1/30/13. John 6:1-15. JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND- my devotional

Key Verse: 6:11                                                                                                                                                         Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.”

      Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing meaning and purpose and strength to all we do. I would not have the strength work as a nurse and serve in the church, on my own. But with gospel faith and relying on you, I can have strength to carry on, doing what I must do each day. Thank you Lord for being our power source in life. I pray for UBF staff conference. Please establish enough group Bible study leaders and bless the speakers to preach the word of God clearly and powerfully. Help me to hear your word today. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: The Test (1-9).

At this time, large crowds followed Jesus everywhere, even up a mountainside where he sat with his disciples.Look at verses 1-4, “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.”

We can see how popular Jesus’ ministry was. He was followed by great crowds of people eager to listen to his words. Servants of God sometimes wish that their churches could grow in numbers until crowds of people come to listen to their teachings. This would be nice. But are we ready to bear the blessing? Are we ready to shepherd the lost and take time out of our busy schedule to serve them? There is also a difference between quantity and quality. A church may not gather thousands but they may have a high quality discipleship program. This is the most desirous.

Even though the crowds were very demanding and numerous, Jesus took time out to build relationships with his disciples. They needed some personal time. They needed some special instruction. Jesus knew the importance of this.  I thank God for pastors in my life who take time out for personal counseling in the midst of their tight schedule. I am blessed for having such people in my life. I need to always take time out to spend some quality time with those whom God has brought into my life, my wife, my kids, workmates, Christian friends etc. I must never appear too busy. This is an important element of discipleship. My God help me to be a good counselor.

Next, the test. Seeing the crowd, Jesus asked Phillip a staggering question. It was a spiritual test. Let’s see this test in verses 5-9,. ⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” ⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Let’s think about the question. “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” It was impossible for these disciples to come up with that kind of money to feed 5,000 men plus women and children. Jesus could do it. But he wanted the disciples to think about possibilities and not the impossibilities. We need to think positively and think about what God can do when we apply faith and all the gifts and faculties that God has given us. I am impressed by the leadership of KBC and the leaders of “To Every Tribe”. They saw the sending of missionaries to NW Ontario as a done deal. They saw the possibilities. David S. gathered the names of five Toronto pastors who can for a supportive coalition in a short time. Ideas and plans were flowing out of that conversation at record pace. There is so much creativity and possibilities when we see God in the equation. In this way ministry can grow by multiplication and not just but addition.

Phillip did the math: the situation was impossible. End of story! A calculative mind with no faith cannot be used in ministry. We need faith and we see this in Andrew’s response. Andrew brought to Jesus what he could find, but never thought it would be enough. The boy gave everything he had without complaining and watched as Jesus multiplied his five loaves and two fish into a feast for 5,000 men and their families. Jesus knew what he was going to do before he ever approached Phillip, just as he knows what he is going to do with the impossible situations in our lives. The lesson is simple – we are to rely on Him.

I need to bring what I can to Jesus and he will bless it. I can bring my off site management of the sending of missionaries. I can offer up my prayers for the work of God. I can offer up my various missions that God has led me into with faith that God will feed the nations with the Gospel. But I need to give God room to work in his creative ways. For years I was offering up my five loaves and two fish, but I was actually hindering what God wanted to do, but maintaining my program. I curtailed God’s and my creativity. I am now offering my five loaves and two fish with no restrictions on what God can do in and through my family and ministry.
Part 2: The Miracle (10-15).

A miracle happened in verses 10-15, “¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

With the boy’s lunch in his hands, Jesus instructed the disciples to have the people sit down. Jesus involved all the disciples in this miracle. The work of God is very inclusive. It involves everyone. May we involve everyone on the work of God, even the spiritually young.

With only five loaves and two fish in front of him, Jesus gave thanks to God. This is the example we should follow. Jesus saw what God could do and thanked Him ahead of time!

I thank God ahead of time for what he will do in NW Ontario and the Art of Marriage Seminar and the UBF staff conference and the International Summer Conference. I rejoice what God will do when we don’t restrict him. God will do so much among us.

Jesus distributed the bread as much as they wanted to those who were seated and did the same with the fish. God’s provision was abundant. When God works, he really works. I am expecting great things from God in 2013.

Prayer: Lord, help us to overcome our limitations by trusting you and offering you what we can without hindering you by our own legalism.”

One Word: With Jesus, nothing is impossible!