John 6–7

1After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

2A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

3Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

4Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.

5When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”

6But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

7Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

10“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.

11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

12And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

13So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

16When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

18A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.

20But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.”

21Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.

23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.

25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

26Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?

31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

32Jesus said to them, “Truly, 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.

33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

35Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

37Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

39And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.

40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

41At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

42They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’”

43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.

44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—

46not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

47Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.

48I am the bread of life.

49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.

50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.

51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

52At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.

54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.

56Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.

57Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

59Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”

61Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?

62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

63The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

64However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)

65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”

66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.

67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”

68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

69We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”

70Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”

71He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.

1After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there were trying to kill Him.

2However, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.

3So Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples there may see the works You are doing.

4For no one who wants to be known publicly acts in secret. Since You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.”

5For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.

6Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.

7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

8Go up to the feast on your own. I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet come.”

9Having said this, Jesus remained in Galilee.

10But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, He also went—not publicly, but in secret.

11So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and asking, “Where is He?”

12Many in the crowds were whispering about Him. Some said, “He is a good man.” But others replied, “No, He deceives the people.”

13Yet no one would speak publicly about Him for fear of the Jews.

14About halfway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach.

15The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”

16“My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me.

17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.

18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.

19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”

20“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”

21Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.

22But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)

23If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?

24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

25Then some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

26Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?

27But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”

28Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come of My own accord, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him,

29but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.”

30So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

31Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?”

32When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.

33So Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me.

34You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

35At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

36What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

37On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

38Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

39He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”

41Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?

42Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”

43So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus.

44Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him.

45Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”

46“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.

47“Have you also been deceived?” replied the Pharisees.

48“Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him?

49But this crowd that does not know the law—they are under a curse.”

50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked,

51“Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”

52“Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”

53Then each went to his own home.