John 6:1-15

Jesus and the impossible dinner

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Matthew 14:13-21 ; Mark 6:30-34 ; Luke 9:10-17

• Some time has passed between Ch 5 and Ch 6. Maybe 6 months to one year (depends on which feast was described in John 5:1)
• They traveled from Jerusalem back up to Galilee.
• Jesus taught and healed many (Jairus’ daughter, Women who was bleeding, etc.)
• John the Baptist was beheaded.
• Jesus was rejected at Nazareth.
• Jesus sent out the 12 disciples in pair to minister.

Now Jesus is going to feed 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish.

To show his love for and compassion on the people.

To teach his followers

Prove his deity

As an illustration for future teachings

Luke 9

10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. (In Mark 6 as well)

John 6

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

John 6

3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 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?”

John 6

6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” (Consider: a denarii is average pay for 1 day of work)

“not be enough for each of them to get a little”

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Was it Jesus’ goal to give us just a little?

John 6

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a (little) boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

Impossible problem to overcome

• More than 5,000 people who are hungry and need to eat. Also, they and are too far from home to return home tonight for food and shelter?
• There is not enough money to feed this crowd a little food, let alone satisfy their hunger.
• Even if they had enough money there is no place to buy the amount of food they would need.
• They found a little boy who had 2 small fish and 5 loaves of bread. Which is not enough food for this crowd.

John 6

10 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.

39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. Mark 6

John 6

11 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. (they all ate and were satisfied)

John 6

12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

John 6

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

15 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.

What if Jesus decided not to feed this multitude in a miraculous way?

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John 4

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.