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The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Verse1After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

Verse2A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.

Verse3Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

Verse4Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.

Verse5When 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?”

Verse6But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

Verse7Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”

Verse8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

Verse9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

Verse10“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.

Verse11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

Verse12And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

Verse13So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Verse14When 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.”

Verse15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

Jesus Walks on Water

Verse16When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

Verse17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

Verse18A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

Verse19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.

Verse20But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.”

Verse21Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Jesus the Bread of Life

Verse22The 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.

Verse23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

Verse24So 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.

Verse25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Verse26Jesus 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.

Verse27Do 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.”

Verse28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

Verse29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

Verse30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?

Verse31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

Verse32Jesus 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.

Verse33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Verse34“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

Verse35Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

Verse36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

Verse37Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

Verse38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

Verse39And 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.

Verse40For 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.”

Verse41At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

Verse42They 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?’”

Verse43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.

Verse44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Verse45It 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—

Verse46not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

Verse47Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.

Verse48I am the bread of life.

Verse49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.

Verse50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.

Verse51I 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.”

Verse52At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

Verse53So 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.

Verse54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Verse55For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.

Verse56Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.

Verse57Just 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.

Verse58This 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.”

Many Disciples Turn Back

Verse59Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Verse60On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”

Verse61Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you?

Verse62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

Verse63The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Verse64However, 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.)

Verse65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”

Verse66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.

Peter’s Confession of Faith

Verse67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”

Verse68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Verse69We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God. ”

Verse70Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”

Verse71He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.