Jesus feeds 5000: Jesus always has a plan, a solution to every problem and He always achieved a good outcome. Sometimes that solution is beyond human reason, like how to feed a multitude of people when you have five barley loaves, two fishes and no money. It doesn’t make sense, but it happened.
All four Gospels give an account for the feeding of the 5000. That’s 5000 men, not counting women and children. This was not a planned event. It happened because, as Jesus’ fame grew through the region, He was attracting large crowds.
Huge crowds gathered
Matthew talks of Him going to a solitary place. Mark writes that the disciples were reporting to Jesus on their activities and the crowd came. Luke said they were going to Bathsaida, but the crowd followed. John said that Jesus had crossed the Sea of Galilee and the crowd, having seen and heard of His miraculous signs, followed Him.
6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When 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?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:1-7 )
God will Provide
The accounts are all similar, except John is he only writer who tells us that a boy offered the five barley loaves and two fishes. The miracle is recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:1-15.
The story shows us that God will provide. His generosity is so lavishly displayed here for those who trust Him. When we look to God, and yield to Him, we will,often see that He gives us even more than what we need. In this case, after all of those people ate their fill, there were still 12 baskets full of food left over.
His disciples didn’t understand
Jesus told His disciples to give the people something to eat. They interpreted this in an earthly way, calculating that it would take eight months wages to buy enough to feed them all. Some suggested to send the people away to nearby villages to get food.
The problem was, they came from all directions to see Jesus. Just imagine the sight. Here they all were. Jesus looked at them with compassion. He healed the sick and talked to the masses. This was supposed to be a time of rest for Jesus and His followers, but it was anything but that. God does not rest. He is always there to provide for our needs.
Boy had almost nothing, yet it was sufficient
Another point that comes to mind is the size of the gift offered by the boy. Two loaves and five fishes. It was by world standards next to nothing, but Jesus fed a multitude of people.
It is encouragement for those who believe in Jesus and follow Him that their efforts to serve, in humility and obedience, will not go unnoticed. Jesus can take what is small to us and turn it into something massive for many.
While it is true that God can do anything on His own, without our help, we see in this passage that Jesus chose to involve His disciples. They were a part of the miracle. Today, those who believe, are a part of the ongoing miracle of salvation in Christ.
There are no limits on what God can do. We are invited to be a part of that. Just think of what a little boy’s gift can do.
Jesus Feeds 5000
8 Another 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?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus 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.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:8-14)