The disciples knew that Jesus was the Christ. They believed in Him for eternal life. They proclaimed these truths throughout Galilee after Jesus sent them out to preach and gave them the power to perform miracles. The miracles they did showed that the message they preached was the truth (Luke 9:1-6).
But the disciples still had much to learn about Christ’s greatness. People speculated about who He was (9:7-9). The disciples knew, but Christ knew they needed more information. To give it to them, He would perform a miracle. He would miraculously feed around 15,000 people with just a few fish and pieces of bread (9:10-17).
These people were with the Lord in a desert area. As it got late, the disciples worried about them. There was nothing to feed them, and they were in danger of becoming weak from hunger. There was no place for them to spend the night.
The disciples’ attitude is somewhat shocking. After performing miracles in the name of Christ, why did they not realize that He could meet the physical needs of the people in the desert? We shouldn’t be too hard on them, though. They had been able to heal diseases and cast out demons through Christ’s power because they had seen Him do the same. This kind of miracle was different, requiring the creation of a large quantity of food out of nothing. They had never seen that done.
Probably every reader of this blog knows what happens. The Lord took the little food He had and fed all those people. He miraculously created enough food that all of them were filled (v 17)—they were completely satisfied. Since they had been in the desert for hours, these people were very hungry. To satisfy their hunger, a lot of food was needed!
But Jesus did even more. He produced leftovers. Luke adds that there were twelve baskets full of food, one for each of the disciples. They could take these leftovers with them.
What was the purpose of this miracle? We can be certain that it wasn’t just to feed a hungry group of people. Jesus showed Israel that He could meet their needs and showed the disciples how great He was. He was more than the promised Messiah. He was their Great Shepherd. Later, the NT will call Him the believer’s great High Priest (Heb 2:17-18). The Lord would send these men out to minister to people, and He was showing them that He would give them everything they needed. They could serve others with the power and provisions He gave them. All they had to do was go to and rely on Him.
This account shows us that the longer the disciples followed the Lord, the more they grew in their understanding of Him. They learned more and more about Him.
Isn’t the same thing true for believers today? Many hear a verse like John 3:16, perhaps as a child, and believe in Him for eternal life. They later learn that He is the Second Person of the Trinity and that He created the world. They later learn that He is our High Priest. They later learn that He will give eternal rewards to those who are obedient to Him, and that we can reign with Him in His kingdom. By going through difficulties, He teaches believers to rely on His provision. Believers can learn more and more about how powerful and great He is.
In Luke 9:10-17, the disciples were believers and had eternal life. But they still had much to learn about the One in whom they had believed. He was greater than they realized. By watching and listening to Him, they would get a clearer picture of Him. May we go to His Word, watch, listen, and do the same.
