Jesus’ Word’s in Red Provision

Jesus’ Word’s in Red

Provision

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 

So what if Jesus was to say to you or I tonight

 I want you to feed five thousand hungry people?

Provision

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

To understand the full picture of Jesus feeding the

five thousand, you need to take into account what

Matthew says in Matthew 14 and John says in John 6.

The disciples were concerned about feeding

this large group of people who have come

to see Jesus do a miracle and hear His Word.

 

They came up with a plan to send the

crowd into town to buy their dinner.

According to John 6:6, Jesus sees this

as an opportunity to test His disciples.

The disciples thought they had it all figured out,

 the plan was to send everyone off to fend for themselves.

The plan sounded good…

 everyone is responsible for themselves.

Jesus addressed one of the disciples, Philip.

(I don’t know why Philip,

Jesus could have addressed you or I.)

Jesus said to Philip…

 "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

So what if Jesus was to say to you or I tonight

 I want you to feed five thousand hungry people?

I think you and I would do what the

disciples did, they would count the cost.

 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would

not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

John 6:7

I don’t know about you, but eight

months of my income to give everyone

one bite does not sound like a good plan.

I work hard, as most of us

do, to put food on our table.

To be facing eight months set back is alarming.

Jesus wanted to make this example personal to

Philip, as I think we should do as we read it.

The scriptures says…

“He asked this only to test him, for he already

had in mind what he was going to do.”

John 6:6

Jesus had more in mind than feeding the

People, He wanted to teach us God is…

Jehovah Jireh

“The Lord will see to it… He will provide”

You and I must have a strong belief in Jehovah Jireh.

God is always doing bigger things than we can afford.

Bigger things than the time we have.

Bigger things than our hearts can handle.

You and I are to realize we are to live on

God’s provision, His time and His heart.

When our heart is overwhelmed

with the cost and or the time…

We must recognize God is our provider.

The scriptures tell us…

 “My God will meet all your needs according

to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 NIV

God wants us to see His great provision

is larger than our own refrigerator,

 our bank account or our time.

In my life time, I have been overwhelmed to the

point of working too hard and worrying too much.

There has been a time of wanting to give up

and end my time on earth all because the

task in front of me was more than I could afford.

I can look back and see time after time God provided.

Jesus seems to ask us this question often…

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 

Jesus wants you and I to know we are to

meet the needs with His provision.

Be willing to give up your loaves and

fishes and see how far God can make

them go to meet the overwhelming needs.

We might feel like we do not have enough.

But when we give all we have to God, it

opens the heavens to His unlimited resources.

Throughout the scriptures we

see this lesson on Jehovah Jireh…

God is our provider.

It is a lesson we so easily forget

so we must continue to be reminded…

“His divine power has given us

everything we need for life and godliness”

2 Peter 1:3

Scripture Reading

John 6:1-13 NIV

6:1 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 miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast 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, "Eight months' wages would not 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 the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 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.