Chapter 287 of 957

Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND

JOHN 6:1-15

Notice what follows when people obey Jesus: God never does things in half measures.

We have seen Christ as the provider for human need (2:1-11) and the giver of life (4:46-54). Now in providing again for human need he demonstrates that he is not only the giver but also the gift of life. He is the bread which alone can sustain men’s souls. He reveals this spiritual truth through a miracle in which, as at Cana, he brings into focus in a single dramatic act what God is always doing in multiplying bread and fish.

The Passover setting of this miracle, and the discourse which follows it, are of considerable importance. Under the old covenant the great act of redemption was the exodus from Egypt. This had associated with it the feeding of the people with manna in the wilderness, which was a sign to the people and a temporary provision for their need. As a continual remembrance of this redemption the annual festival of the Passover was held in which each succeeding generation identified itself with those whom the Lord had brought out of Egypt. So under the new covenant the great act of redemption is the cross and resurrection of Christ. This has the Lord’s Supper as its permanent festival of remembrance. But it also has a temporary sign parallel to the feeding with manna, namely, this feeding miracle. Both old and new covenants point forward to the final Messianic banquet. It would be a mistake to think that the chapter is essentially about the Holy Communion. Rather, it seems to be about the central theological facts of the divine redemption to which also the Holy Communion points. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper in faith we link ourselves up with all that Christ has done for us.

Notice in this incident the various reactions to Christ:

Philip calculated human need in terms of cash, and in the unlikely event of their having such an amount it would only blunt the edge of the crowd’s hunger (6:7). Yet he was in the presence of the Son of God, with his unlimited resources!

Andrew was more hopeful. He noted the scanty, inadequate provision, but appears to have left the question open, as does Ezekiel in 37:3. In the presence of God nothing is impossible.

The crowd, seeing possibly the fulfillment of Moses’ prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:15-19), were about to respond (6:15). But all they sought was a Messiah of their own devising who would fill their stomachs (6:26). Note how resolutely Christ dealt with this temptation to short-circuit Calvary (6:15, cf. Matthew 14:22f.). Temptations can come in attractive guise, and to entertain them even momentarily is to court disaster.

Notes 6:1: a gap must be presumed after chapter 5. 6:5: the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. John’s is an independent account which illuminates, and is illuminated by, the others. 6:10: “men” means males. Their possible military formation (Mark 6:39f.) suggests there might have been an attempt at a Messianic uprising as it was Passover time. Jesus will have none of it (6:15). 6:12: some see this as a picture of the gathering of the remnant of true believers (cf. 11:52). 6:15: when his hour came men did come and take him by force (18:12), and made him king (19:1-22).

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