John 6:5–13, 35–40

Bible Studies for Life
Instructor of Church Music and Worship Leadership, School of the Arts, Samford University

Satisfaction Found
John 6:5–13, 35–40
This month, we have examined accounts of the miracles Jesus Christ enacted during His earthly ministry, including turning water into wine, the healing of the paralyzed man, the raising of the centurion’s servant and the widow’s son and the restoration of the Gerasene demoniac. Our attention now turns to a familiar story: Jesus feeding the 5,000 and the teaching that Christ is the Bread of Life who alone can satisfy our spiritual hunger.
This story is the only one found in all four Gospel accounts, but we will examine the miracle from John’s Gospel. John described the miracle in the first verses of Chapter 6 (vv. 5–13), but he separated the miracle account from Christ’s discourse on the miracle (vv. 35–40). Between the miracle and the discourse is John’s account of yet another miracle: Jesus walking on water to the disciples (vv. 16–21).  

Jesus Provides (5–13)
John 6:1–13 can be divided into three sections: the introduction to the miracle (vv. 1–9), the performance of the miracle (vv. 10–11) and the results from the miracle (vv. 12–15). In the other miracle stories we have examined, individuals petitioned Jesus to do something miraculous. John’s account of this miracle differs from those stories. Here it is Jesus who initiated the feeding of the 5,000. He saw the crowd of people and suspected it was hungry (5), knowing His intent to provide food (6). However, He tested whether Philip fully recognized His capacity to feed the crowd (6). Neither Philip nor Andrew fully comprehended what Christ could provide. Each responded to Christ on a surface level, concerned with the practicality of purchasing food (7–9).

After hearing their unsuspecting thoughts, Jesus asked the disciples to prepare the crowd for the miracle (10). He took the loaves and fish, gave thanks for them and distributed them among the people until all their physical needs for food were met (11). While other Gospels record the disciples distributing the food, John records that Christ distributed the food (11). This was perhaps John’s way of illustrating what will be made more clear soon, that Jesus is the Bread of Life. In the miracle’s aftermath (12–15), Christ instructed the disciples to gather the leftovers and they followed His instructions (12–13).

This miracle is one of gigantic proportions. Though John described a crowd of 5,000, it is worth noting the number probably referred to men only. With women and children, the crowd could have been three or four times that size. We are reminded that we should not place limits on God, and contrary to Philip and Andrew’s expectations, we can expect Him to act in unconventional ways. It is also important to note that Christ met the people’s physical needs first. Thus, before Christ identified Himself as the Bread of Life, He gave them physical food to eat. This calls us to consider how well we help meet others’ physical needs, and it suggests we meet physical needs before spiritual needs.

Jesus Satisfies (35–36)
After time away with the disciples (vv. 16–24), Jesus delivered the first of His seven “I AM” statements. In this first statement, Christ identified Himself as the Bread of Life, returning to the common symbol used in the miraculous feeding. Once Christ had used bread to meet a physical hunger, He extended the analogy to describe a spiritual hunger that He also can fulfill. He then critiqued the crowd for seeing but not believing, and like many other places in John’s Gospel, we are reminded that faith is required to understand Christ’s work in our midst. Christ satisfies our physical and spiritual condition, but we must be willing to trust His ability to meet our needs.

Jesus Secures (37–40)
Christ called attention to God’s redemptive purpose in the world. He assured the crowd that those who come to Him will never be lost and that salvation is not exclusive but inclusive. He gives spiritual food in abundance, and as we grow in our capacity to see and have faith, we will receive more than we can possibly comprehend.