A Sermon for the Sunday Next Before Advent

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE ADVENT

John 6:5-14

King James Version

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.

A sermon by: Deacon Dan Farley

This morning’s gospel text features three main characters, and I’d like to take a moment to examine these notable figures.

1. **Jesus**

The first and most significant character is undoubtedly Jesus. Remarkably, this miracle is the only one documented in all four Gospel accounts. It occurred shortly after the beheading of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:13), which left Jesus deeply affected. This might come as a surprise, but the Bible assures us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15; Isa. 53:3-4). In response to John’s death, Jesus sought solitude with His disciples in the mountains for some rest and relaxation (Mark 6:31b), but the crowd pursued Him. Lacking a secretary to say, “I’m sorry, He can’t see you today; he’s on a much-needed break,” Jesus instead turned to the crowd, teaching and addressing their spiritual needs all day (Mark 6:34-35).

Later that afternoon, He became aware of their physical needs. (John 6:5) Isn’t it comforting, especially in these unpredictable times, to know that Jesus is concerned about both our physical and spiritual needs? He cares about providing shelter and food for us. He pays attention to the necessities of our grandchildren, ensuring they have clothes and shoes. This morning, He is attentive to our needs, whether they are spiritual or physical. He truly cares! “Yes, I am certain He cares, as no one else cares for you like Jesus does.” Regardless of whether your needs are tangible or spiritual, if you approach Jesus, He will fulfill them. I may not know what your specific needs are, but if you present them to Jesus, He will not let you leave unsatisfied.

2. Andrew

Next, we have Andrew. This disciple appears only three times in the Gospel of John, and he is often referred to simply as Simon Peter’s brother (John 6:8b), indicating his relative unimportance. What stands out to me about Andrew is that each time he appears, he is actively bringing people to Jesus. In one instance, he introduces a young boy with a small lunch (John 6:9), and in another, he assists some Greeks who wish to see Jesus, going to inform Him along with Philip (John 12:20-22). Additionally, it was Andrew who first brought the influential Simon Peter to Jesus (John 1:40-42).

From this, it seems likely that Andrew dedicated his life to introducing others to Jesus. What greater legacy could a disciple leave behind than to have spent their life helping others find Christ? I hope that someday someone could say that about me: “Old Deacon Dan dedicated his life to introducing people to Jesus.” Andrew didn’t seem to struggle with inviting people to meet Christ, and we easily invite our friends to various events. If Jesus is truly our closest friend, then why do we often hesitate or feel anxious about introducing Him to others? We all know that feeling. The exciting part of introducing people to Jesus is that you never know when you might be connecting someone with a future Simon Peter or the next Billy Graham.

3. The Boy.

This boy is one of my favorite figures in the Bible, and I see parallels between him and my own journey in ministry. Like this boy, I offered what I had to Jesus—my five loaves and two fish. He took those and used them in ways I could never have imagined.

This boy didn’t boast about what he could do with what he lacked. He didn’t say, “If my credit card weren’t maxed out, I would take this entire crowd to Chick- fil-a  for dinner.” I believe God is far more interested in how we utilize what we possess than in what we lack.

I often encounter the saying, “The Lord is not concerned with our ability, but our availability.” He simply gave what he had.

Jesus utilized his offering. He took that humble lunch, blessed it, and then broke it (Luke 9:16). God never works with anything until it is broken. After that, He used it to feed five thousand men, not to mention the women and children, totaling around twenty thousand people.

Recently, I’ve gained a new insight from this passage. The scripture mentions that they collected twelve baskets full of leftovers after everyone was satisfied (John 6:13). I wonder who ended up with those leftovers? Most commentators suggest that the disciples received them.

I can easily picture this boy running down the road that evening, dragging those twelve baskets of bread and fish. “Look, Mom! You remember that lunch you sent with me this morning? I gave it to a man named Jesus.” “What? Now, son, I told you that was our last food and I had no idea what we would eat tomorrow.” “Yes, Mom, but look at what He gave me in return! Now we can eat for a long time.” You see, Jesus not only blesses others with our offerings, but He always returns more than we initially give.

The scripture says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over” (Luke 6:38a).

What should we learn from today’s gospel message? Beyond our doors lies a world filled with individuals who are spiritually in need, and some are also physically hungry. Jesus observes this world of need with deep compassion. He seeks people like you and me who can offer their five loaves and two fishes, which he can bless, break, and use to nourish the masses. Are you willing to share yours?