John Chapter Six: The Love of God in Feeding the Five Thousand

By Frank Tyler

I. Introduction

In chapter 5 of John, you and I learned that despite receiving the witness of the man miraculously healed at the pool of Bethesda, the Judean authorities fail to believe Jesus’ three-fold promise of life. [49] Now in chapter 6, John picks up his account in the wake of Jesus’ Judean ministry:

6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

6:2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. [50] (John 6:1-2)

The signs which He performed on those who were diseased , are a part of a broader category, these things, and likely reference the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda as well as other miraculous healings. If these miracles fail to persuade the Judean authorities, these same miracles now motivate a multitude of 5,000 men along with woman and children to follow after Jesus (John 6:10; Matthew 14:21).

The highly educated Judean authorities look down on the multitudes as unlearned and accursed.[51] While rebuking the Temple guards for failing to arrest Jesus, the chief priests and Pharisees demean the multitudes:

7:48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?

7:49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

(John 7:48-49; underlining added)

How does Jesus minister to this multitude or crowd that does not know the law? How will He reach out to them and share the good news of eternal life in a manner they can understand? And, how will He train His disciples to do so?

II. Loving Others by Stepping into Their Bubble

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus steps into the social bubble of others in order to demonstrate His great love for them and garner an ear for good news. Stepping into another person’s bubble requires identifying with him or her personally and then understanding and engaging his or her sphere of concern.

Showing the Love of God

The Apostle Paul mastered this vital aspect of evangelism: to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). Without the love of God, the message of eternal life becomes like sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1).

In John 2, Jesus shows loving concern for the wedding party in Cana by turning water into wine. According to D. A. Carson:

A wedding celebration could last as long as a week, and the financial responsibility lay with the groom (cf. 2:9-10). To run out of supplies would be a dreadful embarrassment in a ‘shame’ culture; there is some evidence it could also lay the groom open to a lawsuit from aggrieved relatives of the bride.[52]

That Jesus consents to His mother’s request prior to beginning His public ministry to the nation of Israel, demonstrates His love both for His mother and the wedding couple. This miraculous sign foreshadows the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to Israel as that nation’s Messiah: This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him (John 2:11).

In John 3, Nicodemus and his disciples [53] desire a quiet moment with Jesus away for the rancor of the Judean authorities (John 2:13-25) in order to hear and know what He is doing (John 3:2; 7:51). Regarding Nicodemus’ testy exchange with his fellow Pharisees in John 7:47-52, J. Ramsey Michaels notes:

His deliberative question matches (and possibly mocks) the two

deliberative questions of the Pharisees themselves… Nicodemus pleads that the Pharisees should “hear” from Jesus first, and “learn what he is doing.” … Nicodemus’s choice of words reflects his own long-standing interest in what Jesus was “doing,” going back to that earlier encounter when he said to Jesus, “no one can do these signs you are doing unless God is with him ” (3:2; underlining added). [54]

As a teacher of Israel, Nicodemus’ concern remains the concern of all teachers to train pupils to investigate (come to the light) and avoid rushing to evil and prejudiced conclusions (John 3:19-21). In response, Jesus forgoes rest after a grueling day of ministry and shows lovingkindness toward Nicodemus and his students by answering their questions and promising eternal life to whoever believes in Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

In John 4, Jesus ignores the social mores of His day and steps into the life of an outcast Samaritan woman by speaking with her at the well of Jacob; this overt breach transcends long-standing bitter prejudices between Jews and Samaritans. A pariah among her own people, this woman learns that she is not alone and isolated—for God knows the intimate details of her life and openly offers her living water (John 4:10) and gift of eternal life (John 4:13). Ultimately, Jesus’ lovingkindness to the woman garners Him an opportunity to preach good news to the men of Sychar (John 4:39-42): Now we believe, not because of what you (Samaritan woman) said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. Likewise in John 4, by miraculously healing the nobleman’s son, Jesus demonstrates the lovingkindness of God that persuades the father and his family of Jesus’ promise of eternal life. So the father knew that it (son’s healing) was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household (John 4:53).

In John 5, Jesus purposefully healed a man on the Sabbath (in itself an expression of “chesed” for the infirmed demonstrated with the Father’s ongoing ministry at the Sheep Gate) in order to engage the Judean authorities in their understanding of the Mosaic law and their oral traditions. In so doing, He stepped into their bubble or sphere of concern, namely legal righteousness, in order to garner their attention and persuade them of good news—who He is, the Christ, the Son of God, and what He promises, eternal life and righteousness sufficient to satisfy God’s final judgement. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24).

Jesus consistently steps into the social bubble of those He ministers to by actively addressing their pressing concerns. He loves them as individuals even, when like the Judean authorities, they seek to kill Him—all to garner an ear for the greatest expression of God’s love or “chesed,” the good news of eternal life.

If love remains at the very heart of His evangelistic outreach, then those who follow after Him must, likewise, learn to love others by stepping into their social bubble. Again, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, without love, the gospel is a cacophony of sounding brass and clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1).

An Object Lesson for His Disciples

If, as the Judean authorities intimate, the crowds do not know the law, then the legal concerns with healing on the Sabbath do not draw their interest. Stepping into their bubble or sphere of concern means addressing one of their basic needs, healing the infirmed and diseased… regardless of whether it is the Sabbath. Again, in John 6, the multitudes, in vivid contrast to the Judean authorities, are so engaged by the healings they follow after Jesus in mass, leaving themselves isolated and unable to feed themselves.

Love looks like something, and learning to step into another person’s bubble or sphere of concern now becomes our Lord’s essential object lesson for His disciples.

6:4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

6:5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

6:6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. (John 6:4-6; underlining added)

Jesus knows that reaching out with good news to the crowds following Him will require Him to show lovingkindness. In each of the aforementioned interactions (see the chart Showing the Love of God) Jesus shows compassion and love for others… but have His disciples understood the significance of what they witnessed as Jesus stepped so purposefully into the bubble of other people’s lives?

When Jesus asks where they might buy bread to feed the multitudes, Philip and Andrew’s answers betray their lack of understanding:

6:7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

6:9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” (John 6:7-9)

Surely, you and I can identify with Philip and Andrew; how often we neglect opportunities to bless others, because we feel our resources simply too meager for the task at hand. Nevertheless, feeding the multitude is an act of love and compassion essential for the good news to touch the multitude’s lives; and, who better to overcome the lack of material resources than the Son of God! Again, love looks like something, and the disciples must learn the importance of stepping into the bubble or sphere of concern of others in order to garner an ear for the gospel; they must learn to love others. [55]

The Prophet Like Moses

After His disciples make the people sit down, Jesus blesses five barley loaves and two small fish, feeds about five thousand men with women and children (John 6:10) with as much as they wanted (John 6:11), and then commands His disciples to gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost (John 6:12), literally, twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten (John 6:13). The sheer magnitude of this miracle calls to mind the wilderness period when the Lord miraculously fed His people manna. What the Judean authorities fail to grasp, the multitudes now understand with conviction—this is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world . (John 6:14; Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Indeed, they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king (John 6:15).

Although they rightly conclude that Jesus is the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) and follow Him across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, the crowds fail to grasp the significance of who Jesus is as the Christ, the Son of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world and gives eternal life to whoever believes in Him. Emphatically, the issue is not the genuineness of the multitudes’ faith, but the content of their faith—to be the prophet like Moses is to be, not just a king of Israel, but the Messianic King—the Christ, the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world and gives eternal life to whoever believes in Him. [56]

Throughout the preceding five chapters, John faithfully records Jesus’ continuing witness that He is the Christ, the Son of God who promises everlasting life to whoever believes in Him, and yet this essential truth escapes the multitudes in their pursuit of Him.

6:26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:26-27)

If all that the Prophet like Moses has come to do is to feed His people, that alone would justify making him a king of Israel, but Jesus corrects the multitudes, for the Father has sent Him asthe Messianic King of Israel (John 1:49). The Prophet like Moses is the preeminent Savior of the World, the Christ, the Son of God come to earth to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29) and give everlasting life to whoever believes in Him (John 3:16, 4:10, 13, and 5:24).

Throughout the Old Testament the promise of eternal life and resurrection is clearly and repeatedly implied; not to infer this promise is tantamount to unbelief.[57] Only in the New Testament does the Christ, the Son of God, overtly promise everlasting or eternal life to whoever believes in Him. What was once implied is now freely offered as a proposition to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). To believe His promise of eternal life is to believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God; to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God is to believe His promise of eternal life. The multitudes ask, “ What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” —Jesus again corrects them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29).

III. Application

Though Jesus’ disciples observe their Lord reach out to an ever-widening array of different people with the promise of eternal life, they fail to observe how He manifests His love in the lives of those He touches. Stepping into another person’s bubble or sphere of social concern and addressing pressing needs opens the door to share the good news of eternal life in very powerful ways.

As an evangelist, for years this vital aspect of Jesus’ ministry escaped me. I relished every opportunity to preach, teach, and demonstrate evangelism, but failed to touch the lives of those I ministered to in a meaningful way. Not until the Lord opened my eyes in John chapter 6 to the love that lay behind the miraculous signs He performed to bless others did I learn to love others and address their pressing needs. Fulfilling my calling as an evangelist now consists of conducting outreaches and teaching other brothers and sisters to link the love of God, “chesed,” to the message of the gospel. The following are examples.

The Homeless

When reaching out to a homeless person, I give them a Gospel of John with a hand written thank you card and gift certificate for fast food wedged inside the Living Water Gospel of John. [58] One of the messages focuses on John 6:47-48:

Dear Friend,

Jesus loves you and promises, “ Amen, amen , I tell you whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life “(John 6:47-48 The Living Water, page 24). Believe in Jesus as the Bread of Life and have what He promises to you, eternal life. Thank you for reading this card. Please enjoy your meal and the Living Water.

I do not give cash to the homeless, but only Living Water(s) with gift certificates for fast food. Surprisingly, many homeless begin reading the Gospel of John (Living Water) before opening the thank you card.

The Promise of Life Café

The True Vine Fellowship sponsors the Promise of Life Café. This outreach consists of a couple of tents and cooking equipment to serve free burgers and the Gospel of John. All menu items are keyed off the promises of life in John: John 6:47-48 is a basic cheese burger; John 3:16, a classic cheese burger with all the trimmings; John 4:10, a 3:16 burger with bacon; John 5:24 a 3:16 with fresh jalapenos; John 11:25-27, a 3:16 with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms; John 14:6, a 3:16 with a fried egg. The Menu contains the following paragraph introducing the cafe:

Thank You for Visiting the Promise of Life Café

During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ fed large groups of people with fish and bread. On one occasion, He blessed and transformed five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:9) into a meal for 5000 men and their families. For most Americans, the hamburger is the cultural equivalent of fish and bread. Please enjoy your meal and consider the words of Jesus who promises you eternal life: Amen, amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:47-48; The Living Water, page 24). Thank you for visiting the Promise of Life Café!

And this is the promise that He , Jesus, has promised us—eternal life (1 John 2:25; NKJV)

The sign on the front of the sandwich prep bar reads, “Promise of Life Cafe—Serving the Love of Jesus.” Four to six people man the café: one or two at the sandwich prep bar assembling burgers and interacting with the public; two manning the griddles; one sauteing mushrooms; and one greeting the public with Gospels of John and the menu. The pressing need to have a meal, along with the need to be heard, opens the door for the good news of eternal life. For this reason, the person greeting needs to be very kind and gracious as well as a good listener. During breaks, those working the café have opportunities to interact with the public at the picnic tables while enjoying a burger. Demonstrating the love of Jesus one burger at a time is the key to having an open door for good news.

The Sequim and Bremerton Carwashes

Since the Covid 19 pandemic began, the Sequim and Bremerton Carwashes have been cancelled. However, in years past, we discovered that this is an outreach for youth. We have conducted charity carwashes for Commit 360 in Bremerton and the Sequim Wolves in Sequim; both are youth travel basketball teams. (Raising money for tournaments is always a pressing need.) The True Vine Fellowship trains the players and their parents how to conduct the carwash. During the carwash, not only is the message of life shared with the public, but with the players and their parents also. Those getting their car washed receive a cold bottle of water along with a Gospel of John. The two coaches (Miah Davis and Nikki Julmist) are both born again believers. Again, love looks like something; our carwashes have an outstanding reputation for quality and raise between $800.00 and $1500.00 for the teams.

Other Outreaches

Dennis Feten and Metanoia NW sponsor the Palm Sunday Parade in Port Townsend. Dennis is an amazing organizer which in turn allows him to address the needs of others to engage Christianity in a fun way with a parade, signs, and music. Jonathan Simonson and La Vina conduct music concerts throughout the summer at a wide variety of locations on the Olympic Peninsula. Surprisingly, music is a pressing need for most people; and yet, very few people have the talent Jonathan has to make music. Former professional skateboarder, Mark Simpson sponsors fundraisers for a 501 C 3 to raise money for the Sequim Skate Park. Imagine skateboarders competing in a skating contest with Gospels of John stuffed in their back pockets while doing Ollies. Financial Advisor Alan Nakamura writes blogs and addresses the needs of his clients, both Christian and Non-Christian, by basing his advice on biblical teachings. Josh Mathews leads the Christian ministry Sports Beyond; addressing the pressing needs of youth to participate in sports affords Josh opportunities to share good news with young people and their parents. Don Crouse developed a game called Zoocards to teach young people about Zoology in a fun interactive way. Imagine the evangelistic opportunity in the classroom for a Christian like Don who addresses a teacher’s need to teach about animals and genuinely cares about saving wildlife. Stepping into the bubble by addressing other’s needs opens the door for the gospel in the most unusual places.

IV. Conclusion

The miraculous feeding of 5,000 men with their women and children elicits a correct conclusion from the men; Jesus is the Prophet like Moses. Utterly convinced of this truth, the crowds pursue Him across the Sea of Galilee. However, their attempt to make Him a king of Israel reveals a lack of understanding of who Jesus is as the Messianic King of Israel and Savior of the World. Jesus corrects their misunderstanding and then reaches out with the good news: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life (John 6:47-48).

In ministering to the crowds in John chapter 6, Jesus not only demonstrates the love of God by stepping into their bubble and addressing their pressing need for food, but He also teaches His disciples the importance of loving others as an essential part of reaching out with the good news. The loyal covenantal love of God draws the multitude to hear the good news of eternal life. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and reach out to others with both the love of God and the good news of eternal life!

Copyright © 2021 by Frank Tyler; you may copy, print and give away freely, but you may not sell.