Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
(Matthew 14.13-21Mark 6.30-44Luke 9.10-17)1 After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias, as it is also called). 2 A large crowd followed him, because they had seen his miracles of healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a hill and sat down with his disciples. 4 The time for the Passover Festival was near. 5 Jesus looked around and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, so he asked Philip, “Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?” ( 6 He said this to test Philip; actually he already knew what he would do.)
7 Philip answered, “For everyone to have even a little, it would take more than two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread.”
8 Another one of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter's brother, said, 9 “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people.”
10 “Make the people sit down,” Jesus told them. (There was a lot of grass there.) So all the people sat down; there were about five thousand men. 11 Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, and they all had as much as they wanted. 12 When they were all full, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces left over; let us not waste a bit.” 13 So they gathered them all and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left over from the five barley loaves which the people had eaten.
14 Seeing this miracle that Jesus had performed, the people there said, “Surely this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” 15 Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him king by force; so he went off again to the hills by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Water
(Matthew 14.22-33Mark 6.45-52)16 When evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat, and went back across the lake toward Capernaum. Night came on, and Jesus still had not come to them. 18 By then a strong wind was blowing and stirring up the water. 19 The disciples had rowed about three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the water, coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 “Don't be afraid,” Jesus told them, “it is I!” 21 Then they willingly took him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached land at the place they were heading for.
The People Seek Jesus
22 Next day the crowd which had stayed on the other side of the lake realized that there had been only one boat there. They knew that Jesus had not gone in it with his disciples, but that they had left without him. 23 Other boats, which were from Tiberias, came to shore near the place where the crowd had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they got into those boats and went to Capernaum, looking for him.
Jesus the Bread of Life
25 When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Teacher, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: you are looking for me because you ate the bread and had all you wanted, not because you understood my miracles. 27 Do not work for food that spoils; instead, work for the food that lasts for eternal life. This is the food which the Son of Man will give you, because God, the Father, has put his mark of approval on him.”
28 So they asked him, “What can we do in order to do what God wants us to do?”
29 Jesus answered, “What God wants you to do is to believe in the one he sent.”
30 They replied, “What miracle will you perform so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, just as the scripture says, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus said. “What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they asked him, “give us this bread always.”
35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty. 36 Now, I told you that you have seen me but will not believe. 37 Everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me, 38 because I have come down from heaven to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day. 40 For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day.”
41 The people started grumbling about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 So they said, “This man is Jesus son of Joseph, isn't he? We know his father and mother. How, then, does he now say he came down from heaven?”
43 Jesus answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44 People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life on the last day. 45 The prophets wrote, ‘Everyone will be taught by God.’ Anyone who hears the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father. 47 I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. 50 But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”
52 This started an angry argument among them. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.
53 Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day. 55 For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This, then, is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread that your ancestors ate, but then later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”
59 Jesus said this as he taught in the synagogue in Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 Many of his followers heard this and said, “This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it?”
61 Without being told, Jesus knew that they were grumbling about this, so he said to them, “Does this make you want to give up? 62 Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before? 63 What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit. 64 Yet some of you do not believe.” (Jesus knew from the very beginning who were the ones that would not believe and which one would betray him.) 65 And he added, “This is the very reason I told you that no people can come to me unless the Father makes it possible for them to do so.”
66 Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more. 67 So he asked the twelve disciples, “And you—would you also like to leave?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.”
70 Jesus replied, “I chose the twelve of you, didn't I? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 He was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For Judas, even though he was one of the twelve disciples, was going to betray him.
1 After these thinges, Iesus went his way ouer the sea of Galile, which is Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they sawe his miracles, which hee did on them that were diseased. 3 Then Iesus went vp into a mountaine, and there he sate with his disciples. 4 Now the Passeouer, a feast of the Iewes, was neere. 5 Then Iesus lift vp his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude came vnto him, hee sayde vnto Philippe, Whence shall we buy breade, that these might eate? 6 (And this he sayde to prooue him: for hee himselfe knewe what he would doe.) 7 Philippe answered him, Two hundreth penie worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that euery one of them may take a litle. 8 Then saide vnto him one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peters brother, 9 There is a little boy heere, which hath fiue barlie loaues, and two fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Iesus saide, Make ye people sit downe. (Nowe there was much grasse in that place.) Then the men sate downe in nomber, about fiue thousande. 11 And Iesus tooke the bread, and gaue thanks, and gaue to the disciples, and the disciples, to them that were set downe: and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 And when they were satisfied, he said vnto his disciples, Gather vp the broken meat which remaineth, that nothing be lost. 13 Then they gathered it together, and filled twelue baskets with the broken meat of the fiue barly loaues, which remained vnto them that had eaten. 14 Then the men, when they had seene the miracle that Iesus did, saide, This is of a trueth that Prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Iesus therfore perceiued that they would come, and take him to make him a King, hee departed againe into a mountaine himselfe alone. 16 When euen was nowe come, his disciples went downe vnto the sea, 17 And entred into a shippe, and went ouer the sea, towardes Capernaum: and nowe it was darke, and Iesus was not come to them. 18 And the Sea arose with a great winde that blewe. 19 And when they had rowed about fiue and twentie, or thirtie furlongs, they sawe Iesus walking on the sea, and drawing neere vnto the ship: so they were afraide. 20 But he said vnto them, It is I: be not afraid. 21 Then willingly they receiued him into the ship, and the ship was by and by at the lande, whither they went. 22 The day following, the people which stoode on the other side of the sea, saw that there was none other ship there, saue that one, whereinto his disciples were entred, and that Iesus went not with his disciples in the ship, but that his disciples were gone alone, 23 And that there came other ships from Tiberias neere vnto the place where they ate the bread, after the Lord had giuen thankes. 24 Nowe when the people sawe that Iesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also tooke shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Iesus. 25 And when they had founde him on the other side of the sea, they sayde vnto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Iesus answered them; and sayde, Verely, verely I say vnto you, ye seeke me not because ye sawe the miracles, but because yee ate of ye loaues, and were filled. 27 Labour not for ye meate which perisheth, but for the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life, which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then sayde they vnto him, What shall we doe, that we might worke the workes of God? 29 Iesus answered, and sayde vnto them, This is the woorke of God, that yee beleeue in him, whome he hath sent. 30 They sayde therefore vnto him, What signe shewest thou then, that we may see it, and beleeue thee? what doest thou woorke? 31 Our fathers did eate Manna in the desart, as it is written, Hee gaue them bread from heauen to eate. 32 Then Iesus said vnto them, Verely, verely I say vnto you, Moses gaue you not that bread from heauen, but my Father giueth you that true bread from heauen. 33 For the breade of God is hee which commeth downe from heauen, and giueth life vnto the world. 34 Then they said vnto him, Lord, euermore giue vs this bread. 35 And Iesus saide vnto them, I am that bread of life: he that commeth to me, shall not hunger, and he that beleeueth in me, shall neuer thirst. 36 But I said vnto you, that ye also haue seene me, and beleeue not. 37 All that the Father giueth me, shall come to mee: and him that commeth to me, I cast not away. 38 For I came downe from heauen, not to do mine owne wil, but his wil which hath sent me. 39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent mee, that of all which hee hath giuen mee, I should lose nothing, but shoulde raise it vp againe at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent mee, that euery man which seeth the Sonne, and beleeueth in him, should haue euerlasting life: and I will raise him vp at the last day. 41 The Iewes then murmured at him because hee sayde, I am that bread, which is come downe from heauen. 42 And they said, Is not this Iesus that sonne of Ioseph, whose father and mother wee knowe? howe then sayth he, I came downe from heauen? 43 Iesus then answered, and saide vnto them, Murmure not among your selues. 44 No man can come to mee, except the Father, which hath sent mee, drawe him: and I will raise him vp at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophetes, And they shalbe al taught of God. Euery man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, commeth vnto me: 46 Not that any man hath seene the Father, saue hee which is of God, hee hath seene the Father. 47 Verely, verely I say vnto you, hee that beleeueth in me, hath euerlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse, and are dead. 50 This is that breade, which commeth downe from heauen, that hee which eateth of it, shoulde not die. 51 I am that liuing breade, which came downe from heauen: if any man eate of this breade, hee shall liue for euer: and the bread that I will giue, is my flesh, which I will giue for the life of the world. 52 Then the Iewes stroue among themselues, saying, Howe can this man giue vs his flesh to eate? 53 Then Iesus saide vnto them, Verely, verely I say vnto you, Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his blood, yee haue no life in you. 54 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternall life, and I will raise him vp at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat in deede, and my blood is drinke in deede. 56 Hee that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As that liuing Father hath sent me, so liue I by the Father, and he that eateth me, euen he shall liue by me. 58 This is that bread which came downe from heauen: not as your fathers haue eaten Manna, and are deade. Hee that eateth of this bread, shall liue for euer. 59 These things spake he in the Synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples (when they heard this) sayde, This is an hard saying: who can heare it? 61 But Iesus knowing in himselfe, that his disciples murmured at this, saide vnto them, Doeth this offend you? 62 What then if yee should see that Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before? 63 It is the spirite that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing: the woordes that I speake vnto you, are spirite and life. 64 But there are some of you that beleeue not: for Iesus knewe from the beginning, which they were that beleeued not, and who shoulde betray him. 65 And hee saide, Therefore saide I vnto you, that no man can come vnto mee, except it be giuen vnto him of my Father. 66 From that time, many of his disciples went backe, and walked no more with him. 67 Then sayde Iesus to the twelue, Will yee also goe away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Master, to whome shall we goe? thou hast the wordes of eternall life: 69 And we beleeue and knowe that thou art that Christ that Sonne of the liuing God. 70 Iesus answered them, Haue not I chosen you twelue, and one of you is a deuill? 71 Now he spake it of Iudas Iscariot the sonne of Simon: for hee it was that shoulde betraie him, though he was one of the twelue.