February 09, 2026 | Be Connected
Jesus Feeds 5,000
Scripture: John 6:1-15(NIV)
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Devotional
Every one of Jesus’s miracles is impossible to comprehend, but I find this one particularly fascinating. He started with two fish and five small barley loaves, fed 5,000, and had leftover pieces enough to fill twelve baskets. I don’t know about the size of the baskets, but I’m pretty sure that filling twelve meant more food existed after eating than before.
From high school physics class, the law of conservation of mass says that mass can neither be created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical changes. This miraculous occurrence definitely did not adhere to that law. While incredible, God’s initial “miracle” massively (pun intended) broke the same law. Genesis 1:1 reminds us that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
5,000 is also an interesting number for consideration. The two largest cities near the Sea of Galilee (where this miracle took place) during Jesus’s time were Capernaum (population of about 1,500) and Bethsaida (population of a few hundred). A literal number of 5,000 people probably represented the largest collection of humans the local residents had ever seen, and they were all gathered in one place. The fact that Jesus calmly took five loaves and two fish and fed everyone with food to spare would have been an awe-inspiring moment.
In times of trouble when something on our plate requires nothing short of a miracle, it is important to remember Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” How true. John 1:1 reminds us that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” If he can feed 5,000 with very little food, let alone create the entire universe out of the Word, imagine how He can help you navigate life.
Are you facing a particularly difficult challenge? Have you asked for God’s guidance? Have you put your trust in Him knowing the outcome fits His plan?
