After Jesus fed the 5,000, many people followed him with the intent of receiving more free food. To these people, Jesus said that he was the ‘bread of life’, and by doing so he highlighted the emptiness of life without him and the satisfaction that comes to those who believe in Him. Those who believe in him receive daily spiritual sustenance and best of all, eternal life!
Sermons
‘His voice above the sound of the waves’ (John 6:16-21)
John 6:16-21 concerns the day Jesus walked on water to his disciples out in a boat. After the feeding of the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread, John records this miracle as further proof of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and to show the concern Jesus had for his disciples. He not only prayed for them, but came to them and the water before him was no obstacle. The believer who grasps on to this and hears His voice saying, ‘It is I, do not be afraid’ whenever they face suffering and trial, will find this a great comfort.
‘Making more than much with less than little’ (John 6:1-15)
John 6:1-15 concerns the feeding of the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread. John records this miracle as further proof of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and shows how the disciples could only think of solving the problem of a hungry crowd in an earthly way. However, when a meagre amount of food was offered, Jesus had no trouble in multiplying the amount and providing more than enough for all. What we bring to Jesus, no matter how small, can also be multiplied into large amount of blessings that can satisfy all who come to him in faith.
Guest Conrad Mbewe on Titus 3
Conrad is the pastor of Kabwata Reformed Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, and is also known as the ‘African Spurgeon’. He spoke from Titus 3 about how Christians, by the grace of God, are different. The truth about Jesus our Saviour changes us from being led astray by foolish passions. Our lives ought to bear witness to this truth. We are urged to give up folly because it not only makes us ignorant of our mortality but also leads to our very destruction. Wisdom is to rely on God and his mercy.
‘Witnesses to the claims of Jesus’ (John 5:31-47)
John 5:31-47 continues the words of Jesus to the Jews defending his strong claims that he was the Son of God, by referring to the testimony of many witnesses. Among those he mentioned included the testimony of John the Baptist, the words of God the Father, the writings of Moses and his own miraculous signs. These all agree and testify to the truth he proclaimed about himself. It is not a lack of evidence that keeps people from believing, but a hardness of heart.
‘True or false? Was Jesus a fraud?’ (John 5:16-30)
The text of John 5:16-30 records that after Jesus healed the paralysed man, he ran into immediate trouble with the Jews who had trouble with his claims and his actions. In this text, Jesus defended himself against accusations of fraud and claimed to be the Son of God with power to grant life and eternal life. As no-one else offers what Jesus offers, He is our only hope in the face of an uncertain world and our eventual death.
‘Better than many friends or much wealth’ (John 5:1-15)
In this text Jesus healed a paralyzed man at Bethesda. The miracle serves to remind us of the effect of sin upon all mankind, our inability to save ourselves and the grace and mercy of Jesus the Saviour who proved to be worth more than many friends or much money. Our faith is to be in Him and is wrongly placed if it is in ourselves or any other.
‘A long-distance miracle and a certain kind of faith’ (John 4:43-54)
Here Jesus is met by a royal official whose son is dying. His riches and status cannot protect him and his family from hardship and death. His faith may have only been enough for him to seek Jesus in a time of need but Jesus’ response shows that his power has no bounds – not even distance. The official’s faith grows and he trusts Jesus at his word, leaving to go home and find his son healed. John writes so that we can be encouraged to have faith even without sight just like the official and all generations since.
‘The harvest reaped…but much more work to do’ (John 4:27-42)
In the second part of John’s account of the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, the results of their conversation become evident. By returning to her people with news of her experience of Jesus, the woman became a witness to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. By telling us this, John also reminds us that evangelism is a process, that fruit follows real faith and that harvests need reaping. Our witness can and will be used to bring others into the Kingdom of God.
‘A conversation well worth remembering’ (John 4:1-26)
John 4:1-26 highlights the life transforming conversation Jesus had with a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus overcame social, religious and racial barriers to speak with this woman and confronted her with the truth about her own sinfulness and his own identity. By degrees, Jesus also led the woman to move her thinking away from quenching her physical thirst to seeking after the ‘living water’ that he could and does bring to those who seek and find him.