Jesus sent His disciples to the towns around to tell people about the time of God’s kingdom or rule on earth. This time was written of in the Scriptures, and the prophet John had told them to confess and leave their sinful ways to be ready for God’s time of blessing.
In that time all must be done righteously; there would be none poor or in pain or trouble, and Jesus gave the disciples power to do great miracles to show the people the power of God’s kingdom. He said the people should receive them to their homes and treat them as God’s messengers.
We do not learn in this chapter how they were treated by people where they went, but we know that they told HIM all when they returned. After that, Jesus had them go with Him to a wilderness for a time of quiet. But people heard where they had gone and many followed them.
Jesus taught them again and healed all who needed healing. When it came near evening, the disciples thought the people should start for their homes. But Jesus did not like them to go without food, as no doubt it was a long distance to walk, and He said for the disciples to give them food.
The Great Provider
The men said the food was only five loaves of bread and two fish; that would feed only a few of the many people. Yet Jesus said to have them all sit down. Perhaps you know the rest of this wonderful event, how Jesus gave thanks to God for what they had, then broke it in pieces, and the pieces became many, for there was plenty for all.
Do you know how many thousand men were fed that meal, from the five loaves and two fish? And there were twelve baskets of pieces left. We do not know the size of the loaves, perhaps quite small, as a boy had them (John 6:99There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (John 6:9)), but we know it was a great miracle that many were fed.
This showed the people how surely they would be provided for by Jesus as their Messiah; all were cared for alike and there was enough for all. They had all heard how God had sent the small flakes from heaven, called manna, to provide food for their nation for forty years in desert lands, and this would teach them it was the same care and power of God acting that day. It was a promise of God’s rule that Christ would satisfy the poor with bread (Psa. 132:1515I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. (Psalm 132:15)).
The Christ of God
The people wondered which one of the great prophets Jesus was; his disciples were certain He was greater than any prophet. He asked them,
“Whom say ye that I am?”
“The Christ of God,” Peter answered.
There was no doubt to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, or The Messiah, (which means the same), the Anointed One from God.
Jesus did not tell them that He would soon take the throne as Israel’s King, as they expected Him to do. Instead, He told them sad words, that He would suffer many things from the “elders and chief priests and scribes,” who were the leaders of the people. Jesus told His disciples plainly that He would die, but that He would rise the third day. He knew that He was to be rejected as the Messiah.
Further Meditation
1. Why do we believe the loaves the Lord broke were small?
2. We are sometimes in a situation where we have very limited resources and a very large need. How does the Lord turn our little into His great abundance in our day?
3. Sometimes its nice to have a full treatment of a topic. If you would like an in-depth exposition of this gospel to use as a reference then you might find An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke by W. Kelly to be a nice addition to your Bible study.