Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. Matthew 14:23-23 ESV¹

Read Matthew 14:13-23, Mark 6:30-46, Luke 9:10-17 & John 6:1-15

This widespread healing, accompanied by an amazing miracle, is familiar to many. It is found in all four Gospels. In your Bible, you will find it under a heading to the effect of, Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. This event is so familiar to us that we might have a tendency to quickly gloss over it. But if we do, we will miss something very important. There is more going on here than the feeding of a massive crowd.

“Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John the Baptist], He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself” (Matthew 14:13a) “to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias” (John 6:1). The apostles had been going throughout “the villages, preaching the gospel and healing” (Luke 9:6). “[They] returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.  And they went away in the boat apart” (Mark 6:30-32a) “to a town called Bethsaida” (Luke 9:10) “by themselves” (Mark 6:32b).

“Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them” (Mark 6:32c-33), “because they saw the signs that He was doing on the sick” (John 6:2). “When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them” (Matthew 14:14a), “because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34a). “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples” (John 6:3). “And He began to teach [the crowd] many things” (Mark 6:34c). “He welcomed them and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing” (Luke 9:11).

“Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages” (Matthew 14:14b-15a) “and countryside to find lodging” (Luke 9:12b) “and buy food for themselves’” (Matthew 14:15c). “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.  Lifting up His eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward Him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little’” (John 6:4-7). “But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat’” (Matthew 14:16). “And He said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see’” (Mark 6:38). “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many’” (John 6:8-9)?

 “And He said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’ Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass” (Matthew 14:18-19a). “So, they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties” (Mark 6:40). “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to Heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied” (Matthew 14:19b-20). “And when they had eaten their fill, He told His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.’ So, they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten” (John 6:12-13). “And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:21).

“When the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself” (John 6:14-15) “to pray. When evening came, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:23b).

This event begins and ends with the subject of rest. Rest is woven all throughout the story. So, let’s consider the subject of rest.

The pursuit of rest

Jesus wanted rest. Jesus had just received some heartbreaking news. One of His best friends, one of His close relatives, the person whom He probably respected most out of everyone on Earth, John the Baptist, had just been brutally murdered. John had been in prison for standing up for what was right. Now, there was no hope that this innocent man would be released; he was dead. Jesus wanted to pull away, be by Himself, and mourn His loss.

The apostles needed rest. They had just returned from an incredible missionary journey—one in which they took nothing with them except the authority of Jesus over demons and disease and received nothing except the power to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal (see Luke 9:1-6), yet they had more than enough. This power and authority were no small gifts; through them, the apostles were able to do many amazing feats. But this adventure had been a draining journey. When they “returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught … He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:30-31).

The crowd desired rest. “The Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand” (John 6:4). The Passover is the Jewish celebration of their miraculous release from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three feasts which all Jewish men who were physically able to journey to Jerusalem were required to attend. I believe the Passover celebration of that year had probably just finished, and the majority of the 5000 men who gathered about Jesus on that day were traveling back from Jerusalem to their homes. (That would explain why the text focuses on the number of men in the crowd). Some of the men, and most of the women and children, who were present were probably residents of the area towns. Bethsaida is at least 90 miles (150 km), as the crow flies, from Jerusalem. These sojourners had likely traveled up mountains, through valleys, over rivers, and around a lake. Hot, tired, and sick of travel, they found themselves in a desolate area. Some were near the small towns which they called home; others had days of travel left. At any rate, the area towns were likely unable to provide for the needs of such a great number. Fortunately, they were with Jesus. He could provide for them in ways they never dreamed. 

Rest interrupted

The unexpected turn of events meant Jesus and His twelve closest disciples, the Apostles, weren’t going to get much rest just yet. Now, Jesus could have called down angels from Heaven to scatter the people, made Himself and His disciples invisible to the crowds, or done just about anything He wanted to get rid of the people. Instead, “He had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14a), “because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34a). “He welcomed them and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:11). Jesus put aside His need for the people’s need. He expected His apostles to do the same by joining Him in His ministry to the vast, needy crowd.

When the disciples came to Him sharing their concern for the people’s need for food, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The apostles had earlier been given great power and authority. They had used it effectively and had seen it work in the spiritual realm; they had been amazed. But they did not realize that same power could wonders in the physical realm. Though they took no supplies and made no arrangements for lodging, they had no physical needs on their missionary journey (see Luke 9:3-4); this was part of Jesus’ gift to them. Now, Jesus was asking them to use that same power feed the crowd. Instead, Phillip focused on what they did not have. “‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little’” (John 6:4-7). One denarius was the daily wage for a common laborer. They certainly didn’t have nearly a year’s worth of expendable income with them. Andrew focused on what they had. “‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many’” (John 6:8-9)? But none of the disciples focused on what they could have had through Jesus—power and authority to do a miracle in the physical realm. So, Jesus showed them what was possible in His power.

And everyone did get a little rest. They all got to sit down for a while. “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples” (John 6:3). “[Jesus] ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass,” (Matthew 14:19a). “So, they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties” (Mark 6:40). And everyone had plenty to eat. “They all ate and were satisfied. And they took up took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over” (Matthew 14:20).

The source of ultimate rest

But there was a much greater rest available for the people. Jesus “had compassion on them” (Matthew 14:14a), “because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34a). Jesus had sent out the Twelve to minister to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). Spiritual shepherding was lacking among the religious leadership in Israel; the people, the sheep, suffered for it. The Passover should have been a spiritually energizing time for the people, but these people were left wanting more.

Yet, the One to whom the Passover pointed stood before them. Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb. On a Passover in the not too distant future, He would more than give up His time; He would sacrifice Himself for the sins of them all. He would more than provide a fee meal; He would give Himself, the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35). On that Passover, Jesus would “[look] up to Heaven and [say]” (Matthew 14:19b), “’Father if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done’” (Luke 22:42), and He would be the Loaf that would be broken; all who would feed upon Him would have eternal life (see John 6:53-58). On that Passover, and every day afterward, Jesus provides a meal in which we can all “[eat] and [be] satisfied” (Matthew 14:20). It is in sitting down and accepting this much-needed, free meal that people find ultimate rest.

And there was a much greater rest available for the Apostles. Of His closest disciples, Jesus expected a great deal. “‘Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required’” (Luke 12:48b). Jesus asked His disciples to feed the massive crowd when they thought they had nothing with which to complete the task, yet they had everything they needed. When, in confusion, they responded with lack of faith, Jesus asked, “‘How many loaves do you have?’” (Mark 6:38). “‘Bring them here to Me’” (Matthew 14:18). You see, nothing is enough until it is given to Jesus. And whatever is given to Jesus is always more than enough. “Apart from [Him] we can do nothing” (John 15:5b), but with Him we can do everything He is asking of us (see Philippians 4:13). When they gave what they had to Jesus, He multiplied it. Five loaves and two fish became enough to feed a multitude. When they gave what they had to Jesus, they received much in return. From the leftovers of a little boy’s lunch, they each got a full basket for themselves. When they gave what they had to Jesus, “nothing [was] lost” (John 6:12b). It is through surrender and dependence on Christ in all things that the minister finds satisfying rest.

There was even greater rest available for Jesus. “Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself” (John 6:15b) “to pray. When evening came, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:23b). Jesus’ original plan to “[withdraw] … in a boat to a desolate place by Himself” (Matthew 14:13a) would have undoubtedly included prayer, but maybe pulling away and mourning would have been the primary focus. I believe the Father ordained this event as much for Jesus as for the people and the apostles. The encounter with the vast, needy crowd helped refocus Jesus on His passion and purpose for coming to Earth in the first place. When He was on Earth, it was as He spent time in prayer, that Jesus found His rest. As we are being “conformed to the image of [the] Son” (Romans 8:29), it is though spending time with the Father in prayer that we too will find rest.

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.