John 6

This chapter belongs to the early part of the Gospel of John. Following John 5, in which Jesus heals a sick man in Jerusalem and engages in controversy, the setting shifts in this chapter to Galilee.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Jesus crosses to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, that is, the Sea of Tiberias, and sits down on a mountain. A great multitude that has seen his signs follows him. The Passover is near.
• Verses 5–13 Philip answers that two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough. Andrew points out a boy who has five barley loaves and two small fishes. Jesus gives thanks and distributes them, and about five thousand people eat their fill; the leftover fragments fill twelve baskets.
• Verses 14–15 The people call Jesus "that prophet that should come into the world" and intend to take him by force to make him king. Jesus withdraws alone into the mountain.
• Verses 16–21 The disciples' boat, bound for Capernaum, meets a great wind. When they have rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, Jesus comes walking on the sea and says, "It is I; be not afraid."
• Verses 22–34 The next day the crowd seeks Jesus as far as Capernaum. Jesus tells them to labor not for the meat which perisheth but for that which endureth unto everlasting life, and he answers that believing on him whom God has sent is the work of God. The crowd brings up the manna in the wilderness.
• Verses 35–51 Jesus declares himself to be "the bread of life." The Jews murmur, asking how "the son of Joseph" could have come down from heaven.
• Verses 52–59 Jesus goes on to say that one must "eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood." This teaching was given in the synagogue at Capernaum.
• Verses 60–66 Many disciples take offense, saying, "This is an hard saying," and many of them go back.
• Verses 67–71 Peter confesses, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." Jesus says that one of the twelve is a devil, referring to Judas Iscariot.

Key Verses

• John 6:35 "I am the bread of life" — the first of the "I am" sayings in the Gospel of John. → John 6:35
• John 6:54 "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life" — the verse on which interpretations relating to the Lord's Supper diverge most sharply.
• John 6:68 "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life" — a disciple's confession spoken as the crowds depart.

People and Places

• Philip and Andrew: the two disciples who respond to the question of bread. Andrew is introduced as the brother of Simon Peter.
• Peter: makes the confession on behalf of the Twelve.
• Judas Iscariot: the son of Simon Iscariot, mentioned as the one who would betray Jesus.
• A boy: the boy who has the barley loaves and fishes; he is not named.
• Joseph of Nazareth: mentioned when the crowd calls Jesus "the son of Joseph."
• Moses: mentioned by the crowd as the one who gave the manna.
• Sea of Tiberias: another name for the Sea of Galilee. Tiberias is the name of a city on the lake's western shore.
• Capernaum: the place where the discourse was given. The text identifies its synagogue as the location.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 53–58 and the Lord's Supper: The Catholic Church connects these words directly with the Eucharist and reads them as grounds for Christ's real presence in the consecrated host. Lutherans read them in connection with Christ's real presence in the Sacrament. The Reformed tradition connects them with participation in Christ by faith in the Lord's Supper, while also emphasizing verse 63 ("It is the spirit that quickeneth"). Many interpreters also hold that these words do not refer directly to the Lord's Supper but speak figuratively of "receiving Christ by faith," as in verses 35 and 47. These matters are treated in detail in the article Eucharistic controversies.
• Verses 37, 44, and 65 and salvation: Calvinism reads "except the Father which hath sent me draw him" as God's sovereign calling. It cites verse 39 as a basis for the perseverance of the saints (the doctrine that those truly saved will persevere in faith to the end). Arminianism and Wesleyan theology read the passage together with John 12:32, "I … will draw all men unto me." Accordingly, they regard this drawing as grace extended to all people and emphasize human response. → Predestination and free will
• The text and added details: Sermons often describe the boy as willingly offering his lunch. The text, however, says only that Andrew pointed the boy out.
• Connections within the New Testament: The feeding of the five thousand appears in all four Gospels (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9). The walking on the water also appears in Matthew and Mark. The manna in verse 31 refers to the manna and quail episode in Exodus 16, and verse 45 quotes Isaiah 54:13. The feeding with five loaves and two fish is counted among the seven signs of the Gospel of John.

In the Korean Church

The five loaves and two fish and Jesus walking on water are passages frequently covered in Sunday school lessons and sermons. The Korean expression obyeongieo ("five loaves and two fish") is used even outside the church as a figure for something small that comes to be shared widely. The "Bread of Life" discourse (6:35–58) is also used as a sermon text for the Lord's Supper.