Feeding Five Thousand
This is about how Jesus was feeding five thousand men plus the women and children who were fed. Jesus had left but the people followed him. The disciples wanted to send them into the nearby towns to buy food.
This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.
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“The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is recorded in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:4-13).” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 50)
13. “The Lord went by ship across the Sea of Galilee, but the crowd that had followed Him on foot out of the cities did not want Him to leave, so they walked around the shore of Galilee and met Him on the other side.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 83)
“Matthew’s language gives a fourfold emphasis to Jesus’ desire for solitude: (1) he withdrew; (2) he went by boat so the crowds on foot could not follow him; (3) he went to a solitary place; and (4) he went privately, emphasizing separation from the crowds, not from his disciples.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
14. “Even though he had not had a chance to process his grief over John, the Messiah-King had compassion on the people, and he went back to work, healing their sick.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Send them Away
15. The disciples “considered the time (evening) and the place (a desolate place), they came to the conclusion that nothing could be done to solve the problem. Their counsel to the Lord was: ‘Send them away!” (Wiersbe, 50)
16. “Jesus replies as if the disciples have a large store of food available.” (Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. [Nashville: Broadman Press], 232)
17. “The disciples describe the only provisions of which they know.” (Blomberg, 232)
“The standard Jewish loaf of bread provided a meal for three.” (Blomberg, 232)
18. “Jesus requests the food, and the disciples bring it. (Blomberg, 232)
Blessed
19. “Jesus took the simple lunch, blessed it, and shared it. The miracle of multiplication was in His hands! ‘Little is much if God is in it.” (Wiersbe, 50)
20. The disciples “took the broken pieces and distributed them, and discovered that there was plenty for everybody. If we give what we have to Him, He will bless it and give it back to us for use in feeding others.” (Wiersbe, 50)
21. “We learn one last astounding fact—the crowd was far more than five thousand, very possibly ten thousand or more, if women and children were counted.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
References
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. Nashville: Broadman Press
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Robertson, A. T., A Harmony of the Gospels. New York, HarperCollins Publishers
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004
