Welcome to Saturday, July 24th!

This episode of The 7-Minute Cross Talk Bible Study is titled:

Feeding The 5,000

For this Bible Study, we are considering the words of this week’s Gospel Lesson - John 6:1-21.

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Scripture Quotations: New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).

This podcast is a ministry outreach of Our Savior's Lutheran in Argle, Minnesota - United States.

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Welcome to the Saturday, July 24th Cross Talk 7-Minute Bible Study.

Today's study is titled:

Feeding The 5,000

This is Pastor Warren.

Please pause the audio and download and print the 7-Minute Work Sheet before continuing?

The link is located right below this audio player.

For this Saturday Bible Study, we consider the words of this week's Gospel Lesson: John 6: 1-21.

Hopefully, these studies encourage you to engage in a deeper analysis of the current passage. But, more importantly, I hope these studies deepen your love for the Word of God.

Let's begin:

This week's Gospel Lesson is a favorite of all Sunday School students since one of the hero's of the story is a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish.

Creating faith and training the disciples continued throughout the three years of the public ministry of Jesus. Such events as the Feeding of the 5,000 would have significantly enhanced their faith and trust in Him.

The Gospel Lesson tells us that Jesus fed 5,000 men plus women and children; perhaps as many as 15,000 people, with five small loaves of bread and two fish.

More than that, not only were all the people satisfied – but there were also 12 baskets of leftovers - one basket for every doubting disciple!

Follow along as I read this week's Gospel Lesson:

John 6:1-21 NAS95

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).  [2]  A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.  [3]  Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples.  [4]  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.  [5]  Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?"  [6]  This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.  [7]  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little."  [8]  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, *said to Him,  [9]  "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"  [10]  Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  [11]  Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.  [12]  When they were filled, He *said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost."  [13]  So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  [14]  Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  [15]  So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.  [16]  Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,  [17]  and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.  [18]  The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.  [19]  Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.  [20]  But He *said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  [21]  So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

This passage in Scripture presents a portrait of Jesus Christ as the Bread Of Life and is the only sign recorded in all four Gospels (besides the resurrection of Jesus).

It says that the crowd had followed Jesus after either witnessing or hearing about His many miracles.

That makes sense. There have always been sick and diseased people. But, in that day, without any of our current medical remedies, such sicknesses and diseases could persist for years.

When Jesus sees the immense crowd, He is concerned about their needs.

The Mark account says that it was late in the day:

Mark 6:35 NAS95

When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and it is already quite late.

The compassion of Jesus is shown in His interest in and ministry to the multitude.

Christ is abundantly able to solve our problems when we yield our limited resources to Him and obey Him implicitly.

When preaching on this passage, I often point out the several different kinds of faith present.

First, there is the pessimistic faith of Philip.

John 6:5-7 NAS95

Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?"  [6]  This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.  [7]  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little."

All Philip could see was the hopelessness of the situation. He failed to realize whom he was talking to – who was present right beside him. Instead, Philip focused on the impossibility of the problem. He notes that not even 200 denarii – the wages of 200 days of labor for a typical worker would buy enough bread for so many to have even a little.

Andrew does a little bit better in the faith department. He, at least, looks for what is available.

John 6:8-9 NAS95

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, *said to Him,  [9]  "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"

Andrew saw Christ's concern, so he went among the crowd and searched for food.  He found and gathered all of the resources he could.

But, even then, he also complains:

But what are these for so many people?

Christ Himself demonstrated for His disciples the kind of solid faith they were to have in God.

While the Feeding of the 5,000 is profound, I have always been struck by what happened once the meal was done in verse 13:

John 6:13 NAS95

So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

How many disciples were there? 12

How many baskets of leftovers? 12

Can you imagine the disciples looking down and contemplating the baskets of leftovers?

They knew that 5,000 men had been fed, along with many women and children, using only five loaves of bread and two fish.

As we see in later verses, many of the people missed the point. They saw only someone who could supply the ache in the stomach and not the ache in their souls.

Let's Pray,

Gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the way You provide for our needs on an ongoing basis.

Help us to trust in Your compassion and ability to do so.

May our faith increase through our study of this Gospel Lesson.

In the Name of Jesus,

Amen!