Feeding the Five Thousand - Part 3

"And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost."  (John 6:12)

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day."  (John 6:39)

Over the years, I have sat through many sermons on the book of John, attended Bible studies through the book, and studied it on my own.  I have always known that John 6 included the account of the feeding of the five thousand, as well as Jesus' "I am the Bread of life" statement.  It wasn't  until just recently that I made a connection between the two accounts.  Oddly enough, it wasn't that both passages have bread in common, it was the phrases "nothing may be lost" and "lose nothing" that caught my attention.

In verse 11, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to the Father, broke and distributed it to everyone present.  His prayer was to recognize God's provision.  Scripture tells us that the people ate as much as they wanted until they were full, thus demonstrating the abundance of God.

In verse 35 of this chapter, Jesus says that He is the bread of life.  Jesus is God's abundant provision for the atonement of our sin.  In His prayer before entering the Garden of Gethsemane, He says, "Now they have come to know that everything Thou has given Me is from Thee; for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me."  (John 17:7-8)  In Matthew 26:26 it says, "And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  When we believe and take Him into our hearts and lives, we are promised that we won't be cast out (John 6:37), we won't be lost (John 6:39), and we will be raised on the last day (John 6:39).  We also have His "joy made full."  (John 17:13)

Do you ever struggle with feeling like you have nothing to offer, or that you'll never measure up? It's not true!!  Living a life in Christ means that nothing is lost and nothing is wasted.  He created you and gifted you with specific abilities for a purpose.  Your life, including both trials and triumphs, can be used to glorify Him.  He can use whatever meager insufficiencies you are willing to offer, and multiply them in abundance for His kingdom and divine purposes!

"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  (Philippians 2:13)