Archive for the ‘feed’ tag
March 7, 2010: Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
The text for this lesson is John 6:1–14 .
Key Points
- In His love, God promises to care for all our physical and spiritual needs and gives us the greatest treasure: His Son and the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
- Law: Like the disciples, I am of little faith, lacking trust in God to give me all good things. In sin, I seek earthly treasure and security. Earthly goods are part of this world of sin; they will pass away.
- Gospel: God promises to provide for all my needs according to His will and riches. God has promised me much more, granting me eternal life in His Son, Jesus. God gives me the greater thing: faith in Jesus and eternal life in heaven with Him.
Discussion Points
1. What does John 6 teach us about the difference between seeing miraculous signs and believing Jesus’ words? What can the Church learn from this?
2. In John 6:3, we are told that Jesus “went up on the mountain.” In Matthew 5–7, Jesus also goes up on a mountain to teach. What Old Testament figure was frequently found on a mountain? (See Exodus 19:3–4.) What might this bit of information tell us about how John and Matthew portray Jesus?
3. Read John 6:48–58. How does the preceding discussion concerning the Passover and the manna in the wilderness provide insight into the meaning of this passage?
4. Philip, Andrew, and Moses had much in common when it came to dealing with large-scale hunger problems. What had all three of them failed to see? What do we have in common with Philip, Andrew, and Moses when it comes to dealing with our problems?
5. We read in John 6:4 that the Passover was near, which means that the feeding of the five thousand occurred in the springtime. This is supported by John 6:10, “There was much grass in the place.” Mark 6:39 says that the grass was green. Jesus had the crowd sit down in green fields before He fed them “as much as they wanted” (John 6:11). To what might this scene be an allusion?
6. Compare John 6:11 and Luke 22:19. What might the similarity of these verses teach the Church about the feeding of the five thousand?
7. After seeing Jesus perform the miraculous sign, the people said that Christ was the prophet who had come into the world. Read Deuteronomy 18:15–19. Who would this prophet be like? According to John 1:17, what would be the greatest difference between Jesus the Prophet and the one who came before Him?
