John 6:1-15
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
5When 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?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8Another 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?"
10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus 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.
12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Jesus had a large crowd following Him...Many of the crowd saw His miraculous signs and how He had healed many that were sick...I would think that as this large crowd following Jesus saw Him and seen these miracles, some would have not believed...
Jesus as a test to the disciple Philip, ask him, where would they get bread to feed the great crowd following them...Philip said they did not have the money to buy all the bread for the large crowd...Philip would find out several important things today...Philip's faith will grow in Jesus and his understanding of the Messiah would continue to grow...Another point Philip would understand, is that God is full of grace and provides our daily bread, if we trust in Him...
Peter's brother, Andrew, said there was a boy who had five small barley loaves of bread and two small fish...But Andrew did not no how or what a child's lunch could do...We are told that Jesus had already in mind what He was going to do...Jesus took the bread and gave thanks and distributed the bread to the large crowd...He did the same for the fish, He gave thanks and distributed the fish...The crowd had as much as they wanted in bread and fish...Jesus told His disciples "Let nothing be wasted" and had them gather any extra bread and fish...From the five small barley loaves there were twelve filled baskets left and not eaten...
This miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, is the only miracle of Jesus in all the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... This miracle must have had a lasting impact on each of the disciples, and also on the great crowd that was gathered there that day...
This miracle had an impact on the people...Many said this is the Prophet, who is to come into this world...Many now thought He was the Messiah...Many wanted to make Him king of Israel...But Jesus did not come here to serve as king...He is the Son of God...He came to establish the kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom throughout the entire world...Jesus left this area and went to a mountain by Himself...He did not want this miracle (or His other miracles) to detract from His mission of kingdom of God...
Philip's test was now complete...He had seen this miracle...He had seen Jesus turn water into wine...He had heard and probably seen Jesus heal the paralytic at Bethesda, near the Sheep Gate Pool...Philip was growing as a disciple...Philip would later ask for more proof that Jesus was the Messiah, when he ask Jesus to show the Twelve the Father and that would be enough for us...Would it?... Would we need further proof?...Faith can be a process, a daily growth...Jesus tests us and we need to continue to follow Him and question things, like Philip did...It can take time, it did with Philip...