April 14, 2012 – John 5:31 - 6:15

Here, Jesus is talking about the testimony someone might get to prove who they are.  We might see them as recommendations or referrals.  They are looking for Jesus’ resume that shows He is who He says He is.  He says that His recommendations are the Scriptures that they say they follow (love how He says if you “actually” followed Moses you would follow Me).  The signs are also a referral of who He is.  There is a place where the disciples of John the Baptist go and ask if Jesus is the Christ.  He says go and tell John what is happening and then list off the miracles that are occurring.  These point to Jesus being the Messiah, but also to Him being God. 

No sooner than we have Jesus say the Miracles show that I am who I say I am, then He performs the feeding of the 5,000.  There are so many things that have been talked about and pointed to in this miracle that I don’t want to go in detail.  I will just list a few of the things that might be interesting to reflect on. 

He asked Phillip the question knowing what He was going to do.  We saw earlier by curing on the Sabbath that Jesus planned out these miracles and set them up for the greatest effect.  Here He ask about feeding them so they would realize later what a great miracle this was.

Jesus makes the bread abundant.  I am not sure what word to use there but I am not sure abundant is correct.  Basically the idea is that Jesus caused the bread to keep continuing.  Catholics, when looking at the Eucharist, see this as help in explaining how the Eucharist continues on and does not run out or can continually be made. 

12 baskets left.  Whether this connect to the Apostles or to the 12 Tribes, I have heard both.  There is a great relation to the 12 tribes being fed by bread from God and here the bread from God feeds them again with leftovers.  Also it points to the overflowing love of God.

It is a boy that gives the food.  We hear that you need the faith of a child and it is made a point of that it was no man or adult that gave up this food to God, but a child with that childlike faith.  Also, think about the idea of what God can do with the stuff we give Him.  When we give our time, talents, money to God with childlike faith, He can multiply it beyond our wildest dreams. 

Like I said, there is a lot to digest and reflect on.