Lenten Devotion for 3 April 2011 Anno Domini

Lenten Devotion for 3 April 2011 Anno Domini

1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. John 6:1-14

Here we read on the subject of Bread. Though there appears to be a great lack thereof, there is such immensity present to feed the whole world if the petition were but made to the proper Authority. “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) So in the Lord Jesus, we have not only the Bread of Life but also the very Water of Life. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14). Quite often we seek riches in other fields while the greatest wealth of all lies in the field of our nativity. The multitudes followed Christ everywhere, perhaps out of curiosity as much as to learn and to recover from their sins. They may have believed that He could show them the means of acquiring Life and Truth. Little did they realize that He Himself was the Way, the Truth and the Life!
“And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” Jesus healed all that came to Him and turned none away.
Jesus plumbed the depths of Philip’s understanding with the question: “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Christ was the Master Teacher. A good teacher never asks a question the answer for which they do not know. Jesus was fully aware of what action He would take, but did Philip? Philip answered according to the common manner of acquiring Bread – BUY it! The disciple, Andrew, responded with only slightly greater faith by adding, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” He began with greater faith than that with which he ended. Certainly, Christ did not even need the few loaves and fishes to feed these masses of people. So Andrew believes something may be accomplished with just these five loaves and two fishes, but then he thinks about it and ends with doubt – “what are they among so many?” In the boy’s hand, this was small provision, but in the Hand of Christ there was more than an excess to satisfy the hunger of the multitudes.
“Make the men sit down” Our God is a God of order and not confusion. All things must be done with reverence and in good order. So Jesus counsels them to sit down. Another point may lie in the fact that this miracle would be a complete miracle of God. The people must be seated to remove any doubt as to WHO is providing the Bread from such meager resources. There were five thousand men alone, not to mention women and children. “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks” This He always did, and this we, too, should always do for all things. Here Christ demonstrates His desire for His ministers to be involved in the distribution of physical, as well as spiritual, Bread. “He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” And the minister, following the example of Christ, must ever be ready to serve the Bread of Life, and he must do so until his charges are filled with it.
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” We must be good stewards of all that the LORD has placed in our hands. Christ will lose none whom His Father has placed in His Hands and neither should we on account of lack of vigilance or zeal. “Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” We have the perfection of God represented in the two fishes and fives loaves (the number seven) and we have the government of God represented in the number of baskets of excess (twelve). If we have God’s perfection, we shall also have His government. “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.” True, and more than a prophet! He it was who was prophesied to come even in the beginning chapters of Genesis. The innocent animal that God had to sacrifice to gain a covering for Adam and Eve was the first hint that a Lamb of God would be required to cover the sins of the world. And this was He! “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21). This was the first sign of death resulting from Adams sin and the first foreshadowing of One who must die for OUR sins to cover our nakedness (sin). Do you still wear a fig leaf, or have you accepted the covering sufficient for your sins this Lenten Season?