Jesus feeds the 5,000 +++

• Props: Some bread and “fish” (either fish-shaped biscuits or kueh bahulu) that can be handed out as part of the story
• Jesus and his disciples went to a town called Bethsaida, which was a remote place. But when the crowds heard he was there, they all followed him.
• Jesus welcomed them. He spoke to them about God’s kingdom and healed all who needed healing. There were about 5,000 men and many other women and children there … a very big crowd.
• Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and told him to send the crowd away to go find food and a place to stay because it was getting late.
•  Instead, Jesus asked them to give the crowd something to eat.
•  There were probably more than 10,000 people! How do you feed so many people?
• There was a little boy who offered his lunch — 5 loaves of bread and two fish … not enough for so many! The disciples said, “If we were to go buy food for them, it would cost more than half a year’s salary!”
• But Jesus was not troubled by the big numbers. He just told the disciples: “Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each.”
•  Then when everyone was seated, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and, looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them.
•  Then he passed the bread and fish to his disciples to distribute.
•  And the more they distributed, the more they seemed to have!
•  People were eating the bread. People were eating the fish. And they ate and ate until they couldn’t eat any more!
• The disciples were amazed.
• As the crowd went off, fully satisfied, the disciples picked up the leftover bread and fish. They put them into baskets, and they filled 12 baskets of leftovers! More than enough!

• Sometimes we face problems so big that we cannot see how it can be solved. Maybe it’s a big school exam. Or we need something that costs a lot of money. In this case, it was 10 to 15,000 hungry people!
• Our own supply, like this little boy, is so small — He only had 5 bread and 2 fish … his own lunch. How can he feed such a big crowd?
• But Jesus does not focus on the lack or the problem. When he holds the bread and fish, the little that they had, He fixed His eyes above on God.
• God has abundant supply. He is rich. He does not worry about lack.
• And that supply today is ours because of Jesus. He became poor so that we can be rich.
• We can look to Jesus and trust Him to provide for our every need. We can let Him use what little we have and see Him transform it. And He not only meets our need but supplies more than we can ever imagine.
• Memory Verse: <spend some time getting kids to memorise it; u can pin up the verse on cards and then take out one card at a time until they can remember the whole verse>
  • Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus
• Let’s pray: Thank you Jesus that when we are faced with difficult situations, we can focus on You instead. We don’t have to see our lack. We can see Your supply. We can trust You to meet all our needs, according to the richest of Your glory in Christ Jesus. In Your name, I pray Amen.

3.  Activity ideas: