Feeding Five Thousand

At some point after the miracle at Bethesda, Jesus returned to Galilee. The fame of His miraculous powers continued to follow him in that region (see John 6:2). The throngs of people were so persistent that it became necessary for Jesus to take His disciples to a secluded area on a mountaintop east of the Sea of Galilee that He might instruct them in private. Their privacy was short lived, however, because a multitude of five thousand men (plus women and children) found them. Jesus proposed to feed the throng, but only “five barley loaves, and two small fishes” could be secured from a young boy in the company (John 6:9).

It was all the boy had. The food was likely the boy’s lunch: the small fishes were probably cured with salt or were pickled.[18] Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass. He took the meager amount of food, blessed it, and commanded His disciples to serve the fishes and the bread to the throng. When the entire multitude had eaten to their satisfaction, the disciples were commanded to gather the leftover food, which filled twelve baskets. With what began as a meager portion of bread and fishes, Christ fed thousands (see John 6:11–13).