Test God in This

Have you ever felt like you had nothing left to give? The kind of exhaustion where your body is spent, your mind is clouded, and your heart just doesn’t have the energy to care? That’s exactly where Jesus and His disciples were when the miracle of feeding the 5,000 happened—and that’s what makes this moment so powerful.

Jesus meets our needs not just when it’s convenient, but especially when we’re completely tapped out.

The Scene Behind the Miracle
This wasn’t just any miracle. Apart from the resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. That tells us something: this moment matters.

Jesus and His disciples had just reunited after a grueling season of ministry. They were tired. John the Baptist had just been killed. They needed a retreat. And yet, when the crowds showed up—thousands of people needing help—Jesus didn’t turn them away. He had compassion on them.

“He had compassion on them and healed their sick.” – Matthew 14:14

“They were like sheep without a shepherd.” – Mark 6:34

“He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:11

The word for “compassion” here isn’t casual sympathy—it means to ache deeply in your gut. Jesus felt their pain so deeply that He couldn’t ignore it. He had to act.

Jesus Creates Tension On Purpose
In the middle of this tired, grief-stricken retreat, Jesus turns to Philip and asks him, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (John 6:5). It wasn’t a logistical question—it was a spiritual test.

Philip was from the area. He knew there were no fast food joints nearby, but that wasn’t the point. Jesus was stirring something in him and in us: a holy tension. When we see real needs in the world—hunger, heartbreak, injustice—something awakens in us. And suddenly, we’re faced with a question: Am I supposed to do something about this?

That’s what Jesus does. He shows us what we need and invites us to be part of the solution, not because He needs our resources, but because He wants our hearts.

Seeing Hurts. But Ignoring Hurts More.
Sometimes, we keep our emotional blinders on because it’s easier not to see. But to really see people’s pain means we’ll feel it, too. It disrupts our comfort and calls us into action. To see is to ache. But that ache is where compassion begins. And compassion—true, Jesus-shaped compassion—leads to action. Not just good intentions, but real participation in God’s redemptive work.

A World That’s Still Hungry
Jesus saw the crowd and chose to feed them. But His response was more than just filling stomachs—it pointed to something more profound. He was saying, “I am the bread of life.”

This crowd would show up again the next day, hoping for another meal. And Jesus tells them, in effect: “I can give you something better than bread. I can give you life that satisfies your soul.”

“Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Our world is still hungry—physically, emotionally, spiritually. And Jesus still offers the only food that truly fills us.

Where God Tests Us—and Invites Us
Jesus’ question to Philip was a test. He already knew what He was going to do. But He wanted Philip to feel the tension—to see the need and wrestle with what role he might play in meeting it.

This kind of testing is something we all face. And it often touches our most sensitive area: money.

“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven...” – Malachi 3:10

It’s the only area in Scripture where God invites us to test Him. He asks us to give—not because He needs our money—but because giving reveals our trust.

The Nature, Heart, and Plan of Jesus
This moment in John 6 is more than a miracle—it’s a glimpse into who Jesus is.

1. His Nature: He is a God of abundance, not scarcity. He multiplies what little we have when we surrender it to Him.

2. His Heart: Healing, teaching, feeding, restoring—Jesus moves toward broken people with compassion.

3. His Plan: It involves us. It always involves an offering.

Jesus didn’t need that boy’s five loaves and two fish. But He chose to use them. And He still chooses to use what we’re willing to give—our time, our gifts, our compassion—to bring healing to others.


This blog is based on the message shared by senior pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our Cityrise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Check out the full message below!