The Seven Signs (Pt. 5)

 

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 worth of bread would not be enough 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. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 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. (John 6:1-14 ESV).

 

The miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude is the only miracle Jesus performed that is mentioned in all four Gospels. I hesitate to attempt any real exposition of this reading in the space I have allotted for the devotional; though we must not hurry through some of the incredible applications for us today. The caption of the picture I’ve chosen to attach gives us a basic thought: Nothing is impossible for God. The exchange between Philip, Andrew, and Jesus gives us so much insight into both the character and power of the Lord.

 

Picture the scene. If you have traveled to Israel at this place to the northeast of the Sea of Galilee as I have, you will know the relatively small area that these thousands of people were gathered to hear Jesus. It was very crowded. Undoubtedly the disciples had not seen this size group yet in Jesus’ ministry. Like most preachers, Jesus tended to go a bit longer than they thought was appropriate. Most of the people had not come prepared to stay all day without food. I picture the first question of Jesus to Philip with a hint of humor from Jesus. It is as if he smiles broadly, almost conspiratorially, and asks Philip, “Where can we buy bread enough to feed everyone?” (v. 4). Philip gives the Lord an honest answer. He told him there wasn’t any place to buy that much bread, even if they had the money to do so. Thinking Philip might have failed the “test” Andrew comes to the rescue with a bit of humor in answer. He says, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” And, then comes the lesson. Without humor, though patient and kind, Jesus simply said, “Have the people sit down.” You know the end of the story. Jesus takes the little boy’s lunch, gives thanks for it, and everyone ate their fill, leaving enough for the disciples to have their own lunch the next day!

 

I wonder how many times we have looked at our circumstance and thought, “There’s no way.” It is so easy to forget that even when there is no human way, all things are possible with the Lord. We have become so conditioned to independence and self-reliance that we have forgotten, or at least significantly discounted the power of God to do all that He has determined for us.