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THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XVII: Believing In Christ As The Great Predicted Prophet Seen In His Feeding Of The Five Thousand

(John 6:1-14)

I. Introduction

A. Israel's great prophet Moses had predicted that a Prophet like unto himself would arise, One who would be given God's words to speak, and God would hold Israel accountable to heed Him, Deuteronomy 18:18-19.

B. Well, after explaining to Israel's leaders in John 5:45-47 that Moses wrote about Him, Jesus actually fulfilled Moses' great Deuteronomy 18:18-19 prophecy, and even duplicated a part of the ministry of the prophet Elisha who had similarly ministered in Northern Israel like Jesus! We view this miracle for edifying insight:

II. Believing In Christ As The Great Predicted Prophet Seen In His Feeding Of The Five Thousand.

A. About six months after telling Jerusalem's religious leaders in John 5:45-47 that Moses wrote about Him (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 293), Jesus partly fulfilled Moses' messianic prediction of the "Prophet" to come that is found in Deuteronomy 18:18-19 by His miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, John 6:1-12a:

1. Like Moses whom God had used to perform great miracles for the benefit of Israel in her redemption out of Egypt, which miracles caused Israel to follow Moses' leadership (Exodus 4:29-31; 14:31) Jesus saw a great multitude in Israel follow Him due to the healing miracles He performed for them, John 6:1-2.

2. Like Moses who ascended Mount Sinai in his leading of Israel, Jesus ascended a hill, and Israel's people came unto Him for His ministry, John 6:3, 5a with Exodus 19:17-25; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 293.

3. Like Moses who was used of God to institute Israel's first Passover to celebrate her redemption from Egypt, Israel's throngs were longing "for a new Moses who would deliver them from Roman bondage" that very Passover season, John 6:4 with Exodus 12:1-51; Ibid.

4. Then, like Moses who was used of God supernaturally to feed Israel bread in the wilderness, Jesus supernaturally fed Israel's multitudes in the feeding of the five thousand, John 6:8-13 with Exodus 16:1-36.

B. However, going even further, Jesus also performed this miracle in line with a great miracle by Israel's great prophet Elisha, who like Jesus had earlier ministered in northern Israel, John 6:5-13 with 2 Kings 4:42-44:

1. Old Testament prophet Elisha had ministered "primarily in the northern kingdom" of Israel in the days of king Ahab (Zon. Pict. Ency. Bible, v. Two, p. 290), the region where Jesus fed the five thousand, John 6:1.

2. Elisha once received a gift of twenty loaves of barley and some grain, and directed this food be set before a hundred men to feed them, 2 Kings 4:42-43. Elisha's servant asked how he could set so small an amount before so many (2 Kings 4:43a), but Elisha claimed the Lord said they would eat and have food remaining, 2 Kings 4:43b. The servant obeyed, and the prophecy was fulfilled, 2 Kings 4:44!

3. Jesus' miracle of the feeding of the five thousand was similar to Elisha's, but it was far greater in degree:

a. Jesus asked Philip where to buy food to feed the crowd, and he replied that two hundred denarii's worth, a laborer's earnings of two hundred days of work, would not be enough to buy the food to feed the crowd (John 6:5-7; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to John 6:7 and Matthew 20:2) and Andrew explained a lad there had five barley loaves and two small fish, but that was too small an amount to feed so many, John 6:8. Jesus' own disciples thus mimicked the unbelief of Old Testament Elisha's servant in 2 Kings 4:43a.

b. Nevertheless, like Elisha, Jesus implied the people could be fed with the seemingly sparse amount of food, 2 Kings 4:42-43; John 6:10: He told the disciples to make the people sit down, He took the loaves and fish, gave thanks and distributed them to the disciples to give to the crowd much as Elisha had directed his servant to set the twenty loaves and grain before the one hundred men, John 6:10-11 with 2 Kings 4:43.

c. Like the one hundred in Elisha's era were filled with food remaining, the five thousand in Jesus' era were filled with the loaves and fish, with twelve baskets of food remaining, John 6:12-13; 2 Kings 4:43-44.

d. However, in Jesus' case, a much lesser amount of food fed a far greater multitude than in Elisha's case!

C. Understandably, then, the men in the multitude who had witnessed Jesus' miracle of feeding them concluded He was truly that Prophet Moses had predicted to come like himself, John 6:14 with Deuteronomy 18:18-19!

Lesson: Jesus as God's Son fulfilled Moses' Deuteronomy 18:18-19 prediction about the Prophet to come, working like Moses and also like Elisha in the feeding of the five thousand, but to a far greater degree than both men.

Application: (1) May we believe Jesus is the Great Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy 18:18-19 and that He is the Son of God for salvation, John 20:31. (2) May we realize that ALL Scripture points to Jesus Christ, John 5:39.