And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:34)

Jesus Was First A Teacher

The feeding of five thousand men (not counting women and children) is one of the many incredible miracles Jesus did. He began with five barley loaves and two fishes before feeding the five thousand and gathered twelve baskets full of fragments and the fish when finished. Feeding the five thousand was not what Jesus set out to do. It was a byproduct of the event that happened before the feeding.

After Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded, He left in a boat to a quiet place to be alone as He grieved. The multitudes saw Jesus and His disciples going to a deserted place and running from all the cities on foot. Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion for them. He healed many who were sick and then began to teach them many things. The Holy Spirit does not say how long Jesus taught them, but the day was far spent when Jesus finished. At this time, the disciples thought the people needed to find something to eat in the neighboring villages to buy bread for themselves. Jesus used the need to feed the people as a teaching moment to teach them a higher lesson.

Jesus came to teach people. He healed untold numbers of people of every disease but did not come to eradicate the disease. After Jesus returned to the Father, disease continued to plague humankind. Feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes filled the bellies of the hungry for a fleeting time. The next day, they were hungry again. When they sought Jesus, He rebuked them for seeking the manna of this world rather than the manna that came from above. Jesus did not wipe out hunger when He came.

The purpose of Jesus coming to the earth was to teach men the way of salvation. Food is necessary, but it will not save. Miracles were signs to prove the word, but no one could be saved individually by a miracle. The miracles of healing were to draw men to the teaching of Jesus. God sent His Son into the world to teach the world, to give the world the Word, the message of salvation, and the hope of eternal life. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, not from food or healing. The main work of Jesus was to teach men the will of the Father because salvation cannot come if a man does not hear the word and obey.

Knowledge is where man finds the hope of salvation. From the beginning of time, God has given men His commandments, laws, testimonies, statutes, and judgments to teach them His will. The Holy Spirit affirmed the creation of the canon that would become known as the Bible, through which all men could read and understand the mysteries of God. No other book can measure the validity, form, design, and ageless application than the word of God from Genesis to the Revelation.

Jesus came to teach. He was the perfect teacher. Using divine wisdom to weave stories of parables, pronounce curses upon the hypocrites of Jewish law, challenge the traditions of human wisdom, and explain the heavier judgments of men, Jesus shows the need for teaching, learning, and application. Feeding five thousand was a mighty miracle that filled the bellies of many a man, woman, and child. That bread did not last. Feasting upon the manna of God’s word will fill the soul for an eternity. Embrace the purpose of Jesus to teach all men the divine truths of God’s word. The Bible is not just a book – it is the full teaching of Jesus Christ.