So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha. (Mark 8:6-10)

Nine Thousand People Fed

The miracles of Jesus were done to prove He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. There is no measure of comparison to examine the miracles of Jesus with anything man can do. Jesus healed every disease without exception, His power was evident immediately, there were no limitations by time, distance, or material substance, and the enemies of Jesus never tried to disprove a miracle had taken place. Many of the miracles were left to the testimony of the individual, but some involved many people. Such was the case when Jesus fed nine thousand men, not counting women and children.

Early in the Spring of His third year of ministry, Jesus taught a multitude that numbered in the thousands and healed those who needed healing. The disciples thought the crowd needed to be sent away since there was no food to feed such a large crowd of five thousand men, not counting women and children. A little boy had five loaves of bread and two fish. Sitting the multitude down in ranks, in hundreds and fifties, the Lord began distributing bread and fish to the crowd until everyone was filled. At the end of the day, twelve baskets full of fragments and fish were collected.

A few weeks later, a crowd of four thousand had been with Jesus as He healed the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others. Jesus calls the disciples to Himself, telling them He wants to feed the multitude. When the disciples told the Lord they only had seven loaves and a few little fish, He instructed the multitude to sit on the ground. After blessing the food, Jesus took the loaves and fish and gave them to the disciples to give to the crowd. They all ate and were filled, and like the earlier miracle, seven large baskets full of fragments were gathered.

Within a short time, more than nine thousand people participated in a miracle on a grand scale. The provisions were exceedingly small, yet more was left over than when they began. Jesus shows His power in a manner unlike other miracles. More than nine thousand people can testify to the nature of the miracle. The twelve apostles (including Judas) saw the miracle develop as they handed out the endless supply of loaves and fishes. There was no trickery or sleight of hand. With a few provisions, thousands of people ate until they could receive no more.

Less than a year later, Jesus would be killed by a mob screaming for His crucifixion. Forgotten were the thousands who ate from the miracle hand of Jesus. The gospels do not tell the unnumerable hosts of sick healed by Jesus whose lives were forever changed. Blind men received their sight again, lepers were healed, the lame walked, and how many of the dead who were raised could testify to the power of Jesus of Nazareth? In the short three-year time of the ministry of Jesus, thousands of people felt and participated in the power of God – and they killed Him.

The evidence of the miracle was to prove Jesus was the Son of God and that part of the plan was accomplished. Four men wrote accounts of the life of Jesus to let the world know the Son of God had lived among them. The gospels record thirty-five separate miracles performed by Jesus Christ but do not count the multitudes that were healed. John suggested that if all Jesus had done and said were written down, even the world could not contain the books that would be written.

Jesus is the Christ, and the Bible is the living proof and testimony of His power. Miracles have ceased, but the power of miracles remains in the written word. The miracles of Jesus were preserved to show Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, but most men will not believe. More than nine thousand people were fed by the hand of Jesus of Nazareth, and yet they still murdered Him. The people who rejected Jesus saw the miracles firsthand and still killed Him.

That is where most find themselves with the testimony of the gospels and the proofs in the epistles. Jesus Christ is Lord and King, and His resurrection is the greatest miracle of all. Most in the world have no desire to serve the miracle worker, Jesus. They are content to live their lives without the hope of eternal life. There is more proof that the Bible is God’s word than any other book written through man’s wisdom. The Bible is the story of Jesus changing lives. He changed the lives of nine thousand people when He fed them.

Peace will come when you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Read His story, obey the will of His Father, and embrace the miracle of healing found in the blood of God’s Son. He is the manna from above.