The miracle of the "sign" (John's preferred term) of feeding the five thousand in today's gospel text is the only wondrous work of Jesus recorded in all four of the gospels. John's version, however, contains its own unique details and nuances, along with a startling ending. Throughout this unit the subtle and not-so-subtle parallels that John draws between Moses, who was Israel's first "redeemer," and Jesus, whose ultimate act of redemption is yet to come, is evident.

The Sea of Galilee, so prominently present in Mark's gospel, has to be carefully identified in John's text, where the region of Galilee is not a focal point. Jesus crosses over the water (although he does not "part" it) and immediately ascends "the mountain" with his disciples. Yet the crowds follow them up to this wilderness …