The account of the feeding of the 5,000 is often thought to point to subsequent Christian practice of Communion or the Eucharist.
In fact, there are several pointers in the account in John 6 which point away from this. Much stronger are links with the Old Testament, particularly Moses leading the people as they are fed with manna by God in the wilderness. And there are some fascinating ‘undesigned historical coincidences’ with the other gospels, confirming that they are all working together from one source—the actual details of the historical event.
Come and join Ian and James as they explore the text and the issues it raises. Revd James Blandford-Baker is vicar of Histon and Impington, two villages just north of Cambridge. Revd Dr Ian Paul is Associate Minister of St Nic’s, Nottingham, and writes the widely-read blog www.psephizo.com. We hope you enjoy the new video format.
Full written commentary behind the discussion can be found on the blog each week.
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The * III CHRONICLES DAILY NEWS*
Continuing the media theme of the last post.
The Principle of our old College taught us a preaching hack.
“When considering a Bible narrative imagine that you are a modern-day Journalist.
From the narrative – Create a Headline to capture attention-
Give a brief sentence to Draw people in, to want to read your report.
Hence The * III CHRONICLES DAILY NEWS* reports today: –
HEAD OF RESSURGENT APOSTOLIC – PROPHETIC CHURCH DIES IN PRISON.
Their Lead Follower in a distraught comment said
“We are devastated, our embryonic Church seems to have been strangled at birth,
There is no obvious successor”
The prison chaplain to give a press conference at 12 Noon.
In other News
RESOURCELESS JESUS OF NAZARETH
ON A NEW MISSION
In a copy cat style, He sends his handful of followers out, like The Baptist,
Remembering that John had no visible means of support,
of no known address and surviving
on foraged food and clothed in animal skins.
They too were sent out with no visible means of support.
There are no reports of how the mission progressed.
****Breaking News ****
THE HEADLESS BODY OF JOHN IS REMOVED FROM PRISON
“How could this happen in our High Security Prison”?
“Our prison system is broken!” Says Lead Follower.
Meanwhile we await the prison chaplains Press Conference
JESUS ESCAPES TO THE WILDERNESS
With all the clamour of the breaking News.
Jesus decides to hold a teaching seminar;
But it may be that events will demonstrate his Methodology.
JESUS ESCAPES BY BOAT.
People seeing this decide to pursue him through the villages,
gathering more pursuers as they went.
One onlooker, Christi, suggested that “the crowd was in the thousands”
In all my 80 years I have never seen anything like it, it was like the Toure de France”!
[Exegetists have already queried this report as a late scribal addition!]
JESUS PREACHES AT LENGTH
LEAVING THE PEOPLE HUNGRY
Disciples have forgotten to take any Jam Sandwiches.
They have no resources except a bit [or bite] of bread and fish.
Jesus said Grace over them and served it to the crowd.
It would seem that the crowd was unaware of this predicament
and declared themselves well satisfied with the meal.
JESUS WALKS ON WATER!!
Having seen his followers go off ahead in their boat
He retires to Pray again.
It is reported that He then followed His followers by Walking on the Water!
With no discernable means of support!!
It is reported by a spokesperson that everyone was amazed,
But they had failed to remember that Jesus can do anything
without resources or outside support.
Commenting on the late-night news review
Kirsti observed that; –
“This seems to have been the pattern throughout Church History
What ever happens at national Church headquarters
the Gospel has been propagated by people with very few discernable resources;
think Francis, Benedict, Basil, Avogadro, Norbert and Bernard of Clairvaux etc.
After all it was the Modus Operandi of Jesus”.
We leave you with that thought, Goodnight