John 6:52–69

52 So the Jews began to quarrel* ⌊among themselves⌋,j saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves! 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats* my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats* me—that one will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats* this bread will live ⌊forever⌋.”k

Many of Jesus’ Disciples Offended by His Teaching

59 He said these things while* teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Thus many of his disciples, when they* heard it,* said, “This saying is hard! Who can understand it?” 61 But Jesus, because he* knew within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “Because of this I said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

Peter’s Confession

66 For this reason many of his disciples ⌊drew back⌋l and were not walking with him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”* 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”