John 6:1–15
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 would not buy enough bread 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. (ESV)
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for providing for all that we need. Not only have you sent your Son to be our Savior, but you also continue to give us blessing upon blessing in our earthly life. Help us to remember that we are entirely reliant upon your grace and mercy, knowing full well, that you provide all that we need. In Jesus, who is the Bread of Life. Amen!
Are you hungry? Will there be enough?
In Christ Jesus, the Bread from Heaven, dear fellow redeemed!
Our theme for this Sunday is “Rejoice.” During the more somber and penitential season of Lent, we are given a reprieve. Some churches even change the paraments on this day to rose instead of purple, to highlight this break. A Sunday with the theme—“Rejoice.” And what a perfect lesson for our Gospel reading for today. Jesus feeding the five thousand. In this great miracle, it teaches us who Jesus is, what his kingdom is like, and why our hearts which are slow to believe need to be reminded of these things again and again.
By this point in Jesus’ earthly ministry, his popularity had grown. Large crowds were following him because they saw the great miracles that Jesus had performed. Like today, these followers came for different reasons—some were curious, others wanted to see if they could get something out of him, while others believed that these miracles confirmed Jesus’ claims of being the Messiah—the Christ—who had come to save them. Yet, no matter their reason, they had all followed him to this wilderness region on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he knew they would be hungry. They had come from a distance and there was no food nearby. So, he asks Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him. Philip was practical. Five thousand men, along with women and children? That’s a lot of mouths to feed! Two hundred denarii wouldn’t be enough to give them a little. Then Andrew chimes in, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” The situation was seemingly hopeless. Not only did they not have enough money, but even if they did, there was no place to purchase that much bread.
In Philip’s figuring and Andrew’s conclusions the problem couldn’t be solved. They seemed to forget that the solution was right in front of them. But this isn’t the first time God’s people wondered how God would provide. It makes me think of another time when God’s people were in a wilderness region, away from food and water. The Israelites complained and thought the Lord was going to let them to starve on their journey in the wilderness. But what did God do? He sent manna from heaven. Later, the Israelites still complained because they wanted meat. I probably would have too. But then the Lord promised to give them meat not one day, or two, or five, or twenty—but for a whole month. Moses, confused by the Lord’s promised, asked how this would be possible? Basically, he was saying, “What will I have to do now? Kill the cattle, catch fish?” But then the Lord says to Moses’ doubt, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not” (Numbers 11:23).
“Has the arm of the Lord been shortened?” In essence saying, “Am I not God, who can do all things?” How often do we act as if the arm of the Lord is shortened—that he can’t or won’t be able to help us. We figure like Philip and conclude with Andrew, that it’s not possible. Like the disciples, it’s easy for us to forget about God in the midst of problems. We think about what we can do, while forgetting the One who actually is our help. When trouble comes, it seems like our first reaction is to forget all the other times the Lord has helped us in our need, provided for us, and protected us. As we look back on our own lives, how often have we felt like things were not going to work out, but they do. How often have we forgotten that God is in control—not us or our calculations!
Our worry and doubt are symptoms of our unbelief. Our failing to trust in God as the one who can and will provide for us. While we don’t have Jesus right next to us like the disciples, he has promised to be with us, care for us, and give us all that we need to support this body and life.
God knows we are prone to doubt. Yet, he doesn’t just give up on us. Instead, he proves his power and goodness again and again so that we might learn to trust in him just as he did for the disciples this day. According to their calculations they could only buy enough for a little, but Jesus provided more than enough. He did what only God can do. He multiplied the bread and the fish feeding over five thousand men, women, and children.
From this miracle, God would have us remember that Jesus is God. There is nothing he cannot do. And he who is God, cares for you. The people had not even expressed their need for food—but Jesus knew what they would need and how to provide it. God sees our needs, even before we ask about them, and knows how to care for us. But sometimes he tests us—lets us go without for a time, he lets us get hungry—that we might realize our need to depend on him.
This trust and confidence in God goes beyond just food and clothing, house and home. When God shows us how much he cares for our physical needs, he would have us realize that if he cares about these earthly things, how much more will he provide for our spiritual needs. As we see in our lesson, Jesus’ purpose was more than just being an earthly bread king, which is why when the crowds tried to make him king, he withdrew. Jesus had come for a greater purpose—to establish an eternal kingdom of glory, where there would be no hunger or want, sickness or sadness, sin or death. He came to give us something that would not perish, which is why he came to be the bread of life sent down from heaven.
But in order for Jesus to do us any good—we need to be hungry. We need to realize that we are poor sinners who deserve death in hell. Scripture says, “The soul that sins shall die” and the “Wages of sin is death” and “The heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?” Many throw away God’s salvation because they consider themselves content and happy—well-fed. God preaches his law so that we might realize we are sinners who need a Savior.
Yet, for Jesus do to us any good—we also need to know who he is and what he brings. To simply know you are hungry doesn’t fill you up. You need sustenance. You need food. And so, Scripture is recorded for us so that we might learn who Jesus is. He is our Lord and Savior, who lived a perfect and holy life in our place, shed his blood on the cross to pay for the sins of the world, and rose again on the third day showing that death has been defeated. Jesus has won salvation and he freely offers it to you. The table is set; he invites you to eat.
But a lot of people have a hard time believing it. Is it too good to be true? How can he have all this for me? People feel hesitant to believe it—to eat what he has prepared for the hungry.
When I was just a little kid, I was at a tournament and since my parents had to head home early for something I was invited by a family to go home with them so that I could stay for the whole day. On the way home, we stopped at a buffet. I was just a little guy, so I didn’t really understand how buffets worked. I thought you had to pay for everything you ate. So, I wanted to be respectful, so I only ate a piece or two of pizza, even though I could have eaten a lot more. I ate a skimpy meal, because I didn’t want to burden them. When I got older, I realized that the family had purchased my ticket so I could have eaten my fill. They had paid for everything I could have eaten. I let a great meal go to waste. In fact, I would have probably shown more gratitude and made them happy, if I would have eaten many plates full of food.
We sometimes approach God’s grace—his forgiveness and life—like I did that buffet. We wrongly think that we should honor God, by trying to do our part. By being slow to take all that he has laid before us. We are maybe trying not to burden God. We skimp out on what we could receive because God’s grace doesn’t make sense to us. We feel the need to prove our worth, earn his favor, or not be a burden. Yet, when we do this, we let God’s grace go to waste. We throw it away. God’s kingdom is so contrary to our human thinking. It’s so opposite of how this world works.
This is why Jesus shows us. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out… And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
So, come and eat. Be filled. Believe in Christ and receive everlasting life. Trust that his mercy is enough. His forgiveness is enough. Christ is enough. He has provided it all. Don’t be afraid to come to his table and receive the gift of everlasting life. Jesus has already paid for it all with his sacrifice on the cross. It is finished. All your sins have been paid. Let them burden you no more!
He comes to feed you on your journey of life as he did the Israelites with manna from heaven in his Word and Sacrament. He gives you a meal which forgives and sustains you unto everlasting life. Jesus not only provides for our body, he provides for our soul. It is enough. There is grace left over. This is why we rejoice. If the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want for more. Amen.