The Miracles of Jesus Part 19: The Feeding of the 5000+
Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15 - The Abundance of our Lord! This miracle is not a joke!
“Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.”
Matthew 14:13-21 NASB1995
“The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they *said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” And He *said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they *said, “Five, and two fish.” And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.”
Mark 6:30-44 NASB1995
“When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing. Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.” But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” They did so, and had them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.”
Luke 9:10-17 NASB1995
“After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.””
John 6:1-14 NASB1995
We have reached one of the most famous miracles in the ministry of Jesus and the only miracle documented in all four Gospels (other than the Resurrection). The photo at the top was taken by us in August, 2018 on a fantastic shore excursion to the Galilee region on our second day in Israel while doing a big cruise from Athens to Miami. This is the simple, but beautiful Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. We bought a nice little mosaic tile there of the original mosaic that you can see under the altar; the tile is located in the kitchen of our RV. This Catholic church is located on the northwest side of the Sea, but there is ample evidence from the Bible accounts that the miracle actually took place on the eastern side of the Sea in the Decapolis region. In fact, the Luke version cites a location near Bethsaida, which was the home of the disciple Philip.
Rather than try to explore all four Gospels, I’m going to (mostly) concentrate on the account of these events in John, with appropriate commentary, because John has more details on the source of the two fish and five loaves. It appears that Jesus retreats to this area after the disciples have gone forth and come back on their two-by-two missions; He is also absorbing the news about the death of John the Baptist. But the crowds follow Him, drawn by the healings He has performed and maybe just a little bit of His teaching. In Mark and Luke, Jesus feels compassion for these people and takes time to teach and heal many. The day is ending and they are in a remote place. John mentions that it is near Passover, setting up an intriguing connection between the bread provided in the wilderness for the tribes of Israel after they flee Egypt and the bread provided to the crowds on this day.
Jesus addresses Philip and asks him where they can buy bread so that the large crowd can eat (Philip should know the area). He is testing His disciple, knowing what He is going to do. The ever-practical Philip says that two hundred denarii (two years wages) would be insufficient to buy enough bread for everyone to eat. Now keep this in mind: Some, if not most, of the disciples saw water changed to wine, saw long-distance healings, saw instant healings of paralytics, saw two people raised from the dead, saw a leper healed, saw two blind men healed, saw Jesus drive out demons and calm a big storm on the Sea of Galilee (you get it - the list goes on). In fact, the disciples themselves performed miracles of healing and other types on their recent sojourn. Yet they still suffer from a spiritual blindness to the powers our Lord and don’t think about a solution that comes from Him. Jesus is testing their compassion and their faith by telling them to provide.
Andrew approaches Jesus and tells Him that a lad (young boy) has offered five barley loaves and two small fish. If you recall, Andrew also introduced his brother Peter to Jesus. Barley grain is the lowest quality grain and the two small fish are likely osparia, small salted fish used as a relish, like an anchovy. This young boy is willing to offer his lunch, demonstrating more faith and generosity than the frustrated disciples. Jesus takes control of the situation and tells the disciples to have the people sit on the grassy fields in groups of 50 to 100. He looks heavenward and blesses God for giving Him the small food offering, breaking the loaves and fishes. He hands this meager fare back to the disciples and tells them to feed everyone until they are full.
It’s not certain when the five loaves and two fishes become a huge feast for the thousands that are there. I like how they depicted this in the last episode of Season three of “The Chosen”. Jesus tells them to get big baskets and the disciples assume they will be pulling out minuscule pieces of bread and fish from the bottom of those baskets. When they go to lift the baskets they can barely pick them up. The disciples have to work as part of this miracle, going up and down the rows of the people distributing food. Everyone is fed until they are satisfied.
Some estimate the crowd size, with women and children, as between 15,000 and 20,000. Jesus then directs them to pick up the pieces that are left so that no waste is created (no, He is not an early eco-warrior; He realizes that this food can be used again for people who struggle to make a meal). The disciples return to Him with 12 baskets full of leftovers! I love the number - one basket for each disciple! The young boy now has MORE food that when he was first introduced to Jesus. Here is some excellent commentary from the Matthew version of this passage from David Guzik, in Enduring Word:
Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children: The number of 5,000 men suggests a total perhaps of 15,000 to 20,000 people when women and children are included in the count.
The prominence of this story – recorded in all four gospels – shows that both the Holy Spirit and the early church thought this story was important, and important as more than an example of the miraculous power of Jesus.
It shows that Jesus could feed the people of God, even as Israel was fed in the wilderness. There was a common expectation that the Messiah would restore the provision of manna, and this adds to the messianic credentials of Jesus.
It shows that Jesus had compassion and care for the people of God, even when we might have expected His patience would be exhausted.
It shows that Jesus chose to work through the hands of the disciples, even when it was not essential to the immediate result.
It shows a preview example of the great messianic banquet that the Messiah will enjoy with His people.
The feeding of the 5,000 also gives us three principles regarding God’s provision.
Thank God for and wisely use what you have.
Trust God’s unlimited resources.
Don’t waste what He gives you.
I love the three principles of God’s provisions. Thank God and wisely use what you have, trust in His provision, and don’t waste what He gives you. According to this charitable organization Feeding America, nearly 40% of the usable food in this country is wasted each year, translating to 119 billion pounds of food, yet there are many people who aren’t sure where their next meal will come from. I find that to be so disheartening. God provided Manna in the wilderness daily to the Israelis during their years of wandering and had specific rules about not hoarding it, except for the Sabbath. Give us this day our daily bread. Steve and I are certainly not perfect, but we have definitely improved in using all of the groceries we buy to avoid throwing things out (I used to want to go out to eat a lot during my working years so we ended up throwing out many things). Wastefulness doesn’t glorify God’s provision.
According to John, the people believe that this a sign from the Prophet who has come into the world. The crowd loved Him so long as He gave them what they wanted. We must love and obey Jesus for who He is, not for what we can get from Him. He is not a vending machine or a lottery ticket at our beck and call for miracles, provision, etc. Love and obey and repent FIRST and give Him your first fruits, then praise Him for His abundance.
People are also hungry for the Word. Some of these multitudes may not have been physically hungry, but they were willing to sit at the feet of the Master in expectation of hearing His Word; food was just a sideshow. I like these words from the passage in Luke from commentary, again by David Guzik:
The people are hungry, and the atheists and skeptics try to convince them that they aren’t hungry at all.
The people are hungry, and the empty religionist offers them some ceremony or empty words that can never satisfy.
The people are hungry, and the religious showman gives them video and special lighting and cutting edge music.
The people are hungry, and the entertainer gives them loud fast action, so loud and fast that they don’t have a moment to think.
The people are hungry – and Jesus has the bread of life.
Yes, Pastor Guzik can be an equal-opportunity offender. He like simplicity and a focus on the Word of our Lord. If readers “read” something into this, perhaps some introspection and prayer is suggested. I know that the third bullet could be targeted directly at the non-denominational church we currently attend, but I agree with it.
So what did we learn from this incredible miracle?
The feeding of the 5000+: Jesus is compassionate and involves his believers in provided abundance. Nothing is too meager or small for the Lord to use in a big way. The disciples continue to look for worldly answers to solve problems and He points them, once again, to His supernatural abilities. People are physically hungry and God’s resources should not be wasted. The Word is also needed to feed the masses spiritually.
My next devotional examines the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, as documented in Matthew, Mark and John.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Thank you for my daily bread (sustenance and the Word). I pray that I never underestimate your power to take something small and turn it into a big solution. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word from David Guzik is used with written permission.
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.
A man is healed by Jesus by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath: Jesus homes in on a man among the many who has hopelessly waited for healing in the pool for 38 years. He asks him if he wants healing, then tells him to stand, take up his pallet, and walk. We are all waiting for something, but we should stop waiting and be actively seeking Him in our everyday lives through our worship and prayers. Human-made rules and rituals can separate us from our Creator, who is working to sustain us and His creation.
The feeding of the 5000+: Jesus is compassionate and involves his believers in provided abundance. Nothing is too meager or small for the Lord to use in a big way. The disciples continue to look for worldly answers to solve problems and He points them, once again, to His supernatural abilities. People are physically hungry and God’s resources should not be wasted. The Word is also needed to feed the masses spiritually.