Five Loaves and Two Fish

“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?” — John 6:9

Jesus went up on a hillside by the Lake of Galilee and sat down with His disciples. A huge crowd followed Him, because they had seen Him healing sick people.

When Jesus looked up and saw the great crowd coming towards Him, He said to His disciple Philip, “Where can we buy bread for all these people to eat?” Jesus already knew what He was going to do. He was testing Philip.

“Even half a year’s wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for each of them to have a tiny piece!” said Philip.

Then another disciple, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a boy here with five small barley loaves and two little fish,” he said. “But what good is that for so many people?”

It was one boy’s lunch. Barley bread was the cheap bread that poor people ate.

“Tell the people to sit down,” said Jesus. There was lots of green grass in that place, so everyone sat down. There were about five thousand men, as well as women and children.

Then Jesus took the five loaves and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread and handed it out to the people sitting on the grass. Then He did the same with the fish. And everyone had as much as they wanted!

The bread kept on coming. The fish kept on coming. Thousands and thousands of people ate until they were full.

When everyone had eaten enough, Jesus said to His disciples, “Gather up the pieces that are left over. Don’t let anything be wasted.”

So they went round and gathered up the leftovers. And they filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves!

They had started with five little loaves and two fish. They ended up with twelve baskets full, more than they had at the beginning!

When the people saw this amazing sign, they said, “Surely this is the Prophet God promised to send into the world!”

Can you imagine being that boy? He gave Jesus his lunch, just a little lunch, not much at all. And Jesus took it, and thanked God for it, and used it to feed thousands of people.

What we have to give might not seem like much. But when we give it to Jesus, He can do amazing things with it.

The promise kept: The next day, the crowd reminded Jesus that God gave their ancestors manna in the wilderness: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat” (John 6:31). Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). The manna in the desert pointed to Him.

Read it in your Bible: John 6:1–14, 31–35

Dear Jesus, thank you that you can do so much with a little. Here is what I have. Please use it for your glory. Thank you that you are the bread of life. Amen.