What Jesus Did

[Jesus said,] "But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval."

—John 6:27 NLT

Key Thought


Think about how hard we work and how much money we spend on things that are perishable. Most of what we purchase is subject to decay and destruction. Think of all the effort and energy we put into gaining fame and fortune when...

 

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"...

 

When Jesus saw that [the people who witnessed his miraculous sign] were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

—John 6:15 NLT

Key Thought


While tucked away in the middle of a busy couple of days in Jesus' ministry, this insight about what Jesus did is the crucial one in this chapter. Jesus was being tempted with fame and an earthly position of power. The temptation was a shortcut to glory among the people, but it didn't...

 

When the people saw [Jesus perform the miraculous sign of feeding the 5000], they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!"

—John 6:14 NLT

Key Thought


The people were "wowed"! They recognized something incredible had happened. When they first saw the miraculous sign, they were convinced that something great was going on. But their reaction didn't last long as this was the "miracle on demand" crowd (John 6:30). Unfortunately, they let their...

 

After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

—John 6:12-13 NLT

Key Thought


Some leftovers I love. Others I can do without. These leftovers are marvelous. I especially love the fact that there were 12 baskets of leftovers — one basket for each apostle! I really don't think Jesus' only...

 

"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted."

—John 6:10-11 NLT

Key Thought


What do you notice here? The organization? The number of people? The bread and the fish? The blessing? The full bellies? Look at the impossible. This sort...

 

Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?"

—John 6:8-9 NLT

Key Thought


Our resources are limited. God's aren't. Our wisdom is limited. God's isn't. Our power is limited. God's isn't. What we offer, in the face of a great need, is small ... until it is brought to God through Jesus, and then it is multiplied, empowered, enhanced, broadened, increased, and made...

 

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!"

—John 6:5-7 NLT

Key Thought


"Be careful what you pray for; you just may get it!" My experience with major outreach efforts of churches has been mixed. Some of them have...

 

Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)

—John 6:3-4 NLT

Key Thought


If God's people live with a proper sense of urgency and passion before the lost world, they are going to grow weary. They will grow weary physically. They will grow weary spiritually. They will grow weary of all the demands placed upon them. Jesus frequently got away from the crowds, or at least tried to get away...

 

After [his confrontation with the Jewish leaders], Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.

—John 6:1-2 NLT

Key Thought


Folks follow the show, especially if they can get something for free. This chapter begins with a huge crowd that was seeking to commandeer Jesus' ministry for their own reasons. It ends...