The introduction is the same as for Parts One and Two. This is repeated to bring those who did not read the previous devotions up-to-date with information of this miracle. However, we highly encourage you to read these posts: Little is Much – Part One and Part Two.

The Miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand men, in John 6:1-14, is the only miracle recorded by all four Gospels. It also is the most known of Jesus’ miracles. This miracle was performed by Jesus to be a physical type of the spiritual message concerning Jesus being “that Bread” which came down from Heaven. Jesus later explained, “I Am the Bread of Life.” Jesus set the stage for His message on the Bread of Life, in revealing that He is the Supply for the hungry.

Note the following aspects of this miracle in relation to Jesus, The Supply;

• The Supply is NOT as the flesh views it; but as faith views it.
• The Supply is in what God has given us: (Little is Much in the hands of God; without God, the supply will never be enough)
• The Supply is distributed by us: (from Him, given to us – from us, given to the multitude)
• The Supply is more than Enough in Christ:
  

The background of this miracle is that a great multitude had followed Jesus from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other side, because they had witnessed the miracles of Jesus healing the diseased. When Jesus “saw the great company come unto Him, He saith to Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat” (Jn. 6:5).

He was setting the stage to teach the Disciples:

• To prove they were walking by sight and not by faith;
• The Provision is in them (when empowered by Jesus; employed by Jesus; and executed by Jesus);
• The Proof is in the Results.

In the first devotion, the outline was as follows:

To Prove Him (them): (the problem being);

The Blindness of the Perception of the Supply in Jesus:

Jesus began to reveal to Philip and Andrew their lack of perception of Who He was; of His Plan and of His Power; and that He was the Bread of Supply for sinners. The child of God must turn from the situation; and look to the God of the situation. In every event in the life of the child of God, the event must be viewed through the eyes of faith; for the honor and glory of God. But, what seems to be the norm for many Christians today is that they look at the situation and allow their flesh to assess the situation; instead of looking to God for the answer and the action to be taken (Prov. 3:5-6).

In the second devotion, the focus was on the following;

The Provision in Them: (using two examples; the young lad and the disciples)

The Boy of the Plan of the Supply of Jesus:

Jesus used the Lad and his supply multiplied by the power of God. Then, Jesus used the disciples to distribute the Multiplied Supply. Here God used the lad’s supply and empowered it, and He employed the disciples to distribute the Miracle to the Multitudes. The talents, or gifts, implanted in every believer are ordained of God to be used in carrying out His Purpose in and through the believer’s gifts.

In this devotion, the focus is on the following;

The Proof is in the Results:

The Baskets of Proof of the Supply of Jesus:

Executed by Jesus (that is, the Miracle itself)

Here Jesus executed the Supply. He gave thanks; then He commanded the Disciples to take the blessed five loaves and two fishes, and to distribute the Supply to the great company that was sitting down. As the Disciples were distributing the supply, the Miracle happened before their very eyes. There was enough, and more than enough, for the feeding of the great multitude. Notice, the results are proof that Little is Much in the hands of Jesus.

This ever-flowing supply reminds us of the cruse of oil and the barrel of meal that the widow possessed; they did not go dry as long as the famine was in the land. Elijah, the boy, and the mother were fully supplied sustenance by the miracle of God.

We can only imagine the expressions on the faces of the disciples as they realized there was another fish and another piece of bread each time they came to an individual to give them the Supply of God. They could not believe it; but the fish kept coming, and the bread also, until they were all supplied with food.

(John 6:11) “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.”

At the beginning, Philip and Andrew were telling Jesus what they had was not enough to meet the need. This is true in the hands of men alone – but in the hands of God, Little is Much. (With God, you can have an ‘all-you-can-eat buffet.’ There was enough, and more than enough; for the multitude ate as much as they wanted. Jesus, the Bread of Life, is enough, and more than enough, for the believer. The Bread from Heaven will never run out. (Joh 6:35) “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” So, they ate “as much as they would.” Hallelujah!

(John 6:12) “When they were FILLED ….”

Not only was there enough, but what they ate “FILLED” them. So it is when Christ comes into a person’s life, that person is “filled” with God living in the believer. (John 10:10) “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Yes, the Life in the believer is Christ Himself (1 Jn. 5:20); and that Life, Eternal Life, is “More Abundant.” When God fills the water pot; it is full and running over. (Eph. 3:20) “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Hallelujah!

When Jesus comes to live in you, you are full of: eternal life; provision; protection; peace; power; grace; love; mercy; and joy unspeakable. The believer will never thirst or hunger again.

Believer, can you not remember the hour you first believed by faith that Jesus had died for your sin debt; and had redeemed you from the penalty and punishment of sin; and had given you a new will to serve Him; made you a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17); and filled your spirit with The Holy Spirit? O, what relief from the burden of sin! O, what joy flooded your soul the hour you first believed and confessed that Jesus Christ was your Sacrifice, Substitute and Savior! There is nothing to match the peace that God gave you in the hour you were filled and running over with the Supply of Salvation in Christ Jesus. O, what a glorious blessing it is to be “filled” with Jesus in your Spirit; and what Responsibility is now upon the filled child of God to be used of God as a servant of Righteousness for the Glory of God.

(John 6:12-13) “When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. (13) Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”

Jesus started with five barley loaves and two small fishes. But, now they gathered the leftovers, and filled twelve baskets with what remained, over and above what had been eaten. With these results the Disciples learned, in this miracle, that in the hands of Jesus, Little is Much; and His Provision is more than enough for His people; and God is the Answer for the hunger of the sinner. Also, they are not the power; but they were used as a circuit breaker through which the Supply of God flows. The child of God is to be the Pipeline through which flows the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 9:16).

Summary:

We know what the Disciples learned in this miracle; but, what did you learn in this miracle? You should have learned the following;

• The Supply is NOT as the flesh views it: but as faith views it. The Supply is Christ.
• The Supply is in what God has given us: (Little is Much in the hands of God – without God, the supply will never be enough) (the gifts implanted in you as a believer must be: empowered by God; employed by God; and executed by God).
• The Supply is distributed by us: (from Him, given to us – from us, given to the multitude) (the believer is the Pipeline to carry the Supply to the multitudes; Acts 1:8).
• The Supply is more than Enough in Christ: (eat all you want; filled and over-flowing; and there are leftovers for every man of God used in His service).