A year after Jesus fed the multitude, He himself
became that Passover. He would break bread
with the disciples. He would take the bread,
bless it, break it, and give it to the disciples say-
ing, "Take, eat: this is my body" Mark 14:22

He did this also when He blessed the bread,
broke it and fed the multitude.

There was a greater reason for the miracle of
the loaves than just meeting their physical
hunger. Jesus was getting them ready for His
sermon that He gave them later in Capernaum.
John 6:48, 51
"I am that bread of life. . . .I am the living bread
which came down from heaven: if any man eat
of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread
that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for
the life of the world"

As this crowd of people came and stood around
Him, He had then decided to perform this miracle.

The Passover, we are told, was 'nigh at hand'
John 6:4 This was the sacred feast in which the
children of Israel ate unleavened bread.

As Paul said in his writings, He, Christ was the
world's Passover. I Corinthians 5:7

There are some things we need to notice about
this event.

Jesus didn't normally use His powers for this
type of miracle. He fed them out of compassion.
(Matt.15:32) But following events show He had
a further purpose for it.

The news that John the Baptist (His cousin) had
been killed for the cause which must have remind
Him of His upcoming death.

This crowd had interrupted His plans of getting
alone with the disciples for rest and instructions
of His purpose for coming into the world.

Apparently the disciples

carried baskets with

them. For these were

retrieved from the boat

and used to distribute the

food.

It shows that it is not God's will to waste any

thing, because Jesus commanded the disciples

to gather the fragments when all were full and

they returned with twelve basketsful.

Each apostle came back with his basket loaded!

Before the Lord proceeded to feed the people,
He gave the disciples instructions to make the
crowd to sit down on the grass in groups of
fifties and hundreds.

This worked to prevent confusion and to make
sure that no one would be missed.

Then to the disciples amazement Jesus blessed
the food and began breaking it and giving it to
the disciples to distribute to the people. And as
He continued to break it, the few loaves and
fishes turned into an unending supply.

Jesus didn't refuse the little boys' offering.

Some people think that the church could make
great advances in missions, if they could just get
the rich to give large sums of money.

But the truth is that the money that blesses the
the Kingdom of God must be given out of the
devotion and even sacrifices to God.

He can bless little and multiply it in His ways.
That is why He only requires 10% of every man,
woman and child's income to keep His works
operating.

Andrew, wanting to be helpful, came up with
a suggestion. "There is a lad here, which hath
five barley loaves, and two small fishes; but
what are they among so many?" (verse 9)

Somewhere in the crowd he had found a little
boy that wanted to see and hear Jesus so much
that he had come long with the adults. But he
had brought a lunch with him. He could have
eaten it himself but offered to share it with
Andrew. By doing that, it was brought to Jesus'
attention.

This caused the little boy to be known to the
world forever.

The people were so eager to

hear Jesus, that they hadn't

taken time to bring food

along on their journey.

As the evening drew near the disciples were

becoming concerned of the crowd becoming

faint from hunger. They were a long ways

from food of any kind.

Jesus turned to Philip, one of His disciples,

and said to him, "Whence shall we buy bread,

that these may eat?" (John 6:5) He was

figuring what it would cost to feed the people

when Jesus asked him, he said, "Two hundred

pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them,

that every one of them may take a little."

John 6:7 It would be same as a fair day's wage.

After healing their sick, He began to teach
them many things (Mark 6:34). The multitude
listened with great interest, forgetting that
there was such a thing as mealtime.

But as the day was beginning to end, the
disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a
desert place, and now the time is far passed:
send them away, that they may go into the
country round about, and into the villages,and
buy themselves bread: for they have nothing
to eat" Mark 6:35-36

Jesus and His disciples found a place on the farthest
side of the town in which they were staying. There
they hoped to find rest for a while.

But they were not able to hide themselves.
They had been seen by a crowd that had follow
them and now was about to catch up.

Jesus would not disappoint the people. They had
come a long ways and brought their sick to be
healed. He forgot their rest plans and welcomed
them all.

"Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place,
and rest a while: for there were many coming
and going, and they had no leisure so much as
to eat."
Mark 6:30-31

After they had gathered together, Jesus was
trying to get the group some rest, for many
people had kept them so busy they were tired
and hungry.

He makes it aware to them that they also need
physical rest and nourishment. The body is just
as important to take care of as the soul and spirit.

"And the apostles gathered themselves together

unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what

they had done, and what they had taught.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves

apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for

there were many coming and going, and they

had no leisure so much as to eat."

Mark 6:30-31

This must have been an exciting time. The

things they told Jesus of what they had done

and taught was not recorded for us, so we

can only imagine what a great mission they

had.

We are told later of seventy who were sent

out and returned with joy saying even the

devils were subject to the name of Jesus.

These twelve were even closer to Jesus so

they must have had some great reports.