John Chapter 6 Bible Study

After believing what Jesus had said to His disciples, He went up to Lake Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias, where large multitudes of people followed Him because they had seen the miracles of healing the sick. Jesus walked up the hill to sit down with His disciples.  The Passover was fast approaching. Jesus saw a crowd approaching Him, so He asked Philip about the food to feed them. Philip said, “It would take more than 200 silver coins to buy enough bread.” Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “There is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, for they certainly won't be good enough food to feed all of these people.” “Have the people sit down,” Jesus told the disciples. There were about 5,000 men. Jesus gave thanks to God and distributed them to the people. He did the same thing with the fish, and the men had as much as they wanted. Jesus told the disciples to gather all leftovers and they filled up twelve baskets. After this miracle, people began to say, “Surely, this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” Jesus knew that the people would seize Him in order to make Him king by force, so He went off again to the hills by Himself. 

When evening arrived, Jesus’ disciples got into a boat and headed to Capernaum. A strong wind was blowing and stirring up the water. The disciples saw Jesus coming near the boat when they had rowed for three or four miles, and they were terrified. Jesus told them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” The disciples guided Jesus into the boat, and the boat reached its destination to a place where they were heading for. 

On the next day, the crowd was on the other side of the lake with just one boat. Jesus hadn’t gone into the boat with His disciples. Other boats were ashore to the place where the crowd had eaten the Lord’s bread, but when the crowd saw that Jesus nor His disciples were there, they looked for them at Capernaum on their boats. 

When the people found Jesus on the lake, they asked, “Teacher, when did you get here?” Jesus said to the people, “I am telling you the truth because you had the bread and ate all you wanted, not because you understood the miracles that I have performed. Don’t work for food that’s bad; work for food that lasts for eternal life. This is the food which the Son of Man will give you because God has put His mark of approval for Me.” They asked Jesus, “What can we do for You in order to do what God wants us to do?”Jesus said, “Believe in the One that he sent.” 

“Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you real bread from heaven. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry; whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. I told you that you have seen Me but won’t believe. For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day.” 

The people started grumbling about Jesus because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. But the bread that comes down from heaven  is a special kind that whoever eats it shall not die. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, so that the world may live.” 

An angry argument was among the people. Jesus said to them, “Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood have eternal life, for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. The living Father has sent Me, and because of Him, I live also. In the same way, whoever eats Me will live because of Me.” Jesus taught this in the synagogue in Capernaum. 

Many of Jesus’ followers said, “This teaching is hard.” Jesus knew and said to them, “Does this make you want to give up? What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words that I have spoken to you represent God’s life-giving Spirit, yet some of you do not believe. This is the reason that I told you that no people can come to Me unless the Father makes it possible for them to do so.” Because of this, Jesus’ followers turned back and left. Jesus asked the twelve disciples, “Are you going to leave?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. Now we believe and know that You are the Holy One who comes from God.” Jesus answered, “I chose twelve of you, didn’t I? One of you is a devil!” Jesus was talking about Judas, Simon  Iscariot’s son and was going to betray Him. 

Our PECS/Picture Exchange Communication System for John Chapter 6

Questions

1. How did Jesus describe the flesh and blood to His disciples?
2. Why were the disciples fearful of Jesus when He came into the boat near the sea?
3. Would the disciples believe in Jesus' declaration of everlasting life?
4. How could the disciples proclaim Jesus' signs?