Feeding the Five Thousand
1 After Matt. 14:13; Mark 6:32; Luke 9:10, 12these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is theSea of John 6:23; 21:1Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were Matt. 4:23; 8:16; 9:35; 14:36; 15:30; 19:2diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Lev. 23:5, 7; Deut. 16:1; John 2:13Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Matt. 14:14; Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to John 1:43Philip, "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, Num. 11:21, 22"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, John 1:40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, 2 Kin. 4:43but 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 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 Gen. 49:10; Deut. 18:15, 18; John 1:21; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37the Prophet who is to come into the world."
Jesus Walks on the Sea
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him (John 18:36)king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:47Now 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 three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were Matt. 17:6afraid. 20 But He said to them, Is. 43:1, 2"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 that one 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, Mark 1:37; Luke 4:42seeking 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 Matt. 6:19Do not labor for the food which perishes, but John 4:14; (Eph. 2:8, 9)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1; Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 5:37; Acts 2:22; 2 Pet. 1:17because 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, 1 Thess. 1:3; James 2:22; (1 John 3:23); Rev. 2:26"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
30 Therefore they said to Him, Matt. 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11; 1 Cor. 1:22"What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Ex. 16:15; Num. 11:7; 1 Cor. 10:3Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, Ex. 16:4, 15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24‘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 John 3:13, 16My 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 John 4:15Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
35 And Jesus said to them, John 6:48, 58"I am the bread of life. John 4:14; 7:37; Rev. 7:16He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never Is. 55:1, 2thirst.36 John 6:26, 64; 15:24But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet John 10:26do not believe.37 John 6:45All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and (Matt. 24:24; John 10:28, 29); 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.38 For I have come down from heaven, Matt. 26:39; John 5:30not to do My own will, John 4:34but the will of Him who sent Me.39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, John 10:28; 17:12; 18:9that 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, John 3:15, 16; 4:14; 6:27, 47, 54that 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 complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."42 And they said, Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22"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, "Do not murmur among yourselves.44 Song 1:4No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 1:29; 2:12, 13)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.45 It is written in the prophets, Is. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 4:2; (Heb. 8:10)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’John 6:37Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.46 John 1:18Not that anyone has seen the Father, Matt. 11:27; (Luke 10:22); John 7:29except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.47 Most assuredly, I say to you, (John 3:16, 18)he who believes in Me has everlasting life.48 John 6:33, 35; (Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3, 4)I am the bread of life.49 John 6:31, 58Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.50 John 6:51, 58This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.51 I am the living bread John 3:13which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and Heb. 10:5the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
52 The Jews therefore John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19quarreled 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 Matt. 26:26you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.54 John 4:14; 6:27, 40Whoever 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 food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (1 John 3:24; 4:15, 16)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 John 6:49–51This is the bread which came down from heaven—not Ex. 16:14–35as 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 Matt. 11:6; John 6:66Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?62 Mark 16:19; John 3:13; Acts 1:9; 2:32, 33; Eph. 4:8What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?63 Gen. 2:7; 2 Cor. 3:6It is the Spirit who gives life; the John 3:6flesh profits nothing. The (John 6:68; 14:24)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.64 But John 6:36there are some of you who do not believe." For John 2:24, 25; 13:11Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore John 6:37, 44, 45I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
66 Luke 9:62; John 6:60From that time many of His disciples went 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 Acts 5:20the words of eternal life. 69 Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20; John 1:49; 11:27Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
70 Jesus answered them, Luke 6:13"Did I not choose you, the twelve, (John 13:27)and one of you is a devil?"71 He spoke of John 12:4; 13:2, 26Judas Iscariot, theson of Simon, for it was he who would Matt. 26:14–16betray Him, being one of the twelve.