Christ Feeds 5,000

Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:31–44; Luke 9:11–17

6 After athese things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of bTiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were cdiseased. 1 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

4 dNow the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 eThen Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to fPhilip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

7 Philip answered Him, g“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

8 One of His disciples, hAndrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, ibut what are they among so many?”

10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them 2to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly jthe Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Christ Walks on the Water

Matt. 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52

15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him kking, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

16 lNow when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about 3three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were mafraid. 20 But He said to them, n“It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

“I Am the Bread of Life”

22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except 4that one 5which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks—24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, oseeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 pDo not labor for the food which perishes, but qfor the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, rbecause God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, s“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

30 Therefore they said to Him, t“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 uOur fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, v‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but wMy Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 xThen they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35 And Jesus said to them, y“I am the bread of life. zHe who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never athirst. 36 bBut I said to you that you have seen Me and yet cdo not believe. 37 dAll that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and ethe one who comes to Me I will 6by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, fnot to do My own will, gbut the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, hthat of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, ithat everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

41 The Jews then 7complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, j“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, 8“Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 kNo one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ldraws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, m‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ nTherefore everyone who 9has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 oNot that anyone has seen the Father, pexcept He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, qhe who believes 1in Me has everlasting life. 48 rI am the bread of life. 49 sYour fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 tThis is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread uwhich came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and vthe bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

52 The Jews therefore wquarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless xyou eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 yWhoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is 2food indeed, and My blood is 3drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood zabides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 aThis is the bread which came down from heaven—not bas your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Rejection by Many Followers

60 cTherefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a 4hard saying; who can understand it?”

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples 5complained about this, He said to them, “Does this 6offend you? 62 dWhat then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 eIt is the Spirit who gives life; the fflesh profits nothing. The gwords that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But hthere are some of you who do not believe.” For iJesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore jI have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

66 kFrom that time many of His disciples went 7back and walked with Him no more.

Confession by Peter

67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have lthe words of eternal life. 69 mAlso we have come to believe and know that You are the 8Christ, the Son of the living God.”

70 Jesus answered them, n“Did I not choose you, the twelve, oand one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of pJudas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would qbetray Him, being one of the twelve.