Today’s Reading: John 6:5-13

 

Today’s Big Points

1. Jesus anticipated the need before it arrived.

2. Philip looked at the cost

3. Andrew was already connected to a boy.

4. Jesus blessed the servers beyond the receivers.

5. Jesus is the bread!

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BIG IDEA:

Jesus was becoming very popular. People were excitedly spreading the news of the miracles and healings he was performing. In this story, a very large crowd gathered on a hill to be a part of the ministry and hear the teachings from Jesus, but there was a problem. It was time to eat, there wasn’t any food around, and there were thousands of hungry people. This passage says there were five thousand men in the crowd. If you include the women and children, there could have been anywhere from ten to twenty thousand people there! Philip knew that it would take eight months wages to buy enough food for this crowd. Today, that could be between $50-$75,000!

A young boy in the crowd had his lunch with him, but Andrew pointed out, “What good is that with this huge crowd?” Sometimes it can seem like God is limited by what we have to offer, but in this story, we learn that if we will trust God with the little we have, He can do amazing things! Jesus gives thanks, breaks the bread, and the disciples pass out the food. Not only is there enough for everyone, there are leftovers!

Let’s look at verse 6 for a minute. (“He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do”). Jesus teaches us two important things about God. On one hand, he already knows his plans and purposes. On the other hand, God wants us to participate and to understand both his heart and his mind. Why was Jesus testing Philip? He wanted Philip to think beyond the natural to the supernatural. He wanted Philip to believe that there was nothing impossible for God. He was about to learn that Jesus was even more amazing than he had previously thought or experienced. And that is still true for you and me! Jesus is way better than you think!

Later in this chapter, Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life that came down from heaven. Jesus knew that about a year later, he would climb a different hill (Calvary) where his body would be broken (crucified) and “given away.” In this story, the bread satisfied the physical hunger of the people, but Jesus came to satisfy the spiritual hunger of all people. Jesus, the Bread of Life, was broken so we could be made whole. The sacrificial love of Jesus seen at the cross sustains and satisfies our hearts and our lives.

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Questions to Ponder

For Adults:

• How has Jesus shown himself to be the “bread of life” in your life?

• How has God used brokenness in your life to heal you and even help others?

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For Teens:

• What were the series of events that led to the crowd being fed?

• What does it mean that Jesus is the bread of life?

• How is Jesus more satisfying than the other things people look to?

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For Kids:

• Why was Jesus becoming popular?

• How did Jesus feed the hungry crowd?

• What does it mean that Jesus is the bread of life?

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BIG PRAYER:

God, thank you that you can take my little and do so much with it! Help me to not look down on myself because I think I don’t have much to offer. Instead, help me to keep my eyes on you and what you can do as I obey and trust you. Thank you that Jesus came to satisfy my heart with his life and his love. Thank you that he was broken so I could be made whole. Thank you that brokenness—both Jesus’ and mine—is not wasted, but can be used for your purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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