What does John 6:11 mean?
Jesus tested His disciples by asking them how to feed a massive, hungry crowd. Their responses all shared a common error: dependence on human effort first. Jesus, on the other hand, will demonstrate that human effort is valuable only after it is brought under the blessing and power of God. It is no accident that Jesus begins first by giving thanks to God—this fact is specifically repeated later in verse 23.This is the fourth of John's seven miraculous "signs" which prove Jesus' divinity.
In 2 Kings 4:42–44, the prophet Elisha miraculously divides twenty small barley loaves to feed 100 men, with food left over afterwards. Here, Jesus performs a miracle even greater than that of Elisha. At this point, Jesus is surrounded by a crowd at least fifty times the size of the group Elisha fed. "The men"—from a Greek term referring to males only—were said to number 5,000 (John 6:10). Jesus takes five barley loaves and two fish, and in return, distributes enough food to completely satisfy everyone. Plus there are twelve baskets of leftovers (John 6:12–13). This, in part, inspires the throng to proclaim Jesus as the Prophet foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).