# 107 The Bread Chapter

 Joh 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."

 

This entire chapter is about bread. You will find the word used a total of 17 times! It begins with bread in the physical sense as necessary to strengthen and sustain physical life, and moves to bread in a spiritual sense as embodied in Jesus, who is necessary to strengthen and sustain spiritual life.

 

Jesus says in verse 51, Joh 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;”

 

Time doesn’t permit us to cover this subject of bread in one day, so, let’s begin where we are and start to learn the lessons of “bread.”

 

Jesus had gathered quite a following because of his healings, and as He and His disciples are up on the mountain away from the crowd, they can see the multitude approaching….5000 men, and who knows how many women and children! Most likely they are in search of more signs and miracles.

 

Put yourself in the disciple’s sandals. What would your thoughts be at that moment? I might think something like, “C’mon people! Give us a break!” or “What will Jesus say to them?” Or, “Look at the size of that crowd! Do they all need healing?”

 

Jesus breaks the silence as He turns to Phillip and asks, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

 

“What? You expect us to buy lunch for this mob? There’s 10 to 20 thousand people here. That’s a lot of happy meals Jesus!” 200 denarii (the equivalent of 200 days wages) wouldn’t be enough to supply the cheapest thing on the menu! We don’t have that kind of money!”

 

But Jesus asked this question in order to test Phillip. And in testing Phillip, we are tested too! How shall we provide bread for the masses? The hurting, hungry, multitudes need bread! Physical and spiritual. Are we prepared as the hands and feet of Jesus to provide it?