How many miracles do you need?

Tony Gulbrandsen

The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

John 6:1–21

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3 Miracles and some still don't believe

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John 6:1–21 ESV

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 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?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 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. 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. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 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. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

-21Pray

Miracles

Pray

2 very familiar stories. The 1st, the feeding of the 5,000, is told in all 4 of the Gospels. The 2nd, Jesus walking on water is told in 3 of the 4. The challenge for many of us is simply this: we have heard these stories so many times, we are apt to skim them because we know them. Yet, we say we believe what Paul told Timothy that “all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching and reproof and rebuke.” Then we think, but I have already learned all there is to know about these. And the author of Hebrews says, “The Word of God is living and active…” Just because you have heard it before, does not mean the Spirit can’t use a familiar story to instruct you more. So, I am asking you to do what I had to do this week. Put every lesson I’ve been taught from these stories on the back burner and tune my ears to a fresh word from God.

And the question that kept occurring to me as I re-read these verses many times was this, “If Jesus were to come to earth today and do these same miracles, would the response be any different?” There was a time when I read the Scriptures and thought, “How could they miss Jesus so badly?” But as I have grown in the faith that question has changed a bit in my mind to “How could WE CONTINUE to miss Jesus so badly?” So, as we work through these 2 very familiar stories, I want you to see how they missed Jesus and ask yourself how much different they were from us.

I’ll remind you that I am preaching this series through the Gospel of John. It is the one Gospel that is very much different from the other 3. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke were about telling the events of Jesus’ life in order, John wrote with a different purpose in mind.

John 20:31 ESV

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

You see, John is writing to convince us that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the one promised throughout the Prophets and that He is the Son of God. And John doesn’t want us to just give a nod that these things are true. He wants us to truly BELIEVE that they are true. And when we BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, we will have life in His name. Last week at the end of Chapter 5 of this Gospel, we saw 4 witnesses that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, namely, His Father in Heaven, John the Baptist, the works that Jesus was doing, and the Scriptures. Now, John is going to kind of turn his attention, in a way to people like us. We may know the stories of Jesus, but do we truly BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Or are we no different from those ancient people who wanted what they could get from Jesus, but they did not necessarily want to truly follow Him. In reality, the 2 stories before us today will simply introduce the idea that Jesus should not be followed simply for what we can get from Him. Next week, we will see how Jesus addresses this attitude directly. But, today, we will simply see that attitude being played out.

Miracles

Let’s dive right in to the stories to see how they missed Jesus.

John 6:1–2 ESV

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

1. They wanted healing

The crowd wanted more

1.1. Before we get to the crowd, I want you to understand where we are. Last week, Jesus was in Jerusalem as He confronted the Jewish leaders. But remember, John is not necessarily interested in the order of events, but rather that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. So, verse 1 of Chapter 6 tells us that Jesus probably returned to Capernaum where He did much ministry and sets out from Capernaum to go down and across to Tiberias. Tiberias is a much larger city than Capernaum. So, it follows that there was a much larger crowd there.

1.2. And notice that the crowd was following Jesus because they saw the signs He was doing on the sick. Jesus was miraculously healing people. Remember, before all the teaching at the end of Chapter 5, the last story we read was Jesus healing the 1 lame man at the pool of Bethesda. And right before that at the end of Chapter 4, Jesus had healed the official’s son in Cana in Galilee. John doesn’t tell us for sure, but I think it is safe to assume that some Jesus had healed some folks in Tiberias as well. A large crowd is following Jesus throughout the region because of the signs that Jesus was doing on the sick.

1.3. Now think about that for just a moment. Would there be any difference today if a man was healing sick people? Wouldn’t there be a mass of people following him? Think about it. Why do the so-called health-and-wealth, or prosperity, preachers get such huge crowds at their meetings? Isn’t it because people either want to be healed themselves or because they want to see someone healed with their own eyes? So, really, is there any difference today from that large crowd that was following Jesus? Let’s move on.

John 6:3–9 ESV

Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 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?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

The Disciples were not convinced

2. The Disciples were not convinced

The Disciples were not convinced

2.1. Jesus goes up into the mountains away from town. Many assumptions are made as to why Jesus took His Apostles up into these particular mountains, but John does not give us a reason, so neither will I. All we know is that Jesus went up into the mountains and sat down with His disciples. Then, John tells us that it was near the time of the Passover, which is another feast of the Jews. When Jesus went to Jerusalem in Chapter 5, it was because it was time for a feast of the Jews. Now, John tells us that it is nearly time for the Passover, another feast of the Jews. This is simply to show us that the 2 events are separated by time. John doesn’t tell us how much time. Again, John’s purpose it convince the reader to believe in Jesus, not give a chronological telling of His life.

2.2. As they are seated, Jesus looks sees this large crowd coming to see if He is going to perform more signs on the sick. And John shifts our focus from the large crowd, to the disciples, those closest to Jesus. Jesus asks Philip where a bread store is so they can get food for all these people.

2.3. But don’t skip verse 6, Jesus asked Philip this question because Jesus knew what He was about to do. So, John tells us that our focus needs to be on Philip for the moment. Jesus is still doing what His Father in heaven has told Him to do. Jesus knows the answer to the question He asks. But Philip doesn’t know. So Philip gives a quick estimate that 200 denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough to feed that many people. A denarii is one day’s wages for a day-laborer. Philip guesstimates that it would take more than 200 days labor to get enough money to buy bread for this many people. The assumption is that there is just no way Jesus or his disciples could buy enough bread to feed all these people. Philip just doesn’t understand who it is that asked him the question. Philip just isn’t sure about this man Jesus.

2.4. Andrew finds out that a boy is in the crowd who has 5 barely loaves and 2 fish, but that’s not enough either. Philip answered Jesus question about buying enough food. Andrew finds food, but he knows it is still not enough. Neither of them really understand who Jesus is. Neither of them can begin to understand even an little bit of what Jesus could do. And I’ll ask the question again, are we really any different? Don’t we “do the math” and determine what Jesus can do? Don’t we think that whatever we have is too small, too paltry to be of any use in God’s Kingdom? Are we really any different? Moving on.

John 6:10–15 ESV

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. 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. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 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.

-15The crowd wants more

3. They want more

The crowd wants more

3.1. Jesus has the disciples get the people to sit down. There are 5,000 men who sit down. There were almost certainly women and we know of at least 1 boy, so we can safely assume other children were there as well. Which experts say could make this crowd be as big as 20,000 people. This is larger than many county-seat towns hear in Wisconsin. This is very large crowd.

3.2. Jesus takes the loaves and gives thanks and starts distributing them. Then He does the same with the fish. And miraculously, 5 barley loaves and 2 fish fed 20,000 people. And it’s not like they were just taking a nibble. Verse 12 tells us they ate until they were full. And then Jesus says gather up the leftovers. So, they do. And there are 12 baskets worth of leftovers from 5 barley loaves. That’s a lot of leftovers.

3.3. When that huge crowd, with full tummies, thought about what they had just witnessed, they declared that Jesus was the Prophet who is to come into the world. They did not call Him Messiah, but rather a great prophet. This is an important distinction. Had the Jews in the crowd seen Jesus as the Messiah, things might have gone very differently. But, instead, the crowd sees Jesus as the Prophet who they knew was going to come. And, according to verse 15, they began to talk about making Jesus their king. And Jesus’ walked away up into the mountains rather than be coronated their king.

3.4. Why would He do that? Because Jesus had not come into the world for political power or prestige. Remember, He told us why He had come into the world back in -18Jesus came to save the world. They wanted Him to be a political ruler. But that was not His mission.

3.5. What about us, today? If we saw a man who healed sick people and then fed a small town, wouldn’t we think He should have a position where He could do that on a grander scale? So more people could be healed and more people could be fed? Perhaps you can sit there and kind of gloat that you would never think of Jesus that way, but be careful. I believe that Jesus is the cure for this sin-sick world, but I don’t believe the cure will be delivered through political power. The cure of Jesus comes about when we bow the knee before Him. When we offer up our very lives to Him. This sign of the feeding of the 5,000 revealed what many people thought about Jesus. They were simply in it for selfish reasons. What’s in it for me? Jesus revealed their hearts and then walked away. But, as we read a bit further, they continue to follow Jesus, until He shows them the hypocrisy of their own hearts. We’ll get to that next week. Are we that much unlike them? Let’s look at the other familiar story.

John 6:16–21 ESV

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

4. The Disciples are still unsure

The Disciples are still unsure

4.1. They go back down from the mountains to the sea (or lake). Jesus had not yet come to them, but, perhaps judging from the direction He left them, they decide to set out for Capernaum by boat. All long the northwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee are mountains. And when dark sets in and the mountain tops cool, a stiff wind comes whipping down those mountains and turns the Sea of Galilee in to a very choppy mess. They were 3 or 4 miles from shore and battling the wind and the waves to get where they wanted to go. Remember, there are several professional, seasoned fishermen on this boat. They know how to navigate this weather.

4.2. But then they see something. Perhaps a wave breaks over the bow of the boat and draws their eye. And as they peer out in the darkness, they see a man walking out towards them. Now, before I go any further with the story, I need to stop. Matthew and Mark give us much more detail about this miracle. We need to ask ourselves why John keeps it so short. I believe it is because of what happens next.

4.3. They see a man that John tells us is Jesus, walking on the water coming toward the boat. AND THEY WERE FRIGHTENED. Wouldn’t you be? I would be. A stiff wind, a choppy lake, a boat that does not have a motor, and a man walking towards me on the water? Yep. I’m scared.

4.4. And Jesus tells them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” And they gladly take Him into the boat and immediately, they were at their destination. Poof, they are there. You see, the disciples did not witness just 1 miracle that night, but 2. The 1st was Jesus walking on the water and the 2nd was how they were suddenly done with the whole trip. And this is why, I believe, John keeps his telling of this story very short. So, we can see the fear of the Disciples and the 2 miracles. In response to fear, Jesus did another miracle.

4.5. What about us? Before Jesus came walking on the water, John has recorded 5 other miracles that the Disciples had been present for: 1) The water into wine, 2) the saving of many in Samaria, 3) the official’s son being healed, 4) the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, and 5) the feeding of the 5,000. And remember, back at the end of chapter 5, Jesus had said that the works He was doing were witness that He was indeed the Son of God. So, we have to ask ourselves, when will the Disciples truly believe? Apparently, the 5 previous miracles were not enough for the Disciples because Jesus gave them 2 more. And I’m not convinced that the Disciples believed even after 7 miracles. But we also need to ask, when will we truly believe? Have you seen Jesus perform miracles in your life? IF you are truly a Christian, I can tell you one miracle that Jesus has done for you for sure. He has raised you from being dead in your trespasses and sins to being alive in Him. That’s a miracle, folks! But what about healing? Or feeding? Or instant transportation? Or appearing in the middle of a troubling time, a storm? I can tell you that Jesus is doing all of those, even today. But what is going to take for you to truly believe?

Do you believe? Follow Jesus

We looked today at 2 familiar stories. I hope you were able to see them in a new light. We read about 3 miracles and we studied 4 different actions, 2 from the crowd and 2 from the Disciples. And the one common theme through all of them was unbelief. So, I will ask you again, how different are you from those we just read about? Do you truly believe? Do you truly believe what the Scriptures teach?

- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

What we saw Jesus do today should be enough for anyone, but there is more. The question for each of is simply this. Do we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do we truly believe that He died to pay the penalty for our sin? Do we truly believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? If we believe all of those, then what is hindering us from, then should we not commit every breath remaining in our life to serving Him? That is the call of Scripture. That is the call of Jesus. Will you follow Him today?