When Jesus then lifted up His eyes and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? John 6:5
Imagine attending a seminar in a large auditorium, with several hundred other people. You are one of the assistants for the man who is the keynote speaker at the seminar. During one of the breaks in the day’s events, you are talking with the keynote speaker, and he turns to you with an amazing suggestion: ‘Where can we buy enough sandwiches so we can give one to everybody who is here?’ Your first reaction, after the initial shock, is the impossibility of paying for such a huge order of sandwiches, even if you could find a sandwich shop that could make them up in time. You might also recoil at the thought of taking on such a huge responsibility. It’s not your job to feed all these people, is it? If you have been following along with me, you might be feeling a little like Philip did as Jesus asked his question on the mountainside. Why would Jesus want to feed all those people?
The short answer, of course, is that Jesus cared. He knew that all those people would be hungry soon, and few would have thought to bring any nourishment with them. Familiar with the pangs of hunger, He could relate to them. And His great heart of compassion went out to them in their need. On this occasion, He was prepared to supply their need of bread. On other occasions, He was prepared to supply the needs of comfort, healing, encouragement, reproof, and direction. In the same way, He understood our greatest need of forgiveness of sins, and was prepared to meet that need as well. The supplying of bread to satisfy the hunger of thousands of people that day was surely a great achievement. But supplying the blood to wash away the stains of untold millions of sinners is surely the greatest achievement that humanity has ever encountered. Why did Jesus do it? The short answer is because He cared.
Jesus’ attitude of caring as He watched the hungry multitudes approaching in our text was not just typical of Him; it was His very nature. When the disciples asked on the stormy lake if He cared not that they perished, how little they realized just how much He cared. His very purpose of coming into this world was that He cared. The reason He ministered in teaching, healing, and perfect example was that He cared. The reason He allowed Himself to be falsely accused, condemned, and crucified was that He cared. The reason He finished Calvary’s great victory was that He cared.
The remembrance of Jesus caring for us gives fresh cause for appreciation today as we consider His great provision for us. – Jim MacIntosh