Sermon Listening Guide
Speaker: Pastor Kenny Stidham
Scripture: John 6:1-15
Sermon Title: “The Message of a Miraculous Meal”
John 6:1-15 (NIV)
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
In Galilee, Jesus performs a miracle that leads to the claim that He is "the bread of life.” The feeding of the five thousand demonstrates that Jesus is the Son of God by virtue of His creative power. As such, He presents Himself as the sole answer to the hunger in the hearts of humanity.
Four important directives emerge from this miraculous meal.
What difference do you see in the motives of the disciples and the crowd?
2. Realize Jesus can grow your faith through trials (v.5-9).
Jesus tested the faith of His disciples to reveal the level of trust they had gained from following Him. How would you assess the level of faith that Phillip displayed?
In what ways did this test help them grow?
3. Receive the fullness of God's grace in Jesus (v.10-13)Grace, in its simplest definition is all the good that God provides for us that we don’t deserve. This passage shows us seven expressions of God’s grace.
In what ways do you see God’s grace being expressed in these verses?
4. Resist following false perceptions of Jesus (v.14-15)The feeding of such a large crowd led the people to want to make Jesus king. But Jesus withdrew from the crowd. What false perceptions of Jesus did the crowd have? What false perceptions of Jesus do people have today?
Jesus said, I AM the Bread of Life. What should be your response to Him today?
Four important directives emerge from this miraculous meal.
- Reevaluate your motives for following Jesus (v.1-4).
What difference do you see in the motives of the disciples and the crowd?
2. Realize Jesus can grow your faith through trials (v.5-9).
Jesus tested the faith of His disciples to reveal the level of trust they had gained from following Him. How would you assess the level of faith that Phillip displayed?
In what ways did this test help them grow?
3. Receive the fullness of God's grace in Jesus (v.10-13)Grace, in its simplest definition is all the good that God provides for us that we don’t deserve. This passage shows us seven expressions of God’s grace.
In what ways do you see God’s grace being expressed in these verses?
4. Resist following false perceptions of Jesus (v.14-15)The feeding of such a large crowd led the people to want to make Jesus king. But Jesus withdrew from the crowd. What false perceptions of Jesus did the crowd have? What false perceptions of Jesus do people have today?
Jesus said, I AM the Bread of Life. What should be your response to Him today?