John 6
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
After these things,
Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also
called the Sea of Tiberias. A great multitude followed him,
because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. Jesus went up into the mountain,
and he sat there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the
Jews, was at hand. Jesus
therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was
coming to him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy
bread, that these may eat?" This he said to test him, for he
himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that
everyone of them may receive a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has
five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much
grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Jesus took the loaves;
and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the
disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the fish as
much as they desired. When they were filled, he said to
his disciples, "Gather up the broken pieces which are
left over, that nothing be lost." So they gathered them up, and
filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves,
which were left over by those who had eaten. When therefore the people saw the
sign which Jesus did, they said, "This is truly the prophet who comes
into the world." Jesus therefore, perceiving that
they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew
again to the mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Water
When evening came, his
disciples went down to the sea, and they entered into the boat,
and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had
not come to them. The sea
was tossed by a great wind blowing. When therefore they had rowed
about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.
But he said to them,
"I AM. Don't be afraid." They were willing therefore to
receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they
were going.
On the next day, the
multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no
other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and
that Jesus hadn't entered with his disciples into the boat, but his
disciples had gone away alone. However boats from Tiberias came
near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given
thanks. When the
multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn't there, nor his disciples, they
themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
Jesus the Bread of Life
When they found him on
the other side of the sea, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come
here?"
Jesus answered them,
"Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because
you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. Don't work for the food which
perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of
Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him."
They said therefore to
him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?"
Jesus answered them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in him
whom he has sent."
They said therefore to
him, "What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe
you? What work do you do? Our fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness. As it is written, 'He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.'"
Jesus therefore said
to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn't Moses
who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true
bread out of heaven. For
the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to
the world."
They said therefore to
him, "Lord, always give us this bread."
Jesus said to them,
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not
be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But I told you that you have seen
me, and yet you don't believe. All those who the Father gives me
will come to me. Him who comes to me I will in no way throw out. For I have come down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of my Father who
sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should
raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who
sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
The Jews therefore
murmured concerning him, because he said, "I am the
bread which came down out of heaven." They said, "Isn't this
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does
he say, 'I have come down out of heaven?'"
Therefore Jesus
answered them, "Don't murmur among yourselves.
No one can come to me
unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the
last day. It is written
in the prophets, 'They will all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who
hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the
Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. Most certainly, I tell you, he
who believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes
down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came
down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my
flesh."
The Jews therefore
contended with one another, saying, "How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?"
Jesus therefore said
to them, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in
yourselves. He who eats
my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day. For my
flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks
my blood lives in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and
I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live
because of me. This is
the bread which came down out of heaven--not as our fathers ate the manna,
and died. He who eats this bread will live forever." These things he said in the
synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
Therefore many of his
disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying! Who
can listen to it?"
But Jesus knowing in
himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? Then what if you would see the
Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit who gives life.
The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and
are life. But there are
some of you who don't believe." For Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were who didn't believe, and who it was who would
betray him. He said,
"For this cause have I said to you that no one can
come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father."
At this, many of his
disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Jesus said therefore to the
twelve, "You don't also want to go away, do
you?"
Simon Peter answered
him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus answered them,
"Didn't I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a
devil?" Now
he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would
betray him, being one of the twelve.
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