The miracle on the mountain

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 4 AUGUST 2024 – JASON CRUISE

JOHN 6 VERSES 1 – 14

This is probably one of the best known miracles Jesus performed on earth.  It is recorded in all 4 of the gospels.  The only one story recorded in all 4 apart from the resurrection.  What has happened prior to this story?  John the Baptist has been beheaded at the request of Salome.  The disciples also returned from their mission trip.  They were sent out 2 by 2 with power to heal and cast out unclean spirits.  Now they have returned.  The story took place close to the Sea of Galilee.  They went north to Bethesda.  If I had to put a title to this story it would be – the miracle on the mountain.  As the Lord makes his way across the sea and into the country there are many people who followed him.  We read in verse 3 “and Jesus went into a mountain and there he sat with his disciples and the Passover was nigh.”  John refers to 3 Passovers in his gospel along with another unknown Jewish feast.  In chapter 2 Jesus went into the temple and put out the money changers and it was the time of the Passover.  Here in chapter 6 we have the second record of the Passover  In chapters 11 to 19 there is the third Passover before Jesus died.  This one recorded in John 6 happened a year before Jesus’ death.  Verse 3 “and Jesus went up into a mountain and there he sat with his disciples.”  He knows what will happen in a years time yet he wants to spend time with his disciples.  They also had to want to spent time with him.  The Lord Jesus loved to spend time with his people.  How long has it been since you spent time with the Lord?  Have you sat down with the Saviour today already?  In the week that has passed have you spent time with the Lord?  Do you come each day bringing the needs of the day and committing them to him?  Do you do likewise at the end of each day?  Thanking God for his hand of protection on you?  The Lord wants to spend time with you.  Are you taking time to spend it with him?  I would encourage you to sit down with the Lord, get yourself away from the things that occupy our time, the television, social media.  There he sat with his disciples.  Are you willing to sit each day with the Saviour?

Verses 5 to 7 Here now is the Lord and he lifts up his eyes, beholds the great company of people.  Our Saviour Lord is a Saviour full of compassion.  Mark’s gospel records “he was full of compassion towards them.”  Hebrews 4 verse 15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with he feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as e are, yet without sin.” No matter what you have went through in the past week or what you face in the week ahead, the Lord knows all about it.  He is full of compassion.  He says to his disciples to find bread for the people.  Philip asks “whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?”  He never asked Philip how much it would cost but Philip quickly tells him that even 200 pence would not be sufficient.  When Jesus walked this earth a man’s wages was a penny a day.  So Philip was saying 200 days wages would not be enough to feed all the people that were gathered.  Jesus never asked where they would get the bread or how they were going to pay for it but Philip jumped right away to the cost.  Philip had seen our Lord turn the water into wine, raise the man at the pool of Bethesda, he knew how he had raised Jairus’ daughter and healed the woman with the issue of blood yet he is concerned with the cost of bread.  Maybe sometimes we are asked to do something for the Lord and very quickly we think of how much it will cost.  We think of it in financial terms and in terms of how much it will encroach on our lives.  How strong is your faith in the Lord today?  Are you just like Philip – are there times when your faith in the Lord is weak?  Andrew comes on the scene in verses 8 and 9.  Here we see Andrew as at other times bringing someone to the Lord.  He finds this young lad with his lunch and brings him to the Lord.  In John 1 we read “he first findeth his bother Simon and brought him to the Lord.”  In John 12 we read that Andrew and Philip brought the Greeks to the Lord when they asked “sirs we would see Jesus.”  Wouldn’t it be great to be like Andrew?  Remembered for always bringing others to Jesus.  Andrew brings this lad to the Lord.  He tells the Lord that he has 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish.  Philip responds “but what are they among so many?”  Philip does not see the provision but rather the problem.  John tells us they were 5 barley loaves.  Revelation 6 verse 6 “A measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine..  This young lad came from a poor background.  Maybe his mother sent him off that morning with his lunch.  It is interesting that whenever this young lad is brought by Andrew Jesus doesn’t say “no, that is not enough.”  It doesn’t measure up to what I require.”  Matthew records that Jesus said “Bring them thither to me.”  Maybe you are thinking ‘I have nothing to offer the Lord like other people.  I could never bring a word from the pulpit.’  Remember behind the scenes you can do so much.  Are you willing to put what you have into God’s hands to allow him to take and use them?  Can I encourage you to be like the lad and bring what you have to God today.

Verses 10 and 11 – each of the other writers describe the place where they were – it was a desert place.  Barren, bare, empty yet here they sit down on the grass.  Mark 6 verse 40 tells us that they sat down in ranks by the hundreds and fifties meaning rows.  The Lord told them to tell all the people to sit down.  The God you and I serve is a God of peace and a God of order, not of confusion and chaos.  When the Lord is in the midst he brings peace and contentment.  Many schools and universities and governments around the world have put God out and all we have is confusion and chaos.  Think of the gender confusion here even in our own land.  God is not welcome.  The land is gripped by gender confusion.  God is a God of peace and confusion.  The total number of people present were 5,000 men not including women and children.  Some expositors say there could have been 12,000 to 20,000 people in total.  The word “sit” in verse 10 means to recline.  Those people that day reclined back on the grass in rows.  It reminds us of Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”  Jesus is saying “everything is under control and he is able to meet their need.”  The good shepherd was there that day as well as the chief shepherd and the coming shepherd.  In reference to the coming shepherd – did you know that the Lord has you in his care?  Can you look back to a day when you put your faith and trust in Christ knowing your name has ben recorded in the role book of heaven?  Verse 12 “when they were filled”.  Philip had earlier said “what is that among so many?”  He was concerned that 200 pence would not be sufficient but when they were fed it tells us they were all filled.  The Lord can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.  That is the one we have put our faith in.  In 2 Kings 4 Elisha carried out a miracle with barley loaves.  There were 20 loaves to 100 men.  Jesus fed 12,000 to 20,000 with just 5 barley loaves and 2 fish.  The Lord is able to meet your need today.  The disciples faith at the beginning was weak.  How strong is your faith today?  Is it weak?  God is still in the business of saving souls.  The Lord is able and willing to save men and women, boys and girls.

Verses 12 and 13.  There are many bible teachers, expositors and theologians who question why there were 12 baskets of leftovers.  My position is that there was 1 basket for every disciple.  As they carried them full of bread it reminded them of how weak their faith was.  Now there are 12 baskets of leftovers.  Much more left over than ever they began with.  Their faith has been strengthened.  There was a business man in America in the 1940’s who opened a casino in a town.  They never had a casino before.  The Christians in that town prayed against it to close it down, that God would act.  After many months of prayer there was a storm one night.  The electric cable broke and fell.  As a result the casino was burnt to the ground.  The businessman knew the Christians had been praying against the casino and decided to take the Christians to court.  The Christians in court said it had nothing to do with them, they were innocent.  When the case came to the close the judge made the decision that the Christians were guilty and the businessman was told “they were guilty because they had no faith in the power of prayer.”

Verse 14.  There were many that day when they saw the miracle they believed this was the one foretold who would come into the world.  Paul in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15 said “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  That is why he came today – Christ came so that you could be saved one day.  So that one day you could have a home in heaven.  5,000 people and 1 lad who brought the barley loaves and 2 fishes.  The Lord was able to bring satisfaction to all. He can bring satisfaction to all.  In verse 35 we read “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”   Have you got eternal life?  Can you look back to a time when you put your faith in Christ?  The people who ate the bread and fish that day would be hungry again.  Christ can bring you contentment and satisfaction, he can fill the void in your life.

Some time after this story Jesus would carry out another miracle on a mountain when he shed his precious blood for all of us so that we can be saved.