John 6

1 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, of Tiberias. [a] 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they were watching the signs he was doing on those who were sick. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he was sitting with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

5 So Jesus, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a large crowd is coming to him, says to Philip, “Where are we to buy loaves, so that these may eat?” 6 He was saying this to test him, for he himself knew what he was about to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of loaves are not enough for them, for each to get a little.” [b]

8 One of his disciples, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, says to him, 9 “There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what is this for so many?” [c] 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 So Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those reclining, and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. [d]

12 And when they were filled he says to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces left over, so that nothing is lost.” 13 So they gathered them, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, left over by those who had eaten. 14 So when the people saw the sign he had done they were saying, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” 15 So Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone.

16 Now when evening came his disciples went down to the sea, 17 and getting into a boat they were going across the sea to Capernaum. And darkness had already come, and Jesus had not yet come to them, 18 and the sea was being stirred up by a great wind blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they see Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were afraid. [e] 20 But he says to them, “I am; do not be afraid.” [f] 21 So they wanted to take him into the boat, and at once the boat was at the land they were going to.

22 On the next day the crowd that had stood on the other side of the sea saw that there had been no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus had not gone into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone; 23 but boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. 25 And finding him on the other side of the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you; for on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 28 So they said to him, “What are we to do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God: that you trust in the one he sent.”

30 So they said to him, “What sign then do you do, so that we may see and trust you? What work do you do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” [g] 32 Jesus then said to them, “Amen, amen, I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. [h] 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 So they said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never hunger, and the one who trusts in me will never thirst. 36 But I told you that you have both seen me and do not trust. 37 Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never throw out, 38 because I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 And this is the will of the one who sent me: that of all he has given me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and trusts in him should have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews were grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven,” 42 and they were saying, “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble with one another. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard from the Father and learned comes to me. [i] 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.

47 Amen, amen, I tell you, the one who trusts has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. 50 This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” †

52 So the Jews were fighting with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [j] † 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 He said these things in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum. [k]

60 So many of his disciples, when they heard, said, “This word is hard. Who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this make you stumble? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man going up where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no use at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not trust.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not trust, and who it was who would hand him over. 65 And he was saying, “This is why I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is given him from the Father.”

66 From this many of his disciples went back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go away? You have words of everlasting life, 69 and we have come to trust and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” [l] 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And one of you is an accuser.” [m] 71 Now he was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot; for this one, one of the twelve, was going to hand him over.