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97. The Return of the Disciples and their Report to
Jesus
(Mt 14:13, Mk 6:30-33, Lk 9:10, Jn 6:1-2)
Retirement to Bethsaida Julias.
a |
Mt 14:13
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew
from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard
it, they followed him on foot from the cities. |
Mk 6:30-33
30The
apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all
things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. 31He
said to them, “You come apart into a deserted
place, and rest awhile.” For there were many coming and going, and
they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32They went away in the
boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33They
saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the
cities. They arrived before them and came together to him.
6:33
TR reads “The multitudes” instead of “They” |
Lk 9:10
10The apostles, when they had returned, told
him what things they had done.
He took them, and withdrew apart to a
deserted place of a city called Bethsaida. |
Jn 6:1-2
b
1After
these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which
is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A great multitude followed
him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.
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98. The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Mt 14:14-21, Mk 6:34-44, Lk 9:11-17, Jn 6:3-13) |
i. Ministering To The Multitudes |
Mt 14:14
14Jesus
went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and
healed their sick. |
Mk 6:34
34Jesus
came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because
they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many
things. |
Lk 9:11
11But
the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke
to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.
|
ii. A Few Hours of Rest. "And the Passover was Nigh"
c |
Jn 6:3-4
3Jesus
went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. 4Now
the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. |
iii. Whence shall We Buy Bread that These may Eat?" |
Mt 14:15-18
15When evening had come, his
disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is
already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the
villages, and buy themselves food.”
16But Jesus said to them,
“They don’t need to go away. You give them
something to eat.”
17They told him, “We only have here five
loaves and two fish.”
18He
said, “Bring them here to me.”
|
Mk 6:35-38
35When it was late in the day, his
disciples came to him, and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late
in the day. 36Send them away, that they may go into the
surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they
have nothing to eat.”
37But he answered them,
“You give them something to eat.”
They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred
denarii
worth of bread, and give them something to eat?”
38He said to them,
“How many loaves do you have? Go see.”
When they knew, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
6:37
200 denarii was about 7 or 8 months wages for an agricultural laborer. |
Lk 9:12-14a
12The day began to wear away; and
the twelve came, and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they
may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food,
for we are here in a deserted place.”
13But he said to them,
“You give them something to eat.”
They said, “We have no more than five loaves and
two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”
14For they were about five thousand men.
He said to his disciples,
“Make them sit down in groups of about fifty
each.” |
Jn 6:5-9
5Jesus
therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was
coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to
buy bread, that these may eat?” 6This he said to test
him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7Philip answered him, “Two hundred
denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them
may receive a little.”
8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has
five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?” |
iv. The Feeding of the Five Thousand |
Mt 14:19-21
19He commanded the multitudes to sit
down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the
disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20They
all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which
remained left over from the broken pieces. 21Those who ate
were about five thousand men, besides women and children. |
Mk 6:39-44
39He
commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green
grass. 40They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
41He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to
heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to
set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. 42They
all ate, and were filled. 43They took up twelve baskets full
of broken pieces and also of the fish. 44Those who ate the
loaves were
five thousand men.
6:44
TR adds “about” |
Lk 9:14b-17
14For they were about five thousand men.
He said to his disciples,
“Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15They
did so, and made them all sit down. 16He took the five loaves
and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke
them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets
of broken pieces that were left over. |
Jn 6:10-13
10Jesus
said, “Have the people sit down.” Now
there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about
five thousand. 11Jesus took the loaves; and having given
thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who
were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired.
12When they were filled, he said to his disciples,
“Gather up the broken pieces which are left
over, that nothing be lost.” 13So they gathered them
up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley
loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. |
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99. Prevention of Revolutionary Purpose to Make
Jesus King
(Mt 14:22-23, Mk 6:45-46, Jn 6:14-15)
d |
Mt 14:22-23
22Immediately
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the
other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23After he had
sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening had come, he was there alone. |
Mk 6:45-46
45Immediately he made his disciples get into
the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida,
e while he himself sent the multitude
away. 46After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain
to pray. |
Jn 6:14-15
14When therefore the people saw the sign
which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the
world.” 15Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to
come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain
by himself. |
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100. Jesus Walking on the Water
(Mt 14:24-33, Mk 6:47-52, Jn 6:16-21)
The Sea of Galilee |
Mt 14:24-33
24But the boat was now in the middle of the
sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25In the
fourth watch of the night,
Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear. 27But
immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Cheer up!
It is I!
Don’t be afraid.”
28Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it
is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
29He said, “Come!”
Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the
waters to come to Jesus. 30But when he saw that the wind was
strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord,
save me!”
31Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand,
took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little
faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got up into the
boat, the wind ceased. 33Those who were in the boat came and
worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”
14:25
The night was equally divided into four watches, so the fourth watch is
approximately 3:00 A. M. to sunrise.
14:25
see Job 9:8
14:27
or, I AM! |
Mk 6:47-52
47When evening had come, the boat was in the
midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48Seeing them
distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth
watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea,
and he would have passed by them, 49but they, when they saw him
walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for
they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and
said to them, “Cheer up! It is I!
Don’t be afraid.” 51He got into the boat with them; and
the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled;
52for they hadn’t understood about the loaves, but their hearts
were hardened.
6:48
see Job 9:8
6:50
or, “I AM!” |
Jn 6:16-21
16When evening came, his disciples went down
to the sea, 17and they entered into the boat, and were going over
the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
18The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. 19When
therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea,
and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. 20But he said
to them, “It is I.
Don’t be afraid.” 21They were willing therefore to receive
him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were
going.
6:19
25 to 30 stadia is about 5 to 6 kilometers or about 3 to 4 miles
6:19
see Job 9:8
6:20
or, I AM |
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101.The Reception at Gennesareth
f
(Mt 14:34-36, Mk 6:53-56)
The next day |
Mt 14:34-36
34When they had crossed over, they came to
the land of Gennesaret. 35When the people of that place
recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to
him all who were sick, 36and they begged him that they might just
touch the fringe
of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.
14:36
or, tassel |
Mk 6:53-56
53When they had crossed over, they came to
land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54When they had come
out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55and ran
around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their
mats, to where they heard he was. 56Wherever he entered, into
villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the
marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe
of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.
6:56
or, tassel |
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102. The Sermon on the Bread of Life
(Jn 6:22-59)
The same day. At Capernaum |
i. Revolutionists Seeking Jesus |
Jn 6:22-24
22On
the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw
that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his
disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples
into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23However
boats from Tiberias g came
near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given
thanks. 24When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t
there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came
to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. |
ii. "Ye Seek Me because Ye Did Eat of the Loves and were Filled" |
Jn 6:25-31
25When they found him on the other side
of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26Jesus answered them,
“Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were
filled. 27Don’t work for the
food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed
him.”
28They said therefore to him, “What must
we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29Jesus answered them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in
him whom he has sent.”
30They
said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see,
and believe you? What work do you do? 31Our fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of
heaven
to eat.’”
6:31
Greek and Hebrew use the same word for “heaven”, “the heavens”, “the
sky”, and “the air”.
6:31
Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24-25 |
iii. The Sermon |
Jn 6:32-59
32Jesus therefore said to them,
“Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses
who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true
bread out of heaven. 33For
the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life
to the world.”
34They said therefore to him, “Lord,
always give us this bread.”
35Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me
will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
36But I told you that you
have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. 37All
those who the Father gives me will come to me. Him who comes to me I
will in no way throw out. 38For
I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him
who sent me. 39This is the
will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should
lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. 40This
is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and
believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at
the last day.”
41The Jews therefore murmured concerning
him, because he said, “I am the bread which
came down out of heaven.” 42They said, “Isn’t this
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does
he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
43Therefore Jesus answered them,
“Don’t murmur among yourselves. 44No
one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will
raise him up in the last day. 45It
is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’
Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to
me. 46Not that anyone has
seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.
47Most certainly, I tell you,
he who believes in me has eternal life. 48I
am the bread of life. 49Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This
is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it
and not die. 51I am the
living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the
life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews therefore contended with one
another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53Jesus therefore said to them,
“Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in
yourselves. 54He who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day. 55For my flesh
is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him.
57As the living Father sent me, and
I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live
because of me. 58This is the
bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna,
and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59These
things he said in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
6:45
Isaiah 54:13 |
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103. The Collapse of the Scheme to Make Jesus King
(Jn 6:60-71) |
Jn 6:60-71
60Therefore many of his disciples, when they
heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”
61But Jesus knowing in himself that his
disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does
this cause you to stumble? 62Then
what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63It is the spirit who gives
life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit,
and are life. 64But there are
some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who
they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. 65He
said, “For this cause have I said to you that no
one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
66At this, many of his disciples went back,
and walked no more with him. 67Jesus said therefore to the
twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”
68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom
would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come
to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70Jesus answered them,
“Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is
a devil?” 71Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon
Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. |
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104. Jesus is Reproached by Pharisees from
Jerusalem for
Permitting His Disciples to Disregard Ceremonial
Traditions
(Mt 15:1-20, Mk 7:1-23) |
i. The Disciples are Accused of Eating with Unwashed Hands |
Mt 15:1-2
1Then Pharisees and scribes came
to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2“Why do your disciples
disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands
when they eat bread.” |
Mk 7:1-5
1Then the
Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come
from Jerusalem. 2Now when they saw some of his disciples
eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.
3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, don’t eat unless they
wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.
4They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace, unless
they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have
received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and
couches.) 5The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why
don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but
eat their bread with unwashed hands?” |
ii. The Reply of Jesus |
Mt 15:3-9
3He answered them,
“Why do you also disobey the commandment of God
because of your tradition? 4For
God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’
and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
5But you say, ‘Whoever may
tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have
gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,” 6he
shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of
God void because of your tradition. 7You
hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
8‘These
people draw near to me with their mouth,
and honor me with their
lips;
but their heart is far
from me.
9And
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as
doctrine rules made by men.’”
15:4
Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16
15:4
Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9
15:9
Isaiah 29:13 |
Mk 7:6-13
6He answered them,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites,
as it is written,
‘This people honors me
with their lips,
but their heart is far
from me.
7But
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men.’
8“For you set
aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of
men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such
things.” 9He said to them,
“Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your
tradition. 10For Moses said,
‘Honor your father and your mother;’
and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
11But you say, ‘If a man
tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received
from me is Corban,
that is to say, given to God;”’ 12then
you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,
13making void the word of God
by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like
this.”
7:7
Isaiah 29:13
7:10
Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16
7:10
Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9
7:11
Corban is a Hebrew word for an offering devoted to God. |
iii. A Puzzling Parable |
Mt 15:10-11
10He summoned the multitude, and said to
them, “Hear, and understand. 11That
which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which
proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” |
Mk 7:14-16
14He called all the multitude to
himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of
you, and understand. 15There
is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him;
but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the
man. 16If anyone has ears to
hear, let him hear!” h |
iv. The Parable Explained |
Mt 15:12-20
12Then the disciples came, and said to
him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this
saying?”
13But he answered,
“Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t
plant will be uprooted. 14Leave
them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the
blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15Peter answered him, “Explain the
parable to us.”
16So Jesus said,
“Do you also still not understand?
17Don’t you understand that whatever goes
into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?
18But the things which proceed out
of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart come forth
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false
testimony, and blasphemies. 20These
are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands
doesn’t defile the man.” |
Mk 7:17-23
17When he had entered into a house away
from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18He
said to them, “Are you thus without
understanding also? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man
from outside can’t defile him, 19because
it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the
latrine, thus making all foods clean?” 20He said,
“That which proceeds out of the man, that
defiles the man. 21For from
within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
sexual sins, murders, thefts, 22covetings,
wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and
foolishness. 23All these evil
things come from within, and defile the man.” |
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Footnotes
a) Not the Bethsaida of Galilee near
Capernaum, but the Bethsaida at the
northeastern corner of the lake
in the territory of
Philip, tetrarch of
Iturea.
b)
Following No. 49 in Chapter VIII. An
interval of one year, assuming
that the Unnamed Feast in John 5
was the Passover of 28 A.D. The following
incident is mentioned by all four Evangelists.
Since the time is given as near a Passover
(John), which also agrees with the "grass" in the account of Matthew. Mark,
and John, we have here an important chronological notice,
c)
Passover 29 A.D., 182 A.U.C. We assume that
this was a Passover which Jesus did not
attend. The Passover week was late
in that year, April 17-24.
d)
At this point occurs "the great gap" in
Luke as compared with Matthew and
Mark, all of Matt. 14:22 to
16:13 and of Mark 6:45 to 8:27
being omitted: from the feeding of the five thousand to Peter's confession
at Caesarea Philippi (Nos.
99-115). Various explanations are
offered, (loss of portion of original manuscript, mistake
of the eye by copiest, etc.), all quite
unsatisfactory. The proponents of the "dependence theory"
are usually quite silent at this point.
To us this "gap" is another proof
that the Evangelists wrote
independently of each other. A close examination
will show that, as far as Luke is
concerned, there is no omission
at all. It was the purpose of
Jesus to retire, v. 10. But it was
some time before He could be alone, v. 18.
e) The western Bethsaida near Capernaum. This
agrees with John 6:17 "unto Capernaum,"
in the immediate vicinity of
western Bethsaida.
f) Not a
city, but a district, which may also have
included Capernaum and the western
Bethsaida.
g)
A city about six miles south of
Capernaum on the western shore.
h) A proverbial form of
speech often used by Jesus after an
important utterance. See Matt. 11:15 (No. 75), etc.
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