MESSAGE NOTES
So That You May Believe and Have Life – The Gospel of John
Part 17 – “Giving What We Have for Jesus”
John 6:1–15
There is an event told by John in his Gospel where Jesus miraculously takes care of the food needs of a large group of people. This is the 4th sign or miracle John records Jesus doing to show the people he is writing to in the Roman Province of Asia Minor—where John is a pastor and bishop—that Jesus is truly God, not one of the false mythological gods worshipped at that time. John writes this gospel, as he says in John 20:31:
“…so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”
John includes this event because people in that region believed the Greek goddess Demeter was the goddess of harvest and grain and provided for their daily bread. John is saying: Demeter is a fraud.
He says, “I watched Jesus with my own eyes feed over 5,000 people with five small loaves of bread and two small fish, and there were twelve baskets full of food left over.”
Demeter is not real.
John 6:1–15: The story of the miracle…
PLACE FOR NOTES:
The young boy gave what he had for Jesus to use—for God’s glory and neighbor’s good.
When we live generous lives, it not only changes the lives of others, it changes our life as well.
Jesus teaches us in this story that God is our provider and that He uses the generosity of people to help meet others’ needs. God calls on us to be generous not only with our possessions, but also with our time, talents, and the spiritual gifts He’s given us.
See:
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Romans 12:6–8
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1 Peter 4:10–11
Has the Holy Spirit given you a gift to use in someone else’s life? Are you exercising that gift, or for whatever reason, have you set it aside?
Let’s be people who pray:
“Holy Spirit, how do you want to empower me to speak, to serve, to encourage, to provide for, to give to others in some way? Grant me the faith and courage to work with You for Your glory and their good.”
We tend to focus on what we don’t have. Jesus isn’t asking us to give what we don’t have—He’s simply asking us to do something good with what we do have.
When we do, He will multiply it in someone’s life for God’s glory and their good.
Do you and I have a “Yes, God” spirit?
John 6:14–15
No doubt Jesus’ miraculous provision of food reminds the crowd of Moses and the manna God provided for Israel in the wilderness after the Passover.
The people want to make Jesus king because:
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With Him as their provider, they would never want for food.
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They would have the potential to be healed of every illness.
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They could march to Jerusalem and overthrow the Romans.
But Jesus refused to be made king on their self-serving terms.
People cannot manipulate Him for their own selfish ends.
We do not come to Jesus on our terms to make our lives easier or to feel good about ourselves.
We come to Him in repentance, and He transforms us.
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, or small group. They are also useful for personal reflection.
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What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
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What is difficult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
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What is God saying in these passages and through the message—about Himself? About people? About you?
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What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages and from the message?
