It’s my prayer that you won’t mind – that you will delight – in a short Bible study this evening. The Bible’s account of this feeding of the five thousand is not a theological discussion filled with new revelation or the application of some mystery out of one of the Minor Prophets. It is nothing more than the description of one of Christ’s more spectacular miracles. As I said this morning, to have been blessed by this food and to know how it was created should have made every diner that day a believer in the Son of God. But I doubt that it did, because miracles in themselves don’t make anyone true believers. And yet this miracle should have.
Despite not being much more than an account of one of Jesus’ miracles, this is more important than most. This is one of the events in Jesus’ life which is recorded in all four of the gospels. Generally speaking, each of the gospels has a little different perspective – Matthew is directed primarily toward the Jews. Mark appears to be giving us the perspective of Peter or that of the Apostles. Luke, having a Gentile background, and asa coworker with Paul, gives us a look at Christ from the perspective of an outsider – keeping in mind their particular kind of unbelief. And then John clearly goes out of his way to emphasize the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. When all four gospel penmen record an event in Jesus’ life, it is as though the Holy Spirit demands that we pay particular attention. So even though there is no deep theology, or essential doctrinal details, like Jesus’ virgin birth, there is still a urge to spend a few extra moments looking at this miracle.
It isn’t necessary, but it might be fun, if we all took a number between one and four. Then depending on the our number, we turned to either Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 or John 6. I would prefer to read publically all of those passages, but I’m afraid that I’d loose most of us before we finished Luke, so I’m going to have to ask you to trust me and follow my line of thought.
Let’s begin with some of the obvious similarities between all four Gospels.
All four speak of five thousand men – three of them say that there were “about five thousand” men. I would judge then that there were between 4,800 and 5,200 hundred men there that day. It was an approximate number, but a reasonably accurate number. And for perspective purposes that is many times more people than we could get into this auditorium even with standing-room only. But even though this is usually called “the feeding of the FIVE thousand” there were more than that. How many more, there is no way to say. Matthew tells us, ”they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.” If every man brought his wife, and if in every family there were two children then we could be talking about 20,000 people fed in that one meal. It is unlikely that Jewish families had only two children, but then again it is unlikely that every man brought along his family that day. We have no idea how many people were there, so we are basically stuck with Jesus feeding of the 5,000. But, as I say, I tend to believe that there were many more than that.
There are two other considerations before we move on – First there was ANOTHER miraculous mass feeding – and on that occasion there were only 4,000 men. Don’t be confused or misled by anyone trying to tell you that was the same occasion – it was different. Both miracles are recorded twice by several of the gospel penmen – they were on two different occasions. The second consideration is that two chapters later in both Matthew and Mark, the Lord, in speaking to His disciples about their lack of faith, brings up this miracle. “Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?” “I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.” And then Christ said, “Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?” I bring these to your attention to remind you that to doubt these miracles is to call Christ a liar. Not only do the gospel writers and the Holy Spirit declare that these events ashistory so does the Lord Jesus.
Another consistency between all of the gospels are these numbers – five loaves and two fishes. And then there are the twelve baskets of left-overs. If you had been there that day and later you were writing a letter home about what you saw, how likely would you have said, “Jesus started with about half a dozen loaves and a couple of fish?” But it wasn’t half a dozen and a couple – it was precisely five and exactly two. And then all four of the gospels tell us that there were twelve baskets of left-overs. That is a curious little detail. Why were there twelve baskets of left-overs? Was it so that each of the disciples could have one to take home? What about the fella who supplied the bread and fish in the first place? Didn’t he get any? Perhaps the number of baskets was not important except to give us a precise number. Perhaps the point was to prove, once again, the accuracy of gospel record. It wasn’t just that there were several baskets of food remaining – no, there were exactly twelve. All of these details are given to us by eye-witnesses who demand to be trusted and believed.
There are other similarities between each of the four accounts, but these are the major ones. Some of the others will become apparent as we move along.
But it is interesting that there are also several differences between the four Gospels.
For example, why were Jesus and His disciples on the eastern side of the Sea in the first place? Each of the gospel writers may have a different perspective, but they are not necessarily wrong. Matthew 14:13 says, “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart:” What was the “it,” to which Matthew referred? It was apparently to Herod’s concern about Christ and John the Baptist. This makes it sound like Jesus left the realm of Herod Antipas to let the atmosphere cool just a little. Jesus was not a coward, but it was not in the plan of God that He get Himself arrested as John did. Christ may have left Galilee in order to let the dust settle just a bit. John doesn’t really say anything about this subject, but Mark and Luke apparently offer another reason for Jesus’ departure from Galilee. Apparently as the disciples of John come to tell the Saviour about what had happened to their master, Jesus’ own disciples were returning from one of their missionary journeys. “And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Is there a problem in Christ’s having two reasons for going to the eastern side of the lake? In May my family will be going to Denver, and I’m going to have to have several people take our services. The primary reason for our trip is to officiate in the wedding of one of our favorite nieces. A second reason is to see all the relatives – especially Judy’s dad. A third reason is that there is a big philatelic exhibition taking place in Denver about the same time. There are several reasons to make that trip, and if I mentioned only one, it would still be correct. Why did Jesus and the disciples sail across the Lake? To get away and to rest.
Another apparent problem between the various gospels relates to the location of the miracle. They all lead us to believe that it was on the eastern side of the lake – no problem there. While John doesn’t deal with it, the other three gospels say that the place to where they went was “desert.” Most of us have an image which pops into our minds when we hear the word “desert.” Yours might involve sand and dunes, or perhaps a waterless lake bed, or something similar. The Greek word is used fifty times in the Bible and it is translated “desert” on only thirteen occasions. It is translated “wilderness” almost three times as often, as well as “desolate” four times and “solitary” once. With this in mind, it shouldn’t bother you to see that the people sat on the “grass” and the “green grass.” Nor should it bother you to hear the disciples speak of going into one the villages to find shelter. There were small communities in the region, even though the immediate area was somewhat solitary.
Perhaps a little more disconcerting and confusing is Luke’s statement about Bethsaida. “And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.” One of the communities where Jesus often ministered was named “Bethsaida.” In fact Bethsaida was the home town of Peter, James and Andrew. It takes a little Bible study to learn that there were two communities of that name – one on each side of the Sea. The eastern Bethsaida was a tiny hamlet out on the edge of the wilderness.
Something which is really quite remarkable about all this is the source of the original food.
In Matthew when the disciples suggest that the crowd be sent home hungry, “Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.” Luke says essentially the same thing. But Mark adds some additional information – “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? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.” I don’t see any contradiction between the three synoptic gospels. But John adds a significant chunk of new information. “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? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” I don’t know about you, but I have no trouble believing that the Synopics simply condensed the information which was given to us John’s fuller form. I don’t see any contradictions between the accounts – only additional information.
As I said earlier, John’s gospel emphasizes more of the deity of Christ than the others, and we see it here. Christ knew exactly what He was going to do long before the sun started setting. And it wasn’t just about the 5,000 men, it wasn’t about the 12 men. He knew about the boy with the supper that his mother had sent with him, or which he packed himself. The Lord Jesus went specifically to Phillip with the question about feeding the vast flock. “He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.” If you were the one whom Jesus asked how would you respond? Would you be logical and practical, talking about numbers, volumes and dollars? Or would you consider the person asking the question, and respond with proper faith? “Lord, I’m sure that we disciples can’t do anything about this situation, but with thee all things are possible.” The Gospel of John magnifies the deity of the Lord Jesus. Would you have glorified the Lord Jesus?
At that point Jesus told the twelve to go out and look for food. “And he saith unto them, How many leaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.” Apparently it was Andrew who found the lad with the little bit of food. “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” Was Andrew there trying to bail out his floundering friend Philip? Or had he looked ahead, found the food source and was presenting it to Christ in faith? Was Andrew expecting the Lord to work a miracle? Some people might look at the words, “but what are they among so many” as a little defensive. But someone else might look at them as a bit of a challenge to the Son of God. “Lord, show us again what you can do with such a tiny bit of food.”
What is my point in all of this tonight?
It is simply that there are blessings in the Word of God to any Christian who picks it up and reads. But at the same time there are more blessings to those who are willing to dig a little more deeply. Comparing verse to verse, and trying to understand the words which the Holy Spirit first used – gives us blessings which we would not otherwise discover.
There is no reason to be offered the Lord’s bread and fish and to refuse it. But that is what we do when we only nibble at the Word when we could be taking in great gulps and bites.