John 6
1599 Geneva Bible
6 5 Five thousand are fed with five loaves and two fishes. 15 Christ goeth apart from the people. 17 As his disciples were rowing, 19 he cometh to them walking on the water. 26 He reasoneth of the true 27 and everlasting, 35 bread of life. 42, 52 The Jews murmur, 60 and many of the disciples, 66 depart from him. 69 The Apostles confess him to be the Son of God.
1 After these things, Jesus went his way [a]over the sea of Galilee, which is Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles, which he did on them that were diseased.
3 Then Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover a (A)feast of the Jews was near.
5 (B)[b]Then Jesus lift up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude came unto him, he said unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these might eat?
6 (And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.)
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may take a little.
8 Then said unto him one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,
9 There is a little boy here, which hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the people sit down. (Now there was much grass in that place.) Then the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the bread, and gave thanks, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down: and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 And when they were satisfied, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the broken meat which remaineth, that nothing be lost.
13 Then they gathered it together, and filled twelve baskets with the broken meat of the five barley loaves, which remained unto them that had eaten.
14 Then the men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.
15 [c]When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come, and take him to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
16 ¶ [d]When even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 (C)And entered into a ship, and went over the sea, [e]towards Capernaum: and now it was dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the Sea arose with a great wind that blew.
19 And when they had rowed about five and twenty, or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near unto the ship: so they were afraid.
20 But he said unto them, It is I: be not afraid.
21 Then [f]willingly they received him into the ship, and the ship was by and by at the land, whither they went.
22 ¶ The day following, the people which stood on the other side of the sea, saw that there was none other ship there, save that one, where into his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples in the ship, but that his disciples were gone alone,
23 And that there came other ships from Tiberias near unto the place where they ate the bread, after the Lord had given thanks.
24 Now when the people saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 [g]Jesus answered them, and said, Verily, verily I say unto you, Ye seek me not, because ye saw the miracles, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.
27 [h]Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath (D)God the Father [i]sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the [j]works of God?
29 [k]Jesus answered, and said unto them, (E)[l]This is the work of God, that ye believe in him, whom he hath sent.
30 [m]They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see it, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat Manna in the desert, as it is (F)written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 [n]Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not [o]that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you that true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then they said unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am that bread [p]of life: he that cometh to me, shall not hunger, and he that believeth in me, shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 [q]All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I cast not away.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine [r]own will, but his will which hath sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every man which [s]seeth the Son, and believeth in him, should have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 [t]The Jews then murmured at him because he said, I am that bread, which is come down from heaven.
42 And they said, (G)Is not this Jesus that son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how then saith he, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus then answered, and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the (H)[u]Prophets, And they shall be all [v]taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me:
46 (I)Not that any man hath seen the Father, [w]save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth in me, hath everlasting life.
48 [x]I am that bread of life.
49 (J)Your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 [y]This is that bread, which cometh down from heaven, that he which eateth of it, should not die.
51 [z]I am that [aa]living bread, which came down from heaven: if any man [ab]eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 [ac]Then the Jews strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have [ad]no life in you.
54 Whosoever (K)eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As [ae]that living Father hath sent me, so live I by the [af]Father, and he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers have eaten Manna, and are dead. He that eateth of this bread, shall live forever.
59 These things spake he in the Synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 [ag]Many therefore of his disciples (when they heard this) said, This is an hard saying: who can hear it?
61 But Jesus knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What then if ye should see that Son of man ascend up (L)where he was before?
63 [ah]It is the [ai]spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not: for Jesus knew from the beginning, which they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of my Father.
66 [aj]From that time, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus to the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Master, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life:
69 And we believe and know that thou art that Christ that Son of the living God.
70 [ak]Jesus answered them, Have not I (M)chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 Now he spake it of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, though he was one of the twelve.
Footnotes
- John 6:1 Not that he cut over the lake of Tiberias, but by reason of the large creeks, his sailing made his journey the shorter: therefore he is said to have gone over the sea, when as he passed over from one side of the creek to the other.
- John 6:5 They that follow Christ do sometimes hunger, but they are never destitute of help.
- John 6:15 Christ is not only not delighted, but also greatly offended with a preposterous worship.
- John 6:16 The godly are often in peril and danger, but Christ cometh to them in time, even in the midst of the tempests, and bringeth them to the heaven.
- John 6:17 In Mark 6:45 they are willed to go before to Bethsaida, for Bethsaida was in the way to Capernaum.
- John 6:21 They were afraid at the first, but when they knew his voice, they became new men, and took him willingly into the ship, whom they had shunned and fled from before.
- John 6:26 They that seek the kingdom of heaven lack nothing: notwithstanding the Gospel is not the food of the belly, but of the mind.
- John 6:27 Bestow your labor and pain.
- John 6:27 That is, whom God the Father hath distinguished from all other men by planting his own virtue in him, as though he had sealed him with his seal, that he might be a lively pattern and representer of him: and that more is, installed him to this office, to reconcile us men to God, and bring us to everlasting life, which is only proper to Christ.
- John 6:28 Which please God: for they think that everlasting life hangeth upon the condition of fulfilling the Law: therefore Christ calleth them back to faith.
- John 6:29 Men torment themselves in vain, when they go about to please God without faith.
- John 6:29 That is, this is the work that God requireth, that you believe in me, and therefore he calleth them back to faith.
- John 6:30 The spiritual virtue of Christ is contemned of them which are desirous of earthly miracles.
- John 6:32 Christ, who is the true and only author and giver of eternal life, was signified unto the fathers, in Manna.
- John 6:32 He denieth that Manna was that true heavenly bread, and saith that he himself is that true bread, because he feedeth unto the true and everlasting life. And as for that, that Paul 1 Cor. 10 calleth Manna spiritual food, it maketh nothing against this place, for he joineth the thing signified with the sign: but in this whole disputation, Christ dealeth with the Jews after their own opinion and conceit of the matter, and they had no further consideration of the Manna, but in that it fed the belly.
- John 6:35 Which have life, and give life.
- John 6:37 The gift of faith proceedeth from the free election of the Father in Christ, after which followeth necessarily everlasting life: Therefore faith in Christ Jesus is a sure witness of our election, and therefore of our glorification, which is to come.
- John 6:38 See John 5:22.
- John 6:40 Seeing and believing are joined together: for there is another kind of seeing, which is general, which the devils have, for they see: but here he speaketh of that kind of seeing, which is proper to the elect.
- John 6:41 Flesh cannot perceive spiritual things, and therefore the beginning of our salvation cometh from God, who changeth our nature, so that we being inspired of him, may abide to be instructed and saved by Christ.
- John 6:45 In the book of the Prophets, for the old Testament was divided by them into three several parts, into the Law the Prophets, and the Holy writ.
- John 6:45 To wit, they shall be children of the Church, for so the Prophet Isaiah expoundeth it, Isa. 54:13, that is to say, ordained to life, Acts 13:48, and therefore the knowledge of the heavenly truth, is the gift and work of God, and standeth not in any power of man.
- John 6:46 If the son only hath seen the Father, then it is he only that can teach and instruct us truly.
- John 6:48 The true use of Sacraments, is to ascend from them to the thing itself, that is to Christ: and by the partaking of whom only, we get everlasting life.
- John 6:50 He pointed out himself when he spake these words.
- John 6:51 Christ being sent from the Father, is the selfsame unto us for the getting and keeping of everlasting life, that bread and flesh, yea meat and drink are to the use of this transitory life.
- John 6:51 Which giveth life to the world.
- John 6:51 That is to say, whosoever is partaker of Christ indeed, who is our food.
- John 6:52 Flesh cannot put a difference between fleshly eating which is done by the help of the teeth, and spiritual eating which consisteth in faith, and therefore is condemneth that which it understandeth not: yet notwithstanding the truth must be preached and taught.
- John 6:53 If Christ be present, life is present, but when Christ is absent, then is death present.
- John 6:57 In that that Christ is man, he receiveth that power which quickeneth and giveth life to them that are his, of his Father: and he addeth this word (That) to make a difference between him and all other fathers.
- John 6:57 Christ his meaning is, that though he be man, yet his flesh can give life, not of the own nature, but because that flesh of his liveth by the Father, that is to say, death suck and draw out of the Father, that power which it hath to give life.
- John 6:60 The reason of man cannot comprehend the uniting of Christ and his members: therefore let it worship and reverence that which is better than itself.
- John 6:63 The flesh of Christ doth therefore quicken us, because that he that is man, is God: which mystery is only comprehended by faith, which is the gift of God, properly only to the elect.
- John 6:63 Spirit, that is, that power which floweth from the Godhead, causeth the flesh of Christ, which otherwise were nothing but flesh, but to live in itself, and to give life to us.
- John 6:66 Such is the malice of men, that they take occasion of their own destruction, even of the very doctrine of salvation (unless it be a few, which believe through the singular gift of God.)
- John 6:70 The number of the professors, of Christ is very small, and among them also there be some hypocrites, and worse than all others.
John 6
New King James Version
Feeding the Five Thousand(A)
6 After (B)these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of (C)Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were (D)diseased.[a] 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 (E)Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 (F)Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to (G)Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, (H)“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, (I)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, (J)but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them [b]to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly (K)the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus Walks on the Sea(L)
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him (M)king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 (N)Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about [c]three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were (O)afraid. 20 But He said to them, (P)“It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except [d]that one [e]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, (Q)seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 (R)Do not labor for the food which perishes, but (S)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, (T)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, (U)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, (V)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 (W)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, (X)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but (Y)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 (Z)Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, (AA)“I am the bread of life. (AB)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never (AC)thirst. 36 (AD)But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet (AE)do not believe. 37 (AF)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and (AG)the one who comes to Me I will [f]by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, (AH)not to do My own will, (AI)but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, (AJ)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, (AK)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then [g]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, (AL)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, [h]“Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 (AM)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (AN)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, (AO)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ (AP)Therefore everyone who [i]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 (AQ)Not that anyone has seen the Father, (AR)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, (AS)he who believes [j]in Me has everlasting life. 48 (AT)I am the bread of life. 49 (AU)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 (AV)This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread (AW)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and (AX)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore (AY)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless (AZ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 (BA)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [k]food indeed, and My blood is [l]drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (BB)abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 (BC)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not (BD)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 (BE)Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a [m]hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples [n]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this [o]offend you? 62 (BF)What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 (BG)It is the Spirit who gives life; the (BH)flesh profits nothing. The (BI)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But (BJ)there are some of you who do not believe.” For (BK)Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore (BL)I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 (BM)From that time many of His disciples went [p]back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (BN)the words of eternal life. 69 (BO)Also we have come to believe and know that You are the [q]Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, (BP)“Did I not choose you, the twelve, (BQ)and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of (BR)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would (BS)betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Footnotes
- John 6:2 sick
- John 6:11 NU omits to the disciples, and the disciples
- John 6:19 Lit. 25 or 30 stadia
- John 6:22 NU omits that
- John 6:22 NU omits which His disciples had entered
- John 6:37 certainly not
- John 6:41 grumbled
- John 6:43 Stop grumbling
- John 6:45 M hears and has learned
- John 6:47 NU omits in Me
- John 6:55 NU true food
- John 6:55 NU true drink
- John 6:60 difficult
- John 6:61 grumbled
- John 6:61 make you stumble
- John 6:66 Or away; lit. to the back
- John 6:69 NU Holy One of God.
John 6
New Catholic Bible
The Bread of Life[a]
Chapter 6
Signs of Salvation
Jesus Feeds the Crowds.[b] 1 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias, 2 and a large crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he performed on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down there with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was approaching.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because Jesus himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages[c] would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what help will they be among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they all had eaten enough, he said to the disciples, “Gather up the fragments that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign he had performed, they began to say, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Then Jesus realized that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, so he again withdrew to the mountain by himself.
16 Jesus Walks on the Water.[d] When evening came, the disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and set out across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 The sea then became rough because a strong wind had started to blow.
19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I.[e] Do not be afraid!” 21 They were ready to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately reached the shore toward which they were heading.
Jesus, the Bread of Life for Believers[f]
Earthly Food and Heavenly Bread.[g] The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea realized that there had only been one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples; rather, the disciples had left by themselves. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.25 When the people found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you came looking for me
not because you have seen signs
but because you ate the loaves
and your hunger was satisfied.
27 Do not work for 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.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do if we are to carry out the works of God?” 29 Jesus replied,
“This is the work of God:
to believe in the one whom he has sent.”
30 They asked him further, “What sign can you give us that we can see and come to believe in you? What work will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven[h] to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus replied,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses
who gave you the bread from heaven.
It is my Father
who gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is
he who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
34 The Bread of Life.[i]“Sir,” they begged him, “give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus answered them,
“I am[j] the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me
and yet you do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me
will come to me,
and anyone who comes to me
I will never turn away.
38 For I have come down from heaven
not to do my own will
but the will of him who sent me.
39 “And this is the will of him who sent me:
that I should lose nothing
of all that he has given me,
but that I should raise it up
on the last day.
40 This indeed is the will of my Father:
that all who see the Son
and believe in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise them up
on the last day.”
41 Faith, a Gift of God.[k] Then the Jews murmured about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop murmuring among yourselves!” Jesus said.
44 “No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise up that person on the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets,
‘They will all be taught by God.’
Everyone who has listened to my Father
and learned from him comes to me.
46 Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
47 “Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
My Flesh for the Life of the World[l]
48 “I am the bread of life.
49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness,
and yet they died.
50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that one may eat it and not die.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews started to argue among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
54 Whoever feeds upon my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
55 For my flesh is real food,
and my blood is real drink.
56 “Whoever feeds upon my flesh and drinks my blood
dwells in me and I dwell in him.
57 Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so whoever feeds upon me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate
and nevertheless died,
the one who feeds upon this bread
will live forever.”
59 The Holy One of God.[m] Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. 60 After hearing his words, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard saying. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware of the complaints of his disciples, Jesus said to them,
“Does this shock you?
62 What then if you were to behold the Son of Man
ascend to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life;
the flesh[n] can achieve nothing.
The words that I have spoken to you
are spirit and life.
64 But there are some among you
who do not believe.”
For from the very beginning Jesus knew who did not believe, and who would betray him. 65 He said,
“This is why I told you
that no one can come to me
unless it is granted to him by my Father.”
66 After this, many of his disciples turned away and no longer remained with him. 67 Then Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you also wish to leave?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Jesus replied, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Although he was one of the Twelve, he would be the one who would betray him.
Footnotes
- John 6:1 The Jewish Passover is near at hand, and with it the days on which unleavened bread is eaten as a sign of renewal; the action also recalls the manna that fed the Hebrews in the wilderness. It is in this context that the evangelist places Jesus’ act of feeding the hungry crowd. The whole action is a sign and foreshadowing of a new Passover and a true life-giving food. Jesus himself, in his person, is the bread of life that God offers to humanity. In order to receive this bread that makes a person live forever, one must believe in the Word.
- John 6:1 This is one of the rare passages in which all four Gospels are clearly parallel. At this point, John introduces the discourse on the bread of life. The sign of the loaves is seen as a symbol of the food given to mankind in the Word of God and especially in the Eucharist.
- John 6:7 Two hundred days’ wages: literally: two hundred denarii. A denarius was the average wage for a day’s work (see Mt 20:2).
- John 6:16 This account is connected with the preceding passage in the oldest tradition. Like the miracle of the loaves, it shows the absolute mastery Jesus exercises over creatures. For the disciples it is an invitation to believe without reserve: with Jesus present, they will lack nothing, and nothing can put them in peril.
- John 6:20 It is I: literally, “I AM,” the formula that reveals the name of the Lord in the Old Testament (see Ex 3:14; Isa 41:4, 10, 14; 43:1-3, 10, 13). Hence, the evangelist is alluding to Jesus as the Son of God. See note on Jn 4:26.
- John 6:22 Jesus’ gestures and actions are always signs of God; in them is expressed something of the mystery of Christ. Thus, the fourth evangelist places on the lips of Jesus a discourse that unveils the mystery. Here, then, is the deep meaning of the miracle of the loaves: Jesus is the Messenger of God, the true Bread handed over to gain life with God for the whole world.
22
Thus, it is announced that the words of Jesus are food for people, and that the life of Jesus is given on the cross for the salvation of all. But the Christian addressees of the fourth Gospel could not read this discourse without interpreting it as already announcing the rite inaugurated at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26), the Eucharist, memorial of the body handed over, of the blood shed, of the sacrifice of the cross.
Therefore, this discourse can be read on two levels. The author of the Gospel certainly wanted it so read: the word of God instructs one in the ways of God and the word of God is the bread of life that nourishes the spiritual hunger of God’s people. - John 6:22 There is a hunger for everlasting life, a hunger for God! And there is a bread of God, a food that gives everlasting life to those who believe in Jesus. The miracle of the manna was a symbol of this food (Ex 16:4, 13-15).
- John 6:31 Bread from heaven: see Ex 16:4, 15, 32-34; Ps 78:24. There was a belief that the manna had been hidden by Jeremiah (see 2 Mac 2:5-8) and would reappear at Passover in Messianic times.
- John 6:34 Jesus makes an astonishing affirmation: there is a Bread of God for us, and it is a person. Jesus himself fulfills his Father’s plan for us; in Jesus, God is present so that we may have true life. To receive God’s Bread is to believe in Jesus and accept him as the Son of God to receive through him the life his Father intends for us. What an astonishing gift! Jesus does not allow himself to be worshiped as a god or a hero; he says of himself that he came to satisfy the hunger of people and to fulfill our life. Every other food is only a diversion for our essential hunger. Jesus is the Bread that satisfies this hunger.
- John 6:35 I am . . . : this is the first of seven self-descriptions of Jesus introduced by “I am” (see Jn 8:12; and 9:5; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). These echo Ex 3:14 (see notes on Jn 4:26 and 6:20).
- John 6:41 During the period in the wilderness, the Hebrews doubted the Lord and “grumbled” against him; the memory of this had remained as a warning for all time (see Ex 16; Num 11; Ps 106:25).
When the fourth Gospel speaks of “the Jews,” the reference is to this mentality, this attitude of rejection, rather than to people as a whole or even to their leaders. - John 6:48 In what sense does Jesus do the Father’s will? By giving his life. He does not use the word “sacrifice,” but the terms “flesh” and “blood” express that idea in a very realistic way. In this gift, the life of the Father is given to human beings and becomes their everlasting life. That is a strong statement, and yet the objection of the Jews, who take it in the most material sense, does not lead to any toning down of it. On the contrary!
- John 6:59 After the success of the multiplication of loaves, scandal arises. The “flesh” (v. 63)—that is, people with their petty desires and thoughts—could not but be shocked by a revelation as absolute as the one they have just heard (that Jesus is the living Bread come down from heaven). Many of his disciples as well as some other people stopped following him, and Judas was already thinking of handing him over.
Only the Spirit gives people the will to believe that the Father speaks in Jesus. It is the Spirit who inspires Peter’s profession of faith (see Mt 16:16; Mk 8:29; Lk 9:20). But the Spirit would not be given in fullness until after Jesus’ Resurrection (see Jn 7:39).
In regard to Jesus, there is a division among the people. This division and Peter’s profession of faith mark a parting of the ways in the life of Jesus. The time of revelation to the disciples has begun and from now on the conflict with the official religion will develop irreconcilably. - John 6:63 Flesh: the human being with its desires and thoughts.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
