1   Some time later Jesus withdrew to the farther shore of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias), 2   and a large crowd of people followed who had seen the signs he performed in healing the sick. 3   Then Jesus went up the hill-side and sat down with his disciples. 4   It was near the time of Passover, the great Jewish festival. 5   Raising his eyes and seeing a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?’ 6   This he said to test him; Jesus himself knew what he meant to do. 7   Philip replied, ‘Twenty pounds ^note would not buy enough bread for every one of them to have a little.’ 8   One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, 9   said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes; but what is that among so many?’ 10   Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11   Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people as they sat there. He did the same with the fishes, and they had as much as they wanted. 12   When everyone had had enough, he said to his disciples, ‘Collect the pieces left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ 13   This they did, and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left uneaten of the five barley loaves.

14   When the people saw the sign Jesus had performed, the word went round, ‘Surely this must be the prophet that was to come into the world.’ 15   Jesus, aware that they meant to come and seize him to proclaim him king, withdrew again to the hills by himself.

16    17   At nightfall his disciples went down to the sea, got into their boat, and pushed off to cross the water to Capernaum. Darkness had already fallen, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18   By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea grew rough. 19   When they had rowed about three or four miles they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. 20   They were terrified, but he called out, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ 21   Then they were ready to take him aboard, and immediately the boat reached the land they were making for.

Christ the giver of life

22   Next morning the crowd was standing on the opposite shore. They had seen only one boat there, and Jesus, they knew, had not embarked with his disciples, who had gone away without him. 23   Boats from Tiberias, however, came ashore ^note near the place where the people had eaten the bread over which the Lord gave thanks. ^note 24   When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were any longer there, they themselves went aboard these boats and made for Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25   They found him on the other side. 26   ‘Rabbi,’ they said, ‘when did you come here?’ Jesus replied, ‘In very truth I know that you have not come looking for me because you saw signs, but because you ate the bread and your hunger was satisfied. 27   You must work, not for this perishable food, but for the food that lasts, the food of eternal life.

‘This food the Son of Man will give you, for he it is upon whom God the Father has set the seal of his authority.’ 28   ‘Then what must we do’, they asked him, ‘if we are to work as God would have us work?’ 29   Jesus replied, ‘This is the work that God requires: believe in the one whom he has sent.’

30   They said, ‘What sign can you give us to see, so that we may believe you? 31   What is the work you do? Our ancestors had manna to eat in the desert; as Scripture says, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’ 32   Jesus answered, ‘I tell you this: the truth is, not that Moses gave you the bread from heaven, but that my Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33   The bread that God gives comes down ^note from heaven and brings life to the world.’ 34   They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread now and always.’ 35   Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty. 36   But you, as I said, do not believe although you have seen. ^note 37   All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the man who comes to me I will never turn away. 38   I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39   It is his will that I should not lose even one of all that he has given me, but raise them all up on the last day. 40   For it is my Father's will that everyone who looks upon the Son and puts his faith in him shall possess eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.’

41   At this the Jews began to murmur disapprovingly because he said,

Christ the giver of life ‘I am the bread which came down from heaven.’ 42   They said, ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph; we know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ 43   Jesus answered, ‘Stop murmuring among yourselves. 44   No man can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45   It is written in the prophets: “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him comes to me.

46   ‘I do not mean that anyone has seen the Father. He who has come from God has seen the Father, and he alone. 47   In truth, in very truth I tell you, the believer possesses eternal life. 48   I am the bread of life. 49   Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead. 50   I am speaking of the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat, and never die. 51   I am that living bread which has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread he shall live for ever. Moreover, the bread which I will give is my own flesh; I give it for the life of the world.’

52   This led to a fierce dispute among the Jews. ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. 53   Jesus replied, ‘In truth, in very truth I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you can have no life in you. 54   Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood possesses eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55    56   My flesh is real food; my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells continually in me and I dwell in him. 57   As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me shall live because of me. 58   This is the bread which came down from heaven; and it is not like the bread which our fathers ate: they are dead, but whoever eats this bread shall live for ever.’

59   This was spoken in synagogue when Jesus was teaching in Capernaum. 60   Many of his disciples on hearing it exclaimed, ‘This is more than we can stomach! 61   Why listen to such talk?’ Jesus was aware that his disciples were murmuring about it and asked them, ‘Does this shock you? 62   What if you see the Son of Man ascending to the place where he was before? 63   The spirit alone gives life; the flesh is of no avail; the words which I have spoken to you are both spirit and life. 64   And yet there are some of you who have no faith.’ For Jesus knew all along who were without faith and who was to

Christ the giver of life betray him. 65   So he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.’

66   From that time on, many of his disciples withdrew and no longer went about with him. 67   So Jesus asked the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave me?’ 68   Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? 69   Your words are words of eternal life. We have faith, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.’ 70   Jesus answered, ‘Have I not chosen you, all twelve? 71   Yet one of you is a devil.’ He meant Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. He it was who would betray him, and he was one of the Twelve.

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