John 6:5–7

The scene shifts completely away from Jerusalem. We see the Lord in Galilee... A great crowd follows Him because of the signs He worked on the sick. None of the reasons given in the other Gospel accounts appear here. There is no mention of the beheading of John the Baptist, no mention of the apostles' return from their mission, and no mention of the need for rest after teaching. Jesus fills the picture: all is in His hand. It is He who takes the initiative.

What was it that moved Jesus when He lifted up His eyes and saw a great crowd coming to Him? Was it satisfaction with His success? Was that what filled the heart of the "good Shepherd," who had come to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel? No. It was their need that made His heart yearn over them. First came their outward need, and He met that with five loaves and two fish. But what was this outward need compared with the spiritual need of those five thousand precious souls! Sadly, they themselves had very little sense of it, if any at all.

We are told that when our Lord "asked for information, it was because He wanted it"... John 6:5-6 destroys this unworthy conclusion completely and plainly. There the Lord said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" And we read, "He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do."... It needs no study of Socrates to know that someone may ask a question for the sake of the person he asks.

In Matthew He had been busy healing the sick, a feature which marked Him out as the Christ, the Messiah of Israel. From Mark we learn that He had been teaching, for he brings Him before his readers as the Teacher, or Prophet... John was there himself, as one of the twelve apostles. Yet he leaves out all mention of what the Lord had been doing before the evening of that day drew in. He opens the account of the sign with the Lord's question to Philip... Presenting Him to his readers as a Divine Person, he notices His foreknowledge and His power.

The Lord raises the question with Philip as to where to buy bread for the need of the crowd. It is a question to exercise not only Philip, but everyone. Where is there enough grace to meet the crying need of all mankind? But Philip fails the test: his faith did not simply rest on the greatness of his Lord, as it should have. He does not even consider "where" to buy, but only sees the poverty of their finances in this matter.

Still, He waits for the hopeless words of Andrew, who came from the same town as Philip. He would teach everyone now what His gracious power loves to do with the little and the despised, even for the greatest need... And where was Peter? Where was John, the disciple He loved? Nowhere in faith.

Difficulties are allowed to arise among the people of God that no man can solve. They come to test us... But we are told that "He Himself knew what He would do." Those words are our assurance. No difficulty will ever arise in our own paths, or among the people of God, that He cannot solve. In the last and difficult days, teachers and leaders may fail us. But there is One to whom we can turn on the darkest day and in the face of the greatest difficulty. We can be certain that He knows what to do.

A great crowd stands on a barren mountain, in need of food. Human power could not possibly meet that need. But the Lord is there, and He will meet it. Before He does, He uses the difficulty to test the faith of His own disciples. Do they have faith to use the Lord's resources when, on their side, all hope is gone?

Jesus Himself "knew what He would do." In such an emergency, the most you could say of other servants of God is this: they did not know what to do, so they looked to God for direction and got it. But here was One who knew what to do, and knew He had the power to do it. Before Andrew spoke of the boy with his small loaves and fish, He already knew about them. To hold such knowledge, and such power, that you know with absolute certainty what you will do — that belongs to God alone.

Some say that when our Lord "asked for information, it was because He wanted it"… Turn to John 6:5-6, and that unworthy conclusion is completely and plainly destroyed… You do not need to study Socrates to know that a question can be asked for the sake of the person questioned.

John's gospel presents the Lord as a divine Person, the Word of God, and the Father's only Son. John himself was there all through the day, yet he says nothing about the Lord healing and teaching. He opens the story of the miracle with the Lord's question to Philip… John draws attention to the Lord's foreknowledge and His power. That fits perfectly with the way he presents Christ as the Eternal Son of the Father.

John, however, is careful of His glory. He tells us at once that the question came from no uncertainty in the Lord's own mind. It was to test Philip: He knew what He was going to do. Still, He waits for the hopeless words of Andrew, who came from Philip's town… Andrew was Simon Peter's brother, and he saw the Messiah even before Peter did. Yet he could think of a little boy with five barley loaves and two fish, not of Jesus. And where was Peter? Where John, the disciple that He loved? Nowhere in faith.

When emergencies arose, He sometimes asked them what to do. Not that He needed advice from anyone. He questioned them to teach them two things: first, how useless they were in themselves in matters like this, and second, how vast the resources were that their Master had at hand.

God lets difficulties arise among His people that no one can overcome, to test us… But we are told that "He himself knew what He would do." Those words assure us that no difficulty will ever arise in our own path, or among the people of God, that He cannot solve. In the last and hardest days, teachers and leaders may fail us. But there is One we can turn to on the darkest day, in the greatest difficulty, sure that He knows what to do.

He often tells us to take a step that involves real trial. In the very act of taking it, we not only see the reason for it, but also get strength to go on.

The Lord raises the question with Philip as to where to buy bread for the need of the crowd. It is a question that tests not only Philip, but everyone. Where is there enough grace to meet the crying need of all mankind? But Philip fails the test: his faith did not simply depend on the greatness of his Lord, as it should have. He does not even consider "where" to buy, but only sees how little money they have (v. 7).

Philip's reply proves that he thought such a thing impossible. "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, that every one may take a little," he said. He had no thought of the power of his Master.

As a test of faith, He asked Philip where they could find bread to feed so many. Philip replied that two hundred denarii — about eight months' wages for a labourer — would only be enough to give each one a little.

The question brought out Philip's sense that feeding them was impossible. "Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little" (7) — much less enough for a satisfying meal for everyone. And where in that deserted place could they buy so much bread? It is also unlikely that the apostles had that much money to spend. They often depended on others to supply their bodily needs (Luke 8:1-3).

Does it not teach us for the hundredth time how little human accuracy and careful thought can do here? Such matters must be discerned spiritually. For we have evidence that Philip was exact and observant as a man, and perhaps we might add, as a believer. He was the one who so clearly described the marks of the Messiah to Nathanael. He was the one who was sure that two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for the hungry crowd. He was the one who urged Nathanael to come and see for himself the wonderful Person he had met.

The Gospel writer is careful of His glory. He tells us at once that the question came from no uncertainty in Jesus' own mind. He asked it to test Philip: He knew what He was going to do... Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saw the Messiah even before his brother did. Yet he could think of a little boy with five barley loaves and two fishes, not of Jesus. And where was Peter? Where was John, the disciple whom He loved? Nowhere in faith.

Philip can only think of the power of money to meet the case; though he has to admit that his plan would only provide the crowd with "a little". How different the Lord, who, when He acts, gives "as much as they would".

Philip's way would have been to provide enough bread for the meal, so that each might take "a little". The Lord's way was to provide far more than enough, so that everyone might have "as much as they wanted". We must not think the extra came from the Lord over-estimating the need. He increased the small supply by His almighty power, and He knew exactly how hungry the crowd was, because He knows all things.

God allows difficulties to arise among His people that no human power can overcome. They come in order to test us... But we are told, "He himself knew what He would do." Those words assure us of this: no difficulty will ever arise in our own path, or among the people of God, that He cannot solve.