There is of course a message in this miracle. Sadly, you sometimes read in a commentary: this was the purpose of the miracle, to demonstrate that Christ had power over nature, and it is put in the pigeon-hole of miracles which teach his power over nature, and that is it! But there is so much more to it than that. These miracles were signs that would be thought about. They illustrated his teaching and eventually as he went to Calvary people would think of these signs and understand increasingly exactly what they meant. It is perfectly true that it demonstrated his power over nature, but the first thing in this most dramatic sign miracle, was this: that Christ had come to provide life and forgiveness. That is what he was constantly talking about, and indeed this miracle is going to prepare for his words later in the chapter – ‘I am the bread of life.’
Secondly, the miracle says: God can do impossible things. Who could feed that great crowd? Who could give them the righteousness, and the spiritual life, and the blessing which the bread stood for and represented? Well, the disciples couldn’t do it. The church cannot do it. Nobody on earth can do it, only Christ. Only he went to Calvary, only he suffered and died and made an atonement for sinners.
It teaches that there is no limit to how many people he will provide with these blessings. A crowd of five thousand, maybe more, represent no difficulty to him. ‘Just five loaves and two small fishes; what’s the good of that?’ But Christ can supply any number. There is no limit to his provision and power.
Furthermore, the disciples, in doing what they were called to do, arranging the people, had to trust the Lord to provide in a wonderful way. When Christ gives this blessing he gives it in the context of trust. You believe in him, and you trust in him to secure salvation for you, and to bless you.
The disciples were also taught that they would have a part in this. Christ would produce the blessing, but they would have to distribute it among the crowds. Christ alone saves souls, but we must visit the homes, invite in the people, teach the children, witness to the people. We, in a sense, are distributing the bread of life. It’s Christ who saves souls but we are called to be instruments and to take a part.
‘Where did the baskets come from?’, the cynics ask. Well, of course, they were carrying these baskets, many of them, and they brought sufficient food for the day, but they had been walking a long, dusty, ten miles. They had been trekking and following the Lord. They didn’t know how long they were going to travel that day – that great crowd – and they had finished it all up, and now they were hungry – hence the empty baskets.