 Jai heavenly father, we come to you under the name of Jesus. We thank you for this day. We thank you for the class we are about to have. God, I just pray that as Pastor Deepika teaches all my classmates and myself, God, I pray that you'll help us to open our mind and heart and listen and understand the deep truths that are in the Bible. I pray for all my classmates who are about to join. God, I just pray that you'll give us all good Wi-Fi connections and you'll help us to understand the Holy Spirit. You'll be our teacher. You'll be our guide and help us to learn something new from the class today and to live life for your glory, Jesus. We give you all the glory and honour in Jesus' name. We pray. I didn't realise it was not on. Yeah, good morning. We'll begin today with John chapter 6. We'll cover chapter 6 and 7 today. That's the plan. They are rather lengthy, so there's a lot of information in these chapters, but we'll try to cover as much as possible. So we'll begin. If we can have one of us read out verses 1 to 4 of chapter 6, we'll get started. So if we can have someone read out John chapter 6 verses 1 to 4. After this thing just went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberia, then I'll get much, much to follow the people, because they saw the time which he performed on those who were in the sea. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he started with his disciples. Now, the part of a piece of the deal was here. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and seen a good man with him coming towards him to pray to Jesus. We'll look at these verses later. A lot of static on the line. Okay, yeah. We had Brother Collins read out for us verses 1 to 4. We see that Jesus is on the far shore of the sea of Galilee, and there's a large crowd that comes to the mountainside to see him, to listen to him. And just so that we have a clearer background regarding this, maybe we would need to go to Luke chapter 9 verses 10 to 11, where we get a little more background regarding why they are over here on this mountainside on the far shore of Galilee right now. So, if we can also have someone read out for us, Luke chapter 9 verses 10 to 11, just to get a little more background information regarding the setting of this particular passage. Luke 9, 10 to 11, please. Yeah. So, we see that this event takes place immediately after the mission trip on which Jesus sent the disciples. So, he tells them to go into the different towns and villages and tell people to repent because the kingdom of God is near. He gives them the authority to perform signs and wonders. And so, the disciples have now come back, very excited. You know, in fact, they say in Luke that even the demons are responding to us. And so, they are very happy with the good progress that they could make during the mission trip. And obviously, they must be rather tired now because they would have traveled on foot from place to place, would have had many sleepless nights. And so, now Jesus says, you know, let's all go away and just spend some time by ourselves where we can rest and, you know, just reflect upon all that took place. So, this was supposed to be a private time for Jesus and his disciples. So, he takes them away to the mountainside where they can all just spend some time together and rest. But the crowds are so eager, the crowds are so, you know, longing to hear from him and to see more miracles that the crowd searches for them and comes over here to this place where they are trying to get some private time. And we also notice in verse 4, it says, the Jewish Passover festival was near. So, because the Passover festival was nearing, there must be a lot of pilgrims as well who would have come. So, this crowd is made up of the locals as well as people from outside who are very curious to see this Jesus and, you know, watch the miracles that he does. And so, we have this large crowd searching him out and, you know, locating him over here near the mountainside. So, Jesus would have in fact preferred it if he could have spent some quiet time with his disciples, you know, going over all the report of the mission trip, you know, encouraging them, teaching them new things. So, that was lost. They could not have that quiet time together. But it says that, you know, it says in Luke that he shows them great compassion even though they have interrupted what he had planned. He is kind to them and he ministers to them. So this is the background of what follows. So, in Luke, we get to know that he spends a lot of time teaching them. Almost the entire day is spent in teaching them and he also heals the sick who have been brought. So, all of this ministry goes on and so it finally becomes very late in the day and the crowd has no food left because whatever they have brought along with them, has run out and so now at this point of time, the parent story begins. So, we see verse 5 onwards, Jesus addressing the needs of the crowd. So, if we can have someone read out for us, verses 5, 6 and 7 please. We are in John chapter 6. If we can have someone read out for us, verses 5, 6 and 7 please. John chapter 6, please go ahead. John chapter 6 verse 5 to 7, then Jesus lifted up his eyes and seen a great multitude coming to work him. He said to Philip, where shall we buy bread that this may eat? But this is said to test him for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, 200 dinary worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may have. Okay, so the details about the ministry that he does, the preaching that he does, the healing that happens, all of that is not mentioned here. John just directly gets into the event which takes place immediately after the teaching and the healing. So, there's this large crowd which is waiting over there and they have no food. So, now he asks Philip. Philip and Andrew and Peter are all from this region. They're all from the Bethsaida region. So, they would be familiar with places where you can buy bread and all of that. But of course, here in this situation where you have such a large crowd, even if they went to get the food supplies, even if they had the money for that much of food supplies, you know, they probably would not, you know, the people providing the food supplies probably would not have enough for such a large crowd. So, it says very clearly in verse 6, he asked this only to test him. So, Jesus tests Philip when he asks, where shall we buy bread? So, Jesus waits to see how Philip will respond. Now, we have to keep in mind that these disciples have just come back victoriously from a mission trip where even the demons had to flee when the name of Jesus was taken up. So, they have seen the power of God at work. God has used their hands, their feet, their mouths to deliver people, to heal people. They have come back from a highly successful mission trip. And now Jesus is bringing a test and he says to Philip, what do we do? Where can we buy bread for these people? And Philip temporarily forgets all that has happened during the mission trip and he answers in the natural. And he says, I mean, even if we had half a year's wages and we could purchase enough bread for all of them, you know, it would not be sufficient because the number of people here are so large that even half a year's wages would actually not be sufficient. So, after this victorious mission trip, this is Philip's response. And this can happen to us in our own Christian walk. You know, there are times when we have great victory. We have successfully fought the battle. We have walked in faith. We have stood on what Jesus said and we have claimed the victory that is ours. So, the Lord is pleased with what we have done. But now we should not get inflated by that victory and forget the principles, you know, that we held on to during that time of battle. So, immediately after the battle, after a grand victory, there is a chance, there is a likelihood that we may forget the lessons that we have learned and revert back into our own natural thinking, which is what happened over here. So, if Philip was still, you know, thinking along the lines that he had been during the mission trip, he would have probably answered very differently. He probably would have said, let's look at maybe another verse which can kind of throw light on this. In one of the other, in Luke chapter 9, you know, which we referred to earlier, we get to know a little bit about their mission trip, something that Jesus tells them about how they should conduct that trip. So, if maybe we can have someone read out for us, Luke chapter 9 verses 3 to 5. Luke chapter 9 verses 3 to 5, please. Luke chapter 9 verse 3 to 6. And he said to them, take nothing for the journey, neither starve. Yeah, if we can have someone else read out, because there seems to be some kind of feedback, audio feedback, when Brother Subashish writes to read out. So, if we can have someone else read out, Luke chapter 9 verses 3 to 5, please. Then he called his 12 disciples to give them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And he said to them, take nothing for the journey, neither starve, nor bags, nor bread, nor money, and do not have two tonics apiece. Yeah. So, okay, here we see that Jesus specifically tells them, when you go on your mission trip, do not take extra food with you. Do not take money with you. Do not take any kind of supplies with you, because it's going to be a faith mission trip, where you will be waiting upon the Lord to provide. So, they have actually done an exercise in faith when they went out on that mission trip, there would have been homes that they would have gone to where people were not willing to receive them, because that's what it says in the next two verses in Luke chapter 9 verses 4 and 5. It talks about how some people will not welcome them and when they would have to just leave that town and go away to the next town. So, they have been through those experiences and God has provided for them throughout all of that. So, Philip, maybe Jesus was expecting Philip to answer differently. You know, Philip, the right answer which Philip should have given would have been, we saw what the Lord has done during the mission trip. We saw how God provided for all our needs and so now Jesus, even as this crowd is sitting over here, I'm sure in the same way God will provide for us now as well. That probably would have been the response that Jesus was expecting from Philip. But Philip has forgotten all that has happened during the mission trip and the way God has provided and so now he just answers in the natural and he says, even if he had half a year's wages, that large amount would not be enough to even buy one bite for each person. In fact, we would be able to buy only one bite for each person is what he says. Then we have another little bit of dialogue happening in verses 8 to 11. If we can read out that as well, please. Verses 8 to 11. We are in John chapter 6 verses 8 to 11. One of his disciples, Andrew Simon, Peter's brother said to him, there is a red here who has five burly loves and two small fish. But what are they among so many? Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place so the man sat down in number about 5,000 and Jesus took the loves and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down and likewise of the fish as much as they wanted. Yes, thanks a lot, Zalita B for reading out for us. It helps a lot. So here we see in these verses that one boy who is there in the group is willing to offer whatever he has to help out with the food need. So he comes forward and he says that he has five burly loves and two fish with him which he is willing to share. But then of course the crowd is so large that even half a year's wages would not be enough to feed them and so this is rather a small amount. So Andrew says, how far will they go among so many? And just to note down here, these are barley loves which this boy has with him. Barley was something eaten by the people who are not very well off. It was not a very tasty grain for them at that point of time. So this boy is obviously not from a very wealthy background. He probably belongs to the poorer class and yet whatever little he has, he is willing to share that with others and that is a good attitude to have because Jesus takes that. So nobody else comes forward and offers anything. This is the only offer and Jesus takes that. He takes it and he says, fine, let everyone sit down and then it says in verse 11, Jesus then took those loaves, those barley loaves which are not exactly luxurious food. He takes it, he gives thanks and he begins to distribute those five loaves and those two fish to the entire crowd. And as it is being distributed by the disciples, it just keeps multiplying. It doesn't run out. So what do we learn from this? We see a few things here, the attitude of this boy. He was not very well to do. He didn't really have anything fancy to offer but whatever little he had, he was willing to give it and then what does Jesus do with that? The Lord takes that, gives thanks for it and distributes it. So we may not have much but whatever we do have, if we are willingly ready to offer that to the Lord with thanksgiving, Jesus does that. Here we see Jesus acting out an act of faith. All he has in his hands are five loaves and two fish but he gives thanks to that confidently believing that God the Father will do whatever is required with whatever is available at hand and he will satisfy the crowd. So Jesus believes that and so with that faith, Jesus says thank you to the Lord and starts distributing it. So that can be our own attitude if we are involved in ministry. Maybe we are not the people with the greatest talents or the greatest skills. Maybe we don't have as much finances as the other organizations and ministries or we may just be someone who is in the secular field. We work at an office or we work at a school, wherever we are serving, we may feel that we are not really the best equipped people but God always works with whatever is at hand. So if you are the only believer over there in that particular place where God has placed you, then you are what is at hand and God will use what is at hand if it is offered to him willingly. So whatever you have, whatever skills you have, you take that and you say Lord right now this is what is available. I am all there is over here. I am the only believer in this place and these are my talents. Not very great but whatever I have I am willing to use it and if we thankfully offer it to the Lord trusting him to use it he will use you to be a blessing in that place. It will not matter how limited those skills are. You may not be the next Billy Graham but that will not matter because you see God takes whatever is at hand that whatever has been willingly offered to him that he takes it and he multiplies it and makes sure that that will meet the needs of the people that God is sending to you. So yours may be a small ministry. Maybe your finances are limited. Maybe your skills are limited but the people who are being sent to you by God they will receive what they need. Whatever you have in your hands will be sufficient to meet their requirements. So we never have to doubt that God can take what we are offering and make it serve his purposes. So he is a God of miracles. So here we see that God has deliberately placed you in a certain situation with certain skills and though in the eyes of the world you may not really have sufficient resources God will take that little because you are acting in faith and you are acting with gratitude that whatever you have is adequate for the situation. You are grateful and you really believe that and with that attitude God can use you. So whatever the Lord does he does it in our lives deliberately. It's not that just accidentally you ended up with the skills that you have. No, a skill set which you possess has been deliberately given to you by the Lord and the setting in which he has placed you in a place maybe where you don't really have the support of other believers. Maybe a place where you don't really have open doors which are wide open for you to minister and help people and serve people. God has deliberately placed you in those situations with those particular limited skills because he knows that it will give you a chance to act in greater faith. Like Jesus you can take that bold step and say thank you Lord I know that what I am holding in my hands is sufficient. I will be able to fulfill your purposes in this place and when we have step out in faith in that way that little that we have will prove sufficient that's the lesson that comes across over here through this passage. There's more to this lesson which we see in the next two verses. So yes, if we can have someone read out for us verses 12 and 13 please verses 12 and 13. So when they were built I'm really grateful to the two of you. Thank you so much. Brother Subashish our audio seems to be clear right now. There's no audio feedback. So yes brother you can go ahead. So when they were filled he said to his disciples gather up the fragments that remain so that nothing is lost. Therefore they gather them up and fill 12 baskets with the fragments of five burly lobes which are left over by those who had didn't. Yeah. So we see another lesson coming through here. Jesus says you know we placed the bread in front of all the small groups which were sitting there to eat. So you know they would have placed a certain amount of bread and a certain amount of fish in front of each group. So they have all eaten all the groups have eaten to their hearts content and now you still have a lot of bread and fish left over. Why? Where was the need for this surplus? I mean God is perfect at calculations. He knows exactly how many people there are. He knows exactly how much each of them is going to consume. So maybe he could have produced the exact amount, required amount. But here we see that God arranges for a surplus of 12 baskets. See they're able to get whatever is left over is filling up 12 baskets. Why the great surplus? I think it is just God showing that when he wishes to provide this is how he provides. He is generous. There are no limits to what he can do. So when you are in that ministry situation where you are working in some place which is very difficult to access the people there are not responding very well to the gospel and you don't have much finances to be able to take up maybe large projects and things like that. Even if you're in that place and you just like Jesus you take what little you have and you say thank you Lord and you begin to use that in that place God can do such a great work that not only are the needs of that particular group met but there would be a surplus left over. That is the lesson that God is trying to bring out because if you remember everything that Jesus is doing he is doing it as a sign to show who he is what kind of a father he represents what he wishes to do for people these are all signs indicating a lesson indicating something very clearly and so these signs are signs even for us the readers today so we can learn from these things and we can confidently minister wherever we are you may just be a school teacher working in some secular school but whatever you have in your hands it will be sufficient for you to minister to those children academically minister to them also give them a word of encouragement about what Christ can do in their lives you will be able to meet the needs of those children and moreover there would be a surplus beyond what you expected so those are the lessons which come across through this event the next recorded event is the people's response to what has happened the people are amazed that five loaves led to a left over surplus of 12 baskets now that really is quite a miracle so now what happens we see the response of the people if we could have someone read out for us versus 14 and 15 14, 15 then those men when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said this is truly the prophet who has come into the world therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king he departed again to the mountain by himself alone yeah so the response of the people is that here we have someone who can supply bread in this manner and so it reminds them of Moses who also supplied them with Mana and so and moreover Moses had said in Deutronomy 18 verses 15 to 18 that one day God would raise up another prophet like me and so they make the connection and they tell themselves oh this is like another Moses this is like the other prophet which Moses had told us about so let us make him our king because then he can supply us with all our material needs and when Jesus sees that they are almost ready to forcibly make him king he withdraws into the mountain by himself because that is not his mission that is not why he came there will be a time when he will come as king and he will sit on the throne but right now he has come as the Lamb of God that is his current mission and so Jesus withdraws from them after this we come to another event so now it is quite late in the evening and now the disciples decide to take a boat and cross over to the other side and Jesus does not join them in the boat he says that he will come later and so we see that event being described over here so maybe we can read out verses 16 up to verse 21 please all the way from 16 up to verse 21 now when evening came his disciples went down to the sea got into the boat and went over the sea toward Kappanam and it was already dark and Jesus had not come to them then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing so when they had rode about 3 and 4 miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat and they were afraid but he said to them it is I do not be afraid then they willingly willingly received him into the boat and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going yeah now something about the geographical location of this lake cost all these storms on this lake so this was explained in some great detail in some background commentary but how you would have winds coming from two different directions and so when it used to create some kind of don't remember if it was a high pressure area or a low pressure area something to do the winds and I am very bad at geography but anyway it would lead to constant storms respectively on this lake so this was something that used to occur quite frequently and it said in the commentary that these storms could be so violent that you know if the boat was a smaller boat it could even get overturned so this was a serious matter so in the middle of this storm we have Jesus approaching them on the waters and obviously because people generally do not walk on water the disciples assume that it is some kind of a spirit or some kind of a ghost and they are rather afraid but then Jesus assures them it is me so you don't need to be afraid then they bring him into the boat and then we see it says immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading on other occasions in the other gospels we see that Jesus speaks to the storm stills here he does not speak to the storm the storm continues but they just are teleported right from the middle of the lake to their destination in a matter of seconds so I mean all I mean you know all this incident all these events which are recorded over here in the gospels each of them is trying to teach us something so the point that is being made over here is that for us what looks like an possibility what looks like a life ending storm from God's perspective he's got multiple options on how to handle it all is looking for from our side is faith so for us looking at it from our end we would think my goodness we are in deep trouble I mean this is an impossible situation and we are in a small boat no way can we survive is what maybe we would think but then God who is sitting on his throne he looks at the storm he looks at the small boat he looks at the helpless people and he's got multiple options on how to handle the situation all he's waiting for is that response of faith if we stand in faith then he will choose how to handle the situation he may speak to the storm and ask it to be still or he may just simply take you to destination where you're meant to go safely you know we are with the storm still raging so God can work in multiple ways all that's actually required from us is faith that he will come through for us that when we cry out to him he will hear and answer us so the next day they are now on the opposite side of the lake and the crowd comes back once again and here we just have one comment being made you know that is in verse 26 and 27 and this leads to a long conversation about Jesus saying I am the bread of life and all of that so in verses 26 if we could have someone read out just verses 26 and 27 please answer them and say most assuredly I said to you you seek me not because you saw the signs but because you ate the lobes and were filled do not labour for the food which perishes but for the food which endures everlasting life which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him so the reason the crowd comes back now is because of the sign which they saw a little earlier where they saw the food being multiplied miraculously so now Jesus says to them you know don't come to me just for material things you know there are bigger things at stake which is what he says over here in verse 27 do not work for food that spoils but for food that endures to eternal life in other words Jesus seems to be indicating the words I speak the message which I am teaching about the kingdom that is more important than the physical food which I can provide so if you are pursuing that if you are pursuing eternal life then that can actually last you for eternity on the other hand if all you have on your mind is getting physical food out of me that food will get spoiled after a while so that's just something temporary so here Jesus tells them you need to pursue eternal things I am very sorry you need to pursue eternal things is what the Lord says here so then when Jesus says this to them their question is this if we can have someone read out verses 28 and 29 then this said to him what shall we do that we may work the works of God and Jesus answered and said to them this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he sent exactly so here so they say okay fine you are telling us to pursue eternal things so okay fine what should we do then or what must we do the works God requires and Jesus says the first thing that you are supposed to do is believe in me you know whom God has sent so the very first work of God is not you know immediately going out into the nearest town and start preaching the gospel the first work that is expected of us is not to go and perform miracles the very first work is believing in him placing our trust and faith in him that is the starting point everything else follows flows out of that faith so the very first step that God requires of us the greatest work that God requires of us is not so much our ministry but our faith faith in doing the things that he has called us to do faith also in sense of obedience where we willingly just submit to whatever he is asking of us so when you have that kind of a obedience and that kind of a submission and that kind of a trust in him ministry automatically follows I mean God will bring to us the people whom he wants us to minister to and they will get minister to whatever we have in our hands will be sufficient first step the very first work of God which he wants is not really a work it's not really an action it is rather trust so once we have that attitude of complete obedience and trust and submission everything else just flows out of that so this is one very valuable learning that actually comes through to us you know from this passage and then Jesus goes on to say in verses 32 and 33 yeah if we can just read out verses 32 and 33 please then Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you Moses did not give you the bread from heaven but my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the whole so Jesus you know says I mean you are comparing me with Moses you are saying that Moses provided manna and in the same way you want me to provide you with bread but he points out Moses did not really give you bread from heaven yes it's true that the manna fell down from the skies but this was not heavenly bread in the sense it was something which got spoiled after a while it could only provide and sustain temporarily and moreover the people who ate this manna they went on to die a physical death you know at the end of their lives so on the other hand the bread which I have come to give that is going to be eternal because that will not perish that will give you an eternal life that will take you into you know eternity to be with God always so he says that is why Jesus says in verse 35 he says I am the bread of life this is not temporary bread this is not like that manna which could you know gets spoiled after a while this is Jesus he says I am the bread of life that is why if anyone comes to me he says they will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty because he will be there to take care of every spiritual need that they have and once your spiritual needs are met and you are standing strong in the Lord the material needs I mean they get fulfilled automatically because you know that's what Jesus says right in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and as long as your focus is on that all these things will be added unto you I mean it will automatically be added unto you so that is what he says whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty because you know you have placed your spiritual needs first and you are coming to me to have those fulfilled and once you are strong in me the rest of the things will be added unto you anyway you know because the heavenly father knows what you require so these are the learnings that Jesus brings across and then he goes on to make some important points regarding in what sense he is the bread of life and what should be their approach to this bread of life so if we can have someone read out for us verses 53 to 57 yeah 53 to 57 then Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you unless you eat the place of the son of man and drink his blood you will live in this whoever eats my place and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my place is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed you eat my place and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him as the Libby father sent me and I live because of the father so he who fits on me will live because of me yeah so now there are people in the crowd who probably understand what Jesus is saying and then there are those who misunderstand we have in verse 52 you know some of the Jews they say how can this man give us his flesh to eat so they are taking the words literally as though Jesus is saying they should feed on his physical flesh so yes there are some who misunderstand but then there are others who actually understand what he is saying because he was using wording which would have been familiar to them you know the metaphor there is a metaphor in their Hebrew language which talks about eating and drinking and over there it is not referring to someone consuming human flesh it is saying whatever I am speaking to you absorb it into your innermost being so in that sense you are literally eating and drinking what the rabbi is teaching so if you have a rabbi who is sharing God's word and explaining the truths to you you literally eat and you drink what is being offered to you when we eat and drink what happens the food and the water it literally gets inside us it gets absorbed into our very core every single cell of the human body absorbs that water you know draws the nutrients out of that food it becomes a part of us right so in that sense you know when a rabbi would come and teach the word of God the audience was expected to literally eat and drink of it where whatever has been taught literally becomes a part of them becomes a part of their very inner core now here Jesus is saying I am literally the teaching the word that you need you literally eat me and you drink me in the sense you know all that I am saying to you believe it and not just believe in my words but believe in me that I am from the Father that I am divine that I am the Messiah who has been sent from heaven to you so accept that to an extent you know where in your actions in your choices you start showing that you believe in me and have submitted to me because when you do that you are literally absorbing me into your into the very core of your being so there are some who misunderstand and they say oh this man is saying that we have to eat his flesh so there are some who do misunderstand what Jesus says but then there are others who have caught what he is saying and they are not very happy with what he is saying this is their response to to his words yeah if we can have someone read out for us verses 41 and 42 which points out how they feel about what Jesus said 41 42 the Jews then complained about him because he said I am the bread I am the bread which came down from heaven and they said is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know how is it then that he says I have come down from heaven yeah so we will reflect on this a little further after we come back from the break so if we can have everyone log in once again 10 minutes later thank you so much