John 6:8-71

8One of His 1disciples, 2Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two 3fish; but what are these for so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was 4plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about 56five thousand in number. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and 7after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the 8fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, He said to His 9disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve 10baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Therefore when the people saw the 11sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the 12Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15So Jesus, aware that they 13intended to come and take Him by force 14to make Him king, 15withdrew again to 16the mountain by Himself, alone.

16Now when evening came, His 17disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea 18to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. 19Then, when they had rowed about 19twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened. 20But He said to them, “It is I; 2021do not be afraid.” 21So they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22The next day 22the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus 23had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone. 23Other small boats came from 24Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the 25Lord 26had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and 27came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. 25And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “28Rabbi, when did You get here?”

26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you 29seek Me, not because you saw 3031signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27Do not 32work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for 33eternal life, which 34the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, 35has set His 36seal.” 28Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is 37the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He 38has sent.” 30So they said to Him, “39What then are You doing as a 40sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 3141Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘42He 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 43that which 44comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, always 45give us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “46I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me 47will never be thirsty. 36But 48I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. 3749Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. 38For 50I have come down from heaven, 51not to do My own will, but 52the will of Him who 53sent Me. 39And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of 54everything that He has given Me I will 55lose nothing, but will 56raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who 57sees the Son and 58believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will 59raise him up on the last day.”

4160So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that 61came down out of heaven.” 42And they were saying, “62Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother 63we know? How does He now say, ‘64I have come down out of heaven’?” 43Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me 65draws him; and I will 66raise him up on the last day. 45It is written 67in the Prophets: ‘68And they shall all be 69taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 4670Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes 71has eternal life. 4872I am the bread of life. 4973Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that 74comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and 75not die. 5176I am the living bread that 77came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, 78he will live forever; and the bread which I will give 79for the life of the world also is 80My flesh.”

5281Then the Jews 82began 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 83the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will 84raise him up on the last day. 55For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood 85remains in Me, and I in him. 57Just as the 86living Father 87sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58This is the bread that 88came down out of heaven, not as 89the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread 90will live forever.” 59These things He said 91in the synagogue as He taught 92in Capernaum.

60So then many of His 93disciples, when they heard this, said, “94This statement is very 95unpleasant; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, 96aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Is this 9798offensive to you? 62What then if you see 99the Son of Man 100ascending to where He was before? 63101It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; 102the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. 64But there are 103some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus 104knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and 105who it was who would 106betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have 107told you that no one can come to Me unless 108it has been granted him from the Father.”

66As a result of this many of His 109disciples 110left, and would no longer walk with Him. 67So Jesus said to 111the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?” 68112Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have 113words of eternal life. 69And we have already believed and have come to know that You are 114the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “115Did I Myself not choose you, 116the twelve? And yet one of you is 117a devil.” 71Now He meant Judas 118the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, 119one of 120the twelve, 121was going to betray Him.