The Feeding of the Five Thousand
This is the only miracle before the resurrection recorded in all four Gospels. Jesus withdraws by boat after the news of John the Baptist's execution, and the crowds follow on foot around the lake; he has compassion on them and teaches until late.
The disciples want them sent away to buy food. John's account has Jesus ask Philip where bread could be bought, noting he asked to test him — Philip calculates that eight months' wages would not be enough. Andrew finds a boy with five barley loaves and two fish and adds, reasonably, that it is nothing among so many.
The people sit in groups on the grass, the food is blessed, broken and distributed, and twelve baskets of scraps are collected. John adds what happened next: the crowd tried to make him king by force, and he withdrew alone into the hills.
Where in scripture
[13] Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities. [14] Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick. [15] When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.” [16] But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.” [17] They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.” [18] He said, “Bring them here to me.” …
Matthew 14:13–21 — opening verses
[30] The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. [31] He said to them, “You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. [32] They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. [33] They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. [34] Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. [35] When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day. …
Mark 6:30–44 — opening verses
[1] After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. [2] A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. [3] Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. [4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. [5] Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” [6] This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. [7] Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may receive a little.” [8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, …
John 6:1–15 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
