John 6
6
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1After this #For ver. 1-13, see Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17 Jesus went away to the other side of #See Matt. 4:18 the Sea of Galilee, which is #ch. 21:1the Sea of Tiberias. 2And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3Jesus went up on #ver. 15the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4Now #ch. 2:13; 11:55; See Ex. 12 the Passover, the #ch. 5:1; 7:2feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5#Luke 6:20 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to #ch. 1:44Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7#[Mark 6:37]Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii#6:7 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, #ch. 1:40, 44Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five #2 Kgs. 4:42, 43barley loaves and two fish, but #2 Kgs. 4:42, 43what are they for so many?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” #[Mark 6:39]Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and #ver. 23; See Matt. 15:36when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, #See ch. 4:19 “This is indeed #ch. 1:21; 7:40; See Matt. 21:11 the Prophet #ch. 11:27; See Matt. 11:3who is to come into the world!”
15 # [ch. 12:12-15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus #For ver. 15-21, see Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-51; [Matt. 8:18] withdrew again to #ver. 3the mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on 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,#6:19 Greek twenty-five or thirty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20#[Luke 24:38, 39]But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
I Am the Bread of Life
22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only #ch. 21:8one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord #ver. 11had given thanks. 24#For ver. 24, 25, [Matt. 14:34-36; Mark 6:53-56] So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and #ver. 17, 59went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, #See ch. 1:38“Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, #ver. 24 you are seeking me, not because you saw #ver. 2signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27#Isa. 55:2 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for #[ver. 35, 50, 51, 54, 58] the food that endures to eternal life, which #See Dan. 7:13 the Son of Man will give to you. For on #[ch. 5:36, 37; 10:36] him God the Father has #[Ezek. 9:4; Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 9:2; 2 Tim. 2:19]; See ch. 3:33set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing #1 Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:26the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, #1 John 3:23 that you believe in him whom #See ch. 3:17he has sent.” 30So they said to him, #See Matt. 12:38“Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31#ver. 49, 58; Ex. 16:15; Num. 11:7-9 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, #Cited from Neh. 9:15; [Ps. 78:24, 25; 105:40; 1 Cor. 10:3]‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is #ver. 50he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, #See ch. 4:15, 33“Sir, give us this bread always.”
35Jesus said to them, #ver. 41, 48, 51; [ver. 58] “I am the bread of life; #ch. 4:14; 7:37; [ch. 5:40; Matt. 11:28; Rev. 7:16]whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37#ver. 39; ch. 17:2 All that #ch. 10:29; 17:6, 9, 24 the Father gives me will come to me, and #ch. 10:28; 17:12whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38For #See ch. 3:13 I have come down from heaven, not to do #See ch. 5:30 my own will but #See ch. 5:30 the will of him #See ch. 4:34who sent me. 39And #ch. 10:28, 29; Matt. 18:14 this is the will of him who sent me, #ch. 17:12; 18:9 that I should lose nothing of #ver. 37 all that he has given me, but #ver. 40, 44, 54; [ch. 11:25; 1 Cor. 6:14]raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who #ch. 12:45; 14:17, 19 looks on the Son and #ver. 47; ch. 3:15, 16 believes in him #ver. 27, 54; ch. 4:14should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, #ver. 33, 35, 38“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They said, #See Matt. 13:55 “Is not this Jesus, #See ch. 1:45 the son of Joseph, whose father and mother #ch. 7:27, 28we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me #ch. 12:32; Jer. 31:3; Hos. 11:4; [ver. 65; ch. 4:23] draws him. And #ver. 39I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, #Cited from Isa. 54:13; [Jer. 31:33, 34; Heb. 8:10, 11] ‘And they will all be #1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 John 2:20 taught by God.’ #[ver. 37]Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46#See ch. 1:18 not that anyone has seen the Father except #See ch. 7:29 he who is from God; he #[ch. 3:32; 8:38]has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, #See ch. 3:36whoever believes has eternal life. 48#See ver. 35I am the bread of life. 49#See ver. 31 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and #ver. 58they died. 50#ver. 33 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it #ver. 51, 58and not die. 51I am the living bread #ch. 3:13 that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give #ver. 57; Luke 22:19 for the life of the world is #ver. 53-56; [ch. 1:14]my flesh.”
52The Jews then #ch. 9:16; 10:19 disputed among themselves, saying, #ver. 60; ch. 3:9“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of #ver. 27 the Son of Man and drink his blood, you #See ch. 20:31have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood #See ver. 40 has eternal life, and #ver. 39I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood #ch. 15:4, 5; 1 John 3:24; 4:13, 15, 16abides in me, and I in him. 57As #[ch. 5:26]; See Matt. 16:16 the living Father #See ch. 3:17 sent me, and #ch. 11:25; Rev. 1:18I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58#ver. 31, 33, 49-51This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread#6:58 Greek lacks the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesus#6:59 Greek He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught #ver. 24at Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 # ver. 66; [ver. 64] When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, #[ch. 2:24, 25]knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see #ver. 27 the Son of Man #See Mark 16:19 ascending to #[ch. 17:5]; See ch. 3:13where he was before? 63#[1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:6] It is the Spirit who gives life; #ch. 3:6 the flesh is no help at all. #ver. 68The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But #ver. 66 there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus #[See ver. 61 above] knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and #ver. 71; ch. 13:11who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you #ver. 44, 45; ch. 3:27that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 # ver. 60, 64 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to #ver. 70, 71the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have #Acts 5:20; [ch. 12:50; 17:8]the words of eternal life, 69and #[ch. 11:27; 1 John 4:16] we have believed, and have come to know, that #See ch. 1:49 you are #See Mark 1:24the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, #See ch. 13:18 “Did I not choose you, #[See ver. 67 above] the twelve? And yet one of you is #ch. 13:2, 27; 17:12a devil.” 71He spoke of Judas #ch. 13:26 the son of Simon Iscariot, for #ver. 64, 67he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
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John 6: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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John 6
6
Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)
1Jesus later crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or the Sea of Tiberias). 2A large crowd followed him because they saw the miracles that he performed for the sick. 3Jesus went up a mountain and sat with his disciples. 4The time for the Jewish Passover festival was near.
5As Jesus saw a large crowd coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6Jesus asked this question to test him. He already knew what he was going to do.
7Philip answered, “We would need about a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece.”
8One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter’s brother, told him, 9“A boy who has five loaves of barley bread and two small fish is here. But they won’t go very far for so many people.”
10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
The people had plenty of grass to sit on. (There were about 5,000 men in the crowd.)
11Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same thing with the fish. All the people ate as much as they wanted.
12When the people were full, Jesus told his disciples, “Gather the leftover pieces so that nothing will be wasted.” 13The disciples gathered the leftover pieces of bread and filled twelve baskets.
14When the people saw the miracle Jesus performed, they said, “This man is certainly the prophet who is to come into the world.” 15Jesus realized that the people intended to take him by force and make him king. So he returned to the mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)
16When evening came, his disciples went to the sea. 17They got into a boat and started to cross the sea to the city of Capernaum. By this time it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18A strong wind started to blow and stir up the sea.
19After they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they became terrified.
20Jesus told them, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid!”
21So they were willing to help Jesus into the boat. Immediately, the boat reached the shore where they were going.
Jesus Is the Bread of Life
22On the next day the people were still on the other side of the sea. They noticed that only one boat was there and that Jesus had not stepped into that boat with his disciples. The disciples had gone away without him. 23Other boats from Tiberias arrived near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord gave thanks. 24When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into these boats and went to the city of Capernaum to look for Jesus. 25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26Jesus replied to them, “I can guarantee this truth: You’re not looking for me because you saw miracles. You are looking for me because you ate as much of those loaves as you wanted. 27Don’t work for food that spoils. Instead, work for the food that lasts into eternal life. This is the food the Son of Man will give you. After all, the Father has placed his seal of approval on him.”
28The people asked Jesus, “What does God want us to do?”
29Jesus replied to them, “God wants to do something for you so that you believe in the one whom he has sent.”
30The people asked him, “What miracle are you going to perform so that we can see it and believe in you? What are you going to do? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert. Scripture says, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32Jesus said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33God’s bread is the man who comes from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time.”
35Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never become hungry, and whoever believes in me will never become thirsty. 36I’ve told you that you have seen me. However, you don’t believe in me. 37Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me. 38I haven’t come from heaven to do what I want to do. I’ve come to do what the one who sent me wants me to do. 39The one who sent me doesn’t want me to lose any of those he gave me. He wants me to bring them back to life on the last day. 40My Father wants all those who see the Son and believe in him to have eternal life. He wants me to bring them back to life on the last day.”
41The Jews began to criticize Jesus for saying, “I am the bread that came from heaven.” 42They asked, “Isn’t this man Jesus, Joseph’s son? Don’t we know his father and mother? How can he say now, ‘I came from heaven’?”
43Jesus responded, “Stop criticizing me! 44People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them to me. I will bring these people back to life on the last day. 45The prophets wrote, ‘God will teach everyone.’ Those who do what they have learned from the Father come to me. 46I’m saying that no one has seen the Father. Only the one who is from God has seen the Father. 47I can guarantee this truth: Every believer has eternal life.
48“I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert and died. 50This is the bread that comes from heaven so that whoever eats it won’t die. 51I am the living bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I will give to bring life to the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews began to quarrel with each other. They said, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53Jesus told them, “I can guarantee this truth: If you don’t eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have the source of life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will bring them back to life on the last day. 55My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57The Father who has life sent me, and I live because of the Father. So those who feed on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came from heaven. It is not like the bread your ancestors ate. They eventually died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”
59Jesus said this while he was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. 60When many of Jesus’ disciples heard him, they said, “What he says is hard to accept. Who wants to listen to him anymore?”
61Jesus was aware that his disciples were criticizing his message. So Jesus asked them, “Did what I say make you lose faith? 62What if you see the Son of Man go where he was before? 63Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life. The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life. 64But some of you don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning those who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray him. 65So he added, “That is why I told you that people cannot come to me unless the Father provides the way.”
66Jesus’ speech made many of his disciples go back to the lives they had led before they followed Jesus. 67So Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave me too?”
68Simon Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to what person could we go? Your words give eternal life. 69Besides, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70Jesus replied, “I chose all twelve of you. Yet, one of you is a devil.” 71Jesus meant Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles, would later betray Jesus.
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