Soon they reach the beautiful, fruitful plain of Gennesaret, south of Capernaum. They anchor the boat and then come ashore. The people recognize Jesus, and together with others from the surrounding country, they bring the sick to him. When these just touch the fringe of Jesus’ outer garment, they are made completely well.

Meanwhile, the crowd that had witnessed the miraculous feeding of the thousands discover that Jesus has left. So when little boats from Tiberias arrive, the people get aboard and sail to Capernaum to find Jesus. When they do, they ask: “Rabbi, when did you get here?” (John 6:25) With good reason, Jesus rebukes them, as we will see.

Over on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus miraculously fed thousands and then escaped when they wanted to make him king. That night he walked on the stormy sea and rescued Peter, who also walked on water but began to sink when his faith wavered. Jesus also calmed the wind, perhaps saving his disciples from shipwreck.

Now Jesus is back on the western side of the sea, in the area of Capernaum. Those he miraculously fed find him and inquire: “When did you get here?” Rebuking them, Jesus says that they are looking for him in the hope of being fed again. He urges them to “work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for everlasting life.” So they ask: “What must we do to carry out the works of God?”​—John 6:25-28.

They may be thinking of works set out in the Law, but Jesus points to the work of highest value: “This is the work of God, that you exercise faith in the one whom he sent.” The people, however, do not exercise such faith in Jesus, despite all that he has done. They demand that he perform a sign so that they may believe in him. “What work are you doing?” they ask. “Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”​—John 6:29-31; Psalm 78:24.

Regarding their request for a sign, Jesus directs the people to the real Source of miraculous provisions: “I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Not grasping his point, they plead: “Lord, always give us this bread.” (John 6:32-34) What “bread,” though, does Jesus mean?

He explains: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not get hungry at all, and whoever exercises faith in me will never get thirsty at all. But as I said to you, you have even seen me and yet do not believe. . . . I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none out of all those whom he has given me, but that I should resurrect them on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life.”​—John 6:35-40.

This causes quite a stir, and the Jews begin murmuring about him. How can he claim that he is “the bread that came down from heaven”? (John 6:41) To them, he is just a son of human parents from the Galilean city of Nazareth. The people ask: “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?”​—John 6:42.

“Stop murmuring among yourselves,” Jesus responds. “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him, and I will resurrect him on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by Jehovah.’ Everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned comes to me. Not that any man has seen the Father, except the one who is from God; this one has seen the Father. Most truly I say to you, whoever believes has everlasting life.”​—John 6:43-47; Isaiah 54:13.

When earlier he spoke with Nicodemus, Jesus mentioned everlasting life and linked that with faith in the Son of man, stating: “Everyone exercising faith in [God’s only-begotten Son] might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:15, 16) But now he is speaking to a much larger audience, telling them that he has a role in their gaining everlasting life, which neither the manna nor the bread commonly available in Galilee can provide. So how can everlasting life be gained? Jesus repeats his words: “I am the bread of life.”​—John 6:48.

This discussion regarding the bread from heaven continues, reaching a climax while Jesus teaches in a synagogue in Capernaum.

In a synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus is teaching about his being the true bread from heaven. His comments evidently add to what he said to the people who returned from the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, those who ate from the loaves and fish provided there.

Jesus continues his discussion, saying: “Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness and yet they died.” In contrast, he explains: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and for a fact, the bread that I will give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.”​—John 6:48-51.

In the spring of 30 C.E., Jesus told Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that he provided his Son as a Savior. Jesus now stresses the need to eat of his flesh by exercising faith in the sacrifice he will make. That is the way to receive everlasting life.

However, the people take exception to Jesus’ words. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they ask. (John 6:52) Jesus wants them to understand that he means this figuratively, not literally. What he adds shows this to be his meaning.

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, . . . for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me.”​—John 6:53-56.

Imagine how offensive that may sound to Jewish listeners! They might think that Jesus is suggesting cannibalism or a violation of God’s law against consuming blood. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10, 11) But Jesus is not referring to eating flesh or drinking blood literally. He is showing that all who want everlasting life must exercise faith in the sacrifice that he is to make when he offers up his perfect human body and pours out his lifeblood. Yet, even many of his disciples do not understand this teaching. Some react: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?”​—John 6:60.

Because Jesus realizes that some of his disciples are murmuring, he asks: “Does this stumble you? What, therefore, if you should see the Son of man ascending to where he was before? . . . The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” With that, many disciples leave and no longer follow him.​—John 6:61-64.

So Jesus addresses his 12 apostles with the question: “You do not want to go also, do you?” Peter responds: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69) What an expression of loyalty, even though at this point Peter and the other apostles do not fully understand what Jesus is teaching on this matter!

While pleased by Peter’s response, Jesus observes: “I chose you twelve, did I not? Yet one of you is a slanderer.” (John 6:70) Jesus is speaking about Judas Iscariot. It is possible that at this point Jesus detects that Judas is starting down a wrong course.

Still, it certainly brings Jesus satisfaction to know that Peter and the other apostles are not dissuaded from following him and from sharing in the lifesaving work that he is doing.