John 6:52–66

⁵²At that, the Jews argued ^ramong themselves, ^s“How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man ^tand drink His blood, ^uyou do not have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^vhas eternal life, and I will raise ^whim up on the last day, ⁵⁵because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. ⁵⁶The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him. ^x57Just as the living ^yFather sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live ^zbecause of Me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna ^ayour fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.” ^b

⁵⁹He said these things while teaching in the synagogue ^cin Capernaum. ^d

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept ^eit?”

⁶¹Jesus, knowing in Himself ^fthat His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this ^•offend you? ⁶²Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ^gascending ^hto where He was before? ⁶³The Spirit ⁱis the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning ^jthose who would not ^kbelieve and the one who would betray ^lHim.) ⁶⁵He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me ^munless it is granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.