1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
In the previous chapter, Jesus was in Jerusalem and now he is somewhere near the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, we can assume that the “some time after this” could have been weeks later or almost a year if the feast Jesus attended in Chapter 5 was the Passover, as some believe. What is obvious is that enough time has passed that crowds were following him, not just a few disciples. This episode occurs after he had been somewhere else along the lake ministering to people and healing the sick. It is notable that this crowd is following Jesus for one primary reason. He had healed a lot of people. When he sits down with his disciples, it is an indication that he is ready to teach this crowd as he assumes the position of teacher.
In today’s world there is such a strong disbelieve in supernatural healing that I don’t think unbeliever flock to Jesus for healing. While Christians still pray for healing and there are some self-professed healers on TV, there isn’t this same kind of following or curiosity among unbelievers. Within Christian circles, there is a tendency to follow Jesus for the promises made by the health and welfare preachers with the big emphasis on welfare. But we must notice that Jesus’ first inclination is to make this a teaching situation. However, what he taught the crowd at this time was less import (and not recorded) as that he was spending time teaching his disciples.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Teach your disciples before you teach the crowd. What a wonderful moment for Jesus to teach. He taught by example. The crowd had not arrived when Jesus challenges Philip to think about other people and the power of God to take care of all circumstances. I don’t think Philip was aware of this being a teaching moment. There are times in our lives when we face test from God which are teaching moments and we are unaware of it.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
How do we respond to those trials? Do we do what Philip did and calculate the cost of accomplishing what we believe God might want us to do and believe it to be impossible? I have to identify with Philip because this task was enormous. But the truth is that I more often fail on much smaller tests. Do I take two minutes longer to encourage someone or do I think that getting to my next task or appointment is more important? Every day, we face hundreds of decisions that could be tests of our faith and trust in the Lord to accomplish his purpose in our lives and those around us. We can’t limit our thinking and our perspective to worldly calculations.
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
Andrew either sensed that Jesus was going to do something miraculous, or the Holy Spirit prompted him. Either way, he speaks up. It is also remarkable that it is Andrew who responds and not Peter, who usually can’t keep his mouth shut.
You may have heard a dozen sermons on this passage. They usually focus on the fact that God can use whatever resources we have and do much more with them when we willingly yield them to him. This a great conclusion.
An interesting point is that throughout Jesus’ ministry he performed many miracles that were foreshadowed in the Old Testament. One is where a man came to Elisha’s company of prophets with twenty barley loaves. It was a time of famine that also affected the prophets. He asked the in the same ways as Andrew did, how can I set these loaves before 100 men? But Elisha said the Lord affirmed they would all eat and have some left over (2 Kings 4:42-44). Jesus would obviously know this Scripture. He was about to show that he is greater than the Old Testament prophets.
Some chide Andrew because he seems to doubt that Jesus could do anything with the meager rations. But I think Andrew knew 2 Kings 4:42-44 also. His answer is unmistakably similar. The phrase, “But how far will they go among so many?” is a way of speaking in the Bible that affirms believe and not doubt. When Abraham wanted to bury Sarah, he negotiated with Ephron the Hittite for the burial cave. They both used the same way of speaking. (Gen 23:1-16). Joab disagreed with David about taking a census and said, “But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” (2 Sam 24:3) instead of telling him it was wrong and stupid.
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
This is reminiscent of Psalm 23:2 and 5, “He makes me lie down in green pastures … You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Jesus is demonstrating to the people that he is their shepherd.
We’ve all heard that there was probably between ten and twenty thousand people there depending on how many women and children were there. Since there was a boy there with the food, it requires us to consider that there were also others, most likely whole families.
Jesus gave thanks. He did this before distributing the food. He didn’t distribute it then give thanks that it provided all the people wanted. He didn’t give thanks that it tasted good after eating (like some religions). John doesn’t even record a pray that it would go all the way around. Only that he gave thanks.
Sometimes we get hung up in the right way to pray and forget that we are praying to the almighty God who is in control of all things and knows all things. Maybe we should give thanks more often and let the Lord work out the details.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Jesus didn’t want anything to be wasted. Though God provided abundantly and even beyond, this is important. We don’t want to waste what God has given us. I’m afraid that we don’t think deeply about this. When God provides for our needs and many of our wants, what do we do with it? I look around the house and see all the stuff we’ve accumulated and wonder if we are using his provisions well. Often, when thinking about purchasing something, we first ask if it is a need or a want. I’ll admit the “need” is quite flexible so that it more often than not includes wants. Yet it is still a way of judging whether something will be used or eventually go to waste.
Gathering what is left over can be translated into repurposing our surplus. One adage says something like, “If you haven’t used it in two years …” Give it to someone who will; sell it or maybe it is just junk.
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
The people were starting to get it. The signs point to Jesus as the Messiah and the Prophet was one of the ways they understood him to be. The Prophet was foretold by Moses, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Deut 18:15 NIV).
1. The Prophet was predicted by Moses. He was to have the same authority and position as Moses. Think of how the Jews idolized and held Moses up as the one who led them out of Egypt. They practically forgot that it was the Lord who did it. Moses was only his instrument. The people idolized this future prophet who would lead them back into their position as a nation over others in the world.
2. Jesus is indeed the Prophet. Jesus came to fulfill three offices. That of Prophet, Priest, and King.[1]
1. As the Prophet, Jesus is the only One who can reveal what God has been purposing in history "since the world began" and who can teach and make manifest the real meaning of the "scriptures of the prophets" (the Old Testament; see Rom. 16:25–26). We can expect to make progress in the Christian life only as we heed His instruction and teaching.
2. Jesus' sacrifice took place once only, but He still continues as our great High Priest, the One through whom all acceptable prayer and praise are made to God. In heavenly places, He remains our constant Intercessor and Advocate (Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1). Little wonder, then, that Paul calls for glory to be given to God "through Jesus Christ for ever" (Rom. 16:27). We can grow in our enjoyment of access to God only by a deepening reliance on Him as our Sacrifice and Intercessor.
3. Christ is the King, ruling over all things. Over His church He reigns by means of His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:30–33). He sovereignly gives repentance to the impenitent and bestows forgiveness on the guilty (Acts 5:31). Christ is "our eternal King who governs us by His word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in the enjoyment of that salvation, He has purchased for us" (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A. 31). As the royal Heir of the new creation, He will lead us into a kingdom of eternal light and love.
When we start to emphasize one of Jesus’ offices over the others, we are the poorer for it. We will be like the people who were fed and look to him only to meet our needs. Yes, salvation is a huge need. But forgetting what Jesus taught leaves us poorer because we don’t learn how to live. Forgetting his kingship leaves us as disobedient citizens. Forgetting his role as priest, we forget he intercedes for us every day and we then end up depending on ourselves and robbing him of glory.
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