LifeWay Bible Studies for Life Series for October 30: Sharing the Bread of Life

John 20:30-31 tells us the signs in the Gospel “… are written that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, and believing, you may have life.”  
    
Salvation comes through receiving the person of Jesus Christ. The blessings of salvation become ours as we understand who Jesus is and as we appropriate what is provided in him for our daily lives.
    
In Jesus’ fourth recorded miracle, John says the Lord fed 5,000 men. Matthew tells us he fed 5,000 men plus women and children.

In this story, the disciples find themselves in what they think is a hopeless situation. Before them are thousands of people they can’t feed, and the only food available is the lunch of a little boy. The disciples, obviously, feel a sense of responsibility, but they are overwhelmed by the inadequacy of their limited resources.
    
Only Jesus could meet the need, and he did. He took a little lunch, brought by a small boy, and made it more than adequate.

He does the same thing today. When we surrender our limited resources to his limitless source, He takes what we are and what we have and multiplies it to meet the need. Jesus is the answer to any shortages we face in life.
    
Let’s first look at the shortage that prompted the miracle. A great crowd had followed Jesus into an area where no food was available. Always alert to any situation of human need, Jesus waited for the response of his disciples, and he then used the opportunity to show them human answers are not sufficient for human need.

Philip looked at the multitude, measured their meager resources and concluded, “We don’t have enough.” It would have been unreasonable for him to think otherwise—that they could feed so many people.
    
We must understand that Philip was being tested and proven by Jesus. He had to be taught the futility of human reasoning apart from faith. Our natural instinct is to mistrust faith when we are in need, but the shortages in life teach us we can’t always figure out and plan things ourselves. Some things in life require a limitless faith.

After we discover human reason is insufficient, we also will discover human resources are insufficient. When Andrew took inventory of the resources, he discovered only two fishes and five barley loaves, the bread of the poor.

This child from a poor family giving his lunch to Jesus teaches many beautiful lessons about giving. God doesn’t just look at the size of your gift. He looks at whether it’s truly a sacrifice on your part and at your willingness and intent in giving it.

Andrew posed the question many of us would have asked about the fish and bread: “What are they among so many?”

We in ourselves never are assured of meeting the needs that could arise. Paul warns us to not trust in uncertain riches. We are to thank God for the little or much entrusted to us, but we must never put our trust in things.

The third thing we note in this passage is the supply provided by the miracle. This miracle symbolizes beautifully God’s grace and power in the supply of salvation.

For example, in such a vast world, how can we ever hope to reach and feed so many? When we consider our responsibility as Christians, our reasoning and resources just don’t measure up. However, from the details of this miracle we learn of God’s plan to get the Bread of Life out to others. And, by providing spiritual meaning to mathematical functions, you can understand God’s principles of supply.

From a mathematical standpoint there was subtraction. First, the boy had to give up what he had. That same principle applies to us. We must be willing to let God subtract from us the resources needed for a miracle of supply. God can, obviously, turn stone into bread, but he doesn’t relieve us of our responsibility to give and serve. He chooses to take from us what we’re willing to give, and he then uses it for his glory.
    
From a mathematical standpoint, there was also multiplication. Isn’t it amazing how small things multiply when placed in God’s hands? In this miracle five loaves and two fish fed thousands of people. There’s a great principle here. God multiplies back to us what He subtracts from us.
    
From a mathematical standpoint there also was division. Don’t miss the truth here that many overlook.  Jesus only multiplies to us what we’re willing to divide with others. He gave to the disciples, they divided it among the men, and the men divided it among their families. What God gives us, we must give to others. This is how we can share the gospel with vast multitudes of people.
    
Last, from a mathematical standpoint there was addition. Jesus gave each disciple a basket filled with food, which they gave to the men. After all were well fed and the excess food was gathered, their baskets still were filled and overflowing.
    
Jesus shared a great truth of addition in Matthew 6:33, when he said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”