The Feeding of the Five Thousand

(Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17)

1After these things Jesus went away beyond the sea of Galilee, [or] of Tiberias, 2and a great crowd followed him, because they saw the signs which he wrought upon the sick. 3And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there sat with his disciples: 4but the passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Jesus then, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great crowd is coming to him, says to Philip, Whence shall we buy loaves that these may eat? 6But this he said trying him, for he knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, Loaves for two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, that each may have some little [portion]. 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, says to him, 9There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but this, what is it for so many? 10[And] Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place: the men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, distributed [them] to those that were set down; and in like manner of the small fishes as much as they would. 12And when they had been filled, he says to his disciples, Gather together the fragments which are over and above, that nothing may be lost. 13They gathered [them] therefore together, and filled twelve hand-baskets full of fragments of the five barley loaves, which were over and above to those that had eaten. 14The men therefore, having seen the sign which Jesus had done, said, This is truly the prophet which is coming into the world.

15Jesus therefore knowing that they were going to come and seize him, that they might make [him] king, departed again to the mountain himself alone.

Jesus Walks on Water

(Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52)

16But when evening was come, his disciples went down to the sea, 17and having gone on board ship, they went over the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not come to them, 18and the sea was agitated by a strong wind blowing. 19Having rowed then about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they see Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the ship; and they were frightened. 20But he says to them, It is I: be not afraid. 21They were willing therefore to receive him into the ship; and immediately the ship was at the land to which they went.

22On the morrow the crowd which stood on the other side of the sea, having seen that there was no other little ship there except that into which his disciples had got, and that Jesus had not gone with his disciples into the ship, but [that] his disciples had gone away alone; 23(but other little ships out of Tiberias came near to the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks;) 24when therefore the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, *they* got into the ships, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And having found him the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when art thou arrived here?

Jesus the Bread of Life

26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten of the loaves and been filled. 27Work not [for] the food which perishes, but [for] the food which abides unto life eternal, which the Son of man shall give to you; for him has the Father sealed, [even] God. 28They said therefore to him, What should we do that we may work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom *he* has sent. 30They said therefore to him, What sign then doest thou that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. 32Jesus therefore said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, [It is] not Moses that has given you the bread out of heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. 34They said therefore to him, Lord, ever give to us this bread.

35[And] Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst at any time. 36But I have said to you, that ye have also seen me and do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and him that comes to me I will not at all cast out. 38For I am come down from heaven, not that I should do *my* will, but the will of him that has sent me. 39And this is the will of him that has sent me, that of all that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son, and believes on him, should have life eternal; and I will raise him up at the last day.

41The Jews therefore murmured about him, because he said, I am the bread which has come down out of heaven. 42And they said, Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then does *he* say, I am come down out of heaven? 43Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44No one can come to me except the Father who has sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every one that has heard from the Father [himself], and has learned [of him], comes to me; 46not that any one has seen the Father, except he who is of God, he has seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes [on me] has life eternal. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. 50This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which has come down out of heaven: if any one shall have eaten of this bread he shall live for ever; but the bread withal which I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52The Jews therefore contended among themselves, saying, How can he give us this flesh to eat? 53Jesus therefore said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Unless ye shall have eaten the flesh of the Son of man, and drunk his blood, ye have no life in yourselves. 54He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up at the last day: 55for my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly drink. 56He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him. 57As the living Father has sent me and I live on account of the Father, *he* also who eats me shall live also on account of me. 58This is the bread which has come down out of heaven. Not as the fathers ate and died: he that eats this bread shall live for ever.

59These things he said in [the] synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Turn Away

(Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 9:57-62; Luke 14:25-33)

60Many therefore of his disciples having heard [it] said, This word is hard; who can hear it? 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmur concerning this, said to them, Does this offend you? 62If then ye see the Son of man ascending up where he was before? 63It is the Spirit which quickens, the flesh profits nothing: the words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would deliver him up. 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no one can come to me unless it be given to him from the Father.

Peter's Confession of Faith

(Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-20)

66From that [time] many of his disciples went away back and walked no more with him. 67Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal; 69and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God. 70Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you the twelve? and of you one is a devil. 71Now he spoke of Judas [the son] of Simon, Iscariote, for he [it was who] should deliver him up, being one of the twelve.