The True Bread of Life, Part 1

89 – The True Bread of Life, Part 1; John 6:22-29

John 6:22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Commentary

The beginning of this event is following the feeding of the 5,000, meaning it was happening “meanwhile” with the last two passages we studied about Jesus walking on water and healing those who touched His clothes once He arrived to the shore. This story’s setting is importantly connected to the theme of bread, since it occurred during Passover, known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (When the Israelite slaves were freed from Egypt, they prepared unleavened bread to take on their journey, since they had to get ready so quickly that they didn’t have time for the bread to rise (Ex 12:8; 13:6-7) (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1877).) When the unleavened bread ran out, God later provided the Israelites daily manna, which they could not store for later, except in preparation for the Sabbath. Neither did Jesus allow this crowd to keep the leftovers from the miracle on the hillside. “Comp. Matthew 14:20, note [the fragments were on that occasion gathered up for future use as food, not, as the manna, merely for a memorial: the people were not to carry any away as a curiosity]. The barley harvest was immediately after the Passover; and immediately before the harvest, the price of provisions is usually dearer. Therefore, at that season of the year, His benefit conferred on the five thousand had been especially appropriate” (Bengel’s Gnomen, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-26.htm).

Remember that He fed the 5,000 and then went away to the mountain alone, since He saw that the people wanted to make Him king. While Jesus was alone on the mountain, the disciples had set out to cross the sea, but there was a storm, which made it difficult (if not impossible) for them to get across. Jesus walked out to meet them and calmed the storm, and then He transported them immediately to the other shore, where He was met by some people in need of healing. “The fact parenthetically introduced, John 6:23, that boats from Tiberias had put in on the east shore, is an incidental confirmation of the truth that a gale had been blowing the night before” (Expositor’s Greek Testament https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-22.htm). The boats from Tiberias likely would not have landed there if they had not been forced to shore by a storm.

The opening lines in verse 22 have a complex sentence structure, which was not typical of John’s writing. Ellicott’s Commentary has a helpful explanation of the sequence of events. “They knew there was only one boat, and that the disciples had gone away in it, but Jesus had not. They expected therefore to find Him among themselves, but did not. Meanwhile, other boats had come across from Tiberias. From these they may have learnt that He was not there” (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-24.htm).

We rejoin the timeline of the two groups when the crowd from the other shore gets to Capernaum. They find Jesus in the synagogue, and they ask Him how He got there. “They said unto him, Rabbi; or “master”, a name now much in use with the Jewish doctors, and by which they delighted to be called; and these men being convinced by the miracle, that Christ was that prophet that should come, honour him with this title” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-25.htm ). Jesus does not undertake to prove Himself further by recounting the miraculous way He had crossed the sea. He can see that the people are entertained by His miracles, and because they don’t have an appreciation for the point of these signs, He does not gratify their curiosity. Instead, He rebukes them for their low motive of another meal, when their focus should be on the symbolism of the event and what it means for their eternal souls. “To everlasting life – The strength derived from the doctrines of the gospel is not exhausted. It endures without wasting away. It nourishes the soul to everlasting life. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint,” Isaiah 40:31” (Barnes Notes on the Bible).

These people had returned to Him because they were hungry again, and now they thought they knew an easy place to get some free food. They missed the point of that miracle and came back, looking for more bread, instead of the spiritual sustenance Jesus offered. Isn’t it interesting how often we receive an unexpected blessing and that thing so quickly becomes the expected standard? These people were so hyper-focused on getting another free lunch that they couldn’t open their ears to Jesus’s very obvious spiritual references. John’s writing, however, refers to the scene of the miracle as “the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.” This speaks to John’s understanding of the objective of the miracle. The focus is on Jesus giving thanks, and incidentally, some people got some bread to eat. The Father honored Jesus’s gratitude and sealed His approval by miraculously multiplying the food to feed the crowd.

Many commentaries remark on the use of the word “sign” rather than miracle in verse 29. Some translations use the word “miracle,” but “sign” is the more accurate translation and has the important connotation of being a demonstration of Jesus’s legitimacy. “His authority to give everlasting life rested in the seal (testimony) of the Father through His signs and miracles” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1308). “Sealing a writing is a mark of the authenticity of it. God the Father sealed his Son, or manifested that he had commissioned him to be the Teacher, Redeemer, Saviour, and Governor of his church, by causing his Holy Spirit to rest on him, by the voice from heaven uttered once and again, and by the testimony he bore to him in signs and wonders” (Meyer’s NT Commentary https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-25.htm).

To their credit, the people seemed humbled by Jesus’s rebuke because “they supposed him to be the Messiah, and they sincerely desired to be taught the way of life; yet it is observable that they expected to find that way as other sinners commonly do – by their works. The idea of doing something to merit salvation is one of the last that the sinner ever surrenders” (Barnes’ notes on the Bible). Tradition told these people there was something they needed to do in order to be saved, but Jesus tells them the “work” is to believe in Him. “The work is not something man does for God, but it is the act of receiving what God has done for man” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1308). Note the contrast between the plural “works” in the question from verse 28 versus Jesus’s singular reply. The crowd were looking for commandments to fulfill or some checklist to complete, but in some ways acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ is the hardest work of all. Placing your entire life and the fate of the whole world on the shoulders of one man is extremely difficult, especially against the pressure of a culture that tries to convince you otherwise. Having faith requires courage, trust, discernment, and a willingness to take the leap from the known into the unknown.

The act of faith as “work” is challenging to understand. Having faith doesn’t seem as though it takes a lot of effort. However, if you consider faith in God as an implicit trust, which demands a denial of yourself, faith becomes much more challenging. If I have faith that a chair will hold me up, there is a point in sitting down when I forfeit my strength and balance to rely on the chair. That’s why I would fall completely over if the chair broke or if someone pulled it out from under me; I am no longer standing on my own strength, but in faith relying on the chair. God is like a chair that will never break or move, and to have faith, we must daily, hourly remind ourselves to sit down and give up our control. “Labour not – This does not mean that we are to make no effort for the supply of our wants (compare 1 Timothy 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:10), but that we are not to manifest anxiety, we are not to make this the main or supreme object of our desire.” (Barnes Notes on the Bible https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-27.htm).

You may have noted that Jesus’s response in this case is different than the response He gave to the tax collectors in Luke 3:12-14. Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” We sometimes see differences in the Bible as contradictions, but often they are different because they are appropriately addressing different audiences. Where in Luke, Jesus was addressing undisciplined sinners in need of repentance, the people in this audience were used to a multitude of rules, and they believed they could check off their works one by one. The idea of faith as the singular work, constant and unmeasurable, was a huge paradigm shift for them. Faith will ultimately result in participation in rituals, laws, evangelism, and worship, anyway, because those things will then be manifested as an overflow of the confidence we have in everything God has told us to do; we have faith that His way is best. “We must be first, and then we shall do… But the true teaching is not that trust is a substitute for work, but that it is the foundation of work” (Mclaren’s Expositions, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-28.htm).

References

John 6:22

John 6:2 A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

John 6:15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

John 6:21 Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

John 6:23

Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”

Luke 7:19 So John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

John 6:1 After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

John 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

John 6:24

Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.

Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.

John 6:17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

John 6:25

Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.

Matthew 23:7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

Matthew 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.

John 4:31 Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

John 6:26

John 6:2 A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

John 6:27

Proverbs 9:5 “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed.

Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

Matthew 8:20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Matthew 25:46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 10:42 But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”

John 3:15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

John 3:33 Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.

John 6:29

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Romans 4:5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 2:22 You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.

Healings at Gennesaret

88 – Healings at Gennesaret; Matthew 14:34-36, Mark 6:53-56

Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Commentary

Gennesaret was an area (what we in the U.S. might think of as a county) on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the area was known for its fertile soil, in which figs, olives, palms, and other trees grew well. In fact, the name means “garden of riches” (The Word in Life Study Bible). According to Josephus, the area measured thirty furlongs in width and twenty in breadth (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/14-34.htm). There is a town of the same name (often referred to by the Hebrew Chinnereth) in the same vicinity (Joshua 19:35). However, it seems as though the specific town in which Jesus may have arrived was Capernaum, which was part of the Gennesaret district. Scholars believe this to be the case because of the account in John 6:22, 25, 59 (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/14-34.htm).

The type of healing people experienced in this passage recalls the healing of the woman with a bleeding disorder, the news of which had surely already spread there, since the two sites are geographically close. Jesus did not announce His plans to visit this area, but because of how quickly the people were able to mobilize, Jesus found those with infirmities everywhere He turned. When I conjure the image of this in my mind, of Jesus being constantly groped, I know He was doing what He came to do, but I can see how it was exhausting. The New King James says that as many people as touched Jesus’s garments were made perfectly well. From the perspective of someone who has ailments that have irritated or even plagued me, the idea of being made “perfectly well” sounds like a dream. I feel sure that I would have made my way to meet Him, without giving a thought to His stamina; it is difficult to reconcile the idea of a boundless God in a fragile human form with finite physical limitations. Remember that Jesus felt power go out of His body when the woman with the bleeding was healed, but He was eager to do what His Father willed and was committed to healing as many people as possible. The fact that people had only to touch Him or His clothing may have meant that He could heal even more people in a short amount of time.

Gill’s Exposition of the Bible points out that the way the people went out of their way to so quickly spread the word and bring the sick to Jesus is a moving example of the way they loved their neighbors. It is also a stunning example of faith and a demonstration of their sense of unworthiness that they should only be allowed to touch His clothes and not engage the man Himself. Recall that the woman with the bleeding issue was made well because of her faith (not through His actual clothes), and all the people in this study passage who begged to touch the hem of Jesus’s mantle were certainly made well by the same means. Touching Jesus’s clothes or person did not have power to change anyone without two elements: their own faith and Jesus’s willingness to heal. Remember that those who crucified Jesus touched Him, but they certainly were not changed. The hem, although the extremity of the garment, was in fact significant because it was where the Jewish men wore their tassels with a blue thread that symbolized the divine origin of the commandments (Numbers 15:38, 39) (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/14-36.htm). This doesn’t mean it held any special power but possibly gives us insight into why the people sought that particular article.

The hem/tassel of Jewish garments played an important role in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. David cut off a corner of Saul’s garment (which may have been the part of his clothes that showed he was royal) to prove he could have killed Saul when Saul was sleeping. Saul tore a corner off Samuel’s garment when Samuel rebuked him for not killing the Amalekites. Elisha was given Elijah’s mantle when Elijah was taken to Heaven. Later, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for enlarging their fringes because of pride and self-importance. Therefore, the Jews would have held this article in high regard, but there may be even more to it. Why did the woman with the bleeding issue come up with the idea of touching the tassel in the first place and thereby set the precedent of healing through touching Jesus’s clothes? “According to the prophecy in Malachi 4:2 it says “But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings’…” The word “wings” used here is the same as the word “borders” seen in Numbers 15:38. So the woman knew that if this is the Messiah, then surely if I can just get close enough to touch the hem or the borders of His garment, I can surely receive healing. She was embracing the promise that the Messiah had healing in His wings” (https://endofthematter.com/2015/10/why-is-there-healing-in-the-hem-of-jesus-garment/). The woman demonstrated her knowledge of prophecy and sincere faith that Jesus was the Messiah. The others who followed suit on the shores of the Sea of Galilee also had faith and may also have recognized the prophecy in action, but they partly (likely) acted due to the news of the woman’s healing by touching Jesus’s clothes. In either case, they went to great lengths to find Jesus by placing themselves in marketplaces where it was rumored He had gone. They clearly believed, or they would never have dragged litters or limped for miles based on hearsay.

How much do you love your neighbor? Enough to drag him into town when he can’t get there by his own means? Enough to simply tell him about Jesus?

References

Matthew 14:34

Luke 5:1 On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,

John 6:24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.

John 6:25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Matthew 14:35

Acts 3:10 they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

Matthew 14:36

Matthew 9:20 Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.

Matthew 9:21 She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.”

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.

Mark 8:22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

Luke 6:19 The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.

Mark 6:53

John 6:24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.

John 6:25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Mark 6:55

Acts 5:15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

Mark 6:56

Numbers 15:37 Later, the LORD said to Moses,

Matthew 9:20 Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.

Commentary

Joshua 19:35 The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth,

John 6:22 The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone.

John 6:25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

John 6:59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Numbers 15:38 “Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a violet thread.

Numbers 15:39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so that you will do them and not follow your own heart and your own eyes, which led you to prostitute yourselves,

Walking on Water

87 – Walking on Water; Matthew 14:24-33, Mark 6:47-52, John 6:16-21

Matthew 14:24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Mark 6:47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

John 6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Footnotes

a. John 6:19 Or about 5 or 6 kilometers

Commentary

The Sea of Galilee goes by multiple names in the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is known as the Sea of Chinnereth, but it isn’t mentioned very much in the Old Testament, except for being part of the border of the promised land. However, it is heavily featured in the New Testament because it is the epicenter of Jesus’s ministry. It sits about 60 miles north of Jerusalem, and it is 13 miles long and 7.5 miles wide, at its widest point (https://www.gotquestions.org/Sea-of-Galilee.html). It is prone to tempests, such as the one we hear about in this story, and fishermen regularly would have struggled in terror with the wind and waves. It would have been treacherous travel, and falling out of the boat posed enormous risk for all sailors. It is important to understand how alarming and awe-inspiring Jesus’s presence on the top of the water would have seemed to these men.

Not only was it stormy, but when Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee, it was dark outside. The time recorded in the Bible was the fourth watch (translated as “just before dawn”), which scholars estimate to be 3 am to 6 am, so the event could have occurred at any time within that window. The significance of the time of day is that the disciples had been struggling against the waves almost the entire night in an attempt to travel a relatively short distance up the coast, but the wind had driven them three or four miles off shore into the middle of the lake (apparently, Jesus was still able to see them at this distance). So they hadn’t gotten very far (toward their destination) and must have been exhausted by the effort.

Matthew and Mark both admit to thinking Jesus was a ghost (Mark was of course not there and is probably speaking from Peter’s point of view), and John’s description of their fear corroborates this assumption. “Apparently, the attitude of the disciples when they saw Jesus walking on the water mirrors the beliefs of the Jews in the time of Christ – that ghosts, or spirits, not only surround them in the invisible world, but could on occasion reveal themselves to human eyes” (Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 2, pg. 711). Since it was dark outside, it is understandable that they couldn’t make out Jesus’s features very well, and since the figure was walking on top of water, which defied the laws of gravity, their minds did not immediately consider their Lord but the folklore they had grown up with.

Next, I want to ponder that this miracle was performed solely for the benefit of the disciples. No one else witnessed it, but it was another manifestation of Jesus’s messiahship that was meant to prove (again) He was God. Mark even takes the time to mention that the disciples hadn’t understood the miracle of the loaves and fishes, which gives the implication that Jesus needed to perform another miracle in order to open their eyes. When he says their hearts were hardened, remember that he is writing down the story as Peter remembered it because Mark was Peter’s scribe. Peter did not imply that the disciples were hardened against God, but simply that their minds were too dull to comprehend the miracle for what it was. Peter’s version of the story also leaves out the failure of his faith (sinking in the water), which Matthew included as part of the amazing miracle that caused them to open their eyes to the glory of God in their midst. It is good Matthew gave us that additional insight because I think Peter’s participation in the miracle may have gone a long way in persuading the disciples they were dealing with no mere rabbi, but God incarnate, who chose to share His power with whom He pleased.

Remember that Jesus had already calmed the waves before this, but the act of walking on water was the tipping point when the disciples realized they were dealing with the Son of God. One other aspect of this miracle that we often do not consider is the fact that the boat was in the “middle” of the lake, according to Mark, but that, according to John, once Jesus got in, they immediately reached shore. “Christ demonstrated His power over gravity (walking on the water), over the storm (stilling the winds), and over space (bringing the ship to land)” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1308). Add to that list the incorporation of Peter’s brief miraculous steps on the water, and this event finally caused the disciples to experience and understand Jesus’s identity. “The disciples worshiped him and recognized Him as the Son of God. Their spoken Aramaic of this phrase was a clear recognition of the deity of Jesus. No mere man deserved their worship, and no mere man could do what He had done” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1203).

I believe the author of the following quoted web article offers significant insight into the purpose of Jesus’s miracle on the lake. “Though they had a long way to go in their spiritual understanding, the disciples were growing in their faith in the Lord. Also, this was the first time the disciples are said to have worshiped Jesus. In Matthew 2:11, the magi from the East worshiped Jesus. Later, a leper is said to have worshiped Jesus (Matthew 8:2). A synagogue ruler does the same thing in Matthew 9:18. But this is the first time the disciples worshiped Him. It is also important to note that their worship is joined to their confession (Matthew 14:33). And this is what worship is, acknowledging who God is and praising Him both for who He is and for what He has done. It was in this story that the disciples took the first step and worshiped Jesus as the Son of God” (https://www.gotquestions.org/walking-on-water.html).

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2024/09/17/healings-at-gennesaret/

References

Matthew 14:24

Acts 11:24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Acts 27:4 After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Matthew 14:25

Matthew 24:43 But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

Mark 13:35 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return–whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.

Matthew 14:26

Luke 24:23 but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.

Luke 24:37 But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

Matthew 14:27

Matthew 9:2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Matthew 17:7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

Matthew 28:10 “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”

Mark 6:50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Matthew 14:28

James 1:6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Matthew 14:31

Matthew 6:30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 8:26 “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.

Matthew 16:8 Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?

Mark 4:40 “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

Matthew 14:33

Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 4:3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Mark 6:47

Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Mark 6:46 After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.

Mark 6:48

Mark 6:49

Luke 24:37 But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

Mark 6:50

Matthew 9:2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 6:51

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Mark 6:51

Mark 8:17 Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

Mark 8:21 Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”

John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Romans 11:7
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,

John 6:16

John 2:2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 6:17

John 6:24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.

John 6:59 Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

John 6:19

Luke 9:42 Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

John 6:21

John 6:22 The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.

Trying to Make Jesus King

86 – Trying to Make Jesus King; Matthew 14:22-23, Mark 6:45-46, John 6:14-15

Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,

Mark 6:45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

John 6:14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Commentary

The people had just witnessed the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and were persuaded that Jesus was the Messiah. “Enthusiastic about this prophet, they are ready to make Him king, even to the point of kidnapping Him. But Christ’s kingdom was not of this world (18:36). Thus He went into a mountain himself alone” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1308). It is interesting that He sent His disciples away from Him, and Pulpit Commentary suggests that the disciples may have been caught up in some of the passion of the crowd, to the extent that Jesus needed to separate them from the crowd, as well as from Himself (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-15.htm).

The disciples were headed to Bethsaida, hometown of James and John, Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and Philip. This is the place where some believe the Christian sign of the fish may have originated and also one of the cities that Jesus denounced for their lack of faith. In Aramaic, the name means “fish town,” and the entire population (which was greater in the first century than today) was likely employed in the fishing industry. It was probably located on the northeastern tip of the Sea of Galilee, near the Decapolis, in part of an area that is now known as Golan Heights (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1727). There has been considerable debate about the actual location, but since the information is mainly useful as a visual aid, I included a map. I’m not educated enough about the geography of the area to have an opinion about the location of the miracle or Bethsaida, but it does help to have some understanding of the proximity of one city to another. I also like this map because it shows a little of the topography, so you can see how quickly Jesus might have found a mountainside.

Jesus was born to be a leader, and His charisma attracted many followers; however, those followers misunderstood the purpose and particulars of His leadership and tried to attach their own agenda to his mission. Jesus had already proven that He could overcome the temptation of power because He had withstood Satan’s antagonization in the desert, but we don’t often consider the fact that Jesus may have been tempted at other times, including this attempt to declare Him king. Instead, He held fast to the purpose the Father had designated for Him, and He withdrew to the mountain. His willpower is further displayed in the fact that He had wanted to rest (verse 31), but He decided it was more important to pray.

He made His usual choice of locations to pray, which was on a mountainside. Mountains have been a favorite place to commune with God throughout the Bible’s history – Moses, Elijah, and many others. In fact, mountains are mentioned over 500 times in the Bible, and many of the mountaintop encounters with God were significant biblical events, such as the writing of the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, the location of the Jerusalem temple on Mount Zion, the landing of the ark on Mount Ararat, and the defeat of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Jesus famously spent quite a lot of time on mountains: His temptation (Matthew 4:8), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), a number of healings (Matthew 15:29-31), His pre-crucifixion prayer vigil on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), His final discourse (Matthew 24:3), and the commissioning of the Apostles (Matthew 28:16-20). While some of those events were observed by the disciples and other witnesses, reports of the temptation and other private thoughts of Jesus’s must have been reported by Jesus after the fact and subsequently relayed in the gospel accounts. In this case (His prayer on the mountainside following the feeding of the 5,000), he either did not share His experience with the disciples or they did not deem it crucial to the narrative when writing their accounts. This begs the question: what was so urgent to lift up in prayer that He would forsake the rest He desired and needed? Some commentaries suggest that Jesus purposely avoided disrupting the regular government function at the time, and He would have been anxious to avoid the mantle of a rebel leader so he could focus on His ministry. Other commentaries suggest that He might have been praying for the hearts of His disciples and the crowds, that their violent intentions would be quieted and that their misperceptions about His purpose would be righted.

The crowd’s interest in making Jesus king has some significant tie-ins with the miracle of loaves and fishes that they just witnessed. Jesus is the bread of life and famously told the woman at the well to forsake her earthly thirst to partake in living water, so we know that Jesus came to Earth to offer spiritual sustenance. Yet the crowd needed and demanded physical sustenance, just like the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus symbolically gave thanks, broke the bread (symbolism: passover, crucifixion), and obliged their temporal need. Likewise, Jesus came to Earth to be a spiritual leader, whereas the people were looking for someone to physically liberate them in the short-term. In this, Jesus could not indulge them, and it is clear that all the symbolism and allusions by Jesus went over their heads. They insisted on crowning Him, whether or not He was even willing! How often do we attempt to fit God into the mold we have created, rather than adapt our desires and expectations to who He actually is?

See next post here https://onthepath.online/2024/09/17/walking-on-water/

References

Matthew 14:22

Matthew 14:21 About five thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.

Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

Matthew 14:23

Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.

Luke 3:21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened,

Luke 5:16 Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.

Luke 6:12 In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

Luke 9:18 One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”

Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.

Matthew 14:23

Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.

Luke 3:21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened,

Luke 5:16 Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.

Luke 6:12 In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

Luke 9:18 One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”

Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.

Mark 6:45

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Mark 8:22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

John 6:17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

Mark 6:46

Mark 6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land.

Acts 18:18 Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

Acts 18:21 But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.

2 Corinthians 2:13 I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

John 6:14

Matthew 11:3 to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

Matthew 21:11
The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

John 1:21
“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

John 2:11 Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 4:19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.

John 6:2 A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

John 6:26 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

Commentary

Mark 6:31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Feeding the Five Thousand

84 – Feeding the Five Thousand; Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:4-13

Matthew 14:15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Mark 6:35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Luke 9:12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

John 6:4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Footnotes

Mark

a. Mark 6:37 Greek take two hundred denarii

John

a. John 6:7 Greek take two hundred denarii

Commentary

To get a feel for the setting of this miracle, we not only have to look at the descriptions of the hilly wilderness, but also at the timeline. John’s gospel account of this event begins by telling his audience that the time of the Passover feast was drawing near. “This is one of the circumstances of explanation thrown in by John which show that he wrote for those who were unacquainted with Jewish customs” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-4.htm). Although some scholars believe it is just a note to mark the time, some believe it is an important detail because the uninformed reader may have disbelieved that such a large crowd could gather in that area. However, because of the pilgrimage of Jews to Jerusalem, people would have been present in the wilderness areas, and a crowd could have assembled quickly.

To further explore the timeline, we can also look at what was happening in Jesus’s life and ministry at this moment in time. Jesus is under extreme pressure at this point. He has just been informed that John the Baptist was killed, and He knows His life is in danger. Furthermore, He is mourning the loss of his cousin, a great messenger of God, and He has retreated to the wilderness to grieve and find refuge from those who would do Him harm. However, even in this desperate state, He still ministers to the people who find Him there, and He performs two of the greatest miracles we have on record (feeding the five thousand and walking on water).

At the end of the last study, we recapped the scene where Jesus had retreated with the disciples so they could rest. He and the disciples had not eaten because of the frenzy of the crowds, and they specifically chose a remote area where it would be unlikely they would encounter anyone. This also meant that it would be unlikely that they would encounter a food vendor, and they still hadn’t eaten (at least, not that we know of). The crowds had found them out, and Jesus had shown them compassion by healing them and teaching them many things. They were all situated on a hillside, listening to Jesus teach, when the disciples (still hungry themselves, as many scholars suggest) approached Jesus to remind Him what time it was and that the people needed to go get something to eat. Since the accounts differ slightly in the details of who initiated the discussion about food, it may be helpful to consider that the disciples may have first approached Jesus about sending the crowd away, and then Jesus turned specifically to Philip, who was from Bethsaida (a nearby city) to ask where to procure food (and also to test him). This test wasn’t to shame Philip or prove him a failure, but it was an educational tool Jesus used. Philip, on many other occasions, displayed great faith. “Philip had said in the first instance to Nathanael, “Come and see.” “Seeing is believing;” and Philip, on the night of the Passion, after much hearing and seeing of Jesus, said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us;”” (Pulpit Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-6.htm).

When Jesus asks how much bread there is, notice in Mark and Luke that the authors indicate someone in their party has brought the bread and fish. “There is a lad here (possibly a lad who was brought with themselves, or who had attached himself to the twelve) who has five barley loaves, the bread of the poorest classes” (Pulpit Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/6-8.htm). Most of the time, this scene is depicted with the disciples running around asking the crowd if they have any food with them, but they may not have had to look as far as that. It would have been quite a task to ask everyone, since there could have been up to 15,000 or more people present. “Besides the five thousand men a large uncounted group of women and children were fed” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1203).

The bread provided by the boy was the Greek word “artos,” which is flat and round like pita. Even though there was such a miniscule quantity, Jesus gave thanks for it before it had ever multiplied. Gratitude is not dependent on the sufficiency of provision but on the heart of the receiver. Remember that the people were not the ones who asked for food; they only wanted to see Jesus and hear Him teach, but He had compassion on them to resolve this unspoken physical need. Further, once there was an abundance of food, Jesus insisted that God’s blessing should not be squandered. Waste due to excess is not part of God’s will when He blesses us. More likely, when we are blessed with “more than we can ask or imagine,” we are meant to use the overflow to bless someone else. “The twelve baskets collected were like little travel bags and probably provided sustenance for the disciples as they went to the Passover which was approaching” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1277).

Understand what a big deal it is that these four accounts corroborate the same story. This is the only one of Jesus’s ministry miracles recorded in all 4 gospels, so its significance should be obvious. However, the fact that four authors give similar details about the same man’s life and that those accounts have been preserved with such integrity is nothing short of miraculous. Despite what it may seem, the small deviations in the stories actually make them more credible because it shows the authors did not collude. These accounts all independently give credence to their historicity and to the miraculous nature of Jesus’s work. The authors all went to the trouble of describing exactly the materials Jesus was working with, and they explained that the event was very organized (people sitting in groups of about 50 to 100), which made it very easy to calculate the full number of men there. This detail also reduces the chances that a chaotic environment lent itself to confusion or hyperbole in the retelling. The miracle itself is further proven by the fact that the disciples collected leftovers; this means no one could say the crowd restrained themselves due to a scarcity of food, and a record of the specific volume of leftovers increases the believability even more. No one exaggerated how much food was left over because it was measured, and it handily worked out to be the same number of baskets as the number of disciples.

Had you been present, you may have found yourself convinced of Jesus’s deity when you received healing, insightful teaching, and a full meal out of one boy’s lunch. However, despite that this meal initially convinced people of Jesus’s legitimacy (John 6:14), they soon began to doubt Him because He only fed people one meal (this time – there is another account of a large feeding miracle), whereas Moses had fed the Jews for 40 years in the wilderness (John 6:30-31). They returned seeking more bread from Jesus in John 6:22-26. “Incredibly, they had missed the point of the sign: Jesus was not merely a deliveryman, He was the Bread of Life itself (6:32-58)” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1875). How easily we are distracted from our greatest and noblest objectives when we are consumed with temporal desires.

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2024/04/24/mistaken-identification-of-jesus/

References

Matthew 14:15

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Matthew 14:14 When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14:16

2 Kings 4:42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.

Matthew 14:17

Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Matthew 14:19

1 Samuel 9:13
As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”

Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Mark 8:7 They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well.

Mark 14:22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.”

Matthew 14:20

2 Kings 4:6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

2 Kings 4:44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

Matthew 15:37 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Mark 8:8 The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 14:21

Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

Mark 6:35

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Mark 6:34 When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:37

Mark 6:41

Mark 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.

Mark 6:44

Mark 6:45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

Luke 9:12

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns.

Luke 9:11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.

Philippians 1:19 because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.

Luke 9:13

Luke 9:16

John 6:4

Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

John 2:13 When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 6:5

Numbers 11:13 Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Luke 9:10 Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 1:46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

John 6:6

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you–unless you actually fail the test?

Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.

John 6:7

Matthew 18:28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 1:46
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

John 1:48 “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

John 6:8

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

John 2:2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 6:9

2 Kings 4:43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.'”

John 21:9 When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

John 21:10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

John 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

John 6:11

1 Samuel 9:13 As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”

Matthew 15:36 Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

John 6:23 However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

John 21:9When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

John 21:10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

John 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

John 6:12

John 2:2 and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 6:13

2 Kings 4:44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.