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Verse-by-Verse Commentary

The Book of John

Chapter 6: I Am the Bread of Life

After feeding five thousand with five loaves, Jesus finds the crowd chasing Him for more bread, and points them to a deeper hunger. I am the bread of life, He says; he who comes to Me shall never hunger. As His teaching grows hard and many turn away, He asks the Twelve if they will leave too, and Peter answers with words that steady every believer: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6 offers the true Bread that satisfies the soul, and calls us to keep coming to Christ.

About This Commentary

This is a verse-by-verse study of John chapter 6. For each section you will find the KJV text, word studies that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Jesus feeds the multitude and then reveals Himself as the true bread from heaven. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.

Setting the Stage

The Sign

Feeding the Five Thousand

With five loaves and two fish, Jesus feeds a multitude, the only miracle, apart from the resurrection, recorded in all four Gospels. The crowd wants to make Him king, but He withdraws.

The Discourse

The Bread of Life

The crowd follows for more bread, and Jesus points beyond physical food to Himself as the bread of life that gives eternal life to all who come.

The Turning

Many Walk Away

The teaching is hard, and many disciples leave. Jesus asks the Twelve if they too will go, and Peter confesses that He alone has the words of eternal life.

The Big Idea

The Soul's True Food

Physical bread satisfies for a moment; Christ is the bread that satisfies forever. The call of the chapter is to keep coming to Him, whatever others do.

Never Hunger

I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

Jesus makes the first of His great "I am" declarations in this Gospel.

John 6:1-36

He Who Comes to Me Shall Never Hunger

"After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 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. Labour 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 shewest 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 Jesus said 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 which 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."

Greek Study

Here begins the first of the great "I AM" sayings: "ego eimi ho artos tes zoes" -- "I am the bread of life." The phrase ego eimi deliberately echoes the divine name revealed to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14), and John records seven such sayings with predicates (bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine). Jesus does not merely give bread as Moses gave manna; He is the bread. The manna sustained bodily life for a day; the true bread from heaven gives everlasting life, and it is a Person to be received.

Explanation

After feeding five thousand and walking on the sea -- where He calms the disciples with the divine "It is I (ego eimi); be not afraid" -- Jesus interprets the sign. The crowd wants more bread; He offers Himself: "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger." As Israel ate manna in the wilderness yet died, so earthly bread only postpones death, but the living Bread gives life forever. The miracle of the loaves was a signpost to the greater gift -- the Son of God given for the life of the world, to be received by coming to Him in faith.

Gospel Focus

The crowd, fed the day before, came looking for more bread, and Jesus lifted their eyes: "I am the bread of life." Just as bread sustains the body, Christ sustains the soul; He is not merely the giver of life but life itself. And He promises full satisfaction: "he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." The deepest hunger of the human soul, the emptiness that no amount of earthly bread, or pleasure, or success can fill, is satisfied only in Christ. Notice the two verbs, "comes" and "believes"; to come to Christ and to believe in Him are one movement of the heart. This is the first of the great "I am" sayings in John, in which Jesus reveals who He is. He is the true bread from heaven, and the one who feeds on Him by faith will hunger no more.

By No Means Cast Out

The One Who Comes to Me (John 6:37)

Jesus gives a promise of welcome that has reassured trembling sinners for two thousand years.

John 6:37-66

I Will by No Means Cast Out

"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 for ever: 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 Jesus said 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 for ever. 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 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 went back, and walked no more with him."

Greek Study

"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" -- ou me ekballo exo, an emphatic double negative: never, under no circumstances, will I throw out. The verb ekballo is forceful -- to drive or expel -- and Jesus denies it absolutely of anyone who comes. This assurance is framed by the Father's giving: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." The coming is real and the welcome is certain; no one who truly comes to Christ will ever be turned away or expelled.

Explanation

Jesus grounds salvation in the joint working of Father and Son: those the Father gives will come, and those who come He will never cast out, and He will "raise them up at the last day." Then His teaching grows harder -- His hearers must "eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood," a vivid way of saying they must wholly take Him in, feeding on His crucified life by faith. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Many disciples, offended, "walked no more with him" -- proof that the sifting comes not from lack of evidence but from a hard saying that demands the whole heart.

Gospel Focus

Here is one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture: "the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Whoever comes to Christ, however sinful, however far gone, however many times they have failed, He will never turn away. The word is emphatic: by no means, not ever. No one who truly comes to Jesus will be rejected. This is the open door of the gospel, held open by the Savior Himself. And it is joined to the Father's drawing, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me"; the same grace that draws us is the grace that receives us. If the enemy whispers that you are too sinful or too late for Christ to accept you, this verse answers him: the one who comes, He will by no means cast out. Come, and be received.

To Whom Shall We Go?

The Words of Eternal Life (John 6:67-68)

When many abandon Jesus, Peter speaks for those who will not leave.

John 6:67-71

You Have the Words of Eternal Life

"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."

Greek Study

As the crowds fall away, Jesus asks the Twelve, "Will ye also go away?" and Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." The word for "words" is rhemata -- the spoken utterances, the living sayings Jesus had just called "spirit... and life" (v. 63). Peter has grasped what the deserters missed: there is nowhere else to go, because no one else possesses the very words that give eternal life. His confession -- "we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" -- is faith clinging when others quit.

Explanation

The bread-of-life discourse ends by dividing the crowd from the committed. When the hard sayings drive the multitude away, Jesus does not chase them or soften His words; He turns to the Twelve and lets them choose. Peter's answer is the anchor of true discipleship: not that they had no difficulties, but that they had nowhere better to go, for Jesus alone holds "the words of eternal life." Faith is not the absence of hard sayings but the conviction that Christ is who He claims -- and even among the Twelve, Jesus notes, one is a devil. The sifting reaches all the way to the inner circle.

Gospel Focus

Jesus' teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood was hard, and "many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him" (verse 66). Jesus did not soften the truth to keep the crowd; He turned to the Twelve and asked, "Do you also want to go away?" Peter's answer is the confession of every true disciple who has counted the cost: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." There is nowhere else to go. Every other way is a dead end; only Christ has the words that give eternal life. When following Jesus grows hard, when others fall away, when we do not understand everything, this is the anchor: there is no one else worth going to. He alone has the words of eternal life. To leave Him is to leave life itself. With Peter, we stay, because there is nowhere else to go and no one else like Him.

Chapter 6 in Review

John 6 moves from a miracle of bread to the true Bread of heaven. After feeding five thousand, Jesus finds the crowd chasing Him for more food and points them to Himself: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger." He promises that everyone who comes to Him He will by no means cast out. But the teaching grows hard, and many disciples turn away. When Jesus asks the Twelve if they too will leave, Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

For the Apostolic reader, this chapter feeds the soul. Christ is not merely the giver of life but the bread of life itself, satisfying a hunger no earthly thing can fill. His promise never to cast out the one who comes is the open door of the gospel for every trembling sinner. And when following Him grows costly and others fall away, Peter's confession steadies us: there is nowhere else to go, for Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Come to the Bread of life, keep coming, and never hunger again.

Key Takeaways
  • Christ is the bread of life; He satisfies the soul's deepest hunger, as bread feeds the body.
  • Whoever comes to Christ He will by no means cast out; the door of grace is open (John 6:37).
  • To come to Christ and to believe in Him are one movement of the heart.
  • Jesus alone has the words of eternal life; there is nowhere else to go (John 6:68).

Questions for Reflection

  • What earthly "bread" have you looked to for satisfaction that Christ alone can give?
  • Jesus will "by no means cast out" the one who comes. Does that promise free you to come to Him?
  • When following Jesus grows hard, can you say with Peter, "to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life"?

References & Sources

Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.

  1. The feeding of the five thousand: John 6:1-14; Matthew 14:13-21.
  2. I am the bread of life: John 6:35-40; 6:48-51.
  3. The one who comes will not be cast out: John 6:37, 44.
  4. Many turn away; Peter's confession: John 6:60-69.
  5. Christ our spiritual food and drink: 1 Corinthians 10:3-4.
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