March 25: Satisfied with Jesus

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Mark 6:30-44

Matthew 14:13-21

Luke 9:10-17

John 6:1-15

Jesus Walks on the Water

Mark 6:45-56

Matthew 14:22-36

John 6:16-24

A quick review before we look at today’s reading… 

At Christian Assembly Church during the Lent and Easter seasons, we are reading chronologically through the four Gospels with a desire to attain the FULLER LIFE that Jesus in John 10:10 promised to us: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The Greek word translated full in this verse means “abundant, over-flowing, in excess”. Jesus longs to give us abundant life – more than we even need.

With that being said, our reading today includes the only miracle other than the resurrection that is found in all four Gospels: the Feeding of the Five Thousand. There was actually more than 5,000 there that day; that number only included the men. If they had counted the women and children, there was probably over 10,000 hungry people with Jesus.

And they all ate a-plenty. Mark tells us this in his Gospel: "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish" (6:42-43). Matthew and Luke say almost the exact same thing, while John gives essentially the same report: "When they had all had enough to eat…" (6:12a). All four Gospel writers made sure to tell us there were 12 baskets left over after everyone was full.

Outside the facts that there are 12 tribes of Israel and there were 12 disciples, it’s difficult to find any other significance in the number of baskets of leftovers. But in light of our FULLER LIFE discussion, the significance is not so much in the number of baskets but in the fact that there was so much still available after all had eaten enough. This miracle of Jesus is a perfect illustration of John 10:10. He provided abundantly that day to all who were hungry. He provides for us life abundantly – excessively, even – as well. When it comes to Jesus, we are always satisfied.