Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

Jesus the Bread of Life

^<22>The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone. ^<23>However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ^<24>So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him. ^<25>When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

^<26>Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ^<27>Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

^<28>Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

^<29>Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

^<30>So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? ^<31>Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’¹ ”

^<32>Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ^<33>For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

^<34>“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

^<35>Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. ^<36>But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

^<37>Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away. ^<38>For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

^<39>And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. ^<40>For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

^<22>The next day the people tried to work out where Jesus was. The crowd that had remained on the other side of the lake remembered seeing only one boat there. They also knew that Jesus had not got into this boat with his apprentices but that they had gone away by themselves. ^<23>Just then, some boats from Tiberias arrived. They landed close to where the people had eaten the bread after Jesus had given thanks and miraculously fed the people. ^<24>So when the crowd realised that neither Jesus nor his apprentices were there, they got into those boats and went to Capernaum to look for Jesus.

‘Focus on God’

^<25>When the people found Jesus on the opposite side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Teacher, when did you get here?’

^<26>Knowing their mixed motives, Jesus replied, ‘I am telling you the truth, you’re searching for me not because you saw the miraculous signs I performed but because you ate the bread and had all you wanted. ^<27>Don’t focus on working for merely physical food, which will soon go mouldy and perish. Instead focus your energies on working for the spiritual food that will give eternal life and last for ever. I, the Son of Man, will give you such food, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on me. He has endorsed my life and teaching with his authority and favour.’

^<28>Then the people asked him, ‘What must we do to carry out the works God wants us to do?’

^<29>Jesus responded by telling them, ‘The work God wants you to do is this: to trust in the One he has sent.’

^<30>They didn’t understand what Jesus meant so they asked him, ‘What miraculous sign will you do for us that we will see and trust in you? What are you going to do? Go on, impress us! ^<31>We know that in the desert our ancestors ate the manna that miraculously came down from heaven. As the Scriptures put it, “He provided them with bread from heaven to eat.”² ’

^<32>Jesus continued, ‘I am telling you the truth, it wasn’t Moses who gave you bread from heaven, which sustained and satisfied you only physically. It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ^<33>So stop looking at Moses and instead focus on God. The bread of God, which comes down from heaven, is the bread that gives life to the whole world.’

^<34>They seized on this, apparently excited, replying, ‘Teacher, give us this bread all the time.’

‘I am the bread that gives life’

^<35>Then Jesus asserted, ‘I am the bread that gives life. Eating physical bread sustains your body and stops you feeling hungry. But if you take me into your life, I will nourish your spirit and stop you feeling spiritually empty. I will give you the resources to really live. Everyone who comes to me with a believing heart will never go away spiritually hungry. Everyone who trusts in me will never be spiritually thirsty. They will enjoy spiritual fulfilment. ^<36>Now as I have already told you, some of you have seen me and yet you do not trust in me. ^<37>All the people that the Father gives me will come to me without exception. I will never reject anyone who comes to me. In fact, I will warmly welcome each person who comes to me: they will never be left out in the cold. ^<38>The reason I do this is that I’ve come down from heaven not to advance my own agenda, but to obey the will of the One who sent me. ^<39>The will of the One who sent me is that I will not lose any of those he has given me. I will keep them all and raise them up on the day of judgment. ^<40>It is my Father’s will that everyone who looks with faith to the Son and trusts in him will have eternal life. I will personally raise them up on the day of judgment.’

Study Guide

The first thee words in verse 22, “The next day”, makes it clear that this passage is a continuation of the narrative in the previous passage (John 6:1-21). The focus of this passage is on the continued pursuit of Jesus by the same crowd of people.

In the opening paragraph (vv. 22-24), we learn how the crowd found Jesus the day after He fed them and then went up the mountain by Himself.

Then, in vv. 25-36 the crowd asked Jesus three questions and made one request:

• Question 1: John 6:25–27
• Question 2: John 6:28–29
• Question 3: John 6:30–33
• Demand: John 6:34-36

► For each of their questions, read its paragraph and describe Jesus’ response.

► For their demand, describe in your own words what they wanted and how Jesus responded.

► In the last paragraph of this study passage (vv. 37–40), Jesus tells the crowd about Himself. What is to you:

• The most encouraging thing Jesus said?
• The most interesting thing Jesus said?

► Based on John 6:1-40, why do you think the crowd was so interested in Jesus?

► Why are you interested in Jesus?

Study Resources

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https://www.bibleref.com/John/6/John-6-22.html. Read the commentary of each verse in the study passage.  (Also read the Context Summary and the Chapter Summary.)

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