John 6

Five Thousand Fed

1After these things 1Jesus went away to the other side of 2the Sea of Galilee (or 3Tiberias). 2A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the 45signs which He was performing on those who were sick. 3Then 6Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. 4Now 7the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to 8Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6This He was saying to 9test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 710Philip answered Him, “11Two hundred 12denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” 8One of His 13disciples, 14Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two 15fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people 16sit down.” Now there was 17much grass in the place. So the men 18sat down, in number about 19five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and 20having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the 21fish as much as they wanted. 12When they were filled, He said to His 22disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve 23baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Therefore when the people saw the 24sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the 25Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

15So Jesus, perceiving that they were 26intending to come and take Him by force 27to make Him king, 28withdrew again to 29the mountain by Himself alone.

16Now when evening came, His 30disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea 31to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19Then, when they had rowed about 32three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20But He said to them, “It is I; 3334do not be afraid.” 21So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22The next day 35the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus 36had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23There came other small boats from 37Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the 38Lord 39had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and 40came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “41Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you 42seek Me, not because you saw 43signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27Do not 44work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to 45eternal life, which 46the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, 47has set His seal.” 28Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is 48the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He 49has sent.” 30So they said to Him, “50What then do You do for a 51sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 3152Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘53He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33For the bread of God is 54that which 55comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, always 56give us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “57I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me 58will never thirst. 36But 59I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 3760All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38For 61I have come down from heaven, 62not to do My own will, but 63the will of Him who 64sent Me. 39This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of 65all that He has given Me I 66lose nothing, but 67raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who 68beholds the Son and 69believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will 70raise him up on the last day.”

Words to the Jews

4171Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that 72came down out of heaven.” 42They were saying, “73Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother 74we know? How does He now say, ‘75I have come down out of heaven’?” 43Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me 76draws him; and I will 77raise him up on the last day. 45It is written 78in the prophets, ‘79And they shall all be 80taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 4681Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes 82has eternal life. 4883I am the bread of life. 4984Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread which 85comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and 86not die. 5187I am the living bread that 88came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, 89he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give 90for the life of the world is 91My flesh.”

5292Then the Jews 93began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of 94the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will 95raise him up on the last day. 55For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood 96abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the 97living Father 98sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which 99came down out of heaven; not as 100the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread 101will live forever.”

Words to the Disciples

59These things He said 102in the synagogue as He taught 103in Capernaum.

60Therefore many of His 104disciples, when they heard this said, “105This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, 106conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this 107cause you to stumble? 62What then if you see 108the Son of Man 109ascending to where He was before? 63110It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; 111the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64But there are 112some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus 113knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and 114who it was that would 115betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have 116said to you, that no one can come to Me unless 117it has been granted him from the Father.”

Peter’s Confession of Faith

66As a result of this many of His 118disciples 119withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67So Jesus said to 120the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68121Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have 122words of eternal life. 69We have believed and have come to know that You are 123the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “124Did I Myself not choose you, 125the twelve, and yet one of you is 126a devil?” 71Now He meant Judas 127the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, 128one of 129the twelve, 130was going to betray Him.