this, plus His teaching like no one, moves from me from skeptical to believing.
John’s gospel tells us: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:14-15).
1.4 The Hebrew 4th of July
Remember, Israel was not an independent nation when Jesus was on this earth. The Roman Empire had its boot on the neck of the Jewish people. Passover got nearly everyone thinking about politics. So, when Passover was celebrated, everyone started thinking about a political leader to free them from the evil tyranny of Roman rule.
1.5 Jesus, the King
Pilate will ask Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews?” when Jesus is before Pilate on trial for His life (John 18:33). Jesus will solemnly tell Pilate that He was born to be king (John 18:37). But then Jesus will go to tell Pilate “But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36b). Of course, Pilate ordered a sign to be hung over Jesus’ head on the cross that read: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19).
Knowing all this, no wonder the story ends with these words: ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again…” (John 6:14b-15a).
Jesus is a King like no other.
He doesn’t want your vote. He wants your faith. He doesn’t pander to your wishes. He demands your worship. Jesus refuses to be the king we want, but He’s the king we need.
1. He Puzzles You
2. He Tests You
To better understand Jesus, look closely at verse 6: “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do” (John 6:6).
The Bible says Jesus has a plan. What if Jesus asked you that question with thousands of people around? Would you pull out your app to see how much is in your checking account? Or, would you say, “Jesus, I think you have me mistaken with a rich person.” Jesus specifically asked Philip about feeding everyone. He did this because Jesus had a plan.
2.1 Jesus Has a Plan
The boxer Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the mouth.” Mike Tyson needs to meet Jesus.
The Bible says that Jesus “knew what he would do” (John 6:6b). Jesus always has a plan. Take it from Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom. Corrie was a Jew imprisoned by the Nazis. The Nazis released Corrie just one week before all women were scheduled to be executed at Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. She was released because of some clerical error. When she later reflected on her life, she said, “There is no panic in heaven, only plans.”2
The Lord Jesus is always equal to the emergency. Jesus always has a plan. Again, the Bible says that Jesus “knew what he would do” (John 6:6b).
2.2 49ers “First 15”
Bill Walsh coached the 49ers decades ago. Joe Montana led Walsh’s teams, and they coined the term, “First 15.” The “First 15” referred to the playlist where they preselected the first fifteen plays of the game. The 49ers would come into the game with the first fifteen plays scripted out in practice. They did this in order to test the defense and, specifically, the secondary. How would the cornerback react, or what coverage would they rotate to help the cornerback?3 Once they knew this early in the game, it was useful information for the rest of the game. Similarly, Jesus is testing the Disciples.
2.3 Jesus’ Question
Jesus asks Philip a question at the end of verse 5: “Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’” (John 6:5b). Jesus leads His disciples to despair. Jesus knew they didn’t know the answer. All this was a test.
2.4.1 Twelve-Step Program
Everybody who has ever been in a twelve-step program knows what the first step is. What’s the first step? “You are powerless over your problem.” And He’ll lead you to the point where you’ll cry, “Uncle.” Jesus knows that you won’t learn what you need in a sermon or a Bible study. So, He pokes at you, and He prods at you. He engineers circumstances where you don’t have enough. If you follow Jesus, expect He will do the same thing to you that He did to Philip. He’ll back you in a corner and ask, “What do you think we should do next?” This is God’s SOP. His Standard Operating Procedure. He’ll press you with hard questions.
2.4.2 It Costs How Much?
“Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little’” (John 6:7a).
Philip looks at the cost. I like Philip. I think like Philip more than I would like to admit. Philip asks, “How in the world could we feed all these people? We cannot afford this!” Philip mentions “Two hundred denarii” in verse 7, which is Two hundred days salary for the average person in Jesus’ day.
I crunched the numbers. A starting teacher in our Birdville School District makes right around $62,000 per year.4 Two hundred days of salary comes to $34,000 for a first-year teacher. That’s a lot of money to feed a multitude of people just one meal.
I have way too much “Philip” in me. I imagine everyone has a little “Philip” in us. But little did Philip know that He would be gathering leftovers within the hour. Now, we know Philip saw all the people, but did He see Jesus? [Scott Pause Here]
2.5 Application
Is Jesus testing you? God says, “You two should stick out your marriage.” But you say, “I don’t love him/her anymore. I don’t have any more love to give.”
Is Jesus testing you? God says, “You should give to the needy.” But you say, “I don’t think you understand, Lord, that I am the needy. I don’t have any money to give.”
Is Jesus testing you? God says, “You need to dedicate one day of the week to prayer and worship.” But you say, “We have committed to our team and a coach. I don’t have the time to give.”
1. He Puzzles You
2. He Tests You
3. He Astonishes You
“Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also, the fish, as much as they wanted” (John 6:11).
Our miracle is told efficiently in just two verses in verses 10 and 11. Jesus commands everyone to sit down in verse 10. Mark’s gospel tells us that the Disciples organized everyone in groups of hundreds and fifties (Mark 6:39–40). It’s there that John’s gospel describes the scene so very simply: “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also, the fish, as much as they wanted” (John 6:11).
3.1 The Boy with a Sack Lunch
“One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’” (John 6:8-9).
We don’t know much about this boy. We don’t know his name, his age, or who his parents are. We don’t even know what motivated him to bring “five barley loaves and two fish.” We know that “barley loaves” were the poor people’s bread. Maybe his mother packed it for him on the way out of the door that day.
3.2 God’s Providence
But would you believe me if I told you the hand of God put him there that day with his sack lunch? Do you believe that God works on the micro level in life, strategically placing people at certain times and places? Would you believe this? If you believe in fate, then you think blind chance guides us and places us in certain places. But if you believe in God, then you believe a loving and wise Heavenly Father ensures that everything ultimately serves a good purpose. This is called providence. This boy was at the right place at the right time with his sack lunch because God put Him there.
Friend, I hope you believe in God’s providential care for you. This is a story where the insufficient only becomes sufficient with Jesus. In the hands of Jesus, the boy’s sack lunch becomes more than enough. After feeding 5,000 men with only a boy’s sack lunch, only Jesus can have more leftovers than when He started.
3.3 Lord’s Supper
I invite believers to take the Lord’s Supper with me. Join together to confess our sins and celebrate the forgiveness of our sins through Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross.
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world’ (1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
EndNotes
1 Darell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994), 833.
2 https://tenboom.org/; accessed July 17, 2024.
3 https://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-ask-sam-farmer-20151031-story.html; accessed July 16, 2024.
4 https://birdvilleschools.net/cms/lib/TX01000797/Centricity/Domain/3560/hiringschedule_ada_2024-25.pdf; accessed July 16, 2024.
