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Last week, Pastor Mark shared with us the scathing rebuke Jesus gave to the Jews. Jesus told the Jews that He accomplishes the will of the Father. The testimony of Jesus is true and God confirmed that testimony and provided His own. John testified to the same truth. The Jews were so misguided about eternal life that was not found in the Scriptures they searched, but in the One the Scriptures testify about. This morning, Jesus leaves Jerusalem and the presence of the angry, religious Jews to go back to the region He is most familiar with and we’ll see another sign that Jesus is who He says He is.
Take a look at our passage that’s found in John 6:1-15.
Once again John uses a time reference to set up what he is about to write, “After these things.” Unlike other time references, this one is a bit easier to define. Last week we saw a fairly contentious exchange between the Jews and Jesus in Jerusalem that stemmed from Jesus healing the lame man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. After that confrontation, Jesus and His disciples go back to the region of Galilee. “After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).” Galilee is the Hellenistic or Greek name for the lake. Tiberias is from the Roman emperor. Luke calls it Gennesaret which is from the Hebrew Kinnereth meaning harp or lyre which some people think came from the shape of the lake. Kinnereth is used in the Old Testament book of Numbers. Today, it is typically referred to as Lake Kinneret, but in Christian circles, most people call it the Sea of Galilee. Jesus goes to the other side of the lake. It’s the east side, the less popular, less populous, more barren area of the lake. This has been a fairly long journey from Jerusalem to Galilee.
John’s transition from Chapter 5 to 6 is pretty uneventful. When we look at the other gospels, we discover some very interesting events. In Mark 6 we learn that King Herod married his brother’s wife, Herodias. John the Baptizer learned of this and told Herod it was wrong. Mark 6:18 says, “For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So, Herod sent his men to arrest John and threw him in prison and Herodias held a grudge against John from that point forward and wanted to put him to death, but could not. Why? “Herod was afraid of John, knowing he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.” (Mark 6:20) The reasoning was purely selfish. V. 20 goes on to say, “And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.” Apparently, Herod would have discussions with John, presumably about Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
During a banquet to celebrate Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias dances for the king and he is so pleased he said, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” Then he added, “Up to half of my kingdom.” (Mark 6:22-23) Her request? “The head of John the Baptizer.” Herod sends his executioner to the prison and cuts off John’s head which is placed on a platter and brought to the daughter who gives it to her mother Herodias. We also learn from Mark that Jesus’ disciples had preached all over Galilee. Matthew gives us the Sermon on the Mount, the story of the leper, the centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother that were all healed, the calming of the sea, and the demons that were cast out and allowed to go into the herd of pigs. Matthew records a number of other signs and miracles that are absent from John’s gospel. That’s why you need to read and study the whole counsel of God’s Word.
We’re not told exactly how long between Chapters 5 and 6, but some estimate it was about six months. Whatever time period it was, it did not deter the crowds from following Him. The reason is simple. “A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.” It’s likely the crowd grew as they followed Jesus. Curious onlookers joined the caravan that wanted to see and perhaps try and get to know this prophet they had been hearing about. “Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with His disciples.” It’s no coincidence that we find our story taking place on a mountain top. There are many mountain top experiences in the Bible. Abraham went to the mountain top to sacrifice Isaac. Moses met with God on the mountain top. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on the mountain top. Mountain top experiences can be very exciting. This location would give Him a perfect vantage point to see all those that had followed Him. Jesus takes a seat with His disciple at His feet and all those that followed Him there also sit down. This is a teaching moment.
We have the time reference in v. 4, “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.” Passover had become a very important time for Israel. It reminded the people how God protected them from the curse of the death of the first born. It reminded the people how God delivered them from their oppressors in Egypt. It reminded them of how God delivered them through the waters of the Red Sea. It’s also a very important reminder for John. This is the second Passover mention in this gospel. Jo. 2:13 is the first and there is a third one is mentioned in 13:1. We can reasonably conclude John’s gospel occurs over about a three-year period.
Jesus and His disciples find themselves in a dilemma. “Therefore Jesus, lifting 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?” As they sit down and see all those gathered and still more continuing to fill the area, Jesus asks Philip the million-dollar question. What are we going to do about dinner? John does not give us Philip’s facial expression, but I can imagine some terrifying thoughts were going through his head. This is a logistical nightmare. How do you supply food on short notice to a crowd of people? Another question is why does Jesus assume responsibility to feed those that followed Him? As Philip is pondering is options, John says, “This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.” John’s statement encapsulates the lack of knowledge the disciples have of who they are walking with. It should have been relatively easy for Philip to answer the question if he truly knew Jesus. This story is the only one that appears in all four gospels. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, the disciples approached Jesus and encouraged Him to send the crowd away so they could find food in neighboring villages. Jesus pushed the responsibility on feeding the crowds to the disciples. Only in John do we see this question posed to Philip.
Jesus was testing Philip. 2 Cor. 13:5 says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” Test comes from the word that means a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something. We undergo tests in all facets of life without grumbling or complaining. We have tests in school. There is a written and a practical test to determine if the state will issue a driver’s license. There are advancement and promotional exams. While I was in the Navy, we had qualification exams and continuing training exams to ensure we had the requisite knowledge to operate safely. When I was in welding school, we had knowledge exams and then had to demonstrate the ability to weld. When Zane went to technical school, he was examined in the refrigeration cycle and the characteristics of various kinds of freon. In cooking school, you have to demonstrate how to make various dishes. These tests examine knowledge and demonstrate ability and we have no problem with these tests and understand they are required to move on in school, qualify, graduate, or receive a certification. But when it comes to our walk of faith, we’re supposed to trust you even though there is no demonstration of faith, knowledge, or ability. This whole episode is a test to determine where the disciple’s faith is.
Jesus knows what He’s going to do, and He wants to see if the disciples know. “Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” A denarius had the value of about a day’s wage. Philip did the math in his head and concluded eight month’s wages wasn’t enough to give everyone even a bite of food. Philip was from the area where they were and probably knew what was available in the towns surrounding the hillside. Philip went down the path most of us would. There is no possible way to satisfy the hunger of the people. The situation is impossible and hopeless. Maybe not. John says, “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish.” While Jesus and Philip are talking, Andrew is seeking to solve the issue another way. He makes an assessment of the food available and found a young boy. The youngster had five barley loaves. Barley was the least expensive and the least desirable grain in the land. It was the grain of the poor.
Just five loaves. 2 Ki. 4:42-44 tells us of the time 20 loaves of barley were set before a hundred men and it was not enough to satisfy them. A miracle followed that when Elisha said, “They shall eat and have some left over.” 20 loaves could not feed a hundred. Keep that in mind. In addition to the five loaves, there were two fish. These weren’t 600 pound tuna. KJV and NIV add the adjective small to the text. Fish here is from the Greek word opsarion which means small, dried fish most likely sardines or anchovies. It was ready to eat and needed no cooking. It’s interesting that the only one that seemed prepared for the journey was a little kid. The food that was found was able to be carried by a little kid: five junky loaves of bread and two dried little fish. Even as Andrew tells Jesus what he found, you can hear the hopelessness in his voice as he says, “but what are these for so many people?”
Without missing a beat, Jesus tells His disciples, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.” There it is: 5000 men. Five loaves and two fish to feed 5000 men. Matthew tells us that number did not include women and children. Some estimates put the crowd at 20,000. To help you picture that, this sanctuary has a capacity of 220 on the bottom and 150 on the top (370). Our movie theater can seat 1875. The Times Union Center for the Performing Arts can seat 2979. Chris Gillman Stadium has a capacity of 7326. Veteran’s Memorial Arena holds 15,000. Now you have a better understanding of the magnitude of people that are seated in front of the disciples.
To provide food for that many people would have been a monumental task and the disciples were keenly aware of this. Upwards of 20,000 people are sitting on the grass looking expectantly at Jesus and His disciples. Mark tells us they sat in groups of fifty and groups of a hundred. Luke tells us they sat in groups of fifty. Jesus, calmly and confidently, takes, “the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.” Jesus gave thanks. Thanks comes from the Greek word eucharisteo which literally means give thanks. You’ll recognize the English word eucharist which is another name for the Lord’s Supper of Communion. 1 Tim. 4:4 says, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.” He sends His disciples off to feed the people. As the disciples scurry about to give everyone food, were they limiting the amount each person took? Did they have the same confidence in the quantity of food Jesus had? As they went from group to group, did they notice the food in the baskets did not diminish? Each person got as much as they wanted of the bread and fish. “When they were filled.” That phrase literally means satisfied with food having eaten enough. There was no waiting for seconds, they got what they wanted the first time to satisfy themselves. “When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost. 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.” Collect what’s left in the baskets; let nothing go to waste. The disciples gathered what remained and filled twelve baskets so that nothing would be lost. Some say the twelve baskets represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Some argue that nothing being lost is a metaphor for the church. Most every time I preach, I remind you of the central theme of this book found in Jo. 20:30-31, “Therefore many other signs Jesus performed in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” When you keep that mind, it makes sense why there are stories included.
“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.” They have come to the conclusion the evangelist wants them to come to. When their physical hunger was satisfied, the nearly 20,000 people gathered knew that it was a sign or miracle. Their conclusion was that Jesus was the Prophet, the Expected One, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Word that became flesh, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The feeding of the 5000 is a miracle. You can try and explain away that there was a hidden cache of food, but that’s just not true. The only way this could have been done was a miracle had taken place. The disciples had no hope for feeding the people, but Jesus had a plan. Jesus always has a plan that will glorify the Father. Jesus didn’t stay around to hear all the praise that would surely be due to Him and would be entirely okay to do. He knew what would happen. “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” He is the King of kings, but His kingdom is not of this world just yet. He understands the idea of a godly kingdom, but that’s not exactly what the people had in mind and He withdraws to the mountain to be by Himself. Next week we’ll begin to see the true motivation for the people that followed Jesus.
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