The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17)

1After these things Jesus went away, over the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd was following Him because they were seeing the signs which He was doing upon those being sick. 3Now Jesus went up on the mountain and was sitting there with His disciples.

4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Then Jesus, having lifted up the eyes and having seen that a great crowd is coming to Him, says to Philip, “From where shall we buy bread that these might eat?” 6Now He was saying this testing him, for He knew what He was about to do.

7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii wortha of loaves are not sufficient for them, that each might receive one little piece.”

8One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, says to Him, 9“Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these for so many?”

10Jesus said, “Make the men to recline.” Now there was much grass in the place; therefore the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

11And Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wished.

12Now when they were filled, He says to His disciples, “Gather together the fragments having been over and above, so that not anything may be lost.” 13So they gathered them together and filled twelve hand-baskets of fragments from the five barley loaves, which were over and above to those having eaten.

14Therefore the people, having seen what sign He had done, were saying, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” 15Therefore Jesus, having known that they are about to come and to seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain Himself alone.

Jesus Walks on Water
(Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52)

16Now when it became evening, His disciples went down to the sea, 17and having entered into a boat, they were going over the sea to Capernaum. And already it had become dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18The sea was agitated and a strong wind is blowing.

19Therefore, having rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,b they see Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20Now He says to them, “I am He; do not fear.” 21Then they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Jesus the Bread of Life

22On the next day, the crowd standing on the other side of the sea, having seen that no other boat was there except one, and that Jesus did not go with His disciples into the boat, but His disciples went away alone 23(but other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they ate the bread, the Lord having given thanks), 24therefore when the crowd saw that Jesus is not there, nor His disciples, they themselves entered into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And having found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when have You come here?”

26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied. 27Do not work for the food that is perishing, but for the food enduring unto eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for God the Father has sealed Him.”

28Therefore they said to Him, “What must we do, that we may be doing the works of God?”

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

30Therefore they said to Him, “Then what sign are You doing, that we may see and may believe You? What work do You perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’c”

32Therefore Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is the One coming out of heaven and giving life to the world.”

34Therefore they said to Him, “Sir, always give to us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one coming to Me never shall hunger, and the one believing in Me never shall thirst at any time. 36But I said to you that you have also seen Me, and yet do not believe.

37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one coming to Me, I shall not cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not that I should do My will, but the will of the One having sent Me.

39Now this is the will of the One having sent Me, that all that He has given Me, I should lose none of it, but will raise it up in the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”

41Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him because He said, “I am the bread having come down from heaven.” 42And they were saying, “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’”

43Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble with one another. 44No one is able to come to Me unless the Father, the one having sent Me, draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45It is written in the prophets: ‘And they will all be taught of God.’d Everyone having heard from the Father and having learned, comes to Me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One being from God; He has seen the Father.

47Truly, truly, I say to you, the one believing has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. 50This is the bread coming down from heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread, having come down from heaven. If anyone shall have eaten of this bread, he will live to the age. And also, the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

52Therefore the Jews were arguing with one another, saying, “How is this man able to give us His flesh to eat?”

53Therefore Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you shall have eaten the flesh of the Son of Man, and shall have drunk His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54The one eating My flesh and drinking My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day. 55For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

56The one eating My flesh and drinking My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one feeding on Me, he also will live because of Me. 58This is the bread having come down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one eating this bread will live to the age.”

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

59He said these things teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60Therefore many of His disciples having heard, said, “This word is difficult; who is able to hear it?”

61But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples are grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you should see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

63It is the Spirit giving life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who are those not believing, and who it is who will betray Him.)

65And He was saying, “Because of this, I have said to you that no one is able to come to Me, unless it shall have been granted 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 departed to the back and no longer walked with Him. 67Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You are not wishing to go away also?”

68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69And we have believed and have known that You are the Holy One of God.”

70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And one of you is a devil!” 71Now He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot; for he, one of the Twelve, was about to betray Him.