John 6:5, 8 NLT
[5]”Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”
[8] Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up.
[9] “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
Imagine attending a prestigious assembly hosted by a world-famous preacher only to find that the catering consisted of a packet of hamburger buns and a tin of pilchards. You would have been outraged by that kind of treatment.
Well, Jesus didn’t exactly plan to host a prestigious assembly, but it happened that so many people followed Him out into the country to hear Him teach that they had no time to arrange the catering. In fact, there wasn’t even time to pack a picnic basket for the day.
So, when evening came and stomachs growled with hunger, something had to be done about the situation. Jesus had a plan but He first gave His disciples opportunity to think up a solution before He gave them His version.
Since they were human and only thought in human terms, their outrageous solutions didn’t cut it.
John 6:6-7 NLT
[6] He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. [7] Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”
Philip’s hesitant suggestion floated away on the evening breeze and left them with one conclusion. “Impossible!”
Andrew tried tentatively to dip into Jesus’ way of thinking but, in the end, it sounded silly and his voice trailed off before his whole plan came out.
John 6:8-9 NLT
[8] “Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. [9] “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
At least Andrew came a little closer to Jesus’ way of thinking but he, too, felt that his idea wouldn’t work….too little food, too many people.
But… from Jesus’ perspective, it was the perfect answer. Any small resource in His hands, in partnership with the Father, would be enough to do the job. Whether the picnic lunch was given by a small boy or by the disciples didn’t matter. Bread and fish was all that was needed even in small quantities, a feast in Jesus’ hands for everyone, and some.
John 6:11-13 NLT
[11] “Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. [12] After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” [13] So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.”
How did this miracle happen? Jesus didn’t wave His hands over the bread and fish and mutter magic words. He simply thanked the Father for His provision and began to break up the barley buns and fish. Then He just kept breaking… and breaking… and breaking the bits… until everyone was satisfied. He trusted the Father and did what the Father instructed.
True to humans, after the meal, the ground was littered with fragments of bread. Did Jesus simply leave the mess for the birds and insects? No way! He made sure that they would leave the place as they found it. Just to enhance the miracle, the disciples cleared the picnic spot of twelve basketsful of scraps! From five hamburger buns?
This story had a sequel.
John 6:22 NLT
[22]”The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them….
[24] So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. [25] They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Did these people have nothing else to do but follow Jesus around the country? Jesus was quick to realise what they were after, another free meal at His expense. They were opportunists at heart. His teaching was great but a free meal was even better.
John 6:26-27 NLT
[26] “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. [27] But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”
His conclusion ended in a clash with the people and a priceless disclosure of His identity and purpose. “Believe in me,” He urged.
John 6:30 NLT
[30] They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?”
Jesus wasn’t about signs to initiate faith. Israel had many miraculous signs but they still persisted in their unbelief and disobedience. Signs only confirm the witness of God’s Word.
John 6:35-36 NLT
[35]”Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. [36] But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me…
[41] Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” [42] They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” They were just like their fellow Jews in Nazareth.
So, you see, not even a banquet for thousands from a picnic lunch could convince them that Jesus was who He said He was. To them, He was just another man! Really? Could just another man do what Jesus did? Say what Jesus said?
He was either stone crazy or dead serious. Faced with the evidence, we also have to make a choice. We either believe Him and commit to His demand, “Believe in me,” or dismiss His claim and go to hell for our choice.
It wasn’t the miracle that should have convinced them. The miracle was only a sign. The crux of the matter was… Did the miracle convince them that He was who He said He was, the Son of God?
1 John 5:10-12 NLT
[10] “All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. [11] And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”