|
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore
of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and
a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the
signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus
went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 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 almost a year’s
wages 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.
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.
Jesus Walks on the Water
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 three and
a half miles, 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.
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.
Jesus the Bread of Life
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. 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.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give
that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our
ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written:
‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is
not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is
my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For
the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you,
you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All whom
the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me
I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven
not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose
none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the
last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks
to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and
I will raise them up at the last day.”
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him
because he said, “I am the bread that came down from
heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say,
‘I came down from heaven?’ ”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It
is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by
God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him
comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one
who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly
I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the
bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that
comes down from heaven, which people may eat and not die. 51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever
eats of this bread will live forever. This bread is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among
themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my
blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last
day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real
drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains
in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me
and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me
will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down
from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever
feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this
while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is
a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this,
Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if
you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The
Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I
have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64
Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had
known from the beginning which of them did not believe and
who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I
told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has
enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and
no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked
the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we
go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to
believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the
Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the
son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was
later to betray him.)
|
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
