JOHN 6.1-14 JESUS FEEDS THE MULTITUDE

We will see in this section of scripture the great miracle of the loaves and the fish being multiplied to feed a multitude of people.  This is the only miracle that is included in all four Gospels.  It is included because it is a great object lesson to show the people that Jesus can not only feed people with bread and fish, but He is the Bread of Life and He is master over all things.  He first tests Phillip to see what he will do, and then he gets the typical it can’t be done responses from the rest of the disciples, all but one who brings a lad with two loaves and two small fish.  Andrew is always bringing people to Jesus every time we see him in the Gospels.  Jesus feeds them and even has food left over when there may have been as many as 15,000-20,000 people there at the time.  We usually call this the feeding of the Five Thousand, but it says there were that many men plus women and children if you read all four accounts. This is a great miracle by the great God and Savior.

John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" 10 Then Jesus said, "Make the people 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 them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."