Daily Devotions
John
Another powerful sign
Text: John 6:1-15
ANOTHER POWERFUL SIGN
As Jesus listened to the replies of Philip and Andrew, He knew that they needed to grow further in their knowledge, understanding and faith! Instead of discussing their answers, He proceeded to give instructions to His mystified disciples.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’
Now there was much grass in the place.
So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.”
John 6:10
What was Jesus going to do next? Not in their wildest imagination could the Disciples or the people who made up the multitudes figure out what Jesus was going to do next. Andrew had brought the little lunch of a young lad to Jesus. That was a lovely gesture on the part of the little boy. He had given his lunch away to the Lord Jesus Christ. The multitudes and the Disciples must have watched intensely at what Jesus was doing.
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks
He distributed them to the disciples,
and the disciples to those who were sitting down;
and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.”
John 6:11
FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND
This sign-miracle was so astonishing that all four Gospels recorded this event! Five thousand men (not counting the women and children) were fed from the simple lunch given to Jesus by a young lad.
“So when they were filled, He said to His disciples,
‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’
Therefore they gathered them up, and filled the twelve baskets
with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over
by those who had eaten.”
John 6:12-13
Nothing was to be wasted. Leftovers were not to be wastefully thrown away! Twelve baskets were filled from the fragments (perhaps, ‘half-loaves’) that were left over. Jesus had provided more than sufficiently for the needs of the multitude.
What did Jesus want to hear as a good answer from Philip when He asked him to consider feeding the multitude? Neither Philip nor any of the others could have come up with a solution as astounding as this. This was like living in the days of Moses when God provided for the children of Israel!
What faith the Disciples would need to have to come up with suggestions and solutions such as the one Jesus had provided. Out of love and compassion, Jesus fed the multitudes. He didn’t have to do that, but He did it anyway!
CORRECT RECOGNITION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MIRACLE
Five thousand men fed from five loaves and two fish! Those who saw the miracle knew that this was not a trick! They had not imagined what had happened! They were filled. Besides, there were twelve baskets of fragments! What could this miracle mean?
“Then those men, when they had seen the sign
that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet
who is come into the world.'”
John 6:14
The Jews had asked Jesus what they considered an important question once before.
“What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
John 2:18
The men had not actually voiced out this thought, but it is not unlikely that they too had this idea in mind. They concluded that they had seen “the sign” that Jesus was “truly the Prophet” that Moses had spoken of in his writings. Moses had indeed made an important prophetic statement. He said,
“The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me
from your midst, from your brethren…”
Deuteronomy 18:15
God had confirmed these prophetic words of Moses.
“And the Lord said to me… ‘I will raise up for them
a Prophet like you from among their brethren,
and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall
speak to them all that I command Him.”
Deuteronomy 18:17-18
WRONG APPLICATION
The men had an idea that Jesus was The Prophet that Moses spoke of. However, they applied this understanding wrongly. Jesus departed from their midst abruptly!
“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about
to come and take Him by force to make Him king,
He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
John 6:15
The wrong application of the truth spelt trouble. Jesus knew that what the multitude wanted was a political king. What better king could there be who could multiply loaves and fish for food? Besides, He could heal anybody and everybody of their diseases. What an army this king would be able to raise up! No soldiers need ever fear wounds from battle for their king would be able to heal them. No soldiers need ever fear hunger, for their Divine King would feed them miraculously! What a sad misunderstanding and misapplication of what Jesus did!