John 12:45 – See Me, See The Father

The premise: Jesus said that ‘to see me you see the father’…  (John 12:45)

The argument:  What does Jesus feeding of the 5000 show about who God is?

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand –  Matthew 14:13-21

¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹ And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus speaks at John 12:44-50

⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷ And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Jesus used different miracles in his life time.  They were to teach important truths about His Father.  Still Jesus healed people because he ‘had compassion on them’ – He was a loving, caring and a feeling person. 

The miracle of the ‘feeding of the 5000’ demonstrated that Jesus loved the people in a specific and concrete way for they needed food and He provided.

THUS we can say:

1.      That God provides for our needs.

2.      Trust in God means we can find full provision for our basic needs.

3.      God has the people and the provision in His church to care for his people.

4.      God can multiply meager resources to help us.

As Christians we would then:

1.      Be concerned to feed others.

2.      As this miracle finds a place in all four Gospels it reminds us:  “You feed them” 

3.      Are we alert to ways to help others?

WE can learn:

1.       God can use us, a mere nothing in many ways to bring about His purpose for the world.

2.       We are privileged to be ‘clay’ in His hands.

3.       Sometime we may feel our contribution is meager, but God can use and multiply whatever we give Him.

a.       No matter if it is talent, time, or treasure.

b.      When we give, our resources are multiplied.

LDW