Feeding the 5,000

In the Gospels, Jesus performed this miracle after teaching and healing a crowd that had followed him to a remote area, leaving the disciples concerned about how to provide food for the estimated 5,000 men plus women and children present. Taking five loaves and two fish offered by a boy, Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and had the disciples distribute it, resulting in everyone eating their fill with twelve baskets of fragments collected afterward. This event demonstrates Jesus' compassion and divine power to multiply resources, serving as a sign of his identity as the Messiah who fulfills God's provision like the manna in the wilderness and pointing to the abundance of the kingdom.

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Category: Provision
Testament: New Testament
Performed by: Jesus

Key Passages

The Feeding

John 6:5-14

W⁵hen 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.

Mark's Account

Mark 6:35-44

A³⁵nd when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. ³⁷ He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? ³⁸ He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. ³⁹ And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. ⁴⁰ And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. ⁴¹ And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. ⁴² And they did all eat, and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. ⁴⁴ And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Luke's Account

Luke 9:12-17

A¹²nd when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

¹³ But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. ¹⁴ For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. ¹⁵ And they did so, and made them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. ¹⁷ And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

Did You Know?

This is the only miracle (besides the resurrection) recorded in all four Gospels.

5,000 men plus women and children likely means 15,000-20,000 people total.

12 baskets of leftovers remained. One for each apostle who doubted it could be done.