Sacred Texts  Bible  Index  Previous  Next 


The Complete Sayings of Jesus, by Arthur Hinds, [1927], at sacred-texts.com

XXXVI

"I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE"—IN THE SYNAGOGUE: TO THE PEOPLE, TO THE DISCIPLES, TO THE TWELVE: "ONE OF YOU IS A DEVIL"—MANY DISCIPLES FALL AWAY

A.D. 29. Age 32. Capernaum.

John 6, 22-71.

THE day following, the people which stood on the other side of the sea, where they did eat bread, when they saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking him. And When they had found him, they said unto him, Master when camest thou hither? Jesus answered,

p. 50

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Then said they, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered,

This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

They said, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven. Then said Jesus,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Then said they, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said,

I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Jews then murmured because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus answered,

Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.

Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

I am that bread of life.

Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is

p. 51

the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The Jews therefore strove among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then said Jesus, *

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. *

These things said Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum. Many of his disciples said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured, he said unto them,

Doth this offend you?

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

But there are some of you that believe not.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said,

Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

¶From that time many of his disciples walked not with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve,

Will ye also go away?

Simon Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered,

Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

He spake of Judas Iscariot; for he it was that should betray Jesus, being one of the twelve.

Footnotes

51:* Symbolism: Turn to the paragraph in parenthesis in XLV of this book being from verse 39 of John 7).

Next: XXXVII. Pharisees Querulous