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John 6:1-15
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1Some time after this, Jesus
crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the
2and a great crowd of people
followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
3Then Jesus went up on a
mountainside and sat down with his disciples.
4The Jewish Passover Festival
was near.
5When Jesus looked up and saw
a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread
for these people to eat?”
6He asked this only to test
him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, “It
would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to
have a bite!”
8Another of his disciples,
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
9“Here is a boy with five
small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so
many?”
10Jesus said, “Have the
people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down
(about five thousand men were there).
11Jesus then took the loaves,
gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish.
12When they had all had
enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over.
Let nothing be wasted.”
13So they gathered them and
filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by
those who had eaten.
14After the people saw the
sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to
come into the world.”
15Jesus, knowing that they
intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by
himself.
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1)
According to
verse 1 where did Jesus go?
o Jesus crossed to the far shore of
§
The
§
The
2)
When was the
gospel of John written, given that the Sea of Galilee was renamed to the
o It must be written toward the end of the first century.
o That means it was written more than six decades.
o After
o Jesus
§
Died.
§
And rose again.
3)
How old was the
apostle John who wrote the gospel account when he followed Jesus, if it was
written more than six decades after Jesus died and rose again?
o The apostle John must be quite young.
4)
According to
verse 2 why did a great crowd of people
follow Jesus?
o It is because they saw the signs.
o that
o He had performed by healing the sick.
5)
According to
verse 3 where did Jesus sit down with his
disciples?
o Jesus
§
Went up on a
mountainside.
§
And sat down with
his disciples.
6)
According to
verse 4 which Jewish Festival was near?
o The Passover Festival was near.
7)
According to
verse 5 what did Jesus say to Philip when he looked up and saw a great crowd
coming toward him?
o “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
8)
What specifically
did Jesus make clear about the means of procuring bread for feeding the crowd?
o Jesus made it clear that the procurement of bread would
be done by purchase.
9)
What are the
difficulties in buying bread for five thousand men along with women and
children who accompanied them?
o It takes a large amount of money to buy bread for so
many people.
o The logistics of buying bread for so many people
requires a significant amount of time and effort.
10)
What might be the
reason Jesus posed the procurement question specifically to Philip but not to
the other disciples, given that there was likely division of labor among the disciples?
o Philip was probably responsible for procurement.
11)
Which aspect of procurement
did Jesus focus on and which aspect did he not?
o Jesus focused on
§
The people to buy
bread from, i.e.,
§
Those who had bread
for sale.
o He did not focus on the money to buy bread with.
12)
What was the
implicit assumption of Jesus’ question?
o The implicit assumption of Jesus’ question was that they
had the money to buy the necessary quantity of bread for feeding the crowd.
13)
According to
verse 6 what was the ultimate reason Jesus asked Philip the question?
o Jesus asked this only to test him.
o For
o He already had in mind what he was going to do.
14)
According to
verse 7 what was Philip’s reply?
o “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy
enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
15)
Which aspect of procurement
did Philip focus on and which aspect did he not?
o Philip focused on the money to buy bread with.
o He did not focus on the people to buy bread from.
16)
How did Philip
attempt to switch Jesus’ focus away from the vendor aspect to the money aspect of
the procurement by using a hypothetical procurement?
o His assessment of the hypothetical procurement painted
money as the more daunting aspect of procurement in contrast to Jesus’
assumption.
17)
What would Philip’s
argument convince a person about, who proposed procurement by purchase?
o His argument would convince the person.
o That
o Procurement by purchase was not practical.
18)
In what manner did
Philip voice his disagreement with Jesus’ assumption in order to reduce the
likelihood of confrontation?
o He voiced his disagreement without sounding critical.
o In fact he did not directly point out the fallacy in Jesus’
assumption.
o Rather he used a hypothetical procurement to
indirectly point out that procurement by purchase was not practical.
19)
Regardless of the
civility and tact he had shown in voicing his disagreement with Jesus, how
might a pragmatic person like Philip have felt upon hearing what Jesus said?
o He might have some bulging veins from his surging
emotion.
20)
What had Philip
done to Jesus’ assumption?
o He had shot it down.
21)
What had Philip done
to the course of action Jesus proposed for his plan of feeding the crowd?
o He had made a course correction to Jesus’ plan away
from procurement by purchase.
22)
Would a person
who was a leader over Philip and whose assumption in planning had just been shot
down be offended by what Philip said and why?
o It depends.
o The leader would be offended.
o If
o He is insecure.
o He would not be offended.
o If
o He is secure.
23)
Given verse 6, what
did Jesus as their leader intentionally make clear to his disciples by throwing
out a plan with an obviously faulty assumption, quite unlike leaders who insist
on being right all the time?
o Jesus made it clear to them.
o That
o As their leader he did not need to be right all the
time.
24)
Given verse 6, what
was Jesus inviting from his disciples by throwing out a plan with an obviously
faulty assumption that was certain to be shot down?
o Jesus did it to invite
§
Disagreements.
§
Challenges.
§
And debate.
o From his disciples.
25)
Did Jesus as
their leader dominate his disciples with his plan for feeding the crowd that was
to be implemented unquestioningly and why?
o No, because Jesus invited his disciples to chime in on
the people to buy bread from.
o More importantly he was intentionally inviting
§
Disagreements.
§
Challenges.
§
And debate.
o From his disciples.
26)
How would disagreements,
challenges and debate for the sake of validating ideas contribute to the
decision-making of a team?
o They would help a team make the right decision.
27)
How would a consistent
culture of disagreements, challenges and debate for the sake of validating
ideas contribute to the decision-making of a team?
o They would help a team consistently make the right decision.
28)
What kind of
culture must a team possess to be a highly productive team, given that being
able to consistently make the right decision is a necessary condition for being
a highly productive team?
o A team must possess a consistent culture of
§
Disagreements.
§
Challenges.
§
And debate.
o For the sake of validating ideas to be a highly
productive team.
29)
What conclusion could
the whole team including Philip himself draw concerning his skill set?
o He
§
Had good people
skill.
§
And was convincing
in debate.
30)
What had Jesus
done to help Philip reach his potential?
o Jesus introduced a plan with a faulty assumption in
the area of Philip’s expertise to draw out his potential.
31)
In helping Philip
reach his potential what kind of a position did Jesus put himself in as the leader
by introducing a plan with an obviously faulty assumption that would be shot
down?
o Jesus put himself in a vulnerable position.
32)
Did Jesus accidentally
help Philip reach his potential and why, given verse 6?
o No, Jesus was intentional in helping Philip reach his
potential.
33)
What professional
relationship between Jesus and Philip had thus been confirmed in Jesus’ making
an intentional effort to help Philip reach his potential?
o Jesus is Philip’s leader.
34)
What is one of
the most defining functions that a leader performs for his/her followers?
o A leader helps his/her followers reach their potential.
35)
According to
verses 8 and 9 what did another of Jesus’ disciples Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother, say?
o “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small
fish.
o But how far will they go among so many?”
36)
How did Andrew take
the cue from Jesus in proposing his procurement plan?
o He took the cue from Jesus by focusing on people who had
bread.
37)
What was Andrew counting
on in his procurement plan for sourcing the bread?
o He was counting on the generosity of those who had bread
to give away.
38)
What was Andrew’s
original idea in his procurement plan that differs from Jesus’?
o Andrew was counting on the generosity of those who had
bread to give away.
o While
o Jesus was focused on people to buy bread from.
39)
How did Andrew make
up for the shortfall in Jesus’ procurement plan that Philip identified?
o He introduced the original idea of procurement by
generosity in lieu of procurement by purchase
§
That Jesus
proposed.
§
And that was shot
down by Philip.
40)
What did Andrew
actually do to validate his plan of procurement by generosity?
o Being the people person that he was, he
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Drilled down in
his relational network.
§
And found a boy
who had the generosity to give away his bread and fish.
41)
What doubt did Andrew
have concerning his plan of procurement by generosity after making his
validation attempt?
o Based on his findings it fell far short of delivering
the necessary quantity of bread for feeding the crowd.
42)
What did the
disciples realize that they were up against in
trying to feed the crowd at this juncture?
o They realized
§
That they were up
against an insurmountable obstacle.
§
And that they were
at the end of their wit.
43)
What consensus
was nevertheless emerging from the team meeting on how to feed the crowd regardless
of doubt?
o The emerging consensus was
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That they would not
consider procurement by purchase.
§
And that they would
consider procurement by generosity.
44)
Who drove the consensus?
o Andrew did.
45)
Was the consensus
the outcome of the effort of one individual and why?
o No, it was the outcome of team collaboration.
46)
Was it a perfect consensus
and why?
o No, it was an imperfect consensus.
o because
o The disciples had doubt.
47)
Does consensus in
a team equate decision by the team to act?
o Yes.
48)
But does an imperfect
consensus in a team equate decision by the team to act?
o No.
49)
According to
verse 10 what did the people do when Jesus
told the disciples to have them sit down
on the grass?
o They sat down.
50)
According to
verse 11 what did Jesus do with the
loaves and fish when he had given thanks?
o Jesus distributed the
§
Loaves.
§
And fish.
o To those who were seated.
o As much as
o They wanted.
51)
Whom did Jesus give
thanks to for the loaves and fish?
o Jesus gave thanks to the Father.
52)
What did Jesus do
as the leader of his team of disciples when they reached an imperfect consensus
on how to feed the crowd?
o Jesus
§
Took responsibility
as the leader.
§
And made the final
decision to carry the imperfect consensus forward for implementation regardless
of their doubt.
53)
Whose generosity made the feeding of the crowd possible?
o The generosity of the boy who gave away his
§
Five small barley
loaves.
§
And two small
fish.
o Made it possible.
54)
How did Jesus
take Andrew up on his original idea of counting on the generosity of those who had
bread to give away in the final procurement plan?
o Jesus
§
Took the loaves and
fish from the boy who generously gave them away.
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Miraculously made
the necessary quantity of bread and fish available from the boy’s donation.
§
And gave them
away.
55)
Why did Jesus
intentionally let his team of disciples make a course correction to his procurement
plan and contribute their own original ideas to the final procurement plan?
o Jesus did it to
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Secure their
buy-in.
§
And give them
ownership of the final procurement plan.
o So that
o They would drive its implementation wholeheartedly.
56)
In what way did Jesus
appear to be genuine to his disciples as their leader, given that Philip’s
course correction of his procurement plan and Andrew’s original idea both left
their marks in the final procurement plan?
o Jesus appeared to be genuine to his disciples.
o That
o As their leader
§
He Did not need
to be right all the time.
§
And he welcomed
team input in what the team did.
57)
What are people’s
common concerns in disagreeing with and challenging their leader who is in the position
of authority?
o Fear of conflict.
o Fear of looking like a trouble-maker.
o Fear of reprisal.
58)
How did Jesus’ genuineness
affect the disciples’ motivation to take on the task of disagreeing with and challenging
him as their leader?
o It gave them the liberty to
§
Disagree with.
§
And challenge.
o Him as their leader without
§
Fear of conflict.
§
Fear of looking
like a trouble-maker.
§
And fear of
reprisal.
59)
How had Jesus’
team of disciples conducted themselves in their disagreements, challenges and
debate with one another in solving a difficult problem?
o They had done it with
§
Civility.
§
Tact.
§
And
professionalism.
60)
Let’s do a
refresher, what kind of culture must a team possess to be a highly productive
team, given that being able to consistently make the right decision is a necessary
condition for being a highly productive team?
o A team must possess a consistent culture of
§
Disagreements.
§
Challenges.
§
And debate.
o For the sake of validating ideas to be a highly
productive team.
61)
How important is the
leader’s willingness to give disciples the liberty to disagree with and challenge
him/her in debate for fomenting a culture that is conducive to developing a
highly productive team?
o It is critically important.
62)
What kind of
culture was Jesus nurturing among his team of disciples?
o A culture of
§
Disagreements.
§
Challenges.
§
And debate.
o For the sake of validating ideas.
63)
What kind of team
was Jesus nurturing his team of disciples to be?
o A highly productive team.
64)
According to
verse 12 what did Jesus say to his disciples when the crowd had all had enough
to eat?
o “Gather the pieces that are left over.
o Let nothing be wasted.”
65)
Is it a miracle
that food can be grown and why, given Hebrews 1:3?
o Yes, because the natural growth of food is an ongoing
miracle.
o That
o Per Hebrews 1:3 Jesus has been sustaining by his
powerful word.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Hebrews 1:3 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3The Son is the radiance of God’s
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
+++++++++++++++++++++
66)
What should the
disciples’ attitude be toward wasting food whether naturally grown or
miraculously brought into existence?
o They should not waste
food regardless of its origin.
67)
According to
verse 13 how much leftover did the
disciples gather?
o They filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five
barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
68)
How did the leftover
compare with what the boy gave away?
o It is much more than what the boy gave away.
69)
What is the
current count of the number of signs Jesus had performed in the current gospel
account?
o This is the fourth sign.
70)
According to
verse 14 what conclusion did the people draw about Jesus after they saw the
sign he performed?
o They concluded that Jesus is the Prophet who is to
come into the world.
71)
What did the
people mean by the Prophet who is to come into the world, given what Moses said
to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:15?
o The Prophet who is to come into the world is someone
like Moses.
o Whom
o God was going to raise up from among the Israelites.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Deuteronomy 18:15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
15The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites.
You must listen to him.
+++++++++++++++++++++
72)
Why did the
people conclude that Jesus is the Prophet who is to come into the world, given
Exodus 16:13-15?
o They thought that Jesus is the Prophet.
o Through whom
o God gave them bread.
o Just as
o God gave the Israelites bread.
o While
o They were under Moses’ care.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Exodus 16:13-15 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
13That evening quail came and
covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14When the dew was gone, thin
flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.
15When the Israelites saw it,
they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses
said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.
+++++++++++++++++++++
73)
According to
verse 15 what did Jesus know about the
intent of the people?
o Jesus knew that they intended to make him king by
force.
74)
Why did the
people intend to make Jesus king, given Exodus
16:21-35?
o They wanted to receive bread.
o As
o The Israelites did on a daily basis for forty years.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Exodus 16:21-35 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
21Each morning everyone
gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.
…
35The Israelites ate manna
forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until
they reached the border of
+++++++++++++++++++++
75)
Why did the
people intend to make Jesus king by force?
o They resolutely wanted Jesus to give them bread on a
daily basis no matter what.
o They were not going to let that opportunity slip
through their fingers.
76)
According to
verse 15 what did Jesus do, knowing that the people intended to make him king
by force?
o Jesus withdrew
again to a mountain by himself.
77)
How do we
interpret Jesus being the Prophet like Moses in the context of verse 15?
o Jesus is indeed the Prophet like Moses.
o But the people were not going to receive bread from
him as king on a daily basis.
78)
Why did Jesus
withdraw to a mountain by himself when people intended
to come and make him king by force?
o Per Philippians 2:5-8 Jesus came not as a king but as
a suffering servant in his first coming.
o Being made king would defeat the purpose of his first
coming.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Philippians 2:5-8 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5In your relationships with
one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature
God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own
advantage;
7rather, he made himself
nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even
death on a cross!
+++++++++++++++++++++
79)
What did Jesus
make clear to his disciples by withdrawing to
a mountain by himself when people intended to come and make him king by force?
o Jesus made clear to his disciples.
o That
o They were not following a king.
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John 6:1-15
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