_The Christines are welcomed in Gennesaret. Many follow Jesus
for the loaves and fish. He tells them of the bread of
life. Speaks of his flesh and blood as symbols of the bread
and water of life. The people are offended and many of his
disciples follow him no more._
The news soon spread through all the valley of Gennesaret that Jesus
and the twelve had come, and many people came to see.
2 They brought their sick and laid them at the master’s feet, and all
the day he taught and healed.
3 The multitudes upon the other side who had been fed the day before
and other multitudes, went down to see the Lord; but when they found
him not they sought him in Capernaum.
4 And when they found him not at home, they went on to Gennesaret.
They found him there and said, Rabboni, when came you to Gennesaret?
5 And Jesus said, Why are you come across the sea? you came not for
the bread of life;
6 You came to gratify your selfish selves; you all were fed the other
day across the sea, and you are after more of loaves and fish.
7 The food you ate was nourishment for flesh that soon must pass away.
8 You men of Galilee, seek not for food that perishes, but seek for
food that feeds the soul; and, lo, I bring you food from heaven.
9 You ate the flesh of fish, and you were satisfied, and now I bring
the flesh of Christ for you to eat that you may live forevermore.
10 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; and then they ate the
flesh of quail, and drank the waters of a flowing spring that Moses
brought out from the rock; but all of them are dead.
11 The manna and the quail were symbols of the flesh of Christ; the
waters of the rock were symbols of the blood.
12 But, lo, the Christ has come; he is the bread of life that God has
given to the world.
13 Whoever eats the flesh of Christ and drinks his blood shall never
die; and he will hunger nevermore; and he will thirst no more.
14 And they who eat this bread of heaven, and drink these waters from
the spring of life cannot be lost; these feed the soul, and purify the
life.
15 Behold, for God has said, When man has purified himself I will
exalt him to the throne of power.
16 Then Jesus and the twelve went to Capernaum; and Jesus went into
the synagogue and taught.
17 And when the Jews, who heard him in Gennesaret, were come they said,
18 This fellow is beside himself. We heard him say, I am the bread of
life that comes from heaven; and we all know that he is but a man, the
son of man, who came from Nazareth; we know his mother, and his other
kin.
19 And Jesus knew their thoughts; he said to them, Why murmur you, and
reason thus among yourselves?
20 The Christ is everlasting life; he came from heaven; he has the
keys of heaven, and no man enters into heaven except he fills himself
with Christ.
21 I came in flesh to do the will of God, and, lo, this flesh and
blood are filled with Christ; and so I am the living bread that comes
from heaven;
22 And when you eat this flesh and drink this blood you will have
everlasting life; and if you will, you may become the bread of life.
23 And many of the people were enraged; they said, How can this man
give us his flesh to eat, his blood to drink?
24 And his disciples were aggrieved because he said these things, and
many turned away and followed him no more.
25 They said, This is a fearful thing for him to say, If you eat not
my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot enter into life.
26 They could not comprehend the parable he spoke.
27 And Jesus said, You stumble and you fall before the truth; What
will you do when you shall see this flesh and blood transmuted into
higher form?
28 What will you say when you shall see the son of man ascending on
the clouds of heaven?
29 What will you say when you shall see the son of man sit on the
throne of God?
30 The flesh is naught; the spirit is the quickening power. The words
I speak are spirit; they are life.
31 When Jesus saw the many who had been so loud in their professions
of their faith in him, turn back and go away, he said unto the twelve,
32 Will you desert me in this hour and go away?
33 But Peter said, Lord, we have no place else to go; you have the
words of everlasting life; we know that you are sent to us from God.