Jesus did many miracles. In Matthew 14:13-21, He feeds more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. The passage reminds us that Jesus cares about our physical and spiritual well-being and that nothing is impossible for Him.

Key Points:

• God can do the impossible.
• God cares about our needs.
• God can use small things to do great things.

Lesson Guide – The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Invite your child to sit down with you on a picnic mat.

Remind your child that a miracle is something that is impossible but is possible for God. Ask your child to name any miracles they remember from the Bible. Play a game with your child by asking them to identify if something would be a miracle or not. Ask questions such as, “Would it be a miracle if the cat ate a fish?” or “Would it be a miracle if we could instantaneously speak another language?” With God, the impossible is possible.

Talk about a time you were hungry. Have you ever been hungry on a trip where there was nowhere to buy food, or the restaurant was closed when you arrived? 

Share how thousands of people had gone to hear Jesus teach, and they were all hungry. Ask, “What did Jesus do?” Did He tell them to buy food? Did He tell them they were silly to have forgotten to bring food?

Jesus was compassionate and helped the hungry people by feeding them. Share how the disciples thought it would be impossible, but Jesus knew nothing was impossible for God.

Set out five crackers and sardines or small fish (alternatively cut out the pictures in the worksheet). Ask your children how many people they think that would feed.

Use kitchen scales to weigh out a piece of bread. Write down the weight. Ask the child to break the bread and count how many pieces they have. It might seem like there is more, now that it is in pieces. Place the bread back on the scale and see that it weighs the same. Explain that when Jesus broke the bread, it became more in volume and not just in pieces.

Explain that we should never think what we can do for Jesus is too small or unimportant. One little boy had a simple lunch, but Jesus used it to feed many, many people. The boy gave God what He had. We should offer to God what we have. We also can do small things that God can use to do big things. 

Make a list of small things we can do to serve God and others.

Pray, and thank God that nothing is impossible for Him. Ask Him to help you always offer what you have to Him.

Video lesson for children

Free Printable Bible Story

Games and activities

Picnic

Children love to have a picnic. It is a great chance to sit down with your child and talk. You could go to a local park, but they will equally enjoy a picnic in the yard or an indoor picnic.

It is also a chance to introduce foods your child may not usually eat.

Ask your child to help you prepare for the picnic. Make the sandwiches, pack the basket, etc. Speak about if you have enough food for the people at your picnic.

Groups of …

For this game, you will need at least 12 objects or people. Remind your children how Jesus told the disciples to divide the people into groups. When you a say a number, e.g., 2. Children should sort themselves or the objects into groups of two and so on.

This a fun game to learn math skills.

Don’t forget your lunch

This is a fun memory game to play with children. You will need a basket or bag and some food items. The first person says, “I have a (food) in my picnic basket.” Place the item in the basket. The next player adds a new item and must remember the things already inside. For example, “I have a (new food) and a banana and apple in my picnic basket.”

Worksheets

Free Bible Coloring Pages – The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Craft – Basket of loaves and fish

What you need

• Template pages,
• Colored pencils,
• Scissors,
• Glue.

What to do

1. Color the template pages.
2. Carefully cut out the basket, handle, loaves, fish, and words.
3. Glue the basket together. Glue the words on the back of the loaves and fish.

Memory Verse

Help your child to arrange the loaves and fish to create the memory verses from Matthew 19:26.

Download the lesson for FREE

Translations