Let us look at John 6, which records the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1–14). The same miracle is recorded in the three other Gospels (Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17), but John alone includes later in the same chapter Jesus’s discourse about the bread of life (John 6:25–59). This discourse took place on the day after the miracle (v. 22).
Jesus began his discussion by mentioning the miracle: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (v. 26). He then continued the discussion in a way that makes clear the parallel between the physical food from the loaves and the spiritual food that gives eternal life: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (v. 27). At one point the crowd mentioned the manna from heaven (v. 31). Jesus then picked up on the theme of manna and used it to direct them to the true bread from heaven:
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (vv. 32–33)
He then declared, “I am the bread of life” (v. 35).
The feeding of the 5,000 has a symbolic significance beyond the fact that it displays divine power.
Jesus thus indicated that both the manna from the time of Moses and the miracle of feeding the 5,000 have symbolic significance. The manna came in a miraculous way, but even its miraculous character did not make it a source of eternal life; it served only to sustain temporal life. Similarly, the bread that multiplied to feed the 5,000 men sustained physical life (vv. 26–27), but Jesus indicated that both point to something deeper, namely to eternal life. Jesus himself is the one who supplies eternal life. Eternal life belongs to those who “feed on” him: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (v. 54).
Thus the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 has a symbolic significance beyond the fact that it displays divine power. Its significance goes beyond confirming and testifying to the fact that Jesus is an authentic messenger of God, like one of the Old Testament prophets. The miracle shows in symbolic form what Jesus is doing spiritually through his life, death, and resurrection—he is bringing eternal life, and giving lasting spiritual nourishment to everyone who comes to him in faith.
This piece is adapted from Vern S. Poythress, The Miracles of Jesus: How the Savior’s Mighty Acts Serve as Signs of Redemption (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 33–34. Used with permission from the publisher.