The Fourth Sign

In John 6, we encounter Jesus performing another miracle, referred to in the book of John as a “sign”—a miracle with a lesson attached to it. This miracle is the only one recorded in all four gospels, presumably because the issue at hand, provision, is so fundamental to our humanity and our faith. From the moment we are born, we are dependent upon provision, all of which comes from God. But the older we get, the more we forget where our provision really comes from.

The reason that Jesus shows us that He is the Lord of Provision in this passage is simply because everyone needs to be provided for. As the One who is all-powerful and all-sufficient, Jesus easily could have ignored or disregarded the needs of the people, or left His disciples to figure it out on their own. But despite His greatness and grandeur, Jesus took time to sit with the people and to provide exactly what was lacking. In doing so, He shows that He wants us to sow, be good stewards, and play our part in the Kingdom. But Jesus is the One who will ultimately provide in every area of our lives, whether it be for our future, in our relationships, or our finances.

Questions for Meditation

1. In verse 5, it says that Jesus was testing Philip. Why was Jesus testing him? How does Jesus test us in the same way?
2. Do you ever find yourself calculating when Jesus is desiring faith? How can we grow in our faith and not calculate when provision is needed?
3. Sometimes we can be surprised by the test, or at other times we begin to question God’s faithfulness. What is God’s purpose in our testing?
4. In verse 8-9 we see a young boy’s offering. In Mark’s telling of this miracle, we see Jesus ask for the offering. Why are our offerings so important to God, and important to us?
5. Jesus always provides through the areas that we place in His hands. What area have you been lacking in that you feel like God wants to provide in?