First of all, we looked carefully at the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. The miracle of the five loaves and two fish is obviously a major miracle. It is found in the four Gospels. We must read the four Gospels together to restore the scene at that time. That is to say, we must choose the union of what the four Gospels describe, and we discuss the things mentioned in them. Second, we talked about Jesus’ miracle of calming the wind on the sea, which was regarding Peter walking on the sea. Except for Gospel Luke, which does not record it, the other three Gospels have it, and we briefly touch upon what they record. We also see that we must fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus, put our old self to death, ignore the environment, and don’t be a person of little faith! In the end, what we see is that we must work hard for the spiritual food that lasts to eternal life, and know the importance of having life. Therefore, for a Christian, having life is really much more important than seeing miracles. Don’t put the cart before the horse!
1. The miracle of five loaves and two fish
”After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.”(John 6:1-4)
From here, we roughly know the place and time when the miracle of the five loaves and two fish occurred. By the way, I would like to mention again that the original text and English of miracle both mean to make a sign, and the Union Version translates it as a miracle.
The miracle of the five loaves and two fishes is obviously a major miracle. It is found in all four Gospels. We must read the four Gospels together to restore the scene at that time. Now we will focus on the Gospel of John and refer to the other Gospels when needed. In other words, we take a union of descriptions from the four Gospels.
First, let’s look at the original intensions of the disciples: “When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.””(Matthew 14:15) “But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!””(Matthew 14:16) Jesus obeyed God’s leadership all His life, and He was a complete man when He became flesh. People cannot see God, “…for no man can see Me (Jehovah) and live!”(Exodus 33:20) So this leadership is through the Holy Spirit, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.”(John 3:34) So this guidance is through the Holy Spirit, and He knew that He had to perform the miracle of five loaves and two fish.
So what happened is described in John 6:5-10 as follows, “Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.(John 6:5-10)
We saw that if they had to spend money to buy food, it would cost at least two hundred denarii. We also see that the people were able to sit down because there was a lot of grass there. Mark’s Gospel says more clearly, “And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.”(Mark 6:39-40) The Bible does not clearly say whether among so many people, apart from the five loaves and two fish from the child, there was anyone else who brought food, so there is no need to speculate on this point. At least at that time, all the disciples saw were the child’s five loaves and two fish, and the child was willing to give all he had. Then the following thing happened, that is, “And He said, “Bring them here to Me.””(Matthew 14:18) Next, “Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”(John 6:11-13) “There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.”(Matthew 14:21) The Bible does not clearly say how many people were fed. Since God has not let us know through the Bible, respect God, so we should not make random guesses. Please also note that the twelve baskets contained only loaves and no fish, because the breaking of the loaves symbolizes the breaking of His body for us.
Finally, “Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”(John 6:14-15) Let’s look at the other two passages and we will know why Jesus did this.
“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”(John 2:23-25) When people only believe temporarily because they see miracles, and they will not believe when there were without miracles. Jesus knows what is in people’s hearts, so how could he entrust Himself to them!
After the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, “So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.””(John 6:24-27) And “I (Jesus) am the bread of life.”(John 6:48) So what we have to do is to gain Jesus and have His life.
Jesus also knew the importance of performing signs and wonders, because “…Jesus said to him (the royal official), “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.””(John 4:48) When He was incarnate, He performed many miracles. However, not too many people believed Him! Among the believers, the royal official is among them, since the Bible says, “…he himself believed and his whole household.”(John 4:53) So seeing a miracle does not mean you will have life. The important thing is to believe in Him and have life. Don’t put the cart before the horse.
In the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, “Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish …”(John 6:11) This is not for blessing the loaves and fish, but it was to represent breaking His body to provide them with spiritual food. Obviously they did not understand Jesus’ thoughts! Finding Him is due to eating bread and being satisfied. In fact, this event is the same as the breaking of bread ceremony instituted by Jesus Himself. During the breaking of bread ceremony, “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; …And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.””(Luke 22:17-20) Previously we were in “1104 The Myth of Giving Thanks for Food – The Bible Doesn’t Say So” discussed this point in detail. Please go to the website “https://a-christian-voice.com/” and click “Understanding of Spiritual Life” to find this article.
This is not a miracle out of nothing, which only happened when the world was created, because it still had to start with five loaves and two fish. However, such a small amount of food fed so many people, and “…as much as they wanted.”(John 6:11) This of course is a miracle, God’s provision is always enough. It is just like the case when “Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.””(1 Kings 17:1) “Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.””(1 Kings 17:8-9) “Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.’” So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.”(1 Kings 17:13-16) This example in the Old Testament illustrates that God’s provision is just right. In this miracle in the New Testament, there is even a surplus, “So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”(John 6:13)
2. Jesus’ miracle of calming the wind in sea
“Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”(John 6:16-21)
We see that it should have been calm enough, otherwise the disciples would not have boarded the boat and crossed the sea. To their surprise, the weather suddenly turned bad. The same thing is also recorded in Matthew 14:22-33 and Mark 6:45-52, but Matthew records it in more detail. After performing the miracle of five loaves and two fish, “There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!””(Matthew 14:21-33)
The Gospel of Mark also says, “But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out.”(Mark 6:49) Although the disciples knew Jesus, they couldn’t see clearly at night in such weather and thought He was a ghost. Fortunately, they could still hear Jesus’ voice. Mark’s Gospel further says, “for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”(Mark 6:52) Finally they knew that He was the Son of God and worshiped Him, because the storm stopped after He boarded.
If Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, there would be no problem at all and he could walk on the sea. From a human perspective, Peter’s faith was big enough, because this faith allowed him to walk on the sea. However, from the perspective of Jesus (God), he was just a person of little faith. Such standards and human standards are quite a difference! When he is swayed by the environment, he cannot stand on the sea anymore. This is also a situation we often need to avoid. We must focus on the Lord Jesus, put our old self to death, ignore the environment, and do not be a person of little faith!
3. Work for food that lasts to eternal life
“The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.””(John 6:22-33)
The record here is very clear. From the perspective of the crowd, they could not imagine how Jesus could get there after performing the miracle of five loaves and two fish. However, they knew that the disciples were there, so everyone went to find Him and them. We have shared before that people only work to find Him for earthly food, but not for spiritual food that can last forever! Spiritual food refers to Jesus Christ Himself, because “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”(John 6:35)
We see that when Jesus was tempted, “And the tempter (devil) came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.””(Matthew 4:3) He is indeed the Son of God. He didn’t need to prove anything to Satan. He clearly answered, “…It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”(Matthew 4:4) This is a quote from Deuteronomy, “He (the Lord) humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”(Deuteronomy 8:3) From this scripture, we see that Christians need both spiritual food and worldly food when living in the world. None of them is dispensable.
He spoke of Himself as the Son of Man, “and He (God) gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.”(John 5:27) Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”(John 6:29) He was indeed speaking of Himself, because the scripture is clearly stated that He was sent by God the Father. For example, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”(John 3:17) and “But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.””(Matthew 15:24)
Didn’t He just perform the miracle of five loaves and two fish? Why did they say to Him, “…What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?”(John 6:30) No wonder Paul said, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom.”(1 Corinthians 1:22)
In the wilderness, wasn’t the manna from heaven that the Israelites relied on to maintain their physical life? But they fail to notice that this is also spiritual food. Doesn’t the scripture make it very clear? “…it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.””(John 6:32-33) He clearly said, “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”(John 14:6) We have shared that the purpose of reading the Bible is to have life, just as Jesus Himself said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”(John 5:39-40)
Life can only come from God, Paul said very clearly, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”(1 Corinthians 3:6-7) We know, “who (God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”(1 Timothy 2:4-5)
Let’s look at that it’s the same with Jesus. Why? We know that the church in Laodicea shut Jesus out, but He still said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”(Revelation 3:20) How He hopes that everyone will repent! Now Jesus also lives in the hearts of believers in the form of the Holy Spirit. Now the only one can do this growth thing is the Holy Spirit, Who is one of the Trinity. Therefore, when reading the Bible, you must be led by the Holy Spirit to gain life.
Topicwise Bible studies have always emphasized this point. According to the scriptures quoted above, we know that this is the promise by the Bible. As long as we are willing to believe, God’s absolute sovereignty will enable everyone to do this. Therefore, for a Christian, having life is really much more important than seeing miracles. Don’t put the cart before the horse!
(Verses refer to those in NASB95 unless otherwise specified.)
(You can get all articles in “https://a-christian-voice.com/” under “On spiritual understanding about life.”)
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