The Feeding of the Five Thousand

What miracle is recorded in all four Gospels?

The story of the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. John’s account of this miracle emphasized the creative power of Christ and decisively supported John’s aim to demonstrate the deity of Jesus (John 6:1–14). Consider some of the details: The number of men was five thousand, not including women and children, who probably brought the total up to twenty thousand. “Sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34) is an Old Testament picture used to describe the people as helpless and starving, lacking in spiritual guidance and protection, and exposed to the perils of sin and spiritual destruction. The disciples ask Jesus, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” (Mark 6:37). A single denarius was equivalent to a day’s pay for the day laborer. Two hundred denarii would therefore equal eight months’ wages and be quite beyond the disciples’ means.

What was the crowd’s response to Jesus’ miraculous provision for their empty stomachs?

These people desired a Messiah who met their physical, rather than spiritual, needs. They wanted an earthly, political Messiah to meet all their needs and to deliver them from Roman oppression. Their reaction typifies many who want a “Christ” who makes no demands of them, but of whom they can make their selfish personal requests. “Give us this bread always” (John 6:34) implies that they wanted Jesus to produce food from heaven every day from then on—like a genie who would magically grant them any wish that struck their fancy. After all, they suggested, that’s very much like what Moses did for the Israelites in the wilderness: the manna came every day. These people were basically offering to make a deal with Jesus: they would believe in Him if He would agree to make food for them from now on, whenever they demanded it.

What was Jesus’ response to their proposal?

Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand set the stage for what has come to be known as the “Bread of Life discourse.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). If the multitudes had shown the least bit of interest in hearing the truth, they would have sought clarification of what they did not understand. Instead, “the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ ” (John 6:52). (John regularly used the expression “the Jews” to signify the hostile religious leaders. They were apparently at the head of this crowd.) Notice that Jesus did not stop them at that point and say, “No, you misunderstand. Let Me explain what I mean.” They had shown no interest in understanding Jesus, so He persisted with His difficult analogy.