The Fourth Sign: Feeding 5,000

6 After^(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee^(B) (or Tiberias^(C)). ² And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. ³ So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. ⁵ Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,^(D) He asked Philip,^(E) “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” ⁶ He asked this to test him,^(F) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii^(G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew,^(H) Simon^(I) Peter’s^(J) brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.^{(K) 11} Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.^(L)

¹² When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”^{(M) 13} So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign^[a] He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet^(N) who was to come^(O) into the world!”^{(P) 15} Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,^(Q) He withdrew again^[b] to the mountain by Himself.

The Fifth Sign: Walking on Water

¹⁶ When^(R) evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.^(S) Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸ Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. ¹⁹ After they had rowed about three or four miles,^[c] they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.

²⁰ But He said to them, “It is I.^[d](T) Don’t be afraid!” ²¹ Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.

The Bread of Life

²² The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea knew there had been only one boat.^[e](U) They also knew that Jesus had not boarded the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone off alone. ²³ Some boats from Tiberias^(V) came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord gave thanks. ²⁴ When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi,^(W) when did You get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw^[f] the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Don’t work for the food that perishes^(X) but for the food that lasts for eternal life,^(Y) which the Son of Man^(Z) will give you, because God the Father^(AA) has set His seal of approval on Him.”

²⁸ “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

²⁹ Jesus replied, “This is the work^(AB) of God—that you believe in the One He has sent.”^(AC)

³⁰ “What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?” they asked. “What are You going to perform? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna^(AD) in the wilderness,^(AE) just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”^[g](AF)[h]

³² Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses^(AG) didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!”

³⁵ “I am^(AH) the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me^(AI) will ever be hungry,^(AJ) and no one who believes in Me^(AK) will ever be thirsty^(AL) again. ³⁶ But as I told you, you’ve seen Me,^[i] and yet you do not believe. ³⁷ Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.^{(AM) 38} For I have come down from heaven,^(AN) not to do My will, but the will of Him^(AO) who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise^(AP) them up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father:^(AQ) that everyone who sees the Son^(AR) and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise^(AS) him up on the last day.”

⁴¹ Therefore the Jews started complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph,^(AT) whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws^[j] him, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets:^(AU) And they will all be taught by God.^(AV)[k] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father^(AW) comes to Me— ⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father^(AX) except the One who is from God.^(AY) He has seen the Father.^(AZ)

⁴⁷ “I assure you: Anyone who believes^[l] has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna^(BA) in the wilderness,^(BB) and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.^{(BC) 51} I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live^(BD) forever.^(BE) The bread that I will give for the life^(BF) of the world is My flesh.”^(BG)

⁵² At that, the Jews argued^(BH) among themselves,^(BI) “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man^(BJ) and drink His blood,^(BK) you do not have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood^(BL) has eternal life, and I will raise^(BM) him up on the last day, ⁵⁵ because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him.^{(BN) 57} Just as the living^(BO) Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live^(BP) because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna^[m] your fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”^(BQ)

⁵⁹ He said these things while teaching in the synagogue^(BR) in Capernaum.^(BS)

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept^[n] it?”

⁶¹ Jesus, knowing in Himself^(BT) that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man^(BU) ascending^(BV) to where He was before? ⁶³ The Spirit^(BW) is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning^(BX) those who would not^[o] believe and the one who would betray^(BY) Him.) ⁶⁵ He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me^(BZ) unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. ⁶⁷ Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve,^(CA) “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter^(CB) answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!”^[p](CC)

⁷⁰ Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?^(CD) Yet one of you is the Devil!”^{(CE) 71} He was referring to Judas,^(CF) Simon Iscariot’s son,^[q][r] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray^(CG) Him.