The Endless Buffet

What a day it was; a day no one would ever forget. Jesus, assisted by His twelve disciples, offered up the first buffet, an endless buffet. Bread and fish for everyone! All you can eat! And it was no small crowd: "A great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased" (John 6:2). They followed Jesus because of all the healing and miracles He performed. Why not follow Him wherever He went?

"Jesus went up on the mountain" and "sat with His disciples" (v. 3). We are then told that "the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near" (v. 4). Why this comment? It seems to come out of nowhere. But it makes sense to mention this here for two reasons: (1) it helps explain the great numbers of people that had gathered because most were headed for Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover; and (2) these people were anticipating a great feast, and so a great feast Jesus gave them.

"Seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?'" (v. 5). He was testing Philip "for He Himself knew what He would do" (v. 6). Philip responded and pointed out, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little" (v. 7).

The answer came quickly. "One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 'There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?'" (vv. 8-9). It didn't seem to be an answer at all. The lunch of one boy, a boy who planned ahead albeit, to feed thousands of people! Hardly. But for Jesus it was simple.

Jesus told His disciples, "Make the people sit down" (v. 10a). It is noted, "Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand" (v. 10b). In that society only the men would be numbered. Add in wives and children, and you probably have at least fifteen thousand people being fed by Jesus.

"And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted" (v. 11). All you can eat! And there were leftovers: "So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost'" (v. 12). And when all was said and done, "they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten" (v. 13).

Jesus meets our needs, whatever those may be. Not only does He heal various diseases and cast out demons, but He also feeds the hungry. A very timely message with food becoming so costly. Note what the people concluded about Jesus: "Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, 'This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world'" (v. 14). He is the Son of God; He is the Creator God who loves you, watches over you, and cares for you, meeting your every need. Trust Him. Amen.