John 6:1-9

1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Jesus Has No Limitations

Imagine this…..you are sitting up on a mountaintop in a place that is in the middle of nowhere with some of your friends. You have been following this guy named Jesus around everywhere, because it appears as though He is the Messiah, and not only that…..He asked YOU personally to come with Him everywhere He went. You look up, and see an amazing sight….. a group of thousands of people coming toward the place where you are. Of course, you know that they aren’t coming to see you. They are coming to see this man who has healed every disease known to man. This is the scene that is unfolding before you as you sit on this mountaintop. Jesus has crossed the sea of Galilee, went up onto the mountain, taken you and your friends up the mountain with Him, and now He turns, looks directly at YOU, and asks YOU, paraphrasing, “Where are we going to get food for these people? They are going to get hungry.” You might be thinking, “we could put all our money together, and we wouldn’t have anywhere near enough money to buy food to feed this mob of people”. Put yourself in Philip’s shoes. Can you just imagine what went through his mind? I know what I would be thinking. Why is He asking me to figure this out? He is the one who can heal the sick with just a word from His lips. Philip didn’t know it, but he was being tested. Jesus already knew what He was going to do in this situation like He did in every situation. The test was this…..Jesus wanted Philip and the others to automatically turn to Him to fix the problem. He wanted them to confess that He was the Son of God, and could handle any problem put before them, including this one. Of course, He knew that they weren’t ready to do that yet, but He is training them through these situations that He is putting them in. What about us? Do we automatically turn to Jesus first and foremost when we face a problem? Just like Jesus tested the disciples, we are being tested to see if we will turn to Jesus. Every trial we face is a test of our faith. Jesus already knows how we will react to those trials. He knows if we will turn to Him, try to handle it ourselves without Him, or see it as a hopeless situation and just give up. Jesus knows everything just like He already knew what He was going to do in this situation. He had a purpose for everything He did, every place He went, and every person He talked to. It was all a part of His and the Father’s divine plan. 

As chapter 6 begins, we see Jesus removing Himself from the conversation that He was having with the Jews in chapter 5. I am sure that He was mentally exhausted from the confrontation, and needed some alone time with just His disciples. After all, even though He was God in the flesh, He was human also. He got physically and mentally fatigued like we do. He went to the other side of the sea of Galilee to get away from the crowds, but this alone time sure didn’t last long for Jesus. 

In verse 7, Philip responds to Jesus’ question about where to get food for the multitude in much the same way that Moses responded to God in the book of Numbers. Philip said, “Two hundred denarii is not enough to feed each person even a little bite of food.” In Numbers 11:10-20, we find that the children of Israel were tired of the manna, and were begging for meat. God was not pleased with their complaining. In verse 13 of that chapter, a frustrated Moses asks God, “Where am I going to get meat for these people?” God says in Numbers 11:20 that the people will eat meat for an entire month until they are sick of it. In Numbers 11:21-22, Moses says these words to God, ‘The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?” Doesn’t this sound a lot like what Philip said to Jesus? The meaning behind what they both said was basically the same. They were both implying that there was no way to feed all the people. They were both putting limitations on the power of God and His Son. But…..Moses certainly should have known that God could provide an abundance of meat after all he had seen God do for the people up until that point. I love God’s response to Moses in Numbers 11:23, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” Really Moses? After all you have seen God accomplish, are you really going to put limitations on God? And honestly, the disciples should have known that Jesus could provide whatever was needed as well, because of all they had seen Him do in healing the sick. In verses 8-9, Andrew responds in the same way as Philip. He points out that they have the 5 loaves and 2 fish, not because he thinks it will do any good, but to point out that the situation seemed to be hopeless. But we know that no situation is hopeless with God. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). We just have let go of our doubts, let God take over, and truly believe that He makes all things possible. Do we sometimes put limitations on God? Do we sometimes start trying to solve a problem without praying to God first? I know I’m guilty. We don’t ever have to face anything alone. God wants us to turn to Him for help. 

Now…..let’s back up to verse 2 where we see a problem…..the same problem that we saw in John 2:23-25 and John 4:48. The people had selfish motives for following Jesus. They were following Him because of the “signs which He did on those who were sick.” They had a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. Don’t we see it in today’s world also? What am I going to get out of being a Christian? How is following Christ going to benefit me? Our blessings in Christ are not material, they are spiritual. Prospering in a worldly way is not what should be most important to us. It is the blessing of being free from sin, and the hope of eternal life, not only for ourselves, but for as many others as possible, that should motivate us to follow Christ. It is the “peace of God that surpasses understanding” that keeps us content in this life (Phil. 4:7). Jesus is standing guard around our hearts if we are walking with Him. That is why we are able to have peace in every situation…..even in the most difficult times. That peace is just one of the many spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. It is hard to explain the kind of peace that we have in Christ to someone outside of Christ, isn’t it? Until they experience it, they can’t really understand it. If only everyone could experience this kind of peace…..the peace that only comes from the Prince of Peace…..Jesus. Do you have the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding” in your life? Is Jesus standing guard around your heart?

In my Thompson Chain Reference Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 was referenced beside verse 9 of our writing today. It reads, paraphrasing, “God elevates the seemingly foolish things/people to bring the people who are wise in their own eyes down off their pedestal. He elevates the weak to bring down the people who think their strength comes from within themselves.” God elevates seemingly insignificant people who are considered “nobodies” by the world. Some are even despised and made fun of by others. He uses these lowly people to accomplish great things so that we will understand that nothing can happen because of our own ability. Our accomplishments are only because God allowed them to happen, and they are for His glory. We can do nothing without Him. We have nothing to brag about. Our accomplishments or status in life will not bring us salvation. In verse 9 of our writing, Andrew was saying, paraphrasing, “What good are these 5 loaves and 2 fish? How are they going to do any good in helping feed all these people?” Just picture this young boy standing there holding his lunch. He didn’t have much, but he was willing to share. And Jesus…..well…..Jesus is going to elevate this boy’s lunch into something amazing! This is a lesson for us. Someone may think that they don’t have much to offer the kingdom of God. Someone may be thinking, “What difference can I make in the church? I’m just little ole me…..one person. How can I help the lost? I’m not smart enough to teach anyone. I don’t know enough.” But God…..God will choose a person whom we least expect to do great things in His kingdom for His glory. It could be you. It could be me. All we have to do is be willing to let Him use us. A willing heart is all we need. The young boy was willing to share what he had. Are we willing to share what we have, which is the good news of Jesus Christ? What we have to share is a lot more important than bread and fish. We may feel insignificant in the kingdom, but then again…..remember that little boy who shared his lunch. I’m sure that little boy never dreamed his lunch would satisfy the hunger of 5000+ people…..but Jesus…..

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)