John 6:1 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. 3 Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may receive a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. 12 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Jesus travelled to what is today known as the Golan Heights. Looking down from the mountain, he saw that a great multitude followed him. No doubt, as the Passover…was at hand, many of the people who were making their way to Jerusalem were curious about this miracle worker and took the opportunity to see and hear, first-hand, his “new” teaching about the Kingdom of God. They were not disappointed.
Jesus always had compassion on the people, and today was no different. He knew that they were hungry after a long day, so he tested his disciple, Philip, with a question, “Where are we to buy bread that these may eat?” Philip thought immediately of money. “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them.”
What should Philip have thought about?
Jesus had just explained to the disciples that he was one with God the Father. Jesus was God in the flesh. Had God ever provided bread for a great multitude of millions of people? Why yes, if he had thought about the Passover, Philip would have remembered the story of how God had provided manna to the Children of Israel when they were crossing the wilderness. Exodus 16 Andrew mentioned seeing a young boy with a small lunch of barley cakes and smoked fish. Philip had apparently forgotten the time when Jesus had transformed jars of water into an abundant supply of the best wine.
Directing the people to sit down for lunch, after Jesus thanked his Father for the barley cakes and fish, the disciples distributed the food. Everyone in the multitude, having eaten their fill, as much as they wanted, with an abundance left over, conspired together to take [Jesus] by force to make him king. Who wouldn’t want a compassionate king who was able to produce amazing miracles, heal the sick, feed everyone, meet all your needs, and perhaps even overthrow their oppressive Roman overlords? Knowing their thoughts, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Why do you follow Jesus?
Do you think of Jesus as a winning lottery ticket that can meet your needs when you come to him?
Man is a rebel and he is sick because he is a rebel. In other words, the business of Christianity ultimately is not simply to make us feel happier or even to make us live a better life – it is to reconcile us to God. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, biblicalandreformed