MPV Commentary

36 Now Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on those who were ill.

3 Then Jesus went up onto a mountain and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd was coming towards him, he asked Philip, "Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?"

6 But this was only said to test him, because he already knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not be enough to buy bread for each of them."

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 9 "Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two fish," he said. 10 Jesus then told the crowd to sit down on the grass.

11 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and gave thanks for the food. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he handed them out to the people. 12 Everyone had enough to eat, and they all ate and were satisfied.

13 When they had finished eating, Jesus took up the fragments that remained, and there were twelve baskets of broken pieces left over.

14 Now those who had eaten the bread numbered about five thousand men.

15 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida while he sent the crowd away. 16 After sending them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray.

17 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land. 18 He saw that they were straining at the oars, for the wind was against them.

19 About three or four o'clock in the morning, he went out to them, walking on the water. 20 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified and cried out in fear.

21 "It's a ghost!" they exclaimed, screaming with terror.

22 But Jesus immediately spoke up and said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

23 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. 24 They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the bread, but their hearts were hardened.

25 As soon as they landed at Gennesaret, people recognized him there. 26 They brought all those who were sick to him and begged him to let them touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

27 Now this was happening in Bethsaida, a town on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had previously performed many miracles.

28 One day, as he was walking by the lake, he saw two boats moored there. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 29 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds gathered there.

30 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."

31 Simon replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

32 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

33 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats with the fish.

34 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man."

35 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 36 and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners.

Now let's look at this passage in more detail. Jesus is still performing miracles and feeding crowds of people. He takes a break from the crowd to go up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Meanwhile, his disciples are out on the lake, struggling against the wind.

37 When he saw them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, about three or four o'clock in the morning, he went out to them, walking on the water. 38 But when they saw him walking on the water and were terrified, thinking it was a ghost, Jesus immediately spoke up and said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

39 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. 40 They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the bread, but their hearts were hardened.

41 When they landed at Gennesaret, people recognized him there. 42 They brought all those who were sick to him and begged him to let them touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

43 Now this was happening in Bethsaida, a town on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had previously performed many miracles.

44 One day, as he was walking by the lake, he saw two boats moored there. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 45 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds gathered there.

46 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."

47 Simon replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

48 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

49 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats with the fish.

50 Now when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man."

51 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 52 and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners.

53 When they had finished cleaning the fish, Jesus said to them, "Come with me, and I will show you where you can find a place to rest." So he took them away in his boat to a secluded place.

54 But when they landed, some of the people from the nearby villages recognized him. 55 They brought sick people on mats to wherever he was, and he would touch each one and heal them.

56 He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he taught them many things.

57 As the day was drawing to a close, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side of the lake."

58 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in their boat, just as he was. 59 Other boats followed him, 60 but the wind was against them and they were about three or four miles out from land when they saw Jesus walking on the water.

61 But when they saw him walking on the water and were terrified, thinking it was a ghost, Jesus immediately spoke up and said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

62 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.

63 They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the bread, but their hearts were hardened.

64 As soon as they landed at Gennesaret, people recognized him there. 65 They brought all those who were sick to him and begged him to let them touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

66 Now this was happening in Bethsaida, a town on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had previously performed many miracles.

67 One day, as he was walking by the lake, he saw two boats moored there. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 68 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds gathered there.

69 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."

70 Simon replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

71 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

72 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats with the fish.

73 Now when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man."

74 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 75 and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners.

76 When Jesus saw this, he said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."