John 6:1-15

Devotionals, Articles, and Bible Study Resources on John 6:1-15

1After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).
2A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.
3Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.
4Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.
5When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”
6But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.
7Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”
8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”
10“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
12And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
13So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
— John 6:1-15

Related Resources from Heartlight

A Great Crowd of People
Illustration of John 6:5-7 NLT

Illustration of John 6:5-7 NLT -- Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!"

Attracting a Crowd
Illustration of John 6:1-2 NLT

Illustration of John 6:1-2 NLT -- After [his confrontation with the Jewish leaders], Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.

Leftovers!
Illustration of John 6:12-13 NLT

Illustration of John 6:12-13 NLT -- After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

Time Together
Illustration of John 6:3-4 NLT

Illustration of John 6:3-4 NLT -- Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)

What Good Is This?
Illustration of John 6:8-9 NLT

Illustration of John 6:8-9 NLT -- Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?"

A Different Kind of King
Illustration of John 6:15 NLT

Illustration of John 6:15 NLT -- When Jesus saw that [the people who witnessed his miraculous sign] were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

Surely!
Illustration of John 6:14 NLT

Illustration of John 6:14 NLT -- When the people saw [Jesus perform the miraculous sign of feeding the 5000], they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!"

Cross References for John 6:1-15

Cross References Provided by Open Bible

The Berean Standard Bible

The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) is a modern, clear, and faithful translation based on the best available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Ideal for reading, study, and sharing, it entered the public domain in 2023. For more information, visit berean.bible.