This incredible miracle is found in all four of the Gospels. We will explore them together. Let's take a moment to think about what this moment meant. We know the story, if we have studied the Bible in any length, but sometimes we gloss over the familiar stories because we know what happened. Today's let's really dig in to these verses and dissect what actually is transpiring. As with all the other miracles, we will see that it is much more than just the miracle that is taking place. Grab your Bibles to study with me, or read along as I will share the King James Version of this text.
Matthew 14:13-14 When Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.
Mark 6:30-34 And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew Him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.
Luke 9:10-11 And the apostles, when they were returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew it, followed Him: and He received them, and spake unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
John 6:1-3 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
Jesus is with His disciples and He wants to get them alone, apart from the crowds. They even go across the sea to Bethsaida but the people want to be with Jesus. He has done so many miracles and healed so many people, they wanted more of Him. They wanted to hear Him teach and Jesus was moved with compassion. Note that He did not send them away. He may have been exhausted from ministering to them but He still received them all. He recognized they were lost sheep with no shepherd to guide them on the right path.
Matthew 14:15-16 And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
Mark 6:35-37a And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.
Luke 9:12-13a And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto Him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But He said unto them, Give ye them to eat.
John 6:4-6 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do.
No doubt many miracles already transpired that day. Now it is evening and everyone is tired and getting hungry. All of the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away tired and hungry to find food somewhere else. Jesus was not going to do that. He was not going to meet some of their needs and not all of their needs. He tells the disciples to do the impossible. He said for them to give the multitude of people something to eat!
Has God ever told you to do something impossible? I know He has told me to do things that I had no ability to do in my own strength. He did not say that the disciples had to figure it out. They just did not ask Him to provide. Their reaction was a lot like mine when He asks me to do hard and impossible things. I try to figure it out. Jesus already has the plan. We need to trust Him enough to ask Him what to do.
Matthew 14:17 And they say unto Him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
Mark 6:37b-38 And they say unto Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
Luke 9:13b And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
John 6:6-9 Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Have you been there? Have you ever been in the disciples' sandals? Here they stand before Jesus. They have seen Him do miracle after miracle. He has told them to feed the multitude and they look in their own hands, at the circumstances they are in, and look for the provision. I know I have been guilty of that too. I am looking in my pockets, my bank account, my brain, my knowledge, my abilities, even the abilities of those around me. Andrew said there is a boy here with five loaves of bread and a couple of fish but what good is so little when the need is so great?
Matthew 14:18-21 He said, Bring them hither to Me. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Mark 6:39-44 And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided He among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Luke 9:14-17 For they were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
John 6:10-13 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
The miracle was that Jesus used two fish and five loaves of bread to feed 5,000 men not including women and children! But was that the only miracle? There is so much more to see. He had the people sit down in an area where there was a lot of green grass. They were comfortable there instead of sitting near the sea with sand and rough terrain. These people are in groups. He has set them in companies to make distribution easier. He feeds the multitude until they had enough. All of their bellies were full and it did not cost any of them one penny!
Remember when Jesus asked the disciples to feed them? They did! Jesus took the bread, gave thanks for it, and then He gave to each disciple the bread and fish to give to the multitude. Each of the twelve disciples passed out their fish sandwiches until there was no more room to eat another bite. And then because Jesus never lets anything go to waste, He tells the disciples to gather up what remained. Would you look at what remained? Twelve baskets full! That was enough for each disciple to show their overflow to the Master and that is another miracle!
You may be looking at a mountain size task that God is asking you to do. It will definitely be much bigger than you. It will be harder than you can do. It will take skill and ability beyond what you are able. Yes, the task really is for you! And not only will God equip you to do it and do it with excellence, but He will even bless your efforts so you have something to gather up and show Him the overflow. Nothing will be lost. Nothing will be in vain. Every tear, every heartache, every ounce of pain the task will require of you will be worth it when you see the blessing on the other side. These 12 disciples fed more than 5,000 people in a desert with no budget, no grocery store, no Uber eats, and they did it because Jesus enabled them to do so. Won't He cover you?
Friends, I pray something I have shared on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
