Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

1After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2Now a large crowd was following Him, because they were seeing the [†]signs which He was doing on those who were sick. 3Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He was sitting down with His disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where should we buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6And this He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. 7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred [†]denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” 8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Have the people [†]sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men [†]sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14Therefore when the people saw the [†]sign which He had done, they were saying, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Sea

15So Jesus, knowing that they were going to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17and after getting into a boat, they began to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18And the sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19Then, when they had rowed about [†]twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20But He said to them, [†]“It is I; [†]do not be afraid.” 21So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22On the next day, the crowd which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23Other small boats came from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

I Am the Bread of Life

26Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, set His seal.” 28Therefore they said to Him, “What should we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” 30So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD FROM HEAVEN TO EAT.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is [†]that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Words to the Jews

41Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT BY GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that one 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 also the bread which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

52Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “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 the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

Words to the Disciples

59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were grumbling at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63The Spirit is the One who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would [†]betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

Peter Confesses Jesus Is the Christ

66As a result of this many of His disciples [†]went away and were not walking with Him anymore. 67So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go?” 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71Now He was speaking of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, [†]was going to betray Him.