Jesus Feeds 5000

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Relic

Active member
Apr 29, 2020
249
104
28
#1
The miracle of loaves and fish. Jesus was preaching much of the day.
Because of the time He and the disciples started to go away but the
people began to follow them. The miracle was that He fed all and
more, and even second helpings. Often in scripture Jesus called Himself
the bread of life. My thought is that there were two miracles that day.
The bread for the body and also the bread of the Spirit. As the disciples
distributed the bread, may they also have given the crowd more information
on Jesus. At the end no one wanted to leave. Were the really hungry for more fish
or for the bread of life beyond the stomach.
 

Joy4N8cher

Active member
Jul 8, 2020
172
131
43
#2
I have been pondering this deeply lately Relic. I am just a bit late on your thread as I just joined CC over the weekend. I see that the crowd followed Him after this miracle and wanted Him to do it again. He called them out on it. I am sure there were so many though amongst the 5000 that had truly been satisfied by Him as the bread of life, who became true followers after that. Wanting more of Him, knowing that He was all they needed. Have you gotten any more insights or thoughts/study on this topic in the past couple of weeks?
 
Jan 12, 2019
7,497
1,399
113
#3
The miracle of loaves and fish. Jesus was preaching much of the day.
Because of the time He and the disciples started to go away but the
people began to follow them. The miracle was that He fed all and
more, and even second helpings. Often in scripture Jesus called Himself
the bread of life. My thought is that there were two miracles that day.
The bread for the body and also the bread of the Spirit. As the disciples
distributed the bread, may they also have given the crowd more information
on Jesus. At the end no one wanted to leave. Were the really hungry for more fish
or for the bread of life beyond the stomach.
Yep, one of the 7 signs Jesus performed to show Israel that he was indeed their promised Messiah
 

Relic

Active member
Apr 29, 2020
249
104
28
#4
I have been pondering this deeply lately Relic. I am just a bit late on your thread as I just joined CC over the weekend. I see that the crowd followed Him after this miracle and wanted Him to do it again. He called them out on it. I am sure there were so many though amongst the 5000 that had truly been satisfied by Him as the bread of life, who became true followers after that. Wanting more of Him, knowing that He was all they needed. Have you gotten any more insights or thoughts/study on this topic in the past couple of weeks?
Thanks so much for your comment...God bless
 

Relic

Active member
Apr 29, 2020
249
104
28
#6
I have been pondering this deeply lately Relic. I am just a bit late on your thread as I just joined CC over the weekend. I see that the crowd followed Him after this miracle and wanted Him to do it again. He called them out on it. I am sure there were so many though amongst the 5000 that had truly been satisfied by Him as the bread of life, who became true followers after that. Wanting more of Him, knowing that He was all they needed. Have you gotten any more insights or thoughts/study on this topic in the past couple of weeks?
Thanks so much for your comment and God bless you.

I have also posted several poems on the Miscellaneous forum if you would like to have a look
 
Jul 8, 2020
13
2
3
#7
Interesting, so are you saying that it was all about Jesus spreading the Word, and not really about feeding people? Maybe that 'bread' meant something kind of spiritual, not really actual bread?
 
Jan 12, 2019
7,497
1,399
113
#8
Interesting, so are you saying that it was all about Jesus spreading the Word, and not really about feeding people? Maybe that 'bread' meant something kind of spiritual, not really actual bread?
It’s prob link to the other things he said to Israel. Moses gave your ancestors mana from heaven but They still died, I am the bread of life, etc
 

Relic

Active member
Apr 29, 2020
249
104
28
#10
Interesting, so are you saying that it was all about Jesus spreading the Word, and not really about feeding people? Maybe that 'bread' meant something kind of spiritual, not really actual bread?
That is not what I said. He dispensed the bread which is the bread of life
many stayed much later not for hunger of the body but of the Spirit.
 
Jan 12, 2019
7,497
1,399
113
#11
So wait a minute, are we thinking that it wast literally true then?
The bread was real, but the sign was to show Israel that eternal life is for them if the nation was willing to accept him as their promised messiah

John’s focus in his gospel was to show Israel how to have eternal life (John 20:30-31).
 

Joy4N8cher

Active member
Jul 8, 2020
172
131
43
#13
William, such a great question. I think Jesus did do the miracle of feeding them physically. He meets us in all of our needs, and we are complex beings.
What was at the heart of this miracle?
Well, here are some observations. In Luke 9, after the feeding was over, Jesus asked His disciples "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
In John 6 after the feeding was over, it says that Jesus perceived that they were about to take Him by force and make Him king, and then He later taught about the motivations of the crowd seeking Him... and this is where He encourages them to not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.

With just these 2 recordings of this miracle, I notice that Jesus is paying VERY close attention to the HEART of both his disciples and the ones following Him. He already knew what was going on in their hearts without them even telling Him as it says 'He perceived that they were about to take Him by force'.
In John 6 he flat out told them that they were NOT seeking Him because they saw signs but because they had eaten their fill of the loaves.

I love noticing what Jesus is doing here, so I can know Him more deeply.
He does a miraculous work and intends on blessing for the person, but it in no way stops there.

I see that He is powerful, compassionate, frugal (he had them gather up the fragments so they wouldn't go to waste), wise, knows our thoughts, wants us to be filled beyond our bellies, and wants us to know Him. He welcomes us! (Whoever comes to me I will never cast out, John 6:37) He wants us to eat of His bread of life and not die. He wants to give us life! (John 6:33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world)
So much to learn about Jesus here. Isn't he wonderful!?!
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#14
Little is much when God is in it.😉😉😉
 
Jan 12, 2019
7,497
1,399
113
#15
But the bread bit doesnt really matter does it? Its a kind of metaphor?
Well, as James would say later in his letter in James 2:16, if Jesus only told them he was the bread of life but left them hungry, it would have been pointless right?

He gave them real bread on that occasion, but he took the opportunity to remind them not to just be contented with looking towards Jesus to feed them physically. They need to believe in the works he has done, and accept that he is their promised Messiah.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#17
Well, as James would say later in his letter in James 2:16, if Jesus only told them he was the bread of life but left them hungry, it would have been pointless right?

He gave them real bread on that occasion, but he took the opportunity to remind them not to just be contented with looking towards Jesus to feed them physically. They need to believe in the works he has done, and accept that he is their promised Messiah.
I think we should learn from Jesus feeding literal bread to the 5,000 that in God's eyes real bread is BOTH spiritual and literal.

So often today's people are so impressed with the new covenant that tells us God communicates with us directly instead of through the physical rituals we had been given that we forget that God is in our day to day eating, working, and living.
 

Prycejosh1987

Active member
Jul 19, 2020
953
166
43
#18
The miracle of loaves and fish. Jesus was preaching much of the day.
Because of the time He and the disciples started to go away but the
people began to follow them. The miracle was that He fed all and
more, and even second helpings. Often in scripture Jesus called Himself
the bread of life. My thought is that there were two miracles that day.
The bread for the body and also the bread of the Spirit. As the disciples
distributed the bread, may they also have given the crowd more information
on Jesus. At the end no one wanted to leave. Were the really hungry for more fish
or for the bread of life beyond the stomach.
Unfortunately most of the people then are just like nowadays, they look for the superficial bread which are blessings and they do not desire to know the creator himself. Jesus said we should work for the food that lasts for eternal life, which is based on his teaching, as other verses in the gospel of john proclaim.