Feeding of the Five Thousand

Feeding of the Five Thousand

 John writes that the crowd that followed Jesus did so in response to His miracles (John 6:2), a link to the healing of the lame man in 5:1–17. This leads to a fourth sign miracle, the feeding of the 5,000.

 What Jesus did was remarkable in every way. Consider, for example, that even today very few facilities in the United States can accommodate 5,000 people for a sit-down meal. Yet Jesus miraculously provided for at least that many—with leftovers! John mentions that they filled twelve baskets—perhaps one for each disciple, or perhaps one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The overall result was faith: Jesus must be the Prophet promised by Moses (Deut. 18:15), the crowd concluded (John 6:14).

 Yet doubt and rejection were soon to follow. Detractors pointed out that Jesus’ lunch may have been impressive, but it was only one meal. By contrast, Moses had fed Israel in the wilderness for forty years (6:30, 31). Incredibly, they had missed the point of the sign: Jesus was not merely a deliveryman; He was the Bread of Life itself (6:32–58).