John 6:41-71

Living Bible

⁴¹ Then the Jews began to murmur against him because he claimed to be the Bread from heaven.

⁴² “What?” they exclaimed. “Why, he is merely Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know. What is this he is saying, that he came down from heaven?”

⁴³ But Jesus replied, “Don’t murmur among yourselves about my saying that. ⁴⁴ For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him to me, and at the Last Day I will cause all such to rise again from the dead. ⁴⁵ As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They shall all be taught of God.’ Those the Father speaks to, who learn the truth from him, will be attracted to me. ⁴⁶ (Not that anyone actually sees the Father, for only I have seen him.)

⁴⁷ “How earnestly I tell you this—anyone who believes in me already has eternal life! ^48-51 Yes, I am the Bread of Life! When your fathers in the wilderness ate bread from the skies, they all died. But the Bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. I am that Living Bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread shall live forever; this Bread is my flesh given to redeem humanity.”

⁵² Then the Jews began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

⁵³ So Jesus said it again, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you eat the flesh of the Messiah^[a] and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. ⁵⁴ But anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him at the Last Day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. ⁵⁶ Everyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ I live by the power of the living Father who sent me, and in the same way those who partake of me shall live because of me! ⁵⁸ I am the true Bread from heaven; and anyone who eats this Bread shall live forever, and not die as your fathers did—though they ate bread from heaven.” ⁵⁹ (He preached this sermon in the synagogue in Capernaum.)

⁶⁰ Even his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. Who can tell what he means?”

⁶¹ Jesus knew within himself that his disciples were complaining and said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what will you think if you see me, the Messiah, return to heaven again? ⁶³ Only the Holy Spirit gives eternal life.^[b] Those born only once, with physical birth, will never receive this gift. But now I have told you how to get this true spiritual life. ⁶⁴ But some of you don’t believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe and knew the one who would betray him.)

⁶⁵ And he remarked, “That is what I meant when I said that no one can come to me unless the Father attracts him to me.”

⁶⁶ At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

⁶⁷ Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going too?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Master, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we believe them and know you are the holy Son of God.”

⁷⁰ Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, and one is a devil.” ⁷¹ He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would betray him.