What does Luke 9:17 mean?
After teaching and healing a crowd that might have numbered fifteen thousand (Matthew 14:21), Jesus has fed them all with five loaves of bread and two fish (Luke 9:13). This echoed His promise from the Sermon on the Plain: "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied" (Luke 6:21).Scholars argue over whether the twelve baskets represent the twelve tribes, the twelve disciples, or nothing in particular. Not every detail in Scripture is meant to have a deeper, hidden meaning. That said, if they represent the tribes of Israel, the whole feeding probably shadows God's provision of manna for the Israelites in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses (Exodus 16). Jesus' miracle resulted in leftover bread and fish (Mark 6:43). The manna was enough for each day, and any leftovers the people tried to keep went bad, except on the day before Sabbath when the provision was meant for that day and the Sabbath day.
Moses had told the Israelites, "The Lᴏʀᴅ your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen" (Deuteronomy 18:15). Jesus feeding the crowd is reminiscent of Moses (Exodus 16), Elijah (1 Kings 17:8–16), and Elisha (2 Kings 4:42–44). The belief that Jesus is a great prophet in the vein of the Old Testament grows to the point that the people want to make Him king (John 6:15).
From here, we know that Jesus withdraws into the wilderness, then walks on the water of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:45–52). Luke, however, touches on a few short teachings about discipleship and Jesus' future, then goes straight to the transfiguration. After another handful of discipleship instructions, Jesus mentally prepares for His journey to Jerusalem and the cross.
