Looking at Jesus Feeding the 5,000: The Moments Before the Miracle

I was reading a Bible story with my kids the other day: “Jesus Feeds the 5,000”.

This story is about a miraculous multiplying of food, and while that’s completely awesome… I couldn’t help but be struck by how many less-than-awesome moments took place before the miracle.

You see, the story ended well, but not without covering some dismal-looking ground.

Before we dig into that, you might want to check out John’s account of what happened, found below. I’ll also reference Matthew’s account along the way.

Here is John 6:1-13:

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

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?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

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). 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.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. John 6:1-13 NIV

We recount this story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 for many reasons. One reason, of course, is simply due to the fact that it’s a true account of God-in-a-bod, Jesus, and it’s a good thing to revel in every bit of black-and-white text that records his life.

Beyond that, let’s not ignore the fact that this story is delightful! It takes a bleak situation and miraculously turns it around. Using the lunch of a child, Jesus feeds literal masses of people. There’s so much we can take from this story.

We love hearing a good happy ending… but have you ever stopped to really consider what it might have been like to be walking with Jesus at various points in this story?

These were real people here, living in the moments before the miracle.

We enjoy using the headline, “Jesus Feeds the 5,000”. And in our lives today, we are drawn to happy endings. We consume movies where the guy gets the girl. We scroll our Instagram feeds, reveling in highlight reels. And then… we look at our own life and wonder, “Why are we not experiencing these big, happy moments?”

Instead of living consistently in highlight reels, we live out entire stories—full of heartache, rising action, climax, and a whole lot of mundane in-betweens.

Focusing back in on our text from John, let’s think about what other moments took place in the story, before the miracle. If we stopped this text at various points along the way, we might encounter headlines such as these:

• Crowd of People Following Jesus Found Hungry in the Wilderness

• Panicked Disciples Stress Over Lofty Assignment Given to Them by Jesus (Matthew 14:13-21)

• Little Boy Nervous That Giving Up His Lunch Will Mean Lacking Food Himself

Now, I’m not trying to be a downer here… especially because this story isn’t a downer at all! After all, Jesus comes through for the crowds, he comes through for the disciples, and he comes through for the little boy.

But in the spirit of encouragement, and in considering how this text intersects with our own lives, it feels important to remember that there were a lot of moments these people had to journey through before they got to a place of sustenance and fulfillment.

You might consider: what are the current headlines of your life?

For the people in John 6:1-13, we can see that there were moments before the miracles that weren’t all-so-wonderful. And yet, recounting how these miraculous stories end can be beneficial to us today, and bring us perseverance and joy as we work through our own desperate moments in life.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV

Our hard and desperate moments are testing our faith and inviting us to trust in Jesus more-and-more. The moments before the miracles—the moments where we can’t yet see what Jesus will do—are calling us to greater maturity and completeness. Could it be that your “not yet” is an invitation to “say yes” in whatever small way Jesus is calling you forward today?

Let’s consider each group found in this text, and imagine what it may have felt like to be them in these more difficult moments:

• The Crowds: Can you imagine choosing to follow after Jesus, only to find yourself hungry out in the wilderness, maybe wondering if you’ve made the right decision?

• The Disciples: Can you imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples, given the lofty assignment of finding food for over 5,0000 people, while being stuck in the middle of a wide, open place, void of food establishments or kitchens? (Matthew 14:13-21)

• The Little Boy: Can you imagine being the little boy in the story, realizing that you were the only one who had something to give to this situation? Can you imagine overhearing people discuss how what you had to offer was fully inadequate for the task at hand?

All of the people in these situations found themselves in seemingly dire straits, one way or another. And yet, in their own little ways, they each gave Jesus their “yes”:

• The Crowds: The crowds chose to follow Jesus.

• The Disciples: The disciples chose to search their surroundings for any morsels of food, despite not understanding how it would work out.

• The Little Boy: The little boy appeared to have chosen to give his meager little lunch to the cause.

Jesus both invited their active participation in the miracle, and yet accomplished through their “yes” something they could never even dream of doing on their own.

This is vital for us to remember in our own lives, because we don’t live in the miraculous. We don’t pitch our tents on the mountain tops and avoid moments in the valleys. We live in the journey; we live in the story.

Our life is momentary. It’s made up of moments. And those of us in Christ can rejoice! Because for us, these moments are leading to victory—both now and eternally.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

We journey through our own stories one little step at a time. And Jesus meets us there.

The disciples approached Jesus and told him, according to the best of their knowledge, that there was no way everybody could have food out in the wilderness. (Matthew 14:13-21) They didn’t see how they could possibly feed everyone. The circumstances felt weighty, and they expressed that to Jesus.

In the same way, we get to approach Jesus honestly, with our best knowledge and understanding. And then, just like the disciples, we have the opportunity to listen faithfully as he guides us into our next steps.

Who do you resonate with in this story?

• The Crowds: Maybe you’re feeling like the crowd right now in your life. Are you following Jesus and being faced with needs beyond your ability to fulfill them? Are you reliant on Jesus for your basic necesseties?

• The Disciples: Maybe you’re like the disciples and you believe Jesus is asking you to do something beyond your own ability. The task before you feels lofty. Maybe intimidating is an understatement for what you’re being called to do.

• The Little Boy: Do you feel like the little boy? Maybe Jesus is calling you to give something up in service and love. Maybe you’re happy to do it… or maybe, you wonder if your own needs will still be met if you take this leap of faith. What about your lunch? Will you go hungry if you do what Jesus is asking you to do?

Our faith grows in challenging moments like these. And our faith? Remember, it’s by our faith that we experience eternal victory. It’s by our faith that eternal glory is being produced. Hang in there, and don’t give up. Jesus will be revealed in all of this.

…In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 6-7. NIV

I hope you find encouragement today, dear friend, that Jesus isn’t going to let you down.

We can learn so much in the story of Jesus feeding the masses. It’s abundant. It’s big. He didn’t hold back… once the time was right. He cared about the needs of all involved. He asked big, faith-building things of his disciples.

If you’re at a point in your own story where circumstances look bleak and you are called to step into hope and faith in Jesus—rather than confidence in your present circumstances—take heart! May you step forward and watch God do what he does best: the miraculous. The glorifying. The impossible.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Take the step. Give the thing. Bring your honest fears to Jesus and with a heart postured in humility, ask him what the next little step might be for you.

And just one more time I’ll say it: don’t despair if your story looks bleak. This isn’t the end of the story. We serve a God of stories. He’s writing yours… and he invites you to actively participate in it. And by inviting you in, he is coloring your life with purpose.

This isn’t about asking God for a big, fancy miracle to suit your own purposes. It’s about stepping into his story, with all your inadequacy and hesitations. It’s about being honest about what you want and need. It’s about taking the next step of faith where Jesus is calling you to go. For his glory and your good.

After all, your story and God’s story are intertwined. He has chosen you, his children, to participate in his Big Story. And your work matters. You have purpose. You have a role. You’re invited to participate. One little step at a time.