¹ After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

( Photo by:Zachi Evenor and User:MathKnight – Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zachievenor/12325753455/ THE SEA OF GALILEE)

² And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

³ And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

⁴ And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

⁵ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

⁶ And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

⁷ Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

Jesus was testing Philip and asked him where they could get enough bread to feed all the people who had come to hear Jesus… Philip stated that if they took the money they had and bought bread, this would not be enough, even if they all just took a little. What also comes to my mind is that Jesus is feeding them, like he feeds anyone who comes to him hungry. Jesus asked, but he knew he was going to be doing a miracle to feed this multitude. The provision that man could have provided for this crowd would not have fed them all…but the provisions that Jesus gave, fed them all, and they had a lot of food left over… more than they started with.

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,

⁹ There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Andrew pointed out that a young man had a bit of food, 5 loaves of barley bread and 2 small fish… and he also points out it wasn’t near enough to feed this crowd.

¹⁰ And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

I’ve been to a few packed churches… one was Rhema Bible College when the Alumni went there for a week of teaching and worship, I was with a minister friend that graduated years before. The place was larger than any church I had been too… they had just built it back then, the sod hadn’t even taken root… that’s how new the place was. Anyway, the place where they were having the meetings was packed… they even added chairs down near the front… I’m guessing there were a couple of thousand people… it was an impressive sight to behold. So when I think that the group Jesus was about to feed was divided up into GROUPS of 5 thousand….it’s a mind-blowing thought, and it must have been incredible to behold. And even more so when bread and fish started multiplying from the 5 loaves and 2 fish into enough to feed all of these people.

¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

¹² When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

¹³ Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

¹⁴ Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

¹⁵ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

¹⁶ And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

¹⁷ And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

¹⁸ And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

¹⁹ So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

30 furlongs is 3.75 miles… which means they were 3 and 3 quarters of a mile from the shore when the sea rose because of a wind, and they see Jesus walking to them ON THE WATER. They were afraid, enough that Jesus called out to them to calm them down. Imagine being one of the 12 on that ship and seeing Jesus walking on the water too them in the middle of the sea. This was yet another miracle.

²⁰ But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

²¹ Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

²² The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

²³ (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

The word takes the time here to mention they ate the miracle bread and fish after Jesus had given thanks. I need to remember to do this more… maybe not being thankful is why so many of us are sick…. because we haven’t invited God to partake by being thankful for the food we are given to eat. I don’t know it this is why we are sick, but it could be.

²⁴ When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

²⁵ And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

²⁷ Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

²⁸ Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

²⁹ Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

³⁰ They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

³¹ Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

³² Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

³³ For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

³⁴ Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

³⁵ And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Our physical bodies need water and food to stay alive…and our spiritual bodies need the Living Water and Bread of Life in order to survive spiritually. We must stay in the Word, Prayer and Worship or we will become weak… like a phyisical body becomes weak when it doesn’t have food and water for a long time.

³⁶ But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

After eating the miracle bread and fish… and finding Jesus on the other shore the next morning after seeing that his disciples left without him…. 2 miracles, they still don’t see Jesus is the Son of God.

³⁷ All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

³⁸ For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

³⁹ And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

⁴⁰ And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

⁴¹ The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

⁴² And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

⁴³ Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

⁴⁴ No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

⁴⁶ Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

⁴⁷ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

⁴⁸ I am that bread of life.

⁴⁹ Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

The heart that is looking for God, will find him… but here we see men who aren’t looking for God…. the Miracles happen right in front of them, and they explain them away… to continue in their unbelief. Jesus mentions that their fathers ate the Manna from heaven… a miracle that happened that feed the people over and over… and in spirt of that, their fathers could not find it in themselves to believe in God. Miracles build faith in the hearts open to God, but for those who refuse to see God and for those who need to explain God away out of every situation, they won’t see him. Professing themselves to be wise , they became fools -Roman 1:22.

⁵⁰ This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

⁵² The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

A prime example of a fleshly mind seeing things only in the flesh. Jesus was not talking about a meal in the flesh, he was talking about the Spirit and Soul. Our Souls are saved by believing in Jesus…by nourishing our Spirits with Jesus.

⁵³ Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

THE ONLY WAY IS JESUS!!!!

⁵⁴ Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

⁵⁵ For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

⁵⁶ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

⁵⁷ As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

⁵⁸ This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Jesus is not speaking about an action in the flesh, but in the spirit.

⁵⁹ These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

⁶⁰ Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

⁶¹ When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

⁶² What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

⁶³ It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

⁶⁴ But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

⁶⁵ And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

⁶⁶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

⁶⁷ Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

⁶⁸ Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

⁶⁹ And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

⁷¹ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.