Bible Studies
John 6:1-21 – Faithful Abundance
Key Verses:
- 2: “A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.” – Jesus was followed wherever He went. John refers to miracles as signs, focusing more on the overall significance of what Jesus was doing then on the actual miracle itself.
- 5b-6: “Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him for He Himself knew what He was going to do.” - Jesus was always focused on what the disciples were learning from their daily events. He would teach, provide examples, explain, demonstrate and, finally, test to see if they had managed to understand the important elements of each lesson.
- 7: “Philip answered him, ‘Six months wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’” – Philip fails the test. He is not looking “outside the box” with the faith that should have been evident after witnessing all the miracles of healing that day.
- 8-9: “Andrew…said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’” – Andrew is beginning to understand. He had taken an inventory and had suggested that they might be useful but he was still not quite certain how.
- 11-13: “Then Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them…” – In many ways, this feeding of the 5000 was modeled after the way the Israelites received their food while in the desert. The lesson: Follow God, give thanks for your blessings, and He will provide your needs.
- 15: “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take Him by force…He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.” – The signs were many but the message was not clearly being received. Jesus continued to reject the world’s idea of kingdom.
- 16: “When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea…” – Evidently, travel plans had been pre-arranged and the disciples left without Jesus.
- 19b: “…they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.” – Their ideas and concepts of who Jesus was were being broadened and expanded with each new experience.
- 20: “But Jesus said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” – With this phrase, Jesus connects Himself to the divinity of God, the great “I am”.
- Are you like Philip? Could you pass the test? Do you feel your horizons changing and your understanding of Christ growing with each lesson in life? Do you attempt to keep Christ contained despite all the previous signs you have experienced? Are you limiting in someway the miracles Christ has in store for you? Do you lack the faith to allow Him to open your heart to new possibilities?
- Do you give thanks for the blessings you have received from God? Day-old, dried-up barley loaves and two pickled herring were probably not very appetizing or appealing. Yet, Jesus gave thanks for these blessings they had received. Are you ever guilty of underestimating the worth of God’s blessings in your life? Do look around to see if there is more available? Do you ever find yourself saying; “Is that all there is?” Do you see in today’s lesson that everything we receive from God is not only sufficient for our purpose, but it abundantly exceeds our needs? Can you give thanks to God for the dried up barley loaves in your life?
- Think a moment about the boy in today’s lesson. Do you see how the insignificance of his gift did not deter him from stepping forward and providing it as an offering to the crowd? Do you ever concern yourself with how small your offerings or gifts appear? Do you resist contributing because you doubt that your small gift could have much impact? Do you feel your role in the building of God’s kingdom is insignificant and of little value? Where would the 5000 be without that small contribution of bread and fish from the boy? Have you considered what the world would be like if we all decided to step back and not respond to our call in building God’s kingdom? Do see that no gift is too small for God to use?
- Why were the disciples fearful when they saw Jesus walking on the water towards them in the storm? What lessons should have they learned earlier in the day that would have prepared them for this event? Have you ever been surprised by Jesus walking into your life? Were you not expecting Him to be there in a time of need or trial? Did you think you were in the boat alone, facing the storm by yourself? What can you do to prepare yourself for these situations in order that you are better prepared and expectant for Christ’s arrival
The building of God’s kingdom sometimes appears to be an insurmountable task. There are times when the challenges appear too large and our resources too small. Jesus demonstrates that God provides for our every need in abundant and miraculous ways. When we learn to depend on Him, to seek Him out in all situations, when we offer Him our time, our ability, and our resources, then He will respond in ways beyond our wildest imagination. We are not alone in the boat. He is with us always and because of that we have nothing to fear.
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