The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. 23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 28 So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”' 32 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
After feeding the 5,000 men (Jn. 6:1-15) and walking on water (Jn. 6:16-21), Jesus and the disciples were in Capernaum. The crowd knew that Jesus had not left with his disciples the evening before in the only boat available. When they could not find Jesus on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (the Lake of Gennesaret- [Lk. 5:1]), many got into boats that had come from Tiberias and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him, they wanted to know when and how he got to Capernaum.
The Bread of life discourse has Eucharistic overtones (Jn. 6:22-60). Jesus told the crowd that they should not be looking for bread to sustain them physically but should be seeking spiritual bread (manna [Deut. 8:16]) which he will give them (vv. 26-27). The Son of Man has been empowered and sealed by the Father to do so. The crowd understood “work” literally and asked Jesus how they could accomplish God’s works. Jesus explained that God required them to believe in him, the one God sent and they asked Jesus to show them a sign that he was sealed and sent by God, that he was greater than Moses. They were asking Jesus for a miracle greater than God providing Manna that fed the Israelites in the desert (Ex. 16:13-36; Ps. 78:24; v. 31). Jesus told the crowd that Moses did not give the Israelites the bread from heaven that leads to eternal life. The Father was now providing the true bread from heaven which came down from heaven and gives supernatural life to the whole world and not just physical sustenance to the Israelites as they expected the Messiah to do (Eccl. 1:9). The crowd asked for the bread from heaven.
Almighty God, we thank you, we praise you, and we adore you. You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, who lovingly cares for his flock and does not lose any You give to him. Feed us with the bread of life that we may be strengthened to follow your Son no matter where the journey takes us or what crosses we have to bear. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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