Today's Sermon Notes: John 6:1-15

John 6:1-15 M. Kelly

In this chapter is the fourth sign of Who Christ is. The Lord feeds the multitude. This is the only miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels besides his resurrection.

There are 5000 men besides women and children. Could be 15 to 20,000 people here. This sign points to who Christ is. Signs always point to something.

People tend to be interested just in the signs themselves. But are they interested in what the signs point too? V. 66 tells the answer.

Three basic views of this account:

1. Jesus inspired the people to share what they had. The little boy with the 5 loaves and fishes was the inspiration

2. Like the Lord's supper where the bread is broken up into tiny pieces and all had a little.

3. Jesus actually fed the multitude with next to nothing. It was a miraculous event.

Those who try to figure it out without it being a miracle are missing the sign. They are missing the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, very God Himself.

Elisha was a shadow of what was to come when he fed 100 men with very little. Lessons

1.Because a crowd is gathered is no sure sign that people are actually following Christ.

v. 1 says they followed Him because of what He was doing. Were they really "following" Him or were they following His miracles, wanting to see what He would do next.

They want Jesus to fit into what they want desire. They wanted a king and they were even willing to do it by force. They were interested in the benefits Christ could provide for them.

Great gatherings in the name of Christ is no sure sign that there are many following Him.

2. Food is great blessing from God.

God made us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and He has ordained that we eat to stay alive. God is the one who provides food. It is a great blessing.

Jesus feeds the multitude from so little. He does this daily. He feeds many from a few seeds. Can you make a dead seed grow into an edible plant? Only God can do it. It's God who gives the increase.

3. Christ feeds us better than He fed Himself.

He said His food was to do the will of His father in heaven. He actually lived on a meager diet.

We are to be content with food and clothing and find our true contentment in God.

4. Our Lord is pleased to often show us how insufficient our own resources are.

He asks the disciples to feed the crowds when they have nothing to do it with. It's a sign...only God himself can feed the crowds.

5. Looking to our circumstances often leads to discouragement and confusion.

Jesus tests Philip by asking him where they wiill get food for all these people. They look to their circumstances...no place to buy and only few loaves and fishes. They should have looked to Christ. God is wise in all that He does, yet when trials and difficulties come we look at those and fret and worry and filled with anxiety. Instead of looking to our circumstances we need to look to God in whose hand our circumstances lay. It can cause us to become bitter, jaded and cynical.

The Lord is always right and good. We need to trust Him. He is often pleased to use what confuses us to accomplish His purposes in our lives. Learn to trust God and not look at our circumstances. Trust Him in the here and now...not what He might do. Most of our prayers focus on telling God what He should do for us.

6. The Lord knows what He is doing.

He is sovereign. v. 5-6 Jesus knew what He was going to do when he asked Philip where they would get bread. God knows what He is doing in our lives. We should not trust in our own understanding. Prov. 3:5-6 We should trust that God is doing all things well according to His sovereign decree. We don't have all the facts and details. The means God often uses confuses us because we have our own ideas of how our lives should be ordered. God will do as He pleases and whatever He does is good and right. Psa. 115:3 This is truth we can use, part of our spiritual armor that we need to put on.

7. Christ is our satisfaction.

Jesus feeds thousands with next to nothing. The sign points to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and that what He says is the Word of God. We have an appetite for satisfaction. Where do we find satisfaction to fulfill these appetites? Do we find it outside of Christ? Jesus says, "I am the Bread of Life." He is our true need and the only one who can satisfy. Isaiah 55; Ps. 22:26 The manna in the wilderness represented Christ as the Bread of life. Ps 81; Jer. 31 Are we satisfied with the Lord's goodness?

8. Christ did not come to be an earthly king.

v. 14-15 Jesus perceived that they would take him by force to make him a king.

The people expected a prophet like Moses to come deliver them from Roman bondage. Christ came to save his people from their sins not to deliver them from Roman bondage. Satan tempted Jesus with kingship....but He is already a king.

9. Others may want us to be a certain kind of person, but we are to be about our Father' business.

Thousands wanted Him to be their King but He said "no". He slipped away to pray instead. Sometimes it is wise to just leave the situation if possible.

There are those in our lives who may want us to be a certain kind of person but we may have to say no. We are to be about our Father's business. Don't ruin your life by being something that someone else wants you to be. It's more profitable to learn to say no. You don't have to say no and then make an excuse. Just say no. Learn to say no to distractions that take us away from our Lord.