1 After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

4 Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

10 “Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.

11 Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

12 And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

13 So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

This month we are returning to the Gospel of John. John’s purpose in writing this biography of Jesus is to show us that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” so that we might believe in him and find life (John 20:31). In the first few chapters, John has related some of the miraculous signs Jesus did. John doesn’t call them “miracles,” he calls them “signs” because they weren’t just to be impressive. They were like signposts pointing to who Jesus is.

By chapter 5, those signs had started to bring heat from the religious authorities, who were suspicious of Jesus … or maybe they just didn’t want their power threatened. Perhaps that heat is why Jesus now withdraws to a more remote Gentile area, across the Sea of Galilee. If so, it didn’t get him out of the limelight. Crowds of Jews followed him there, because of his miraculous healings (v 2). But that gave Jesus another opportunity for a sign of his glory – in this case, feeding a multitude in a remote place.

I was intrigued by John’s note that “the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near” (v 4). Why does he include that detail? Perhaps to highlight the connection between this sign and the Exodus. The Passover was God’s great rescue of his people through Moses, and it also led to their journey in the wilderness, where God provided for them with manna from heaven. This signpost-miracle shows that Jesus is far greater than Moses – he is “equal with God” (John 5:18), because he himself is the one who miraculously provides for his people. In fact, later we’ll hear that Jesus is the “bread of life” – he is the true manna from heaven! And he doesn’t just provide enough; when it seems like his people will have nothing, he provides an abundant banquet for them.

I found that challenging. Do I really trust that Jesus will provide abundantly more than I need personally, or that we need as a church? His test to Philip – “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” (when he knew the answer) – felt like a test for me as well. Jesus knows what we need, and that he can do “so much more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Do we really believe that?

Think about some of the things we need at St Barnabas right now. Then bring them to God through Jesus, and ask him to provide out of his abundant kindness, according to his infinite wisdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.