Jesus' MiraclesSample

The Kingdom Principle of Multiplication

The feeding of the 5,000 is among the most well-known of Jesus’ miracles and the only one reported in all four gospels. As Jesus started feeding the hungry and healing the sick, it’s no surprise that His popularity exploded. Before long, massive crowds were following Him wherever He went. On one occasion, 5,000 men, in addition to women and children, gathered to sit on the grass and hear Him preach.

With the crowd growing hungry, there was no food for miles. So, a little boy gave his lunch to Jesus. The kid was poor, as he had only the cheap kind of bread (barley) and a few small fish that were likely closer to sardines than salmon. John 6:11 reports, “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated.” Have you wondered why Christians say grace before they eat a meal? Because that’s the example Jesus set.

In this miracle, we learn that Jesus cares about both your physical and spiritual needs. As the “Bread of Life,” Jesus forgives sin and places the Holy Spirit in your soul so that you have spiritual life. Jesus also cares about your physical needs and teaches you to ask in prayer for your “daily bread.” Sometimes, we can feel awkward asking God to meet physical needs for such things as food, a job, or housing, but God cares about all of you.

Jesus multiplied the little boy’s lunch so that everyone ate until they were full, and 12 baskets of leftovers remained! This is the Kingdom principle of multiplication. When you give what you can give, God does what God can do. To be sure, Jesus Christ could have simply fed the people without the little boy’s gift. Jesus had already turned water into wine, and, in the Old Testament, God gave His people manna every day. But Jesus chose to use the gift of the little boy to increase his faith and allow him the joy of being part of loving and serving people in need. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter much how much you give but rather who you give it to because God can multiply what you give.

Is there anything you need provision for? Take some time and pray for God to provide for what you need.