John 6:1-13 – Jesus Cares – Bible study

John 6:1-13 Jesus Cares The book that you are turning to is unique. It is one of the four gospels but it is different in time, theme, and topic. In time, John wrote his gospel later than the other three, perhaps as much as 40 years later. In theme, the other gospels were given to record the life of Jesus. John leaned more to record the sermons of Jesus. In topics, John steered away from writing the events that was already recorded. You can see that in several ways. 1. The other gospel writers gave (depending on how you count them) 36 to 46 different parables. John did not record one. 2. In all, the gospels record at least 37 miracles, but John only seven and five of those are not recorded by any other gospel writer. However, the miracle that we are about to read is recorded in all four of the gospels. For some reason, even though recorded in the other three gospels and available for so many years, this is the only miracle that he felt he needed to repeat. Maybe that is because John saw something that the other gospel writers did not see. Lets read the text. There is no doubt that a great miracle was done that day. Jesus fed a multitude with a five biscuits and a few slices of fish, but it is not the miracle I want to preach on this morning. I want to preach about the miracle Worker and His care. I see three areas of care. I. \#John 6:14\ Jesus cares about our immediate needs. A. By doing this miracle, Jesus did what he often did. He helped people. 1. Concerning this miracle, \#John 6:5\ says that it was "a great company." a. John add in \#10\, it was about 5,000. b. \Matt 14:21\ will tell us that was not counting women and children. c. That would make the size of this crowd into the tens of thousands! 2. Both Matthew and Mark make it clear that the people had been with Jesus all day, and that it was late. 3. \#Luke 9:10, Mark 6:35\ tell us that the location was a "desert place." 4. So we have a. a large crowd. b. a long day, c. a hungry people, d. and no place to eat. 5. \#Matt 14:14\ says of Jesus, that He "was moved with compassion toward them. 6. Jesus cared and wanted to feed them, so He did. a. Because Jesus cared for the peoplelike they were right then, hungry and tired. b. Those are not the worse conditions a person can be in. (1) We can live without food for weeks. (2) The people walked into that desert place. They could walk back out again. They had not become anchored to that place. There was food in other places. c. But this miracle shows that Jesus cared for them. Right then. Right there. B. This is not the only time that Jesus showed His concern and care for the immediate needs of people. 1. \#John 4:46-54\ Jesus was approached by a man whose son was sick, "at the point of death" \#John 4:47\. a. Jesus spoke the word and healed the mans son that very hour. b. Why? Because Jesus cares for our immediate needs, our right here and right now needs! 2. \#John 5:1-9\ Jesus was walking in Jerusalem, near the gate where the sheep were brought in for marketing, and He found a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. a. Jesus told him to take his bed and walk, and he did. b. Why? Because Jesus cares for our immediate needs, our right here and right now needs! C. But some will be skeptical. 1. Skeptics ask, "But were there not others?" a. "So Jesus feed one crowd that was hungry. If Jesus is God AND He really cares, why did He not feed all the hungry crowds? Why is there hunger today?" b. "So Jesus healed one mans sick son. Are there not other sick children today? If Jesus is God AND He cares, why does He not heal all children today?" c. "So Jesus healed one mans servant. Are there not others who are sick today? If Jesus is God AND He cares, why does He not heal all the sick today?" 2. Those are actually very good questions, and I want to answer them. a. Jesus did not and does not feed all of the hungry, heal all of the children, or fix who are broken because He gave us a choice and He wants us to be free to make our own decisions and to live with the choices that we make. b. To have free will, we must have two things: (1) There must be a choice. (2) We must receive what we choose. c. You say, "No one ever chose to be hungry, and no one ever chose to be sick." (1) In some cases they did. Many of the decisions we make have much farther ranging consequences than we realize, but even we did not make the choice ourselves, we still fall into the consequences of the choices of others. (a) Our parents have made choices. i. Their parents have made choices. ii. And those who went before them made choices. (b) And even when it is not our immediate family that made the choices i. Leaders make choices. ii. The masses of people make choices. (2) And so it continues. (3) God gave us free will to make choices and to enjoy the consequences of the choices we make, but that does not mean He does care. d. And then someone points out, "But God stepped into this situations." (1) Miracles are the exception. (2) From time to time, God steps into a life or lives to erase a bad choice that was made. (3) He does that to show that He does care, but if God did that for everyone in every situation, it would not be the exception. (4) It would be the rule and mans free will would cease to be. II. Jesus cares about our eternal need. A. John did not state this truth as Mark and Luke declare it. Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. Luke 9:11 And the people, when they knew it (that Jesus was there), followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God. B. He fed the multitude and healed them of diseases because He cared for their immediate needs, but Jesus preached to them the words of Life because He cared about their eternal needs. C. The Bible does not tell us what Jesus preached, just that He did. However, we are given enough examples that I think we can figure out what He MAY have said. Matthew 4:17: Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Lu 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Joh 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 1. No. The Bible does not say that He spoke these words so I do not know for sure, but I do know that He spoke these kinds of words often. 2. Why? Because Jesus cares about our eternal needs. a. Friend, like it or not, we all have an eternal soul that will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. b. You may reject that truth if you want, but it will not change it. c. But like some today are not pleased with God because He lets them have the consequences of earthly choices made, so some will not be happy when God lets them live with the consequences of the eternal choices they have made! 3. You say, "Why does God not remove hunger, sickness, death, disease, cruelty, catastrophes, and all the other consequences of mans free will. a. The answer is because He wants us to see our choices have consequences. b. All of the choices made by us, our parents, our leaders, our neighbors, our nation, and our world have consequences. (1) Some on us directly. (2) Some on us indirectly. (3) Some on our family, some on our friends, some on our coworkers, some on the entire planet and every person who lives on the planet. c. But as painful as those choices may be, they are nothing compared to the consequences of our eternity. (1) Foolish teachers, choosing to teach humanism, materialism, atheism. (2) Foolish leaders, choosing to take us down carnal, destructive political paths. (3) Foolish religionists, choosing to teach religion over salvation. (4) Foolish parents, neglecting Christ for themselves and for their children. (5) And foolish us, choosing to be lead down the pathways of hell and damnation instead of following Christ. d. All of these choices have eternal consequences. D. But Jesus cares! 1. He cares enough to build churches, to call pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and people to brag on Him, to climb the tree of mockery and scorn, and to hang from the branch of rejection and persecution to remind you that He is good and that He loves you! 2. Please do not allow yourself to make a choice today that you will regret for all eternity. 3. Choose Jesus today. III. Jesus cares about our earthly need. John 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. A. I think this one statement might be the reason that John included this whole miracle in his gospel. B. John wanted his readers to know that Jesus was not just thinking about the skeptics hunger, or the sinners soul, but that He was also thinking about the saints service. 1. I have trusted Jesus Christ, and I am going to heaven. 2. I have a full belly, a clothed back, a roof over my head, and a comfortable life. 3. Is that all that Jesus cares about? Is he done with me? 4. No! Not me and not you either! C. You will notice that there was no command given. 1. Jesus asked a question, like on a test; but not because He didnt know the answer. 2. John looking back on it figured it out. 3. John realized that Jesus knew all along that they could not feed the multitude. 4. John realized the question was a test for the disciples. 5. What was Jesus testing? Four things: a. Jesus was testing whether they could see the need b. whether they would care about the need c. whether they would want to do anything about the need d and whether they would try to do anything about the need. D. Salvation is not just about getting into heaven. 1. It is also about doing something with our earthly lives that means something, something that will translate into rewards and a position of service for eternity! 2. Even inside the church, I think we sometimes forget that God created us without sin and to do SOMETHING for Him. a. We get excited about our salvationand so we should but so few excited about the renewed opportunity of serving Him. b. Your sin is gone now. c. You can now do what God has created you to do. d. Jesus pointed out to His disciples that the people were hungry. (1) He was indicating that there was a need that needed to be met. (2) He was also asking a non-verbal question, "What are you going to do about it?" (3) He was proving them, testing them. e. Listen. God does not call everyone to be a Pastor, an evangelist, a missionary, but God does call everyone to see, to care, to want to help, and to do something to help the needs of others. f. Jesus cares about your earthly need. (1) Not just the ones who need your help. (a) Not just the lost who need salvation. (b) Not just the hungry who need food. (c) Not just the sick who need healing. (d) Not just the hurting that need comforting. (2) Lets make this about the most important person in our lives, ourselves. (3) Jesus cares about our earthly need, that we do not squander our lives for a hallow existence of selfishness, merely lavishing ourselves with comfort, pleasures, luxury, ease, and joy; but that we invest into the lives of other today so that WE CAN REAP THE RETURNS OF REWARDS TOMORROW! I do not know why John put this miracle into his gospel, but it may be because he understood something that writers had figured out when they wrote theirs. Jesus cares about us all.