Bible Study - Signs (4) - The Sign of HIS Provision - John 6:1-15 - March 23, 2025

 Bible Study – Signs (4) – The Sign of HIS Provision – March 23, 2025

JESUS meets the needs in our lives.

Our focus scriptures are John 6:1-15, Matthew 15:29-38 and Mark 8:1-13.

Let’s read John 5:31-47: (This scripture leads us to our focus scripture in John 6.)

Witnesses to Jesus

³¹ “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true. ³³ You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. ³⁴ I don’t receive human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵ John^[f] was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

A number of years ago, our young son and I went spelunking with his Scout troop. We were accompanied by a guide who informed us that the cave we were to explore was considered a "wild" cave. The guide had been in the cave and helped map the cave. We learned the importance of having multiple sources of light when a person enters a cave.

As I was working my way around the narrow rock wall several feet from the floor of the cave lined with various sizes and shapes of rocks. As soon as the person ahead of me traversed around the corner of the wall there was darkness. I thought to myself it would not be a good place for my light source to fail, because it had given me a problem.

It came my turn to traverse the corner. As I began traversing the wall, my head lamp went out and I was in total darkness. I stopped for several brief seconds and thought “What do I do?” When suddenly the person behind me was working his way to the same corner and his head lamp gave me enough light for me to see where I needed to hold and work my way around the corner. Fortunately, once around the corner there was a ledge, and I could work with my head lamp to get it working again. After exploring this wild cave, we went to a cave which had been mapped, and they would allow you to spend the night. It is very dark in a cave but also remarkably interesting.

It was a valuable lesson. Often, along life’s journeys we need the light of others to help us through the tough/dark times in our lives.

Be a light to others who are or may be experiencing darkness.

Remember, JESUS is the light of the world and all who have been Spirit-born are also lights and represent truth.

The world offers multiple sources of light, but JESUS is the only true light WHO guides all who are “born-again” as they travel through life. The HOLY SPIRIT leads all to seek the true light, JESUS.

Reflect back over your life’s journey and ask GOD to reveal times when HE guided you through dark times.

John the Baptist was the forerunner for JESUS, John was the Hearld for JESUS.

When a King was approaching a town or village; a forerunner would go before the King to announce to the people that the King was coming, get ready to greet him.

John the Baptist was the forerunner or Hearld for JESUS. John the Baptist was also the cousin of JESUS.

Let us continue reading John 5:36-47:

³⁶ “But I (JESUS) have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father (GOD) has given me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ The Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form. ³⁸ You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one (JESUS) he (GOD) sent. ³⁹ You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

If you have not placed your faith in JESUS, what is your excuse for not coming to JESUS? Salvation is clear. A person must believe that JESUS is the promised Messiah and place his/her faith in HIM and HIS Passion? Doing so results in you being “born-again” in your human spirit which results in a new you that will live eternally, through the miracle of Spiritual Birth, as GOD’S Son or Daughter.

Let’s Continue with our scripture John 5:41 -----

⁴¹ “I (JESUS) do not accept glory from people, ⁴² but I know you—that you have no love for God within you. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But if you don’t believe what he (Moses) wrote, how will you believe my (JESUS)words?”

The Jews had their minds made up about who the Messiah would be when GOD sent HIM to earth and JESUS did not meet their criteria.

What are your criteria for JESUS, GOD’S Messiah?

This is the fourth sign as revealed in John 6:1-15.

The scripture records two separate feeding miracles. Were they the same or different miracles? We will explore.

They were different. The feeding of the 5,000 was populated for the greater part by Jews. The feeding of 4,000 was in an area populated by mostly Gentiles. GOD reaches across the isle to minister to all people.

Let’s continue to explore!!!

Let’s read John 6:1-15:

The Fourth Sign: Feeding of the Five Thousand

The feeding of these 5,000 people occurred on the northwestern shore of the sea of Galilee, primarily populated by the Jews.

6 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). ² A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. ³ Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. ⁵ So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he (JESUS) asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” ⁶ He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii^[a] worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” (A denarii was one day’s wage for a laborer.)

Often, a shortage of funds forces us to seek other alternatives to solve the problems we encounter in life.

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

Keep in mind that JESUS only did what HE saw HIS FATHER doing.

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place; so, they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. ¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he (JESUS) distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they collected them and filled twelve baskets (handbaskets) with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign^[b] he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

¹⁵ Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The people likely saw JESUS as a provider of free food and a miracle worker.

Is that all they or we need? NO!!! All humans need redemption from eternal death which all humans received when Adam and Eve disobeyed GOD. Their disobedience condemned all humans to eternal death.

This was the feeding of 5,000:

Matthew 14: ¹⁷ “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces. ²¹ Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Mark 6: ³⁸ He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² Everyone ate and was satisfied. ⁴³ They picked up twelve baskets (handbaskets) full of pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

The feeding of the 5,000 refers to the same group.

Luke 9: ¹³ “You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For about five thousand men were there.

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down^[b] in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets (hand baskets) of leftover pieces.

John 6: ⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place; so, they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. ¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they collected them and filled twelve baskets (handbaskets) with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign^[b] he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

The feeding of the 5,000 is the same miracle recorded by the four gospels.

Now, we consider:

The feeding of about 4,000 men

Matthew 15:32-38 - Feeding of the Four Thousand

³² Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”

³³ The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?”

³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them.

“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he (JESUS) took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full (Larger than a handbasket). ³⁸ Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children. 

Mark 8:1 - In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He (JESUS) called the disciples and said to them, ² “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. ³ If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴ His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?”

⁵ “How many loaves do you have?” he asked them.

“Seven,” they said. ⁶ He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he (JESUS) gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So, they served them to the crowd. ⁷ They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. ⁸ They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets (Larger than handbaskets) of leftover pieces. ⁹ About four thousand were there. He dismissed them.

JESUS was teaching HIS disciples then and HIS Children today that HE is sufficient to meet our needs when we present our needs to HIM.

HIS provisions come in many different ways. As we, who have experienced Spiritual birth, walk with JESUS and seek to learn from HIM, HE provides. The manner that HE provides may surprise us but nevertheless, HE provides and in doing so, HE teaches us and builds our trust in HIM.

Many people are experiencing tight times but rejoice our LORD provides for those who trust HIM.

In the Old Testament you may recall the 1 Kings 17:14:

For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”

As GOD’S chosen, through faith in JESUS, GOD still provides.

FATHER, we thank YOU for YOUR care for YOUR children, both physically and Spiritually, through challenging times. We see YOUR compassion and love for all people through the miracles of JESUS and HIS Passion.

FATHER, give those who know the truth opportunities to share YOUR truth and light.

Blessings!!!