Chapter XXVII: Jesus the Bread of Life for the World

And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said,

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 that
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 unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them,

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

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

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 that cometh down from
heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

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

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 at him, 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 therefore answered and said unto them,

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
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 unto them,

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
forever.

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard _this_, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, 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 I said 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 went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve,

Will ye also go away?

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

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

He spake of Judas Iscariot, _the son_ of Simon; for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.