The people followed Jesus. The crowds grew, first because of the healing miracles that he performed and later, after he fed the five thousand with only five loaves and two small fish, because of food. After the five thousand were fed, Jesus disciples got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Without the people knowing it, Jesus joined his disciples in the boat by walking to it on the water. The people, knowing that Jesus had not left in a boat were still waiting for him where they had been fed.
Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, 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.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.- John 6:24-35 NIV
Jesus saw through the crowds that were following him. They were not looking for him. They were looking for miracles and manna. They did not understand that Jesus was the bread, the bread of life. Further more, they did not understand that it was Jesus' flesh, his life that was to be offered up so that they might have life. Not just earthly life, fed by a few loaves and fishes, but eternal life. As he told them in the temple, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." - John 6:54-55 NIV
This was a hard thing for many of them to swallow. The scripture says that many turned back after that and no longer followed him. To follow someone for real food was one thing, but to follow for the 'bread of life' what was that?
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