Seven Signs – John 6.1-14

In John 6.1-14 we see a place, a problem, some solutions, and a sign. Now, what are we to take from this?

This text is teaching us that those who follow Jesus have their needs met miraculously and unexpectedly. 

Jesus has dominion over the natural (as we’ll talk about next week) and created world. Whatever these people needed, in this case it was nourishment, food, physically sustaining, He was more than able and willing to meet their needs.

So, for you, where do you have a need right now?

What do you have a need with? Is it physical, is it spiritual, is it emotional, is it a mix?

Do you feel like nobody really understands what you’re going through at the moment, like you have nowhere to turn? 

If that’s you, let me tell you, sincerely and from experience, that those who follow Jesus have their needs met miraculously and unexpectedly.

We could get all moral and self-focused here and say something like, well, you know, you’d better pack your lunches people, because Jesus needs those loaves and fish to work with, so work hard to pack your lunch as an offering for Him to use…But just think, if there were, conservative estimate, 10,000 people there and Andrew comes up with

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

, and with that Jesus feeds thousands of people, that means that 99.99% of people turned up with nothing, and still found more than enough in Jesus.

Friends, you don’t need to be that little boy with his poor packed lunch, because, bigger picture, not only has Jesus promised, evidenced, and guaranteed to meet all of your needs, He has also actually provided the goods to work with too. We don’t need to be the lad with his lunch, we can rest easy being the 99.99% and knowing that all we need to do is make Jesus #1 priority, the master passion, make Him what we are following and prioritising and that He will take care of the rest.

In Matthew 6 we read of the pursuit and prioritisation of earthly things, things under the sun as Solomon refers to them in Ecclesiastes, and there Jesus says look, all that stuff will be taken care of, what you will eat, drink, wear, you will be taken care of if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (6.33a).

This must be the rule of our life when ordering our priorities. It’s wrong to think that this is just another priority to fit onto our list of priorities – this has to be #1. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6 that our physical well-being is not a worthy object to devote our lives to (Guzik). 

This choice – to seek first the kingdom of God – is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first repent and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it.

So, John 6.1-14. Jesus provides for His people. This sign shows us that Jesus provides for His people. They had followed Him with a singular focus and devotion, and He took care of their needs. Notice with me though, not ahead of time, they didn’t pack bread for the journey, they didn’t plan their route to pass by a bank and then a bakery, Jesus knew what they would need, Jesus knew He would provide. 

I read this recently –

In Berlin art gallery is a painting by German painter Adolf Menzel (1815-1905). Only partially finished. Intended to show Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals. Menzel painted generals and background, left king until last. He put in an outline of Fredrick in charcoal, but died prior to finishing. 

Many Christians come to the end of their lives without ever having put Christ into his proper place, centre stage.

Friends, don’t be those people. Be those who follow Jesus with a singular focus and devotion, knowing that those who follow Jesus have their needs met miraculously and unexpectedly.