ABUNDANT SUPPLY
John 6:1-13 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 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?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
The feeding of the five thousand is the only one recorded by each of the four Gospels, there must be something about it of importance. Jesus supplies the needs of a great crowd by means of five loaves and two small fishes. In healing the sick and in raising the dead, something was amended or restored which already existed; but here was an absolute creation, food was called into existence, which did not exist before. Only one other miracle resembles it—His first, when He made wine out of the water. These two miracles belong to a class by themselves, and it is surely significant, that one reminds us of His precious blood, the other points to His body, broken for us. His other miracles exhibited His power and His work, but this tells that Christ is the Food of God’s people.
John 6:4 the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near - a feast meaning abundance and celebration - typically, believers feeding on Christ! The Passover looks back to the night when the children of Israel feasted on the lamb; but here we see their descendants hungering! The Passover speaks of "Christ our Passover " 1 Cor. 5:7.
This sermon centers on three attitudes that we often deal with as Christians –especially as we relate this to spiritual supply.
Vain Expectation
He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
Philip was confronted with a trying situation. The Lord’s design in this was to "prove" or test him. What did Philip reveal? It shows he was occupied with circumstances, the size of the multitude, the cost to feed them. He was looking on the things which are seen and such a look is always a barrier of faith.
Two hundred is a multiple of twenty and in Scripture twenty signifies a vain expectancy, insufficiency, a coming short of God’s appointed time or deliverance so two hundred conveys the same idea in an intensified form. For example, in Genesis 31:41 we learn that Jacob waited twenty years to gain possession of his wives and property; but it was not until the twenty-first that God’s appointed deliverance came. Judges 4:3 we learn that Israel waited twenty years for emancipation from Jabin’s oppression; but it was not until the twenty-first that deliverance came. So in 1 Samuel 7:2 we learn that the ark abode in Kirjath-Jearim for twenty years, but it was in the twenty-first that God delivered it.
What happened to Philip happens to us. A trying, difficult, situation confronts us; each arranged by the hand of the Lord. They are God’s testing of our faith. They are sent to "prove" us. For example a bill comes unexpectedly; how are we to meet it? The morning’s mail brings us news which plunge us into perplexity; how are we to get out of it? Something goes wrong, which threatens to wreck the daily routine; what shall we do? An unanticipated demand is suddenly made upon us; how shall we meet it? How do such experiences find us? Do we look at our resources? Do try to find some solution? Or do our first thoughts turn to the Lord Jesus, who has so often helped us in the past? Here, is the test of our faith. Phil. 4:19 My God shall supply all your need
Limited Belief
One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
This was of the same unbelief which long ago had asked, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" Ps. 78:10. "What are these among so many?" Andrew calculated without Christ, and, therefore he saw only a hopeless situation. Barley is significant also in being typical of Christ.
Abundant Supply
Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
There was so much supply more than enough to meet the multitudes need. God has so much for each of us.
Let’s look at spiritual principles that are involved in this abundance:
Look to Jesus
Christ had fed them from His own inexhaustible resources, "He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). All fullness dwells in Christ, and that fullness is exhaustless. Countless sinners have been saved and their souls satisfied, and yet the riches of grace are as undiminished as ever.
Rest the flesh - rely on God
May we see an important principle pertaining to spiritual life that we must sit down if we would be fed? The activities of the flesh must come to an end if the Bread of life is to be received by us. How much all of us need to ask God to teach us to be quiet and sit still - Psalm 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he brings them unto their desired haven. Isaiah 30:15 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Mark adds that the grass was "green" which reminds us that we must rest in the "green pastures" if our souls are to be fed. Psalm 23:2—He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
It will take Grace
This is another beautiful picture - the five loaves in verse – the five thousand - five is ever the number which speaks of grace. How thankful we should be that God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of His grace, and not according to the poverty of our faith.
Give God what we have despite how little it might seem
Jesus took the loaves". He did not scorn the loaves because they were few in number, nor the fish either because they were "small." God is pleased to use small and weak things! But it was only as these loaves and fishes were placed in the hands of Christ that they were made efficient and sufficient! He did not despise them and work independently of them; He used the means which were to hand. And surely this is another lesson that many of His people need to take to heart today. The loaves were multiplied by subtraction! We are never impoverished, but always enriched by giving to others. It is the liberal soul that is made fat (Prov. 11:25). We need never be anxious that there will not be enough left for our own needs. God never allows a generous giver to be the loser. It is miserliness which impoverishes. The disciples had more left at the finish than they had at the beginning!
Obey His commands
We may notice here how all blessings come down to us through the channel of obedience. "Make the men sit down" was a further test; this time of their obedience. When He commands it is for us to obey, not to reason and argue. Their faith had failed, but their obedience did not. The men sit down, and Jesus begins to dispense His blessings. And thus by their act of obedience, their faith becomes enlightened, and every want is supplied. Obedience and blessing are inseparably connected in God’s Word.
God uses people
"He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down" (John 6:11). Here we are taught, again, the same lesson as the first miracle supplied, namely, that God is pleased to use human instruments in accomplishing the counsels of His grace, and thus give us the inestimable honor and privilege of being "laborers together with God" (1 Cor. 3:9). Christ fed the hungry multitude through His disciples. It was their work as truly as it was His. His was the increase, but theirs was the distribution. God acts according to the same principle today. When He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. The supply for every want had been determined beforehand in the Savior’s mind, for ‘he himself knew what he would do’ (verse 6). Yet though this were so, it was to flow through this medium—so intimately and inseparably is the carrying out of all God’s purposes of grace toward us connected with obedience to His commands. Between the unsearchable riches of Christ and the hungry multitudes there is room for service and ministry. It is the duty of every child of God to pass on to others that which the Lord in His grace has first given to them, this is one of the conditions of receiving more for ourselves. "He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down." doubt must have given place to amazement, and awe to adoration, as they distributed, returned to their Master for a fresh supply, and continued distributing, giving a portion of bread and fish to each till all were satisfied, and more remaining at the close than at the beginning! Jesus Christ is "the same yesterday and today and for ever," and that all fullness dwells in Him.
The supply only stopped when the demand did
The supply stopped only with the demand. This also in the case of Elisha’s oil; so long as there were empty vessels to be found in the land, it ceased not its abundant supply (2 Kings 4:6). Likewise also here, so long as there was a single one to supply, that supply came forth from the treasuries of the Lord Jesus. Till they were satisfied, "When they were filled" (John 6:12) Do you know, what it is to be "filled" with peace, filled with joy, filled with the Holy Spirit!
There are no leftovers/leftouts in God’s Kingdom
"Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost" (John 6:12) The "fragments" your little and not much, gather them up and use them for His glory. "Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten"
The Holy Spirit has described the method of the miracle: He took - He blessed - He broke - He gave. The word "broke" intimates an instantaneous act; whereas "gave" denotes the continuous action of giving. "This shows that the miraculous power was in the hands of Christ, between the breaking and the giving". It was not their hands which made the loaves increase, but His! He provided the abundant supply, and theirs was to humbly receive and faithfully distribute. It is God who gives the "increase" We cannot give out to others, except we have first received ourselves. It is only the full vessel that overflows!
A Good Time For Communion!
Luke 24:30-35 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
