Bible Gateway passage: John 6:22-59 - New King James Version (2024)

The Bread from Heaven

²²On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except ^[a]that one ^[b]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— ²³however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— ²⁴when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, ^(A)seeking Jesus. ²⁵And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

²⁶Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ^27(B)Do not labor for the food which perishes, but ^(C)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, ^(D)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

²⁸Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

²⁹Jesus answered and said to them, ^(E)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

³⁰Therefore they said to Him, ^(F)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? ^31(G)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ^(H)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

³²Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but ^(I)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

^34(J)Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

³⁵And Jesus said to them, ^(K)“I am the bread of life. ^(L)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never ^(M)thirst. ^36(N)But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet ^(O)do not believe. ^37(P)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and ^(Q)the one who comes to Me I will ^[c]by no means cast out. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven, ^(R)not to do My own will, ^(S)but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹This is the will of the Father who sent Me, ^(T)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ⁴⁰And this is the will of Him who sent Me, ^(U)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Rejected by His Own

⁴¹The Jews then ^[d]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” ⁴²And they said, ^(V)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ^[e]“Do not murmur among yourselves. ^44(W)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ^(X)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, ^(Y)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ ^(Z)Therefore everyone who ^[f]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. ^46(AA)Not that anyone has seen the Father, ^(AB)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(AC)he who believes ^[g]in Me has everlasting life. ^48(AD)I am the bread of life. ^49(AE)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ^50(AF)This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread ^(AG)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and ^(AH)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

⁵²The Jews therefore ^(AI)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless ^(AJ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ^54(AK)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For My flesh is ^[h]food indeed, and My blood is ^[i]drink indeed. ⁵⁶He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^(AL)abides 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 live because of Me. ^58(AM)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not ^(AN)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

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