Day 8 of 49
Fourth Sign: Feeding of 5000
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Jn 6:1–15.
One of the most memorable miracles of Jesus, it publicly displayed his power over nature and his ability to provide for one’s needs.
Since the miracle at Cana, Jesus spent the year consistently healing, preaching the Kingdom of God, and gaining popularity among the people. A lot of the people followed him to get help for themselves or for their family. A lot followed him because he did spectacular miracles.
In the 60’s and 70’s, we saw similar gatherings, especially among the charismatic and pentecostal element of the church. Faith healers like Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlmann, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Derek Prince, and Benny Hinn traveled the world, drawing huge crowds, and bringing hope in Jesus Christ to people in pain. Today others continue the healing ministries on television and in huge arenas.
While I don’t agree with the teaching that lays the blame for a lack of healing on the unbelief of the sick person or that everyone will be healed and wealthy if they have enough faith…after all, God is sovereign…I know that God heals today. I have experienced it. I have seen it in the lives of others. And I believe that there are some people who are blessed with the gift of praying for others to be healed (I Cor 12:9, 28; read all of chapter 12 for a list of the gifts).
My point in this is not the validity of these faith healers, my point is that sensationalism draws big crowds. Jesus, by the sheer magnitude of the healings he performed, drew huge crowds.
The feeding of the 5000 is mentioned in all four gospels. We gain additional details from these gospels.
Matthew 14:13-21: Jesus had tried to get to a desolate place, probably to pray, but the people followed…actually they raced ahead on foot and met him at his destination. He had compassion on them and healed the sick.
Mark 6:30-44: Jesus had sent the 12 disciples out two by two to proclaim that people should repent, to cast out demons and to anoint with oil those who needed healing (Mk 6:7-13). They had just returned and Jesus tried to take them to a desolate place for some RandR. The people beat them to the destination. Jesus had compassion and taught them until it was late.
Luke 9:10-17: We find out the name of the place, Bethsaida, after the disciples returned from their venture. It says that Jesus welcomed the people who followed, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those in need…until late.
Some of the disciples wanted to send them into the towns to get food…can you imagine an influx of 5000 people into a small town? Jesus told them to feed the people. Philip gave voice to the disciples’ dilemma, “200 denarri is not enough to buy bread for all these people.” Andrew brought the boy with five loaves and two fish, saying “What is this for so many?”.
Five of the disciples, including Andrew, witnessed the turning of water into wine. All of them witnessed the healings and the casting out of demons. They had just returned from their journeys where they were the ones healing and casting out demons.
This was a challenge in belief, five loaves and two fish to feed so many people? But Jesus told them to have the people sit down, and they obeyed him…a step of faith, despite the doubt.
Everyone ate until satisfied, and they collected 12 baskets of leftovers. Some say that the 12 baskets (kophinos) represent the 12 tribes of Israel.
Matthew 15:29-39 and Mark 8:1-10 mention the feeding of the 4000. They had seven loaves and a few fish that fed everyone and they gathered seven baskets (spyris) of leftovers. There is some thought that this second feeding was to show the inclusion of the gentiles into God’s kingdom.
The kophinos was a basket used almost exclusively by the Jews. The seven represented the seven Gentile nations: Canaanites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites and the Perizzites.
What does this reveal to us about Jesus as the Messiah?
He had compassion for his people, as sheep without a shepherd.
“In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God.
5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’
6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.
Je 50:4–6.
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.
Eze 34:11–15.
“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
Zec 10:6.
The people perceived that he was the prophet who was to come. Jesus departed because they wanted to make him king.
Later they ask him for proof that he was the Messiah…they wanted more bread. That leads to the discussion of Jesus as the Bread of Life, which we will touch on in a later devotional.
Lord, thank you for the sacrifice you made to bring us eternal life. Thank you for being a shepherd with compassion on us. Help us to seek your face in gratitude of your love and mercy that you poured out on us. When we see your gifts manifested through your followers, help us to not focus on the gift or the one with the gift, but on you, the one who gives.
TRICIA LATHROP 