BEMA Episode Link: 115: 5 Loaves, 2 Fish, and 1 Big Lesson
Episode Length: 38:27
Published Date: Thu, 02 May 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Dr. Christopher Gambino, look at Jesus’s time in Nazareth, pass briefly through the beheading of John the Baptist, and land in the story of feeding the 5000.

Discussion Video for BEMA 115

Dr. Christopher Gambino on Twitter

The Evangelists’ Calendar by M. D. Goulder

The Shuvah Project

Transcript for BEMA 115

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 115: Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 115 - 5 Loaves, 2 Fish, and 1 Big Lesson
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Special Guest: Dr. Christopher Gambino Focus: Matthew 13:53-58, Matthew 14:1-21, Luke 4:14-30, John 6:5-6

This episode explores three significant stories from Jesus’s ministry: his rejection in Nazareth, the beheading of John the Baptist, and the feeding of the 5,000. The primary focus is on understanding how Jesus uses the feeding miracle as a teaching tool for his disciples, demonstrating that he is the second Moses who provides the law (Torah) in abundance for God’s people. The episode emphasizes rabbinic teaching methods, the significance of numbers in Jewish thought, and Jesus’s declaration of his messianic mission.

Key Takeaways

  • Jesus’s only synagogue Torah reading took place in his hometown of Nazareth, where he had the authority to read as a member of that community
  • Jesus’s sermon in Nazareth was initially well-received until he indicated that his mission was primarily for outsiders and Gentiles, not just for his hometown
  • The rejection in Nazareth demonstrates the pattern that “a prophet is not honored in his hometown”
  • Everything a rabbi does is instructional and intentional - the feeding of the 5,000 was primarily a teaching moment for the disciples, not just a miracle for the crowd
  • Numbers in biblical narratives carry symbolic meaning: 5 represents the Books of Moses, 2 represents the tablets of the Law, 12 represents the tribes of Israel, and 1,000 represents completeness
  • The feeding of the 5,000 symbolically represents Jesus as the second Moses, providing the complete Law to his disciples, who then distribute it to all of God’s people
  • The true miracle is not just that Jesus fed people physically, but whether believers trust that God’s provision through Jesus’s teaching is sufficient for daily life

Main Concepts & Theories

Synagogue Structure and Rabbinical Authority

In first-century Judaism, rabbis did not have special liturgical roles in synagogue services. They were considered equal members of the community. The only synagogue where a rabbi would read the assigned Torah portion was in his hometown synagogue, where he was a recognized member. This explains why Jesus’s reading in Nazareth was significant - it was the only place he had the authority to participate in the liturgical reading.

The synagogue service included two readings:

  • Parashah: A portion from the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), read on a 52-week cycle that covered the entire Torah in one year
  • Haftarah: A portion from the Prophets and Writings, read on a three-year cycle

Jesus was given the haftarah reading from the prophet Isaiah. What makes this reading remarkable is that the specific passage he read (Isaiah 61:1-2) does not appear in any known haftarah lectionary from the period, suggesting Jesus either continued beyond his assigned portion or deliberately chose this specific passage.

The Dereshah (Sermon)

After the readings, a brief sermon called the dereshah (from the same root as drash) would be given. This sermon typically lasted only 30-90 seconds, in stark contrast to Western church traditions. Jesus’s entire sermon was: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This was a direct claim to be the Messiah who would usher in the year of Jubilee and God’s favor.

The Significance of Nazareth

The name Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word netzer, meaning “shoot” or “branch,” referencing the prophecy in Isaiah 11:1 about a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse. The village was viewed with disdain by other Jews because naming their town “Shootville” was seen as arrogant - they were claiming to be the place from which the Messiah would come. This context makes the question “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” more understandable.

The Pattern of Rejection

Jesus’s hometown initially responded positively to his teaching. They were amazed and proud that one of their own was making such bold claims. However, when Jesus referenced Elijah being sent to a widow in Zarephath (Phoenicia) and Elisha healing Naaman the Syrian, he was explicitly stating that his mission was for outsiders and Gentiles, not for giving his hometown special treatment. This infuriated the crowd to the point of attempting to stone him.

The attempted stoning reveals Jewish legal process: two witnesses were required to testify against someone before capital punishment could be carried out. Jesus likely walked through the crowd unharmed because no one could legally accuse him of a capital offense - he had broken no law, even though he had offended them deeply.

The Death of John the Baptist

Herod Antipas (also called Herod the Tetrarch) had an unusual relationship with John the Baptist. While he enjoyed listening to John’s teaching, John continually confronted him about marrying Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. This was a direct violation of Leviticus 18, which prohibits taking a brother’s wife. John’s confrontation was not about divorce but about breaking explicit Torah commandments.

Herod was afraid to harm John because of John’s informal s’micha (rabbinical authority) and popularity with the people. This demonstrates how much authority the crowds granted to teachers they recognized as legitimate, even without formal institutional backing.

When Jesus heard about John’s beheading, he withdrew to a solitary place - a clear demonstration of Jesus’s humanity and his need to grieve. This often-overlooked detail shows Jesus modeling healthy emotional processing.

Rabbinic Intentionality

Everything a rabbi does is done with teaching purpose and intention. Jesus didn’t perform miracles randomly or simply because he felt compassion. Every miracle, every healing, every action was a teaching moment. The Gospel of John explicitly states that Jesus asked Philip where they should buy bread “to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do” (John 6:6). This was a planned teaching moment, not a spontaneous response to need.

The Symbolic Meaning of Numbers

In Jewish thought and Eastern literature, numbers carry symbolic weight:

  • 1: God, unity
  • 2: The two tablets of the Law given to Moses
  • 3: Community (representing groups like the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)
  • 4: The Gentiles (representing the four corners of the earth)
  • 5: The five Books of Moses (Torah)
  • 6: Sinful humanity
  • 7: Either the seven pagan nations OR completion/perfection (from the seven days of creation)
  • 10: Complete community (3+7)
  • 12: The twelve tribes of Israel
  • 1,000: Completeness on a massive scale, representing “everyone” or “all”

Jewish numbers include: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 Gentile numbers include: 4, 6, 7

The Feeding of the 5,000 as Symbolic Teaching

The feeding of the 5,000 is rich with numerical symbolism:

  • 5 loaves: The five Books of Moses
  • 2 fish: The two tablets of the Law
  • 5 + 2 = 7: The complete Law
  • 5,000 men: 5 × 1,000 = the complete community of Torah people
  • 12 baskets leftover: Enough for all twelve tribes of Israel

The story’s structure mirrors the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Jesus takes the Law (represented by 5 loaves and 2 fish - the complete Torah), gives it to his disciples, and they distribute it to the people. When the people receive and “consume” the teaching Jesus offers, there is more than enough for everyone - twelve baskets remain, representing abundance for all of God’s people.

This story positions Jesus as the “second Moses” - the one who goes up the mountain, receives/interprets the Law, and brings it down to the people through his appointed intermediaries (the disciples). The parallel to Exodus is intentional and would have been immediately recognizable to Jewish listeners.

The location is significant: this event traditionally occurred at the same place as the Sermon on the Mount, in the region called eremos topos (Greek for “deserted place”). The Church of the Beatitudes marks this traditional location.

Parallels to Exodus

Dr. Gambino points out multiple parallels between this story and Exodus:

  • Moses going up and down the mountain multiple times
  • Moses receiving tablets of the Law
  • Moses assembling the entire community of Israelites (men, women, and children)
  • The organization of people into groups of 50 (as Jethro advised Moses in Exodus 18)
The Real Challenge of the Story

Ray Vander Laan’s teaching on this passage challenges believers: “All the demons on that hillside believed Jesus did a miracle that day.” The real question is not whether we believe the miracle happened, but whether we trust that Jesus’s interpretation of the Law and his provision is sufficient for our daily lives. Do we worry about provision, or do we trust that when Jesus interprets Torah and we follow his teaching, there is more than enough to go around for all of God’s people?

Examples & Applications

Hometown Prophet Syndrome

Jesus’s experience in Nazareth illustrates a common human phenomenon: familiarity breeds contempt. The people of Nazareth couldn’t accept Jesus’s authority because they knew him as “the carpenter’s son” - they had watched him grow up. This challenges us to recognize that God can speak through people we know well, and that past relationships shouldn’t prevent us from hearing truth in the present.

Inclusive Mission vs. Exclusive Expectations

The crowd in Nazareth wanted “hometown treatment” - they wanted Jesus to perform miracles for them specifically because they were his neighbors. Jesus’s response was to point out that both Elijah and Elisha ministered to foreigners (a Phoenician widow and a Syrian commander), not to Israelites. This foreshadows the gospel going to the Gentiles and challenges believers to examine whether they want God’s blessing only for their “in-group” or whether they embrace God’s mission to all people.

Trusting God’s Provision

The feeding of the 5,000 challenges modern believers to trust that God’s provision through Jesus’s teaching is sufficient. Just as the disciples couldn’t see how five loaves and two fish could feed thousands, we often can’t see how God’s resources are sufficient for our needs. The miracle demonstrates that when we trust Jesus’s way of interpreting life and Torah, there is always more than enough.

Everything is Teaching

Recognizing that Jesus did everything with teaching intentionality helps us approach Scripture differently. We should ask not just “What happened?” but “What is being taught?” This rabbinic principle means that every detail in the Gospels carries meaning and purpose.

Processing Grief

Jesus’s withdrawal after hearing about John’s death models healthy grief and emotional processing. Even in ministry, even when crowds are following, it’s appropriate and necessary to create space for mourning and dealing with loss. The humanity of Jesus gives us permission to be fully human in our own emotional lives.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  • Study the other feeding miracle (feeding of the 4,000) and compare the numerical symbolism to see how it might address a different audience or convey a different message
  • Research the complete Exodus parallels in Jesus’s ministry, particularly the Sermon on the Mount as a “new Sinai” event
  • Investigate the haftarah and parashah lectionary systems in first-century Judaism and how they shaped synagogue worship
  • Explore other instances where Jesus references Elijah and Elisha and what those prophetic patterns reveal about Jesus’s mission
  • Study the story of Elisha feeding 100 people (2 Kings 4:42-44) as a background to Jesus feeding 5,000
  • Examine the legal requirements for stoning and capital punishment in Jewish law to better understand what happened in Nazareth
  • Research the role of informal rabbinic authority (s’micha) and how teachers gained legitimacy with the crowds
  • Study other “second Moses” themes in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of Matthew
  • Investigate the geography of the “eremos topos” region and the Church of the Beatitudes location
  • Explore Leviticus 18 and the specific prohibitions that John the Baptist was referencing in his confrontation with Herod Antipas

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why was the synagogue in Nazareth the only place where Jesus would read the assigned Torah portion, and what does this reveal about rabbinic authority in the first-century synagogue system?

  2. How did the crowd in Nazareth’s response change from the beginning to the end of Jesus’s teaching, and what specifically triggered their violent reaction?

  3. According to the episode, what was Jesus’s primary purpose in performing the feeding of the 5,000, and how does this differ from common understandings of the miracle?

  4. Explain the numerical symbolism in the feeding of the 5,000 (5 loaves, 2 fish, 5,000 men, 12 baskets) and how it supports the interpretation of Jesus as the “second Moses.”

  5. What is the practical challenge Ray Vander Laan presents regarding the feeding miracle, and how does it shift the focus from intellectual belief to lived faith?

Personalized Summary

This episode powerfully reframes familiar Gospel stories by emphasizing rabbinic teaching methods and Jewish symbolic thinking. The rejection in Nazareth wasn’t simply about Jesus being unappreciated at home - it was about his radical declaration that his mission prioritized outsiders and Gentiles over those who expected special treatment. This foreshadows the gospel spreading beyond Israel and challenges any “insider” mentality we might hold today.

The feeding of the 5,000 emerges as far more than a compassion-driven miracle. It was a carefully orchestrated teaching moment where Jesus positioned himself as the second Moses, demonstrating that his interpretation and provision of Torah is abundant and sufficient for all of God’s people. The numerical symbolism - five loaves and two fish representing the complete Law, distributed to 5,000 (the complete community of Torah people) with twelve baskets remaining - creates a vivid picture of Jesus’s authority and sufficiency.

Perhaps most challenging is the question posed at the end: believing the miracle happened is easy (even demons believe it), but do we actually trust that Jesus’s teaching and God’s provision are sufficient for our daily lives? The story invites us to move beyond intellectual assent to lived trust, recognizing that when we let Jesus interpret the law and completely trust him with it, there truly is more than enough to go around for all of God’s people. This shifts the feeding miracle from ancient history to present-day challenge: Will we trust God’s provision in our own “deserted places”?

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