THE LITTLE BOY WHO WOULD / THERE IS A LAD HERE
#816 THE LITTLE BOY WHO WOULD/THERE IS A LAD HERE
Scripture John 6:1-15, NIV Orig. 1/18/1984
Passage: Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Purpose: To call attention to Jesus’ attention to a seemingly worthless little lad through who he chose to bless other people
Keywords: Biographical New Testament Characters Sacrament
Introduction
We don’t know his name, or his age; we don’t know how much or little schooling he had had or if he was a forthright student; we do not really know what kind of home he comes from, or even the community. All that we know of this lad is that he came under the searching gaze of Jesus, and for two thousand years he has been praised for being willing for Christ to have the only thing of value that he possessed.
If we were dealing with miracles, this little boy would qualify because he has come many miles and some hours with his lunch intact. There may not ever have been another boy of whom that could be said. Troy Lee told of taking boy scouts on an excursion to Arkansas, and one boy spent every penny he had had at their first rest stop.
1. We must first look back. John 6:1, After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee. John the Baptist is dead. Matthew 14:1-13. Now when Jesus heard it He withdrew, . . . to a desert place apart. The disciples have returned from their preaching mission. Luke 9:1-6, v10, and when they were returned, . . . and He took them and withdrew.
An occasion of revitalization—Mark tells some of the mission, Mark 6:6-13; Mark tells all of John the Baptist, Mark 6:14-29; but he also singles out a need, Mark 6:31—Come ye yourselves, apart unto a desert place and rest awhile (a desert is a desolate place).
Link to all of this is Luke 9:9—Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see Him.
Add to all of this is that it was the Passover, John 6:4.
2. Then we need to see where they were going: To the other side of the sea of Galilee.
Luke says “to Bethsaida” (house of fishing): a suburb of Capernaum (Luke 9:10) across the north end of the lake; Phillip the Tetrarch, son of Herod of Iturea, Trachonitas, had made this town, now named Bethsaida Julias in honor of Augustus’ daughter.
Where had they been? There is a boat on both sides (see Mark 6:45). [They were] preaching “throughout the villages,” Matthew 11:1/Luke 9:6 (back to Capernaum).
A prior story—“The nobleman whose son was healed”—John 4:46f. Attention called to certain order of John 4-6: John 4:54 in Galilee; John 5:1 in Jerusalem; John 6:1 over Sea of Galilee; John 7:1 walk no more in Jewry because the Jews sought to kill Him. Also, John 5 Feast—late spring/summer, John 6 Passover—spring, John 7 Tabernacles—late summer.
3. There is a problem relative to the “company.” V5 He saw a great multitude. Jesus is there first, sees them coming; Mark 6:33f seems to place them there first. Matthew 14:13f, “They followed Him on foot from the cities. And He came forth and saw a great multitude.”
4. Two men important to the story.
Philip—from Bethsaida (John 1:44); name is Greek. Called forth because it is his town. He doubts their ability, not because it is logistically impossible but because they do not have 200 denarii, the working man’s pay for 6 months
Jesus has given them occasion for a faith assessment. Like Phillip, we often look for reasons why we cannot do a thing, not why we should, or must.
Andrew is also familiar with the area but his speculations are those of faith. His mind doesn’t turn to bakery shops, but to potential within the multitude.
Both were given same conditions: one doubts, one believes.
5. Thus comes the boy into the story. V9 There is a lad here with five barley loaves and two small fishes.
There are contemporary skeptics. Jesus could not multiply bread and fish; Jesus would not multiply bread and fish, Matthew 4:3-4. Jesus inspires the boy to share and thus hundreds do likewise. (Andrew implies that the boy only.)
William Barclay suggests “sacramental meal.” John 6:35 “Bread of Life”—communal passage, Lord’s supper.
The boy—barley bread is the bread of the poor. Taste was bitter, and accompaniment was necessary, thus the fish. It was also the bread of offering for adultery.
The blessing—“Blessed art thou O Lord our God who causes bread to come forth from the earth.”
The remnant—They had a standard word, “peah,” for the remnant that would be held in trust for the servants [or the poor]. Twelve baskets, twelve disciples.
PHILIP
#795c PHILIP
Scripture Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Matthew 10:3; John 1:43-48, 6:5-7, 12:21-22, 14:8-9
Orig. 3/2/1983
Passage:
John 1:43-48, 6:5-7, 12:21-22, 14:8-9
143 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
65 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
1221 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
148 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Mark 3:18
18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
Luke 6:14
14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew
Matthew 10:3
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus
Timeline/Series: Personality Profiles
I. What We Know of Him
· Bethsaida—NE shore of Galilee
· Greek name reflects Hellenistic influence only
· Jesus “found” him—“what was known to Him”
· Tradition takes him to Hierapolis in Phrygia
o Faithful witness
o Sister canonized by Greek church
o Martyred
II. What John Tells Us
· John 1:43 “follow me”
o v45, Philip finds Nathaniel
o Messiah and son of Joseph
o “Come and see”
· John 6:5-7, feeding of multitude
o To Jesus, “where are we to buy bread?”
o 200 days wages won’t be enough
o “But at your word we will start”
· John 12:21-22
o Greeks, “Sir, We would see Jesus.”
o V18, Father, glorify
o V33. And I, if I be lifted up
· John 14:6-9
o I am the way
o Show us the Father