John 6

John 6:1-6

¹After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. ²A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. ³Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. ⁴Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. ⁵Jesus therefore, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee, a great crowd follows, and He tests Philip about feeding them.

John 6:7

⁷Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may receive a little.”

Philip calculates that two hundred denarii of bread would not be enough.

John 6:8-9

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 among so many?”

Andrew mentions a boy’s five barley loaves and two fish, noting how little they are for so many.

John 6:10-15

¹⁰Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down, likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. ¹²When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” ¹³So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” ¹⁵Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus feeds about five thousand men, gathers twelve baskets of leftovers, and withdraws when the crowd tries to make Him king by force.

John 6:16-21

¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea. ¹⁷They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. ¹⁸The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. ¹⁹When therefore 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 afraid. ²⁰But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²¹They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

The disciples struggle on a rough sea until Jesus walks on the water, says it is He, and immediately the boat reaches land.

John 6:22-25

²²On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. ²³However, boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. ²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

The crowd seeks Jesus across the sea, puzzled at how He arrived, and finds Him in Capernaum.

John 6:26-27

²⁶Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

Jesus says they seek Him for food that perishes and urges them to work for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give.

John 6:28

²⁸They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”

They ask what they must do to work the works of God.

John 6:29

²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Jesus defines God’s work as believing in the One He has sent.

John 6:30-31

³⁰They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do? ³¹Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”

They demand a sign and cite manna in the wilderness as the standard.

John 6:32-33

³²Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”

Jesus says the true bread from heaven is the Father’s gift—He who comes down and gives life to the world.

John 6:34

³⁴They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

They ask the Lord always to give them this bread.

John 6:35-40

³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. ³⁷All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁰This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus is the bread of life; whoever comes and believes will not hunger, and He will lose none of all the Father gives Him but raise them on the last day.

John 6:41-42

⁴¹The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” ⁴²They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”

The crowd murmurs because Jesus claims to be bread from heaven though they know His earthly parents.

John 6:43-51

⁴³Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. ⁴⁴No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me. ⁴⁶Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me 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 out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jesus teaches that the Father draws people to Him, that believers have eternal life, and that the bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world.

John 6:52

⁵²The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

They argue how this man can give them His flesh to eat.

John 6:53-59

⁵³Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Jesus insists on eating His flesh and drinking His blood for eternal life, abiding in Him, and living because of Him, teaching this in Capernaum’s synagogue.

John 6:60

⁶⁰Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”

Many disciples call this a hard saying and struggle to listen.

John 6:61-65

⁶¹But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? ⁶²Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. ⁶⁴But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. ⁶⁵He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”

Jesus asks if they are offended, points to His ascending, says the Spirit gives life, and notes that no one comes unless it is given by the Father.

John 6:66-67

⁶⁶At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. ⁶⁷Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”

Many disciples turn back; Jesus asks the Twelve if they also want to go away.

John 6:68-69

⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter confesses that Jesus has the words of eternal life and that they have believed He is the Holy One of God.

John 6:70-71

⁷⁰Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” ⁷¹Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus notes He chose the Twelve yet one is a devil, speaking of Judas who would betray Him.

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