After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"…
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number… (Jn 6:1-15)
Something is happening at Passover time. The feeding of the five thousand takes place at this time. The author wants us to see the connection between the Passover and the feeding of the five thousand by Jesus. Passover is the time when God liberated the Israelites from Egypt, and led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. During the wandering in the wilderness he fed them with Manna (bread from heaven).
Feeding of the five thousand, which is narrated by all the four Evangelists, takes place in the wilderness. No city or village is nearby for the people to go and buy food for themselves. So food was not bought and given. Again Philip says that there was not enough money to buy food for all. So physically it was impossible for them to provide food. And what the boy is having is just sufficient for one but the crowd is too big to be fed by one man’s share. So the scene created in such way that it was totally, humanly impossible to provide.
Only God could do; and he has done it in the past. He has done it; that is why the reminder of Passover. God has done it again now through Jesus. God is active in and through Jesus. Jesus is the prophet (godly person). They are about make a jump in their mental conception of Jesus as to be a Messiah (king). Jesus is God sent and God is active in Jesus.
