Learning Jesus | Week 14
Learning Jesus Week 14
THE Bread of Life
Key Word – Eat >> Central Passage – John 6:22-40
Day 1 –
Remember how Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus when He was about two years old? Wise men from the East came to worship Jesus as King, and Herod felt threatened. Now his son Herod Antipas is ruling. In Mark, we get a detailed flashback story about why Herod Antipas had John the Baptizer beheaded. The background story is complicated, but to simplify it: John openly stated that Herodias, Herod’s wife, was guilty of incest and adultery. (In fact, her marital history includes two more counts of adultery and one more count of incest.)
Read Mark 6:14-29.
1. What sins likely motivated Herod the Great, his son Herod Antipas, Antipas’ wife Herodias, and her daughter Salome to each instigate or be part of the murder of another person?
2. In last week’s lesson we read how Jesus promised persecution for His current disciples and His future disciples, including us. John, Jesus’ Herald, voiced truth, and now we see how foolish, vain, proud, spiteful, people-pleasing sinners responded by removing this prophet’s head.
o Write a time(s) when you spoke or did not speak truth in Jesus’ name when opportunities arose.
o What were the sins that provoked your persecutors?
o What was your sin if you chose to remain silent?
3. How does reflecting upon the sin nature of both unbelievers and yourself as a believer, gird your heart for speaking truth in love at your next opportunity to proclaim Christ?
Father, we pray, Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
Concluding Notes -- The passage opens with “King Herod heard about this....” The “this” is Jesus’ regional ministry. We read last week that Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to share the good news and gave them the authority to cast out demons and to heal the sick. Now, therefore, Herod Antipas has heard of Jesus’ ministry and believes the rumors that Jesus is John the Baptizer resurrected. Since Herod was the one who had John the Baptizer killed, a resurrected John would be “perplexing,” meaning very concerning. In Luke’s account of the story Herod states, “’I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?’ And he tried to see him.”
We are at a crucial juncture in our study of Jesus in the gospels. In our last lesson, Jesus called His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, to lose their lives for His sake (Matthew 10:38-39). Preceding this call, Jesus spelled out the cost of discipleship: REJECTION by both nation & family. Jesus, the Ultimate Teacher, knew the future, and we next read that John the Baptist was beheaded.
Only God could make His point so graphically, and now that the disciples have been exposed to the cost (though they do not understand it all yet), Jesus will seize His last year of ministry to instruct the Twelve how to build the Church.
Before we begin, consider this audacious mission that Jesus will entrust in one year’s time to mere men! While you marvel, remember that we are still in the Church Age, still in the Mystery Kingdom, and that God also has entrusted us to build upon the foundation of the apostles (Eph. 2:19-22) so that a hungry world can eat.
Day 2 –
When Jesus heard of Herod’s interest in His work, He departs by boat four to five miles out of Herod’s jurisdiction to Bethsaida. The masses walk ten miles to find Jesus because they saw His signs. Our story today of the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle besides the resurrection recorded in all four gospels. We will focus on John and Mark only.
Only John mentions that the feeding of the five thousand occurred near the Passover. This miracle is the fourth of John’s seven signs. The Passover commemorates how God provided physical salvation for the Jewish people when they painted the blood of a spotless lamb over their door. When the angel of death saw this sign of faith, the eldest in the house escaped death. When the angel of death took the life of Pharaoh’s eldest son, Pharaoh finally gave Israel permission to worship their God in the wilderness. Since this opened the door for the nation’s escape after 400 years of bondage in Egypt, Passover is celebrated with nationalistic fervor, and this plays a part in the masses’ response to this miracle.
Part of God’s purpose in bringing Israel into the wilderness was to train this new nation to depend upon Him for every need. Significant to this story is that through Moses, God provided manna (bread) for Israel and promised a Prophet greater than Moses for Israel (Exodus 16; Deut 18:15-19). Jesus is this promised Prophet and the great Teacher as well. When the crowd invades His classroom, Jesus weaves this interruption into His lesson plan for the Twelve.
1. Read John 6:1-13. Write the w’s for each verse. Some are directly stated in the text; others must be inferred. If a detail is previously stated or not in the verse or you cannot determine an inference, leave the column blank. Keep in mind that John calls the feeding a “sign” and connects it to the manna in the wilderness.
2. Read Mark 6:30-44. The questions that follow have easy to find answers, but try to answer by capturing the spirit of Jesus’ intentions. Keep in mind that Mark draws attention to the Old Testament’s common pattern (motif) of a rest in the wilderness that follows a challenging season of ministry or a trial or test.
o Why does Jesus suggest a retreat in the wilderness? (Mark 6:30-32)
Sample Answer – Jesus’ intention is to give the apostles rest (v31) because they had just been sent out on a trip to proclaim the kingdom as they healed the sick and cast on demons. We have seen that both before and after engaging in deep mission, Jesus’ rhythm is to seek God beforehand and to rest afterwards. He is modeling dependence upon God and abiding in God.
o Why does Jesus teach and heal the multitude instead of resting? (Mark 6:33-34)
o What is the disciples’ advice for Jesus? (Mark 6:35-36)
o What is Jesus’ command? (Mark 6:37a)
o What is their disclaimer? (Mark 6:37b)
o What is Jesus’ command? (Mark 6:38a)
o When they obey, what do they discover they have? (Mark 6:38b)
o What are Jesus’ commands, both direct & implied? (Mark 6:39-43)
3. John and Mark include different details to accentuate their purposes in writing, but their themes do overlap.
o John calls this miracle a “sign.” How does this sign point to the gospel?
o What lesson does Mark accentuate that Jesus taught His twelve about ministry? Consider how this lesson is essential for ministry leaders who live out the gospel before the people.
Day 3 –
Yesterday we learned that because the Passover commemorated how Israel emerged from Egyptian bondage as a nation, this feast was celebrated with some nationalistic fervor, particularly at this point in Israel’s history since they are under Roman rule. According to the Talmud, the Jews would have plenty to eat during the reign of the Messiah, and these five thousand men, who with women and children likely totaled 20,000, had eaten their fill and twelve baskets of bread were even left over, a detail that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each include in their account.
Read John 6:14-15.
This is the shortest passage we have read in Learning Jesus. But we have much to reflect upon that is crucial to understand and to live. Last semester we learned that Jesus called the apostles for the purpose of being with Him (Mark 3:14). Now Jesus is shifting to training the apostles for ministry while He is still with them. Consider this as you reflect upon these questions.
1. Why do the masses want to force Jesus to be king?
2. Why does Jesus withdraw to pray at this time?
3. By withdrawing to pray after this miracle and lesson for the apostles, what is Jesus teaching the disciples about the relationship between being with God and serving God?
4. Why is it important for followers that their leader seeks God is prayer?
Deep Think (Totally Optional)
Meditation -- Each question below can be applied to your own relationship with the Lord. Take time to meditate on your answers above before entering into prayer.
Prayer – You can use the space below to write a prayer or try praying out loud somewhere private. How you pray can flow from your meditation time. Below are just a few ideas if you are learning how to pray.
o Praise God who deeply desires for you to enjoy an intimate, dependent relationship with Him.
o If you have tried to make God into what you want Him to be, confess that.
o If you have not pursued God intimately, confess that.
o Ask Him for that relationship for your own sake.
o Ask Him for that relationship for the sake of those you lead and for the church.
o Pray that His Kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Day 4 –
Read Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:1-15
1. In our study of the gospels, we mainly are studying in broad strokes of movements and themes. Today let’s practice looking at the minute details that each gospel writer includes to get to that broader theme and to connect this story to the feeding of the five thousand. Answer the “W” using all three gospel accounts. Example answers are provided for you.
2. Mark says the disciples were greatly amazed beyond measure and marveled. For they had not understood the loaves, because their hearts were hardened. (6:51-52)
o What is the connection between the loaves and the storm?
o What are the Twelve beginning to understand now about Who Jesus is in relation to who they are in this new “Come & Be with Me” stage?
Day 5 – Central Passage of the Week
Many whose stomachs Jesus fully satisfied at the feeding of the five thousand follow Him to Capernaum. Note how throughout His discourse Jesus redirects their motivations for following Him to a LIFE beyond temporal satisfaction.
Read John 6:22-40.
1. The gospel is sourced in the Person Jesus Christ. The combination of your answers below should clearly convey that truth. Your answers will prepare you to share the gospel as Jesus chose to share it. Consider incorporating in your answer how the gospel rebuts what postmodern minded people today think about their origin, identify, purpose, and destiny. These add up to their worldview.
o How does this life contrast to the life the world offers? (6:27)
o Why is this life a heavenly life? (6:32-33)
o Why is it a satisfying life? (6:35)
o How is this life totally secure for those who believe? (6:37-40)
2. John records seven “I am” statements from Jesus. In this discourse, Jesus gives the first one (6:35). Like Moses, Jesus the greater Prophet provided bread for the five thousand people In the wilderness. Manna came from the heavens. Jesus came from heaven. The LIFE is found in the PERSON.
Jesus is talking to the people but He is also training His apostles to be disciplemakers. Why must they know and teach that The LIFE is found in the PERSON?
3. Memorize John 6:40. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
REFLECTION with Community
In John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus lifts up His eyes and seeing the multitudes coming toward Him asks Philip where to buy bread (6:1-7). It’s logical He would ask Philip about his knowledge of bread in Bethsaida since Philip is from there, but Philip considers the question moot since it would take 200 days salary to buy just a mouthful of bread for each person (5,000 men plus women & children) and they do not have that kind of money and anyway where would they buy that much bread and even if they had the money and could find the 200 denaris worth of bread that would not be enough and the people would still be hungry. But Jesus asked this “to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.”
This reminds me of when Jesus told Peter to cast his net again. Here He tested Peter to trust Him above Peter’s own knowledge immediately before He called Peter to “Come & Follow Me.” Now He tests Philip as He leads him toward His third stage in disciplemaking: “Come and Be with Me.” Note that in the first stage “Come & See,” when John and Andrew asked if they could learn from Jesus (John 1:38-39), Jesus did not test them. He simply invited them to come check Him out. When Jesus tests Peter, He does so as a sign to encourage Peter to trust Him with his life. Now Jesus tests Philip to encourage him to trust Him, again above his own knowledge, but at an even higher level -- with the lives of the shepherd-less. Pause and consider for a moment how that is a weightier trust.
Before the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples had just returned from being sent out to preach the kingdom. Still when we contrast Jesus “moved with compassion” for the masses to the Twelve who said “Send them away…” we can see that the apostles have a long way to go in shepherd training. Jesus is not dismayed, however. He simply confronts their disbelief by engaging them to feed the people bread He provided.
What About you? As we begin -- just begin! -- studying how Jesus trained His Twelve to “Come & Be with Me,” it would be good to see where you are in His disciplemaking process. A good way to figure that out is for you to ask:
“What am I hungry for?” and “What am I in faith eating?” Look at the chart below to figure that out.
1. Reflect on the chart for several minutes. Share with the group your current stage of discipleship. Explain why you think this is your current stage.
2. Jesus is the bread of life. How as a disciple called to make disciples are you clinging to this Person?
3. *Bill Hull developed these particular stages of discipleship in his book Jesus Christ Disciplemaker. His last stage is “Abiding with Jesus,” and we will discuss that stage when we study Jesus’ last discourse with His Twelve. Today we can pray with this abiding “end in mind” relationship -- Father, show us what it means to lose our lives and to pick up our crosses in a dependent, abiding relationship with Christ. Help us to count the cost and to daily take steps toward that relationship so that we can serve our families, church, and city as ones committed to growing in Christ ourselves as we make disiciples.
Discuss with your group what it would cost you to move into the next stage of discipleship.
*Other books on discipleship Bill Hull wrote include: Choose the Life, The Complete Book of Discipleship, and The Disciplemaking Pastor.
4. Given what you have learned this week and how God is moving in your life right now, what is a prayer request you can share with your group? Use this space to also record others’ prayer requests when you meet.
• My prayer –
• Group Prayer Requests –
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passage questions. (This week these are from Day 5.)
• Discuss Reflection questions.
• Is anyone able to recite all or part of John 6:40?
• Close in prayer.
God’s joy & strength to you,