The next day in the Synagogue in Capernaum. The same crowd that had eaten the Loaves and the Fishes leave Christ in disgust on learning that He is the Bread of Life and not a Political Messiah.
John 6:22-71
John 6:22-71
22On the morrow the multitude which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other1boat there, save one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the boat, butthathis disciples went away alone23(howbeit there came2boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks):24when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they themselves got into the2boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.25And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.27Work not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father,evenGod, hath sealed.28They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom3he hath sent.30They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou?31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat [see Ex. 16:4, 15; Ps. 78:24; Neh. 9:15].32Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven.33For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.34They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.35Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.36But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not.37All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.38For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.39And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.40For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and4I will raise him up at the last day.
41The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven.42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven?43Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.44No man can come to me, except the Father which sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.45It is written in the prophets [see Isa. 54:13], And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me.46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is from God, he hath seen the Father.47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life.48I am the bread of life.49Your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died.50This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.51I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
52The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?53Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves.54He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.55For my flesh is5meat indeed, and my blood is6drink indeed.56He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me.58This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers did eat, and died: he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.59These things said he in7the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60Many therefore of his disciples, when they heardthis,said, This is a hard saying; who can hear8it?61But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble?62Whatthen if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.65And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.
66Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.67Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away?68Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou9hast the words of eternal life.69And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.70Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?71Now he spake of Judasthe sonof Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him,beingone of the twelve.
1Gr.little boat.
2Gr.little boats.
3Or,he sent.
4Or,that I should raise him up.
5Gr.true meat.
6Gr.true drink.
7Or,a synagogue.
8Or,him.
9Or,hast words.
Probably in Capernaum
Probably in Capernaum
1Or,surely die.
2Some ancient authorities addor his mother.
3Some ancient authorities readlaw.
4Gr.caused to stumble.
5Gr.planting.
6Or,common.
7Or,up to the elbow. Gr.with the fist.
8Gr.baptize. Some ancient authorities readsprinkle themselves.
9Gr.baptizings.
10Many ancient authorities addand couches.
11Many ancient authorities insert ver. 16If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.
12Gr.thoughts that are evil.
1Gr.demon.
2Or,loaf.
3Some ancient authorities omitand Sidon.
4Or,Gentile.
aIt used to be questioned whether he actually left the land of Israel. Matthew's expression ought to have settled the question, and the corrected text ofMark 7:31leaves no doubt.
1Gr.loaves.
aObserve how carefully he keeps away from the territory ruled by Herod Antipas. The tetrarch Philip, who governed the districts east of the Lake of Galilee and of the upper Jordan, was a better man than Antipas, and moreover had no cause to feel uneasy about Jesus.
bIt is to be noted that Mark and Matthew give the feeding of the five thousand and of the four thousand. Mark and Matthew likewise report Jesus as referring to both incidents (Mark 8:19-20 = Matt. 16:9-10). Hence, it is hard to think of a mere confusion in the use of the data. There is no real reason why both incidents could not be true.
1The following words, to the end of ver. 3, are omitted by some of the most ancient and other important authorities.
aThe situation of Magadan was unknown to some early students or copyists, as it is to us, and so they changed it to the familiar Magdala, found in our common texts.
bThe moment he returns to Galilee the Jewish leaders begin to attack him.
1Gr.loaves.
2Or, It isbecause we took no bread.
3Basketin ver. 9 and 10 represents different Greek words.
4Some ancient authorities readbecause they had no bread.
5Or, It isbecause we have no bread.
6Basketin ver. 19 and 20 represents different Greek words.
aJesus goes on to the region of Cæsarea Philippi on Mount Hermon, where no hostility had been aroused, and he could quietly instruct the Twelve. He probably remained in that vicinity several months, as this whole period of retirement lasted six months. He was near Bethsaida Julias in the First Retirement and now he stops here again on his way to Cæsarea Philippi. Each of the four retirements is into heathen territory (Ituræa twice, Phoenicia, Decapolis), where Greek influence prevails, and where the Greek language is dominant.
1Many ancient authorities readthat I the Son of man am. See Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18.
2Gr.Petros.
3Gr.petra.
aSome understand ver. 16f. as showing that they had never before believed him to be the Messiah, and so hold that the other Gospels here utterly conflict with John, who represents the first disciples (§§28,35) as believing Jesus to be the Messiah. But it is easy to suppose that their early faith in his Messiahship was shaken by his continued failure to gather armies and set up the expected temporal kingdom, and while still believing him to have a divine mission they had questioned whether he was the Messiah, as John the Baptist did in prison (§ 57). Observe that in Matthew and Luke he long before this time distinctivelyimpliedthat he was the Messiah, in response to the Forerunner's inquiries (§ 57). Besides, at the Baptism and the Temptation, the Synoptic Gospels represent Jesus as the Son of God.
bIt is interesting to note that the imagery employed by Jesus here all appears in Ps. 89, a Messianic Psalm built on 2 Sam. 7. Thus note "build" in Ps. 89:4, "rock" in 89:26, "anointed" in 89:38, "the power of Sheol" in 89:48, and the Psalm discusses the perpetuity of the Davidic throne (Kingdom). Jesus applies this imagery to the spiritual Kingdom that He is building.
1Some ancient authorities readJesus Christ.
2Or, Godhave mercy on thee.
3Or,soul.