The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle which is mentioned in all the four gospels. Let us take a deep dive into the significance of this great miracle performed by our savior, Jesus Christ.

• Were there only five thousand:

The gospel of Mathew mentions there were around 5000 men besides women and children. Hence taking into account the women and children, biblical scholars assume there would have been more than 15000 people all together!

“And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matthew 14:21)

• How many loaves do you have?

When the disciples approached Jesus asking him to disperse the crowd, Jesus asked the disciples what they had with them to feed the people. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish from the disciples and used it to feed the five thousand. It is interesting to note that God will take whatever little we have and turn it into something miraculous. Remember we only need to offer to God our humble talents and He will work miracles!

“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” (Mark 6:38)

• The place & time of this miracle:

 “Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass.”(Mark 6:39)

The people are made to sit on the green grass. The green grass specifically denotes that it was spring and hence this miracle happened around the time of Passover. Also John 6:4 says “Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.”  The miracle of feeding the five thousand prefigures the Last Supper and has similarities to the celebration of the Eucharist

At the beginning of this passage, it says Jesus had compassion on the people as they were like sheep without a shepherd and then we see Jesus asks the people to sit on green grass.

“As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)

Here we can witness the fulfillment of Psalms 23:1-2 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures”      

• Bread of Life, Eucharist:

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people;” (Mark 6:41)

Here we can observe the four key Eucharistic actions are followed, “took bread”, “gave thanks”, “broke bread” and “gave it to them”. This is very similar to the actions performed by Jesus while instituting the Eucharist during the Last Supper. “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19). 

It should be also noted that the miracle of feeding the five thousand is immediately followed by the Bread of Life sermon by Jesus in the Gospel of John. In the bread of life sermon Jesus testifies that He is the living bread and if anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever in John 6:48-51.

• Grouping of people

The way the people were grouped together as they sat on the green grass is also significant. The people sat in down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

“So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.” (Mark 6:40)

This is also similar in manner to how Moses grouped the people of Israel during their exodus through the desert.

“Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.” (Exodus 18:25)

Here we see God maintains a divine order even in the minutest of the things.

• Apostleship:

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people;” (Mark 6:41)

Jesus multiplied the bread and gave the bread to his disciples and the disciples then distributed the bread to the people. This shows the significance of Christ’s apostles, His chosen ones. The Apostles are chosen to be the leaders of the people. The Apostles totally depended on Jesus and they distributed to the people what they received from Jesus.

• People were satisfied:

“And all ate and were filled.” (Mark 6:42)

“Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied …” (John 6:11-12)

The gospels specifically mention the people ate as much as they wanted and they were satisfied. We receive true contentment only through Christ our savior and Christ will shower us with an abundance of blessings. We need only to offer our littleness and rely totally on him.

• Nothing should be lost

“When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.” (John 6:12-13)

Jesus fed the many thousands of people from five loaves and 2 fish. Then he asked the disciples to gather the fragments so that nothing may be lost and they filled 12 baskets. The bread which Jesus multiplied symbolizes the bread of life and is Jesus and hence is Holy, so nothing should be lost!

Jesus healed the people and also preached to them the good news and he fed the five thousand and they were satisfied. Thus Jesus fulfills the role of the good shepherd and in the Book of Ezekiel, the verses 34:11-16 rightly describes the good shepherd as follows: “I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land…. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak… I will feed them in justice.” (Ezekiel 34: 11-16)