Feeding 5000
Cory Griffith
Discovering Jesus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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WHY???
WHY???
Why was He there?
Why did He feed them?
Why did He tell the disciples to feed them?
1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people 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 would not be enough for each of them to get 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 they for so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
There are several other accounts of feeding the 5000. They are found in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, and Luke 9:10-17.
When you read the account in Matthew 14 you see the death of John the Baptist. He was the one who introduced Jesus in the Baptism at Bethany on the Jordan. He was also a cousin. There may not have been a lot of interaction but there was some and it reflects in why Jesus went into the wilderness.
Why?
— Sorrow
John had called out Herodias, Herod’s wife for adultery. She had been the wife of Phillip. Herod’s brother. Their marriage went against Jewish law and the Jews did not like it. John called them out. At a party Her daughter danced for Herod and he was so impressed…as a result he beheaded John and had it delivered to her on a platter.
Do you remember last week,
Isaiah 35:5-6 “5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;”
That was the answer Jesus had sent to John when he sent his disciples asking, are you the one. Jesus was not being difficult or cryptic, He was sending John a message in the form of scripture.
He was basically saying, John, you know the scripture and here is my evidence...
John was in prison at the time and jesus had just been told what happened, so he went to the wilderness. Sorrow, it drives us to separate ourselves from others, yet, Jesus continued to do what He came for...
2. Why?
— To do the Father’s will
Have you ever been hunted down when you did not want to be found? I can imagine the human side of Jesus crying and hurting. He still had a job to do though and only a little while left to do it. What was He doing?
He was healing the sick, making the blind see, feeding the poor. In short, He was meeting their needs. That’s what He does.
Here is the major point most of us miss.
3. Why feed them?
— He practiced what He preached!
How could He not, He is God in the flesh. He did not have to but he did.
4. Why?
— To hear the disciples reports.
He had come away from the people to hear what the disciples had learned on their trip/testing.
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—
9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
They went to a desolate place, the wilderness. BUT…you can never escape when someone wants or needs you really bad.
5. Why?
— To show He is The Way!
Do you notice how many why’s? It’s funny to me. We use a program to find the answers to problems in the workplace called the five whys. Why, to find the way to a solution.
Why is this story in all 4 Gospels?
Because…it points to The Way.
Jesus is, The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He’s not a way, a truth or a life. He is THE, meaning only.
Why did people come looking for Him?
It’s because they instinctively knew He was the answer, the Messiah.
Why 5,000?
That’s just how many, MEN, happened to be there that day. Most theologians and historians believe there was most likely 15-20,000 people with women and children.
Can you imagine that many people fighting to come see you. Hoping for healing or some answer to problems. That is a stadium full of people.
Why did he tell the disciples to feed them?
He was testing them. They just got back from miracles, casting out demons, and other stuff. What is food compared to that. They forgot so fast when they got back in His presence.
Jesus will do it. We can watch Him. Did they get comfortable and stop doing what they had just been doing?
Don’t we, as the church, wait for Him to do it for us. We say we believe, yet where is the proof?
Do WE need a wakeup call?
2 Tim 3:5 “5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
2 Tim 3:7 “7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”
We are called, commanded, called out, to be different. We should be the ones to say, “Hey, theres 3 loves and five sardines, let’s get the line started.” Instead we are like the disciples, “Send them away. We don’t have any food and can’t afford what they need.”
Where are they going to sleep?
What are they going to eat?
Not my problem! Let them figure it out.
What does Jesus do? He prays and starts handing out food. Not only is it enough but there are 12 baskets left over.
Do you like leftovers? I bet you would if you got hungry enough.
Jesus loves you enough to save you. How many will you take the gospel to in order to give them a chance to be saved.
I’ve told a bunch, but I have also missed a lot of opportunities. Some folks haven’t told even one. I would be afraid of the absence of fruit.
How many have you fed?