Feeding of the 5000

As Passover approaches Jesus climbs a mountainside on the far shore of the Sea of Galilee( upper right corner). A huge crowd follows him, drawn by signs he has performed. See them snaking from left to right across the painting. Andrew (in orange) finds a boy with five barley loaves and two fish and Jesus feeds 5,000 men plus women and children. The left over pieces filled twelve baskets.

Knowing the crowd wants to make him king by force, Jesus withdraws to a place by himself (upper right). When evening comes the disciples get into a boat to row across the sea (lower middle). A strong wind makes the sea grow rough. Later that night, when the disciples are three to three and a half miles across the sea, Jesus approaches the boat, walking on the water. The disciples are afraid, but he assures them it is he. When he climbs aboard, they immediately reach shore (center of painting).

The next day the crowd crosses the sea in other boats and finds Jesus in the synagogue (the building marked with the Star of David). They ask Jesus for a sign so they might believe in him, citing that their ancestors ate manna in the wilderness (upper left corner, on the mountain).

Jesus stresses that he is the bread that comes down from heaven (dark blue opening in the sky). When Jesus tells them, “I am the bread of life….Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day,” many disciples leave (lower left corner).

Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks them (middle left side) if they also want to leave him. Simon Peter answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Jesus declares one of the Twelve is a devil (Judas in red).