HOW The LORD JESUS Kept The PASSOVER By the Sea of Tiberias ( a part of the Sea of Galilee ) ~Interactive LENTEN Meditation # 11 ~ John 6: 7 -15

 

And JESUS took the loaves;

and when HE+ had given thanks,

HE+ distributed to the disciples,

 

John 6: 7- 15

Philip answered HIM+,

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

One of His+ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto HIM+, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

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.

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. When they were filled, HE+ said unto His+ disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

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.

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.

 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.

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This breath-taking story of the miracle of JESUS feeding the 5,000 never loses its delight.

Another account of this same incident in Matthew 14: 13-21. gives us an interesting detail. The “5,000 men” were there, BESIDES WOMEN AND CHILDREN. ( Matthew 14:21 ). 

Dr. Wilbur N. Pickering* estimates that there would ALWAYS be more women and children than men, so the multitude being fed was more like 15,000 persons, according to Dr. Pickering’s reckoning.

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Now, for a few more insights into this Miracle [ i.e., a divine sign ] , let’s look at the same account recorded in Matthew 14 and Mark 6 and Luke 9,  with some literal Greek of the verbs put into place, to add clarification.   

Matthew 14: 19-21

And HE+ commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass,

and HE+ took the five loaves,

and the two fishes,

and looking up to Heaven,

HE+ blessed,

and HE+ brake,

and HE+ gave the loaves

to His+ disciples,

and the disciples to the multitude.

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Here is the same Miracle as recorded in Mark 6:

Mark 6:41

And when HE+ had taken the five loaves

and the two fishes,

HE+ looked up to Heaven,

and HE+ blessed,

and HE+ brake the loaves,

and gave them to His+ disciples

to set before them;

and the two fishes divided HE+ among them all.

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And from Luke 9:16, the same Miracle is recorded:

Then HE+ took the five loaves

and the two fishes,

and looking up to Heaven,

HE+ blessed them,

and  HE+ brake,

and  HE+ gave to the disciples

to set before the multitude.

+ + +

The Apostle John records this same Miracle, or Divine Sign, but The Apostle John gives us more information. John’s Gospel is the only Gospel book that tells us the TIME FRAME in which The LORD JESUS fed the Five Thousand.

John 6:4

And THE PASSOVER, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

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Here is ANOTHER set of PASSOVER verses, of great familiarity to us:

Matthew 26:26

And as they were eating,

JESUS took bread,

and blessed it,

and brake it,

and gave it to the disciples,

and said,

Take, eat; THIS is My+  BODY.

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Mark 14:22

And as they did eat,

JESUS took bread,

and HE+ blessed,

and HE+ brake it,

and HE+ gave to them,

and said,

Take, eat; THIS is My+  BODY.

+  +  +

Luke 22:19

And HE+ took bread,

and gave thanks,

and brake it,

and gave unto them,

saying,

THIS is My+  BODY

Which is given for you:

this do in remembrance of ME+.

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Q. 1: WHAT Divine Object Lesson took place when The LORD JESUS fed the 5,000 ( or more ) people in the wilderness ? _________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Q.  2:  WHAT did HE+   really   feed them ? ________________

Q. 3: WHAT did the “breaking of the loaves” show the people?  It was    _____ ________   broken for us.

Q.  4: WHAT was the “breaking of the loaves” to JESUS?

 It was  ­­______   ________   being broken upon the Cross.

Q. 5: WHY could HE+ not be the people’s “king” at the time of the feeding of the 5,000 ?

HE+ could not beat satan until HE+ was   ____________________   on the Cross.

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LET US PRAY:

O LORD JESUS, YOU+ were always feeding the flock YOU+ !

 YOU+ began with the Miracle of the Water turned to Wine in the pots of the Purifying Water at the Wedding in Cana.

And here, O LORD,  YOU+  Yourself+ broke the Bread during the season of the Passover and Miraculously fed the 5,000 or more.

YOU+ have never stopped feeding Your+ people.

O LORD, may we never forget the price YOU+ paid for our food, the REAL food of Life.

Worthy art THOU+ , O LORD, to receive honor, glory, and blessing forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

* Dr. Wilbur N. Pickering, missionary-translator in Brazil for many years, Greek manuscript expert , and author of The Sovereign Creator Has Spoken ~ Objective Authority for Living, 2^nd Edition: New Testament Translation with Commentary, 2016.  This excellent translation, based on the Byzantine Manuscripts, is in modern English with footnotes explaining the manuscript data. It is available online freely at www.prunch.org.