
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. 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?” 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.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 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. 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. 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. 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!” —John 6:1-14
Our
I. Feeding of the 5,000 background 6:1-4
- A. The only miracle recorded in all four Gospels
- B. Only in John are we shown that this miracle is the backdrop for Christ’s claim as the True Bread that comes from heaven
- C. This event occurs on the 2nd Galilean tour
- D. Chapter five took place in Jerusalem, and chapter 6 in Tiberius, some 102 miles away
- E. If the setting of chapter 5 is the Feast of Tabernacles, then six months have gone by; if it is the Passover, then as much as a year has passed
- F. Jesus’ popularity has grown, but we are only about a year away from His crucifixion
The
II. Frustrations in feeding the 5,000 6:1-9
- A. Jesus’ question to bring out the frustrations 6:5-6
- B. Philip’s expression of frustration – “not enough money” 6:7
- C. Andrew’s expression of frustration – “what are they for so many” 6:8-9
Neither the
III. Feasting of the 5,000 6:10-14
- A. They had as much as they wanted 6:11
- B. They ate their fill 6:12
- C. They had leftovers 6:13
God will often put us in
IV. Final takeaways from the feeding of the 5,000
A. We need to shift our focus from the frustrating circumstances to a
B. Our limitations are reminders of our dependency on the
C. God can not only meet our
Small Group Questions
What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.
What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?
What are some modern-day examples of the church confusing “popularity of Christ” with being true followers of Christ?
Share with one another times where God has tested and then strengthened your faith through difficult circumstances.
Share and then pray over any current difficulties being experienced within the group.