Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand people that followed him in John chapter six, but there’s something going on here that parallels one of the most famous Psalms. I’ll let you know right up front, even though I placed this in the Bible Study section of this site, it’s really a result of a private study that the Lord interrupted. So considering what you’ll see unfolding on this page is a result of studying the Word, I’ve placed it under this topic.
The Lord took some time to show me a few things into this several years ago, and I thought that it would be a good idea to share it here for anyone else to be blessed by it. So without further ado, let’s start by jumping right into the Word concerning the fish and the loaves in John 6.
John 6 – The Loaves and the Fish
6 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 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? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 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. 11 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. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 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. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Holy Spirit Leading into all Truth
After reading this, I was stirred up by the Lord to go back and read it again. Then he graciously taught me some things that were going on here that went far beyond the “elephant in the room” so to speak, referring to the miracle of feeding the 5,000 men and their families off of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. As this is a wonderful miracle from God, and one of the many miracles that took place in the New Testament, there was something Jesus wanted me to know about this that I’ve never heard preached anywhere. Not in any Church or by anyone I enjoy watching on television, the internet, etc..
When the Holy Ghost wants to show me something that’s going on in the Word that I may be missing, he often pops a question into me that I’d not think to ask. Have you ever had that happen? If so, leave a comment below and tell us about it! Anyways, the Lord lead me by having me ask the following questions:
Give me Something to Work With
From the multitude of people there, how is it that the apostle Andrew found one boy with the loaves and the fish? (First of all, keep in mind that it was a younger child, as the Jewish custom is that a boy becomes a man at thirteen. The boy had to have been younger than that.)
The Lord answered me with this, “It was an offering! The boy was already there to offer his food up to Jesus so he may eat!” Then I was led to think about Malachi 3:10:
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
And also John 5:19:
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise..”
Through Jesus, God stayed true to his word toward that boy. Isn’t it amazing that this passage isn’t used in offering sermons and things of the like? If it is, I’ve not heard it yet. The focus has usually been on the fact that Jesus performed this miracle using little to feed the many. It surprises me how little focus people spend on the tools made available to open those floodgates. There was an offering so great that Jesus was moved perform a series of events that blessed all who were there.
Everyone Sit Down
Now the Lord has instructed me on a few things that I am about to type. And the more I think about the things that he told me, the more I realize that it is true to everything else that pertains to his nature in the Bible. You can believe it or not. Either way, he told me the following things and I was blessed by it.
I asked the question: Why did you have everyone sit down just before you blessed the food? I asked this question offering up tag along questions with it like; is it because it’s just what you did in those days; in homage or to God or something of that nature?
My response was as follows:
“Don’t you put religion on me!” I was a little put aback by that till I realized that it was religious people that were causing him all the trouble in those days. He continued with this, “That child gave me something that was precious, his own meal. One of the reasons I made everyone sit, was so that child could see exactly what I was doing with the offering. In a crowd of thousands, do you think he and his family would be able to see what I’m doing if everyone was left standing? No man, woman or child, throughout that entire place was going to prevent that boy from seeing what I was going to do with what he gave. At that moment, nobody was going to stand taller than that boy.”
Then he told me something else that immediately brought a smile to my face, because he said it in such a way that I could sense the smile on his face while saying it. He said, “Also, they were weary, hungry, and sought me out.” He paused for a second then continued, “I make them lie down in green pastures. I do only what I see my Father do!”
Of course he was referring to Psalms 23;2. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters…
I laughed toward the end of what he was telling me. It was a combination of how he said it, and also that overwhelming joy you get when he gives such a revelation! If anyone’s received a revelation or an answer from God, you know the sensation I’m talking about.
God in the Flesh
He was trying to show them exactly who he was in many more ways than the miracle. That’s one of the things that bothered him when the same crowd followed him to Capernaum the next day. They all wanted to get fed again. Nobody realized any rhyme or reason behind the miracle in the first place. They just wanted more of it, and he called them out on it in John 6; 26.
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
The following is what the Lord had put on my heart concerning what nobody at that time had realized. God himself through Christ Jesus had made himself known to the people that were with him that day, not just by the miracle of the loaves & fish. From the second he stepped off the boat in the desert place belonging to the City of Bethsaida, he had begun fulfilling Psalms 23 as if it were prophecy.
The Lord is my Shepherd
Mark 6:34
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.
I shall not want
Matthew 14:20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
Mark 6:44
And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures
Mark 6:39
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
He leadeth me beside still waters
John 6:23
(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
He restoreth my soul
Matthew 14:14
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
John 6:2
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
Mark 6:33
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.
Luke 9:11
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.
Also, having 12 baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten their fill, at least on that day, ‘their cup runneth over’ Psalms 23:5. Jesus directly fulfilled over one third of Psalm 23 with this one series of acts he performed that single day. Nobody took notice or made any connection to what he was truly doing, exposing the Father in Him, but all were too caught up in the miracle performed.
This is Just one Example
The Lord has packed the Bible full of treasures yet to be found! There are places all over the Gospels where Jesus fulfilled prophecy to show us and those around back then exactly who he was. Many different things that he said, did, where he went, and what he went through, can be found scattered about in the Old Testament. He was living out prophecy, having been the one who authored it in the first place!
I was really blessed by this interaction between the Holy Ghost and myself this particular period of time when I jotted this all down. Funny thing is, I had no real plans as to what to do with it. No desire to do anything like this site or a book or anything like that. Anytime that something comes out of me that is way smarter than what I could do on my own, I know without a shadow of a doubt that it’s certainly not me, but he who’s in me.
This is one of those cases. There’s no way that I could have put these things together or would have noticed it at all, were it not for the Lord leading me to jot something down to be used to share with people 4 or 5 years later. You can believe me or not, either way it really doesn’t matter. No matter what, let God be true and all men a liar (Romans 3:4).
I’d like to challenge you on your next session studying the Word of God, to pray for his insight into his Word and to expose the hidden treasures that he’s hidden to be found just for you!
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I pray that this page is a blessing to you! Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand is one of many treasures that you’ll find being lead by the Spirit of the Living God, while traversing through his Word!