The Gospel According to St. John

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- Chapter 6 -

(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)

After these things, Jesus traveled across the sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

And a great multitude was following him, for they saw the signs that he was accomplishing toward those who were infirm.

Therefore, Jesus went onto a mountain, and he sat down there with his disciples.

Now the Passover, the feast day of the Jews, was near.

And so, when Jesus had lifted up his eyes and had seen that a very great multitude came to him, he said to Philip, “From where should we buy bread, so that these may eat?”

But he said this to test him. For he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii of bread would not be sufficient for each of them to receive even a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him:

“There is a certain boy here, who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are these among so many?”

Then Jesus said, “Have the men sit down to eat.” Now, there was much grass in that place. And so the men, in number about five thousand, sat down to eat.

Therefore, Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting down to eat; similarly also, from the fish, as much as they wanted.

Then, when they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments that are left over, lest they be lost.”

And so they gathered, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were left over from those who had eaten.

Therefore, those men, when they had seen that Jesus had accomplished a sign, they said, “Truly, this one is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

And so, when he realized that they were going to come and take him away and make him king, Jesus fled back to the mountain, by himself alone.

Jesus Walks on Water

(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)

Then, when evening arrived, his disciples descended to the sea.

And when they had climbed into a boat, they went across the sea to Capernaum. And darkness had now arrived, and Jesus had not returned to them.

Then the sea was stirred up by a great wind that was blowing.

And so, 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 afraid.

But he said to them: “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Therefore, they were willing to receive him into the boat. But immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Jesus the Bread of Life

On the next day, the crowd which was standing across the sea saw that there were no other small boats in that place, except one, and that Jesus had not entered into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had departed alone.

Yet truly, other boats came over from Tiberias, next to the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord gave thanks.

Therefore, when the crowd had seen that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they climbed into the small boats, and they went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

And when they had found him across the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

Jesus answered them and said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten from the bread and were satisfied.

Do not work for food that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

Therefore, they said to him, “What should we do, so that we may labor in the works of God?”

Jesus responded and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.”

And so they said to him: “Then what sign will you do, so that we may see it and believe in you? What will you work?

Our fathers ate manna in the desert, just as it has been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

Therefore, Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is he who descends from heaven and gives life to the world.”

And so they said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

Then Jesus said to them: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.(a)

But I say to you, that even though you have seen me, you do not believe.

All that the Father gives to me shall come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will not cast out.

For I descended from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

Yet this is the will of the Father who sent me: that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given to me, but that I should raise them up on the last day.

So then, this is the will of my Father who sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Therefore, the Jews murmured about him, because he had said: “I am the living bread, who descended from heaven.”(b)

And they said: “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? Then how can he say: ‘For I descended from heaven?’ ”

And so Jesus responded and said to them: “Do not choose to murmur among yourselves.

No one is able to come to me, unless the Father, who has sent me, has drawn him. And I will raise him up on the last day.(c)

It has been written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has listened and learned from the Father comes to me.(d)

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God; this one has seen the Father.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and they died.

This is the bread which descends from heaven, so that if anyone will eat from it, he may not die.

I am the living bread, who descended from heaven.

If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”

Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

And so, Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.(e)

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me.

Many Disciples Turn Back

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33)

This is the bread that descends from heaven. It is not like the manna that your fathers ate, for they died. Whoever eats this bread shall live forever.”

He said these things when he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

Therefore, many of his disciples, upon hearing this, said: “This saying is difficult,” and, “Who is able to listen to it?”

But Jesus, knowing within himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this offend you?

Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending to where he was before?(f)

It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh does not offer anything of benefit. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.(g)

(h)

(i)

But there are some among you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were unbelieving and which one would betray him.

And so he said, “For this reason, I said to you that no one is able to come to me, unless it has been given to him by my Father.”

Peter’s Confession of Faith

(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20)

After this, many of his disciples went back, and they no longer walked with him.

Therefore, Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

Then Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

And we have believed, and we recognize that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Jesus answered them: “Have I not chosen you twelve? And yet one among you is a devil.”

Now he was speaking about Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. For this one, even though he was one of the twelve, was about to betray him.

Footnotes

(a)6:35 Notice that coming to Jesus is not as effective as believing in him. The one who comes to him shall not hunger, but those who believe shall not thirst ever. The world umquam is added because coming to him is not enough to be satisfied forever in eternity; one must also believe.(Conte)

(b)6:41 The verb ‘descendi’ is here first person singular perfect active indicative, not infinitive, because the phrase ‘Ego sum’ (I am) in effect makes the word ‘qui’ (who) first person singular.(Conte)

(c)6:44 Draw him:Not by compulsion, nor by laying the free will under any necessity, but by the strong and sweet motions of his heavenly grace.(Challoner)

(d)6:45 The use of the word ‘docibiles’ here is unusual. It could also be translated as ‘And they shall all be students of God.’(Conte)

(e)6:54 Except you eat--and drink, etc:To receive the body and blood of Christ, is a divine precept, insinuated in this text; which the faithful fulfil, though they receive but in one kind; because in one kind they receive both body and blood, which cannot be separated from each other. Hence, life eternal is here promised to the worthy receiving, though but in one kind. Ver. 52. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh for the life of the world. Ver. 58. He that eats me, the same also shall live by me. Ver. 59. He that eats this bread, shall liver for ever.(Challoner)

(f)6:63 If then you shall see, etc:Christ by mentioning his ascension, by this instance of his power and divinity, would confirm the truth of what he had before asserted; and at the same time correct their gross apprehension of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, in a vulgar and carnal manner, by letting them know he should take his whole body living with him to heaven; and consequently not suffer it to be as they supposed, divided, mangled, and consumed upon earth.(Challoner)

(g)6:64 Without the grace and cooperation of the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist will not benefit those who receive it. The graces that come from receiving the Eucharist are received by a response to the graces of the Spirit, who gives life through the Eucharist.(Conte)

(h)6:64 The flesh profits nothing:Dead flesh separated from the spirit, in the gross manner they supposed they were to eat his flesh, would profit nothing. Neither doth man’s flesh, that is to say, man’s natural and carnal apprehension, (which refuses to be subject to the spirit, and words of Christ,) profit any thing. But it would be the height of blasphemy, to say the living flesh of Christ (which we receive in the blessed sacarament, with his spirit, that is, with his soul and divinity) profits nothing. For if Christ’s flesh had profitedus nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in us nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in the flesh for us.(Challoner)

(i)6:64 Are spirit and life:By proposing to you a heavenly sacrament, in which you shall receive, in a wonderful manner, spirit, grace, and life, in its very fountain.(Challoner)

(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)

After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias.

A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick.

Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples.

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

Jesus 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?”

He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

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

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

Jesus 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.

When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”

So 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.

When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.”

Jesus 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 Walks on Water

(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.

They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.

When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,(b) they saw Jesus walking on the sea

(c)

and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.

But he said to them, “It is I. (d) Don’t be afraid.”

They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Jesus the Bread of Life

On 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.

However, boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

Jesus 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.

Don’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.”

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

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

They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see and believe you? What work do you do?

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven

(e)

to eat.’”(f)

Jesus 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.

For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”

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

Jesus 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.

But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe.

All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

This 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.

This 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.”

The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.”

They 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’?”

Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day.

It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ (g) Therefore everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God. He has seen the Father.

Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.

This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die.

I 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.”

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

Jesus 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.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him.

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live because of me.

This 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.”

Many Disciples Turn Back

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33)

He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

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

But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?

Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

But 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.

He 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.”

At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

Peter’s Confession of Faith

(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20)

Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.

Footnotes

(a)6:7 A denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages for an agricultural laborer, so 200 denarii would be between 6 and 7 month’s pay.

(b)6:19 25 to 30 stadia is about 5 to 6 kilometers or about 3 to 4 miles

(d)6:20 or, I AM

(e)6:31 Greek and Hebrew use the same word for “heaven”, “the heavens”, “the sky”, and “the air”.

(f)6:31 ℘ Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalms 78:24-25

(g)6:45 ℘ Isaiah 54:13