John 6

Feeding the Five Thousand

1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.#6.1 Gk of Galilee of Tiberias 2A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5#Jn 1.43When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they#6.10 Gk the men sat down, about five thousand in all. 11#v 23; Mt 15.36Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14#Gen 49.10; Deut 18.15, 18; Mt 11.3; 21.11When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 # Jn 18.36 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water

16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I;#6.20 Gk I am do not be afraid.” 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

The Bread from Heaven

22 # vv 2, 15–21 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not gotten into the boat with his disciples but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23#vv 1, 11But some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24#Mt 14.34; Mk 6.53So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26#vv 24, 30Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27#v 54; Isa 55.2; Jn 3.35; 4.14Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29#Jn 3.17; 1 Jn 3.23Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30#Mt 12.38; Mk 8.11So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31#Ex 16.15; Num 11.8; Neh 9.15; Ps 78.24Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33#v 50For the bread of God is that which#6.33 Or he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34#Jn 4.15They said to him, “Sir,#6.34 Or Lord give us this bread always.”

35 # vv 48, 51 ; Jn 4.14Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36#v 26But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37#v 39; Jn 17.2Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away, 38#Jn 4.34; 5.30for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39#Jn 10.28; 17.12; 18.9And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. 40#Jn 3.15, 16This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”

41Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42#vv 38, 62; Lk 4.22; Jn 7.27, 28They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44#Jer 31.3; Hos 11.4; Jn 12.32No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45#Isa 54.13; Jer 31.34; Heb 8.10; 10.16It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46#Jn 1.18; 5.37; 7.29; 8.19Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47#Jn 3.16, 18, 36; 5.24; 11.26Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51#Heb 10.10I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 # Jn 9.16; 10.19 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53#Mt 26.26, 28So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54#Jn 4.14Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day, 55for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56#Jn 15.4; 1 Jn 3.24; 4.15, 16Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things while he was teaching in a synagogue at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61#Mt 11.6But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62#Jn 3.13; 17.5Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64#Jn 2.25But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. 65#vv 37, 44; Jn 3.27And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69#Mk 8.29; Lk 9.20We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”#6.69 Other ancient authorities read the Christ, the Son of the living God 70#Jn 13.27; 15.16, 19Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot,#6.71 Other ancient authorities read Judas Iscariot son of Simon or Judas son of Simon from Karyot (Kerioth) for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

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John 6: NRSVUE

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