93. The Discourse of the Lord Concerning the Bread From Heaven. Jn. 6:22–71

On this next day the multitude which had remained on the other side of the sea, seeing that there was no other boat there except the one into which His disciples had entered, and that the Lord Jesus had not gone into the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone, were puzzled as to where the Lord was. When therefore other boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord had given thanks, the multitude, seeing that the Lord Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, went aboard the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking the Lord Jesus.

And, finding Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him: Rabbi! when did You come here? The Lord Jesus answered them and said: Verily, verily I say to you: You seek Me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to life eternal, which the Son of Man shall give to you; for upon Him has God the Father set His seal.

They said to Him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? The Lord Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent. They said to Him: What sign therefore do You give, that we may see and believe You? What work do You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat (Ps 77:24).

The Lord Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you: It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

They said to Him: Lord! give us always this bread. And the Lord Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; he that comes to Me shall not hunger, and he that believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet you do not believe. All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and him that comes to Me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me, the Father. And the will of the Father who sent Me is this: that of all that He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And the will of Him that sent Me is this: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Then the Jews murmured about Him because He said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does He say, I came down from heaven?

The Lord Jesus answered and said to them: Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God (Is 54:13). Everyone that has heard from the Father and has learned comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

Verily, verily I say to you: He that believes in Me has eternal life. I am the bread of life (eternal). Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they are dead. But the bread that comes down from heaven is such that he who eats it shall not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven: if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread which I shall give is My flesh, which I give for the life of the world.

Then the Jews began to dispute among themselves, saying: How can this man give us His flesh to eat? The Lord Jesus said to them: Verily, verily I say to you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life (eternal) in you. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he that eats Me shall live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna your fathers ate and died: he who eats this bread shall live forever.

He spoke these things in the synagogue, teaching at Capernaum. Many of His disciples, hearing this, said: This is a hard saying! Who can listen to this? But the Lord Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: Does this offend you? What then if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe. For the Lord Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who would betray Him. And He said: For this reason I said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it is granted to him by My Father.

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then the Lord Jesus said to the twelve: Do you also wish to go away? Simon Peter answered Him: Lord! to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The Lord Jesus answered them: Have I not chosen you twelve? And yet one of you is a devil. He spoke of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot; for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.