NEW A GREAT MIRACLE
A COMMUNION MEDITATION
In John chapter six is the story of the great miracle where Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes. Jesus saw a great multitude coming unto him and said to Philip, Whence are we to buy bread that these might eat? Jesus said this to prove him for he knew what he would do. Philip looked over the crowd, made a few quick mental calculations, and came up with the two hundred penny worth figure. Jesus was asking about bread and Philip thought about money. Philip thought like modern day American Christians. If the Lord speaks of sending the gospel around the world, our first thought is how much money it will take.
Andrew said, “There is a lad here with five barley loaves and two fishes, but what are these among so many?” Jesus said, “Make the men sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place, and the men sat down in number about 5,000. Jesus break the loaves, gave thanks, gave to the Apostles, and the Apostles to the multitude, and they were filled, with twelve baskets with broken pieces left over.
There is no question in our minds that this was one of the major miracles of Jesus. It is the only miracle that is recorded by all four of the gospel writers, with the exception of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit must have had some special reason for repeating it four times.
However as great a miracle as it is, there is another event similar to it; that takes on even greater proportions than feeding 5,000 with five small loaves and two fishes, which took place about the time of the Passover.
About one year later at another Passover the Lord Jesus would institute the Lord’s Supper. He took a small amount of bread, and a cup of the fruit of the vine, and gave to the Apostles. According to Paul He told them as oft as we do this we show forth His death until He comes.
Starting on the day of Pentecost there were 3,000 who continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread. In the fourth chapter of Acts the number was increased to 5,000. Then in Acts, the sixth chapter, the number of disciples in Jerusalem alone was multiplied. The multiplication was not such a simple example as two plus two, but the number was multiplied exceedingly.
And then the number grew to such an astronomical numbers as it is recorded in Revelation the seventh chapter when John said, “After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and tribes, and peoples and tongues; standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands.” Then this multitude which could not be numbered was identified as: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Since we are told in the twentieth chapter of Acts that the disciples assembled every Sunday for the purpose of breaking the bread; what an overwhelming thought it is to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ in the last 2,000 years has been feeding the loaf, and the cup ever Sunday to a number that no man can number. So as we come to the Table of the Lord today, and eat of the bread, and drink of the cup, let us remember this is a greater event than when the Lord fed the 5,000.