Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake,37 they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”38 6:26 Jesus replied,39 “I tell you the solemn truth,40 you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted.41 6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears,42 but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food43 which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”44

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds45 God requires?”46 6:29 Jesus replied,47 “This is the deed48 God requires49—to believe in the one whom he50 sent.” 6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 6:31 Our ancestors51 ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”52

6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth,53 it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 6:33 For the bread of God is the one who54 comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir,55 give us this bread all the time!”

6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.56 6:36 But I told you57 that you have seen me58 and still do not believe. 6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.59 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up60 at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up61 at the last day.”62

6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus63 began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 6:42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 6:43 Jesus replied,64 “Do not complain about me to one another.65 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,66 and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’67 Everyone who hears and learns from the Father68 comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he69 has seen the Father.)70 6:47 I tell you the solemn truth,71 the one who believes72 has eternal life.73 6:48 I am the bread of life.74 6:49 Your ancestors75 ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This76 is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person77 may eat from it and not die. 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread78 that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus79 began to argue with one another,80 “How can this man81 give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,82 unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,83 you have no life84 in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats85 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.86 6:55 For my flesh is true87 food, and my blood is true88 drink. 6:56 The one who eats89 my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.90 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes91 me will live because of me. 6:58 This92 is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors93 ate, but then later died.94 The one who eats95 this bread will live forever.”