The Bread of Life Discourse
“Lord, give us this bread!”
The morning after Jesus and Peter walked on water, they sailed the ship into an empty harbor near Capernaum. The people He had taught the day before on the other side of the sea of Galilee saw that He had left, and they all began to sail the sea as well to find Him. They eventually found Him in the city of Capernaum.
“Rabbi, when did you get here?” a man called out to Him happily.
“You look for me not because of the miracles you witnessed, but because I gave you bread from five loaves,” Jesus said, addressing the group.
“Do not work for meat that expires, but for the meat that gives everlasting life. This is what I will give you.” Eagerly, the same man asked,
“What should we do so that we can work the works of God?”
“The work of God is to believe on Him who the Father has sent,” Jesus responded. Another man joined in.
“Give us a sign, so that we may see and believe you are sent from God! Our ancestors were fed by manna in the desert. The scriptures say after all, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
“Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives the true bread from heaven,” replied Jesus.
“The bread of God is He that has come down from heaven to give life to the world.” Another from the crowd called out, “Lord, give us this bread!” Jesus looked as the group gathered in around Him, then spoke clearly for all to understand.
“I am the bread of life. He that comes to me will never be hungry, and he that believes me will never be thirsty. You have seen me, and don’t believe. I came from heaven not to do my will, but the will of Him that sent me. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and are now dead. The bread from heaven that I am talking about will keep a man from dying. I am the living bread from heaven. The bread that I give is my body, which I will give for the world.” The Jews gathered were confused, and began to mutter to one another,
“How can he give us his body to eat?” Jesus continued to teach.
“If you don’t eat the body and drink the blood of the Son of God, you will not have eternal life. I will raise up whoever eats my body and drinks my blood at the last day. I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, and whoever eats of my body is in me, and will be raised up at the last day.” From this day on, many of Jesus’ followers turned away and never looked for Him again.