Key Verse: “Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” (John 6:10-12 CSB)
Jesus was starting to gather quite the crowd. You can’t really blame them for it. If you were to turn water into wine, heal a dying boy from a distance, and restore a paralyzed man to full health, you are likely going to gain a bit of a following. People will want to see what you are going to do next.
But Jesus hadn’t come for that purpose. So as the huge crowd of people sought to follow Him, He withdrew with His disciples up a mountain to sit down for a while. The problem though was that as Jesus looked up, the huge crowd had tracked Him down and was heading His way.
Jesus turned to Philip, one of His disciples, and asked him, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” (v.5). Jesus already knew how He was going to handle the situation, but wanted to see how Philip would respond. Having walked with Jesus to this point, did Philip fully understand who Jesus truly is?
Philip responded by saying that two hundred denarii or approximately 200 days of wages wouldn’t be enough to feed this crowd. There were five thousand men, along with women and children, which could have meant more than 15,000 people headed their way. That’s quite the catering job! Even worse, all they had to work with was five barley loaves and two fish that a boy had given to them. What were they going to do?
But this was no big deal for Jesus. He instructed them to have everyone take a seat. Then, He took the bread, “and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated – so also with the fish” (v.11). Incredibly, there was enough for everyone in the crowd to eat. In fact, they all ate as much as they wanted to the point of being full, and there were still twelve baskets of bread left over. Jesus had powerfully provided for them!
In performing this miracle, Jesus was likely making a connection for the people back to Moses in order to demonstrate His Messianic identity. Like Jesus, Moses had a great crowd of people following him. He too went up a mountain. And when the people were hungry and needed to be fed, God miraculously provided enough food or manna for them day after day so that everyone had exactly what they needed.
This is who Jesus is. This is what He does. He is our great Provider. He knows our needs – both physical and spiritual – better than we do, and is more than capable of meeting them for us. In fact, He promised to do so. “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), Paul wrote. If Jesus can feed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, then He can meet whatever needs you and I will face today. The question is whether or not we will trust Him to do so.
Prayer: Jesus, you are the provider of my every need. I humbly ask for you to step into the places of need in my life and in those around me and show you abundant and gracious provision today. Fill my heart with your perfect peace as I put my trust in you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
