PART THREE: Jesus Works Miracles, for People to Know and Belief in him. John 6: 1- 13

Series Title: Encountering Jesus, Strengthening our faith as we explore/ journey through the fourth Gospel.

Series Focus. A study of what it means to be Children of God. The One who lived, among us through Jesus.

Sermon Objective: That listeners would base their faith on Jesus whom they have known by he is (Signs)

Sermon subject: Jesus’ miracles point us to him. We understand him better by what we. know about him


Series focus: How to identify ourselves with Jesus the miracle worker

Sermon Text: John 6: 1-13

Introduction

In the previous sermon the aim was to look at the disciples who were called to be with Jesus and see how we can identify with them. Here I want us look at these disciple (Apostles) and see how they worked with Christ. Jesus had taken a considerable amount of time to prepare them for the ministry that lay ahead of them. He used several instances to text if they understood what he was doing.

The time had come to prepare the disciples for his death and to text out those who would be loyal to him. Jesus was willing to meet the basic needs but he would not assume the responsibility of leading. He refused to take part of the political King. As they thought he was an early king.

We see here that the determination of Jesus’ enemies to remove him became known to him and his disciples, thus they had to confront the growing opposition, which was hostile. Knowing these things they had to seek for private time together away from the multitude that was following him. It is at this time Jesus performed a miracle of feeding the Five thousand people.

Explanation

Excited by the power of Jesus to perform all the miracles of healing and his teaching, a large cloud followed him to the desert where he and his disciples had retreated. And as the day passed by Jesus noticed that they were hungry. Since Jesus wanted to involve his disciple in the ministry, he turned to them and asks where they shall buy bread for the crowd. The question was directed to Phillip, who in the previous found his friend Nathaniel and brought him to Jesus. That means he can propose some course of action as to what to do.

We are told that this was to text Phillip. But his answer was mathematical which did not help on what to do. I don’t think any of the disciples had enough money that would feed the big crowd that there was. Andrew saved the situation and introduced a small boy with little lunch. Probably this was enough to feed him alone. Five loafs and two pieces of fish.

As I go through this reading I notice that this Miracle is only mentioned in John. What does this tell us? This was an important miracle to John, and so is to us. Look at Jesus’ compassion to the people. John records that he saw them and had compassion on them, for they needed something to eat. They were hungry 6:5, this is who he.

He calls attention to the disciple and the test that he put them into is to ask them where they are going to buy bread to fee them. He takes up the matter with Phillip. Phillip used hi imagination, which was not fruitful at this time. However let’s not that it was his contribution. He was faced with a hard task of finding the solution. Why did Jesus have to ask him for solution? I guess he really knew what he would do. He knew Andrew is going to find this little boy.

Andrew unlike Phillip was more hopeful and helpful to giving the answer. Jesus’ action at this point reveals that he used Andrews’s proposal, which was natural wisdom and supernatural power vv8-10. And John tells us that the multiplication was enough to feed five thousand people.

The miracle was a wonder, which excited the people, and they started believing that he is unusual person among them. V14. I would imagine that they were Miracle followers who followed not because they believed but because they wanted to see the miracles. Not that they never mention that he was Christ as he was always telling them. They suggest that he might me a prophet. They seem to live in the Old Testament times when Moses provided water to the Israelites in the wilderness. See Deut 18:15,
Exodus 15:11ff, 17: 1-6.

After everyone eat and were filled Jesus commanded them to collect the leftovers. Twelve bags were collected. The command in itself explains that which has been given by God must not be lost, and indeed cannot be lost. But not that those who eat the bread wanted to make him king Hoskins suggest that “judging that one who is able to feed them miraculously can also with miraculous power lead them against the Romans” V 15 records that he(Jesus) knew what was in their hearts and he withdrew from them.

Illustration

When I was in lower primary school, I remember attending a show by a “Tiger Power.” He used to perform all sorts unbelievable acts. Most of the children who attended the show started to copy what the Tiger Power was doing.

Although these were dangerous things to do without training, we wanted to act like him. Why? This is because it was something that we desired to have. We also desire to be like him and do the acts that he was doing. As Christians we should identify with Jesus and thirst to what he wishes us do. For by doing what he wants us do we become like him.

Application

Jesus fed the multitude, and he provided his action with its proper meaning. He is the answer to the desires of men. He points to the needs of men so that they may know and belief in him. In our inability to comprehend who he is, he makes every effort to make himself known to us

Jesus is the bread of life to all. He is the provided in the times of needs to his own. Note that it is by provision of food the disciples (Followers) recognized that he was not mere human. What points us to Christ? What makes as know that he is Christ in our lives? Time has come to look at Jesus and what he means in our lives. We should not do this for the seek of doing it but we should do so in the strength given by his manifestation to us in many ways so that we may recognize him Those who follow him and belief in him will never be hungry or thirst .

Jesus is the bread of life see v7-15. He is the giver of eternal life. He who descends from heaven is the bread of God, given, not for the sustenance of a figurative race, but for the life of the whole world.

Conclusion

I want us make conclusion by looking at three people who made it possible for the miracle to happen. These people have contributed a great deal to the knowledge of Christ, There was Andrew. There is a contrast between Andrew and Phillip. Phillip said the situation is helpless nothing can be done but Andrew said that he knows what can be done, and I will trust Jesus to do the rest

I think as Christians we need to be like Andrew. Many times we do not look at what Christ has to offer in order to be closer to him. Jesus needs what we can bring to him for him to make use of. We need to look at who he his in our lives bring what we have and we will understand him better.

There are many untapped resources with believers. This is what we need to focus to and we will understand Jesus better when we make use of the resources. A certain preacher said that Christians should be able to know Christ for what he is to them. He is all to us. Isn’t he?

Book Report -New Testament & Mythology: Rudolf Bultmann

Rudolf Bultmann: Schubert M. Ogden Ed: New Testament & mythology, and other basic writings: Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989. 168 pp

Rudolf Bultmann ( 1884 – 1976) was the most influential New testament scholar of the twentieth century. Bultmann has written other books like, History of the Synoptic Tradition, Theology of the New Testament, The Gospel of John, and The Johannine Epistles. Others works my him include, Primitive Christianity, faith and Understanding. Bultmann was a Christian theologian.

Among Bultmanns books this is the most discussed and controversial theological writings of the century. In this book the editor has pointed out that this is no doubt a reply to bultmann’s critics. He deals with the problem of hermeneutics as an earlier advance the discussion. By directly addressing the most fundamental problem that his demand for demythologizing raises, at once surveying the modern history, he is proposing a constructive solution to it. From these essays the author seems to understand the distinctive task of theology to lie precisely in securing the appropriate concepts in which to interpret the Christian witness. Readers of this book will appreciate how Bultmannn himself labored at this task and how careful he was about his own theological conceptuality. As most of you will enjoy reading this short summary, you are encouraged to read the book and find out the rich treasures there are in.

The author talks about the mythical word picture and the mythical salvation occurrence in the New Testament which he says-all this is a world of mythical picture. All readers who are Christians will appreciate that the author gives a picture of the world as he know it. He describes the world as three story structure, which has earth heaven and hell. He further tries to tell his readers that heaven is the dwelling place of God and heavenly creatures mostly referred to as angles. God rules over these three stories. Therefore man is not his own master, for God direct his thinking and the demons too can posses them. He is very clear that those who are in Christ are God’s and he or she is bound to him by baptism and the Lord’s super. Pg 2.The author asserts that believers are the first fruits to be the children of God. Thus they have their master who rulers over them. On the Mythical world picture the author asks if men and women can acknowledge it. On the some note he points out that naturally it is not unalterable, and even an individual can work to change it. A good example that the author gives here is the mythical eschatology which is finished basically by the simple fact that Christ’s parousia did not take place immediately as the New Testament aspect it to, but he says the world continues and every competent judge is convinced will continue. He says there are many doctrines that can not be understood, and likewise no one can understand i. e Jesus’ resurrection.

In trying the make it better understood, the author points out that the real point about myth is not to give an objective world picture, what is expressed in it, rather he argues that it is how human beings understand themselves in the world. Myth therefore does not need to be interpreted in the cosmological terms but in anthropological ones. He argues that there is a problem in demythologizing i.e. the occurrence of Christ. He is quick to point out that the Christ occurrence is not myth like the cult myth of the Greek or Hellenistic, but he says that the Jesus Christ was God, a pre-existent divine being (pg 32) who is far remote from being a myth.

The author tries again to introduce a subject that seems somehow complicated for his readers to comprehend. He discusses Theology as science; he argues that the object of science is evident in its not being interested in particular results of its research. He asserts that it seeks nothing except to allow the object as such to show itself and to find expression. The author points out that any science work presupposes a presceitific relation to its object in which a certain understanding of is already included. He gives an example saying that the science of history is appropriate if only if only the historian has relation to the subject matter with which the history ha concerned and if this very relation guides his or her historical understanding.

In summary the author says that it is impossible to go into all the critical contents and to respond to all of the questions addressed to his since the first appearance of his essay. He tries to clarify the questions that seems to him most important. The author is struggling to explain the myth and mythologizing so that his readers may understand. Dealing with these topics readers will agree that are difficult ones to deal with. For example the author says that demythologizing is a procedure that inquires about the reality referred to mythology texts. Any one who reads the book will first struggle with the definition of terms and also will deal with terms that are not too familiar.

However, it is important to note that the issue that seems too difficult to deal with, that is demythologizing is an important tool to the pulpit people. This kind of topic has not been dealt with by many scholars, so bultmann has set the table for the now and the future of theologians. As Thomas asserts this is a useful tool in any theological course. This book is a worth one to read. Those that have read it would recommend it to their theological counter parts for it has theological insights that will help every reader in this century. Moreover, it is by reading carefully of these writings that can be co noted to yield an understanding of the whole book, better than summarized in these few pages. It is referred to as basic writing to understand the world pictures of the New Testament and so it is. Those that are taking this proposal have no alternative but to read all of the writings that will bring them to a better understanding of what Bultmann calls mythology. Unlike other books the author has detailed work which is worthy looking at.