Rhetorical Rabbai (John 6:5-6)
"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." (John 6:5, 6 NLT) One day during a big crusade, a rather large crowd showed up to see Jesus. The disciples were suddenly outnumbered 10:1. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Jesus decides to throw a wrench in the dinner plans by asking Phillip an unexpected question. Jesus puts Phillip on the spot by asking for an immediate solution to an unexpected "problem". Like a deer caught in headlights, Phillip and the other disciples freeze in a quick panic over Jesus' request. He had asked a question with an impossible answer. What's interesting though is that verse 6 points out that Jesus wasn't looking for a solution for His sake. It points out that He already had a plan and knew what to do. So what's the deal Jesus? Why you gotta mess with Phillip? He w...