1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. |
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. |
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. |
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. |
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? |
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. |
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. |
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, |
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? |
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. |
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. |
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. |
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. |
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. |
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. |
16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, |
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. |
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. |
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. |
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. |
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. |
22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; |
23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) |
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. |
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? |
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. |
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. |
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? |
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. |
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? |
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. |
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. |
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. |
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. |
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. |
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. |
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. |
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. |
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. |
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. |
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. |
6
6:1 After these things - The history of between ten and eleven months is to be supplied here from the other evangelists. Mat 14:13; Mar 6:32; Luk 9:10.
6:3 Jesus went up - Before the people overtook him.
6:5 Jesus saith to Philip - Perhaps he had the care of providing victuals for the family of the apostles.
6:15 He retired to the mountain alone - Having ordered his disciples to cross over the lake.
6:16 Mat 14:22; Mar 6:45.
6:22 Who had stood on the other side - They were forced to stay a while, because there were then no other vessels; and they stayed the less unwillingly, because they saw that Jesus was not embarked.
6:26 Our Lord does not satisfy their curiosity, but corrects the wrong motive they had in seeking him: because ye did eat - Merely for temporal advantage. Hitherto Christ had been gathering hearers: he now begins to try their sincerity, by a figurative discourse concerning his passion, and the fruit of it, to be received by faith.
6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth - For bodily food: not for that only not chiefly: not at all, but in subordination to grace, faith, love, the meat which endureth to everlasting life.Labour, work for this; for everlasting life. So our Lord expressly commands, work for life, as well as from life: from a principle of faith and love. Him hath the Father sealed - By this very miracle, as well as by his whole testimony concerning him.See Joh 3:33.Sealing is a mark of the authenticity of a writing.
6:28 The works of God - Works pleasing to God.
6:29 This is the work of God - The work most pleasing to God, and the foundation of all others: that ye believe - He expresses it first properly, afterward figuratively.
6:30 What sign dost thou? - Amazing, after what they had just seen!
6:31 Our fathers ate manna - This sign Moses gave them. He gave them bread from heaven - From the lower sublunary heaven; to which Jesus opposes the highest heaven: in which sense he says seven times, Joh 6:32-33, Joh 6:38, Joh 6:50, Joh 6:58, Joh 6:62, that he himself came down from heaven.
6:32 Moses gave you not bread from heaven - It was not Moses who gave the manna to your fathers; but my Father who now giveth the true bread from heaven. Psa 78:24.
6:33 He that - giveth life to the world - Not (like the manna) to one people only: and that from generation to generation. Our Lord does not yet say, I am that bread; else the Jews would not have given him so respectful an answer, Joh 6:34.
6:34 Give us this bread - Meaning it still, in a literal sense: yet they seem now to be not far from believing.
6:35 I am the bread of life - Having and giving life: he that cometh - he that believeth - Equivalent expressions: shall never hunger,thirst - Shall be satisfied, happy, for ever.
6:36 I have told you - Namely, Joh 6:26.
6:37 All that the Father giveth me - All that feel themselves lost, and follow the drawings of the Father, he in a peculiar manner giveth to the Son: will come to me - By faith. And him that thus cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out - I will give him pardon, holiness, and heaven, if he endure to the end - to rejoice in his light.
6:39 Of all which he hath already given me - See Joh 17:6, Joh 17:12.If they endure to the end. But Judas did not.
6:40 Here is the sum of the three foregoing verses. This is the will of him that sent me - This is the whole of what I have said: this is the eternal, unchangeable will of God. Every one who truly believeth, shall have everlasting life. Every one that seeth and believeth - The Jews saw, and yet believed not. And I will raise him up - As this is the will of him that sent me, I will perform it effectually.