Jesus Feeds the 5,000
Notes
Transcript
Open your bible with me to Luke 9:10-17
Luke is on the cusp of introducing us to a major turn in His gospel, when Jesus will set His face towards Jerusalem. This transition will come at the climax and revelation of the person of Jesus Christ. Luke has been asking this question all through the gospel. Who is Jesus? Is He a prophet? Is he Elijah? Is he John the Baptist come back from Herod’s execution?
And for the careful reader, Luke is dripping with Old Testament allusions, specifically here in the feeding of the 5000. This is the final miracle to bring forth evidence and proof of Jesus’ teaching and Messiahship. The feeding of the 5,000is not merely a miracle of compassion; it is a revelation of identity.
In fact, this is the only miracle, apart from the resurrection, recorded in all four Gospels. That should make us pause. Clearly, this event stands as a pinnacle moment— a declaration of who Jesus truly is.
And what is Luke showing us?
That Jesus is no mere prophet. He is the true and living God, the long-awaited Messiah, the hope of Israel.
Think back through the Scriptures:
God has always provided for His people. In the wilderness, through Moses, He gave manna and quail. In a time of famine, through Elijah and Elisha, He multiplied oil, flour, and bread (1 Kings 17). In 2 Kings 4, Elisha fed a hundred men with twenty loaves — and there was food left over.
So when we come to Luke 9, we are NOT reading this story in a vacuum. Luke is connecting the dots. He’s showing us that the same God who provided through Moses and the prophets, through Elijah and Elisha, is now present in the person of Jesus Christ— providing something greater, something eternal.
And soon, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke will confirm that connection beyond any doubt. Who appears beside Jesus there? Moses and Elijah — the Law and the Prophets— both bearing witness that Jesus is their fulfillment.
This is no coincidence. This is divine design.
The message is clear: The God who has always provided for His people now provides through His Son — and what Jesus offers is NOT temporary bread, but eternal satisfaction.
Sermon Summary: Jesus extends compassion and satisfies all who come to Him.
10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
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I. The Compassion of Christ in Our Need (v.10-11)
I. The Compassion of Christ in Our Need (v.10-11)
You recall that Jesus sent out his disciples throughout Galilee; they are proclaiming the gospel and healing in all the villages surrounding Capernaum. The narrative is interrupted by Herod’s curiosity, but his ultimate rejection of Jesus. Verse 10 picks up.
10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.
Ministry can be demanding. It can be taxing. It can be difficult to get away. And it's interesting that on the heels of inviting the disciples to extend the Kingdom. They return and told him all they had done. They are recounting the stories from the field of Gospel Proclamation and healing from Luke 9:1-6. And Jesus, knowing the need for refreshment and solace. Begins to take them and withdraw them to a place of isolation and refuge. This word is a Lukan term. Luke uses it again in Luke 5:16 to speak of Jesus, who often withdrew to a desolate place to pray! Jesus intends for them to come off the field of ministry and into a place of refuge and rest. Rest, that can be needed and necessary! And unfortunately, restis often neglected in ministry.
And they withdrew to Bethsaida. Now, Bethsaida is the home to a couple of disciples, Andrew and Peter. It was a small village east of Capernaum, a DESOLATE PLACE (v. 12). Mark tells us that Jesus and the Disciples get into the boat and sail to Bethsaida to get away from the crowd. But, what happens, as always, is the crowd chases down Jesus. They mayhave been just sort of following along the bank, regardless of how they followed him there.
How do you respond to fatigue? When you’re rest is interrupted. Most of us don’t like it when our Sunday afternoon nap is interrupted. So, what about when you are drained? Fatigued from the demands and toil of serving. Constantly giving, and you just need a moment. And the crowds follow you!! We tend to have the mindset, I mean, I’m here if you need me, but try NOT to need me! Yet, where the disciples saw an interruption, Jesus saw an invitation.
Jesus — Lukan term — welcomes them. It means to receiveand accept. Jesus extends compassion to the needs and concernsof the people. For these were people with needs!! And not just a few, a GREAT MULTITUDE – 5000 MEN! There were people coming expectantly to Jesus for help. For healing!! So Jesus and the disciples intend rest, but Jesus receives them and continues serving and welcoming them.
Now, Matthew and Mark clue us in further that Jesus saw this crowd and had compassion on them because they were like Sheep without a Shepherd. But here you see, before this great miracle, is this great reality of the compassion of Jesus towards the crowds. Those in need. Those desiring help and healing. Those who, when we feel we just need a moment, He isn’t frustrated by their need, but welcomes them! Speaks to them – continues proclaiming the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need!
Man, here is the heart of God for the broken and needed. That in the context of weary disciples. In the prongs of ministry and demand, and even in retreat for refuge, when interrupted, response in compassion and great mercy!! You know, the disciples were always looking to send the people away. And they will seek to do that in just a moment. But it’s Jesus who is ready to receive and welcome the crowds!!
This sets a pattern for us as we serve others when we are tempted to become frustrated with the needs of others. Wishing they would NOT need you, right now. Cause it's always the wrong timing, have you noticed that? We wish we could just have a moment without interruption. But for Jesus, people weren’t the interruption; they weren’t the problem! There were opportunities to serve and point others to the good news of the kingdom! Because true compassion doesn’t begin with what is convenient for us, but with the heart of Christ towards others!
So may we seek to be like Christin our interruptions. Welcome with compassion those in need and proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
But there’s another sweet invitation here, isn’t there? It’s that Jesus welcomes us in our need. Christ’s compassion extends to those who are broken and in need. For those in Christ, we know this to be true. But for those in need of Him, this text demonstrates the heart of Christ to welcome those in affliction and need. Of the weary and the broken, that we can come to Christ for help, when we find ourselves in need!!
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II. The Compassion of Christ in Our Weakness (v.12-14a)
II. The Compassion of Christ in Our Weakness (v.12-14a)
12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”
The disciples are introduced and perceive a problem. The day is ending. The sun is setting. And here they are in a desolate place. There is no McDonald's nearby. There are no Jesus Chicken establishments nearby. There are no Holiday Inn Express nearby. We are introduced here to not only compassion but also to the theme of provision! ….We’ve got no place for them to stay! We’ve got no provision– now the word here for provision is the word for food…It’s a bit of a technical term; it’s the right way to think of the term here - Vittles.
So, Jesus, send them away!! So they can get food and find lodging. Now, this could be a way of preserving their own food and lodging. Namely, where are we going to stay, where are we going to eat, aside from all these people intruding on our space and our supply?
13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
Jesus has been inviting his disciples into ministry, to perform ministry and proclaim the Kingdom. You’ve been sent in the power and authority of God to accomplish the mission of God, but what are you going to do in the moments when the task is beyond your strength? We will have faith, will you fold, will you look to the Lord for help and trust in His provision, will you trust in faith or doubt in unbelief!
See, Jesus does a couple of things here. He NOT only exposes their weakness, but He also puts them in a position to exercise faith. And now, it is the disciples who are in need. Yet, will they trust the Lord, or will they trust in themselves? It’s the intersection of Christ’s compassion and His provision — where our weakness meets His sufficiency.
Jesus, we don’t have enough - All we have is no more than 5 loaves and 2 fish. You want us to go into town and buy food for all these people – that’s 5,000 men. You’re talking likely more than 10,000 people when you include women and children. That’s about 8 months’ wages. This wasn’t in the conference budget. And we probably should have thought through this location a little better. We don’t have the food for them, and we don’t have the money to buy it. What do you mean, we give them something to eat? And that’s the point. They cannot supply what is needed in their own strength! It’s the question of provision, then how will their needs be met, and how will our needs be supplied in our weakness!
And here they are in a desolate place. In the wilderness, and an uninhabited region. And they begin to grumble and question about food. Luke is reminding us about Moses and Israel in the wilderness. That’s why when you read John’s account in John 6- that is crystal clear in the minds of the crowd and of Jesus!! And like Elisha’s servants in 2 Kings 4, the disciples are now asking, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” (2 Kings 4:43). The same thing is happening once again, just on a grander scale - now, here for 5000 men.
And isn’t that often us? We see the problem, not the Provider. What will we look to in our need for provision? When we don’t have the resources needed to carry out the task of ministry before us? That is when the people of God are put in the intersection of extending the compassion of God, but need the strength of God to endure. Will they, will we trust in the provision of God, or will we attempt to supply in our own strength?
When our hands are empty, His hands are full. And the truth is, 5 loaves and 2 fish isn’t much. But the reality and point is with the power of God. It’s NOT only enough. It’s abundantly sufficient when we look to the power of Christ in our weaknesses!
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III. The Provision of Christ’s Power (v.14b-16).
III. The Provision of Christ’s Power (v.14b-16).
The point is building to a logical conclusion. Where will this crowd and the disciples find food, apart from the provision of God to supply their needs?
14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
You know, it’s my personal opinion that Luke is doing something here with his word choice. I’m NOT alone in this, but this is my opinion. I don’t know this for certain, but Luke uses a word for the command – HAVE THEM SIT DOWN….It’s another Lukan term; no other writer in the New Testament uses this term. But the word here is KATAKLINO. Now, I mention that word to you because I sense that Luke is using a play on words. He is pointing towards something. The word for recline at the table is ANAKLINO….here is the word, KATAKLINO. And the word for a gathering of people eating around a table. It is called a KLINO. You heart that KLENAH….And it could be that the Lord is foreshadowing, as Jesus has them KATAKLINOinto groups of 50 each, that Luke is foreshadowing to THE EKKLESSIA, of His church that gathers together around the TABLE of the Lord.
Now, I’ll admit, that’s my interpretation, but what is clear here – NOT my conjecture, is that the same pattern of the verbal actions is repeated verbatim, at the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19). In which, the Lord takes the bread, He breaks it, and then He gives it to His disciples to eat. Luke is clearly pointing us somewhere!!
Those are minor details, but more importantly….you know, skeptics read this text, and as always, they just sort of want to explain it away. You see, the 5 loaves and 2 fish were actually larger fish, so their supply would have gone further. Or you see, the crowd wasn’t really as large as what Luke said; it’s likely less than 5000 people. Or, that when they ate, they weren’t eating a dinner portion, but were instead like a light snack. Man, there are people who really think that way. And they just rob the Lord of His divine power.
Luke’s point is the opposite of that thinking. Man, this is the miracle of miracles. This is the height of divine strength. The very point is the 5 loaves and 2 fish, isn’t ENOUGH! There isn’t enough supply for such a large crowd! They are hungry. They need PROVISION!! And the question before us is WHO WILL MEET THEIR NEED! The entire point is that, in terms of logic, they have an inadequate supply.
But as the disciples come and receive the broken loaves from Jesus, and they receive the plate of fish from Jesus. It just never runs out. The tense there for GAVE TO THE DISCIPLES is in the imperfect tense. That’s a verb tense that implies an action without finality. So Jesus just keeps on giving, and he keeps on giving, and the disciples come for more of the 5 loaves and 2 fish, and Jesus just keeps giving it to them, and they aren’t running out!! THIS IS UTTERLY AMAZING!
SEE God has always supplied beyond human understanding and reason. The Lord provides through Moses in the Wilderness. He sends Manna from heaven, and the people are amazed, asking, "What is this?"And the Lord gives to them temporary provision of food. In the ministry of ELIJAH, God multiplies FLOUR AND OIL, for a widow to supernaturally provide PROVISION for a HOUSEHOLD! And with ELISHA, God multiplies the loaves to feed a hundred men, to provide provisions for a company of people. And NOW, through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, feeds the multitudes with only 5 loaves and 2 fish! And gives provision for the crowd, but OH how much more does the Lord provideNOT only for the crowd on that day, it is Jesus, the BREAD OF LIFE, who provides BREAD and PROVISION for ALL WHO come to HIM in FAITH. He gives PROVISION FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!!
See, each miracle escalates until the true provider comes in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And Jesus is better than the prophets of Old. He provides more lasting bread than Moses could provide in the WILDERNESS. He provides more lasting bread than Elijah and Elisha. Here is Jesus –
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
And here is Jesus, taking the disciples’ little broken pieces, their inadequate supply, and providing enough for the crowds. NOT only adequacy, but sufficiency! This is a display of the Lord’s power. These great miracles of the Lord’s provision and strength, to give what the disciples and none of the other prophets could supply!!
That when we come to Christ broken, lacking, and in need. He NOT only gives enough. Beloved, it’s richer than the Lord, providing an adequate supply. He NOT only gives enough. Beloved, HE IS ENOUGH!!
The invitation is that the Lord still gathers his people. Bids them to come, calling us to rest in Him. To receive provision from His hand! In which He gives to us all that we need. He supplies us, all that we need in great power.
Beloved, this is the provision of Christ’s power. When the disciples stood empty-handed, when the crowds were hungry and helpless, Jesus revealed Himself as the all-sufficient Provider. The miracle reminds us that His hands never run dry, His resources never fail, and His compassion never ends. The same Savior who multiplied the loaves and the fish still meets the deepest hunger of the human heart. He takes our little, our lack, our broken pieces — and in His power and grace, He makes them more than enough. Because the truth of this text is NOT simply that Jesus gives bread — it is that He is the Bread. He NOT only supplies what we need; He Himself is our supply. In Him, there is no scarcity, only abundance. In Him, there is no want, only fullness. And when we come to Christ in faith, we find that His provision is NOT just sufficient— He is enough.
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IV. The Provision of Christ’s Grace (v.17).
IV. The Provision of Christ’s Grace (v.17).
Now we turn from the question of provision to the reality of satisfaction.
17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
The most obvious reality of this passage is that the Lord will provide. He provided in the wilderness. He’s provided for His prophets and for His disciples and this crowd. The Lord also provides for us! This goes beyond the need for physical food. This is why the Lord taught His disciples NOT to worry, because God is their Father and knows their need. So they are NOT to worry about food or clothing, or shelter, and even our daily bread. Because the Lord is faithful and will provide. HE is NOT limited by what we see or have in hand, but are invited to exercise faith and trust in the Lord.
And what the Lord provides is always enough; more I say is more than sufficient. God’s provision is abundant. In that they all ate and were satisfied. And even more so, there was still some left over. A basket for each disciple, full of broken pieces remaining to be picked up.
I mean, this is a surreal picture, as you see the disciples question in wonder of provision, then disperse in obedience to Christ’s command, to serve wonder of their little fives loafs and two fish to be multiplied, to now feel the weight of leftover baskets in their hands, to hold in their hands, a physical reminder of the Lord’s gracious provision that is over and abundantly more than they could have ever imagined.
You know Israel would be tempted to supply themselves on the Sabbath, but it was the Lord who supplied them with manna and quail in abundance – a double portion to supply them for their journey. And when Elisha’s men ate in 2 Kings 4, they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord (2 Kings 4:44). And now here is the incarnate word of God providing overly abundant, in great grace and in great mercy because this is the way that Christ gives to us, NOT in merely meeting us with grace, but with an abundance of grace and mercy.
For those of us in Christ, we know this to be true in the Gospel, in which Jesus has bestowed upon us, grace upon grace. He has NOT only forgiven us, pardoned us – He has made us clean, declared us righteous, and seated us in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus. He has removed our sins from us, as far as the east is from the west. So far as He has removed our transgressions from us. That in Christ, though our sin abounds, because of our flesh. His grace abounds ALL THE MORE, over our sin.
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Because ultimately, that’s what this miracle is pointing us to, right? A deeper satisfaction, and a deeper provision. This is about more than physical food and physical satisfaction. This is about a deep abiding satisfaction in Jesus, NOT to merely give us bread, NOT to merely provide provision, but to be our provision.
Satisfaction is deeper than it appears on the surface. Because the satisfaction that Jesus brings is deep and more abiding than that which is fleeting and fades. In Christ, the true bread gives us an eternal provision and lasting portion. In that, Moses gave a temporal provision for Israel in the wilderness. And the Prophets satisfied with a foretaste of a provision to come, and it’s Christ who gives to us an eternal provision. So He has in John 6 – that if you eat from the provision who is Christ, you will never hunger again!
And that’s what John picks up on in John 6, and Luke as well, when Jesus pronounces woes on this crowd and city for their rejection of Jesus (Luke 10:13-15! That this crowd left the abundance of provision that Christ brings, and they were willing to walk away in unbelief! That they come and they are only interested in what Jesus can bring to them, NOT being sustained by Him. They only wanted to be filled by Him, NOT provision from Him.
The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000shouldn’t end with full stomachs—but with full hearts. The bread in their hands pointed to the Bread of Life who would soon give Himself for the sins of the world. The abundance of leftovers wasn’t simply proof of His power, but a picture of His grace. Christ doesn’t just meet our need—He is our greatest need. He doesn’t just give us something to sustain us for a moment; He gives us Himself to satisfy us forever.
Beloved, the question before us is NOT whether Christ can provide—it’s whether we will trust Him to be our portion. The crowd ate and was satisfied, but many of them would later turn away, unwilling to receive the true Bread from heaven. Let us NOT be like them. Let us come to Jesus NOT merely for what He gives, but because He alone is enough.
And as we hold, like those disciples, the “baskets of grace”that overflow from His hand, may we remember that every blessing we receive is meant to point us back to the Giver. His provision is NOT only abundant—it is eternal. For in Christ, our hunger is met with His fullness, our emptiness with His abundance, our sin with His grace. And we can truly say, with the psalmist, Lamentations 3:24
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Just as the bread was broken and given to the crowd, so Christ Himself was broken and offered for us. The miracle points forward to the cross, where the true Bread of Life would be taken, broken, and given for the salvation of the world. His body was broken that we might be made whole; His life was given that we might live. In Him, the provision of grace becomes personal—He is NOT only the Giver of bread but the Bread Himself, offered up so that all who partake of Him by faith will never hunger again. THEY WILL BE ETERNALLY SATISFIED!
Friend, the invitation of this passage is clear: come to Christ. Come NOT merely for what He can give you, but for who He is. The same Jesus who fed the hungry crowd now offers Himself as the Bread of Life—broken for your sin, sufficient for your soul, and satisfying forever. He invites the weary, the empty, the guilty, and the searching to come and be filled. You don’t have to bring anything to Him—only your hunger and your need. He will meet you with mercy, feed you with grace, and satisfy you with Himself. As He said, “Whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35).
Sermon Summary: Jesus extends compassion and satisfies all who come to Him.
