Jesus performed many miracles during his earthly ministry, but feeding the 5000 people remains the most remarkable miracle he ever performed. 5000 is not a small number, and only a large quantity of food could have been enough to feed everyone. However, Jesus only used a few bread loaves of bread and fish to feed every one of them. This miracle usually leads many bible readers to wonder, ”did Jesus turn bread into fish?”
Jesus did not turn bread into fish. According to the book of Mathew 14:13-21, Jesus used the five loaves of bread and the two fish that the little boy in the crowd had to feed the 5000 people who had become tired and angry. Jesus did not need to turn one meal into another to eliminate people’s hunger.
With this, one may ask, how did Jesus feed the 5000 multitudes? Why did Jesus only feed the 5000 fish and bread? What kind of fish did Jesus use to feed the 5000? How did Jesus multiply the two fish and five loaves of bread? Did Jesus create more food or find a way to satisfy people with little food? What happened to the leftover food after Jesus fed the 5000? What lessons do Christians learn from feeding the 5000? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more.
How did Jesus feed the 5000 multitudes?
Before we dig deep into how Jesus fed the 5000 multitudes, we must understand the events that led to him feeding such a large crowd. This miracle is recorded in the books of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. The author of John 6:1-13 narrates that Jesus fed the 5000 people on a hill in Galilee after they had followed him all day, and it was evening.
Seeing that they were hungry and he wanted to test his disciple Phillip, Jesus asked him where they could buy enough food to feed all the present people. Although Jesus posed this question to Phillip, the Bible reveals that he already knew what he would do for them.
In his human response, Philip told Jesus that it would take more than two hundred coins to buy enough bread for the people with them. Andrew then came to Jesus and informed him that a boy in the crowd had five loaves of barley bread and two fish. Jesus then asked for the food to be brought to him and directed his disciples to make people sit down and get ready to eat.
The Bible then records that Jesus took the bread and gave thanks to God, and gave it away for the disciples to give out. He then took the fish and gave thanks, and gave them away. When the food was distributed, everyone ate to their full, and there were 12 baskets of leftovers.
Why did Jesus only feed the 5000 fish and bread?
Jesus mainly fed the 5000 people fish and bread because they were hungry. It was already evening when the disciples approached Jesus and requested him to send the people away so they could go into the nearby villages to find food for themselves. It was evident that the people were hungry and would appreciate any food that came their way. That is why they ate the bread and fish entirely without any complaints when they were presented with the bread and fish.
The second reason Jesus only fed the 5000 people with fish and bread is that that was the only food in the crowd. Luke 9:10-17 explains that there were only five loaves and bread and two fish that a little boy had carried and that there was nothing else. Being all-powerful, Jesus used the bread and the fish to feed the 5000 people.
The third reason Jesus fed the 5000 people bread and fish was to glorify the power of God. The process of feeding all of those people with just five loaves of bread and two fish was a big miracle that anyone could have marveled at. By doing it in Infront of a more considerable multitude, Jesus wanted the disciples and the crowds present that nothing was impossible before God.
What kind of fish did Jesus use to feed the 5000?
We cannot conclude about the fish Jesus used to feed the 5000 people, as the Bible does not reveal which type they were. However, some religious scholars imply that there are two types of fish that Jesus could have used to feed the multitude, as they were common during that time in Galilee.
First, Jesus might have used Tilapia fish to feed the people. This type of fish is also famously known as Saint Peter’s fish, which most scholars suggest to have been the kind that the little boy had. Other people suggest that Sardine fish is the fish that Jesus used to feed the 5000 people, as they were the most common types during the fishing season.
How did Jesus multiply the two fish and five loaves of bread?
No one knows, or at least no human has an idea of how Jesus multiplied the two fish and five loaves of bread to be just enough for the crowd in Galilee. The scriptures also need to be clarified on what exactly happened and how the multiplications came about.
When you read through all the gospel books, the Bible states that Jesus took the five loaves of bread, gave thanks to God, broke them, and gave the disciples to distribute them to the people. He did the same thing with the fish and gave them away to be fed to people. Miraculously, this food might have multiplied in the baskets, as the Bible reveals that everyone present ate to their full, and twelve more baskets of leftovers were collected that evening. As human beings, we cannot know how Jesus did that, but all we can say is that our Jesus is miraculous.
Did Jesus create more food or find a way to satisfy people with little food?
We cannot explicitly say that Jesus created more food to feed the 5000 people or found a way to satisfy people with the bit of food available that evening. This is because the Bible does not give us more details on what happened. If we base ourselves on our everyday lives or experiences and knowledge, there is no way the five loaves of fish and the two fish would have been enough for such a large crowd.
Most theologians and scholars speculate that Jesus created more food using his power that no human can understand to feed all the people. However, Christians are encouraged to learn from the miracle that Jesus performed on that day and its significance, rather than trying to find a way to how he ended up feeding the people because it does not matter.
What happened to the leftover food after Jesus fed the 5000?
The Bible does not tell us what happened to the leftover food after feeding the 5000. It, however, reveals that the disciples could collect twelve full baskets of what had remained after the people had eaten. Mark 6:43 says, “then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of what was left of the bread and the fish.” While the Bible does not tell us what happened to the leftover food, we can conclude that the disciples could have most likely given away to people to carry the food to their houses, saved the food for their next meal, or even distributed them to the following villages as they went on with their mission.
What was the meaning and significance of Jesus feeding 5000 people with fish and bread?
Jesus signified the Lord, while the 5000 people signified his church. The story shows that the Lord saves and cares about his church more than anything else. Before he fed the 5000 people, the Bible tells us that it was getting dark, and the people were supposed to find food and lodgings to sleep in the nearby villages. Jesus, however, did not care about the time of the day and instead directed the disciples to make the people sit down. Additionally, Jesus only left the place to get into the boat when everyone had eaten to their full, signifying how compassionate Jesus is.
What lessons do Christians learn from feeding the 5000?
There are several lessons that Christians can learn from the miracle of feeding the 5000. First, Christians can learn that all is possible with Jesus and that nothing can defeat him. We see Philip and Andrew doubting whether the five loaves of bread and two fish will be enough to feed the crowd. Jesus, however, proves to them that nothing is impossible with him by multiplying the scarce food to more than enough.
Christians can also learn to trust God, even when they think what they ask cannot be done. God can bless his people who put their complete trust in him. Another great lesson Christians can learn from the feeding of the 5000 is that Jesus can use anyone to bless you and that they should not despise anyone. Among all people that were present that evening, Jesus used the little boy to satisfy the hunger that was within everyone, including the old.
The last lesson Christians can learn from this act is to be consistently compassionate to one another.
References
What can we learn from Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000?
The deeper meaning of the feeding of the 5000
What lessons can we learn from Jesus’ feeding of the 5000?
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
