John 6:1-15
Life Group Questions:
1. If you were not able to hear this week’s sermon, consider going to the church website and listening to it. What are some main ideas that you gathered from the sermon? What, if any, questions did the sermon cause for you or do you desire to have additional clarification?
2. Read the different Gospel accounts of this story of Jesus’ fourth sign (cf. Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17). What similarities and differences do you see between these accounts? Do the differences between the Gospel accounts negatively affect the teaching of Scripture’s inerrancy? Explain.
3. Other than the Resurrection of Christ, this is the only miracle of Jesus that all four Gospel writers include in their writing. What is so significant about this miracle that all four writers find it essential to their accounts? What is the main point and purpose that John is trying to communicate by recording this sign of Jesus (cf. John 6:14)?
4. At the end of the previous chapter, John included a statement about Moses pointing to Jesus in his writings. Read Deuteronomy 18:15 and describe some similarities between the acts of Jesus in this passage and those of Moses. Describe some ways that Jesus is even better than Moses.
5. Based on this passage, describe the crowds that followed Jesus. Why were so many people following Jesus? We sometimes associate large crowds of followers with authenticity, support and commitment. Is that always true? Why can basing our estimate of faithfulness and effectiveness on numerical values be dangerous?
6. How would you describe the level of faith in Jesus by the disciples? Having been with Jesus and seeing His miracles, wouldn’t we be correct in criticizing their response to the situation at hand in this passage? Have you ever found yourself looking for solutions to problems in the wrong places? Have you ever underestimated the power of God to resolve situations? How can we safeguard ourselves from failing in this area of life?
7. Explain anything that this passage may teach us about the following: dealing with circumstances beyond our abilities, successfully passing God’s tests of our faith, Jesus being able to supply more than our needs, and Jesus bringing satisfaction to our lives.