With our focus primarily on this one significant Miracle of Feeding, we should not overlook 4 others that took place that same day's night:

After Jesus' Resurrection, Peter will again be seen entering Galilee to go to His Master, only this time with a more level head and deeper faith. (This will be discussed in Ch.21.)

All of this, of course, to:

a.	Provoke greater faith in His own disciples,
b.	Show that His Power has not diminished,
c.	Show that He comes to men at the point of their desperate need, and
d.	Demonstrate that He is always calm and in control, even when it appears that things are out of control.

Like the woman at the well in her initial desire for His Water, these desired the temporal bread to relieve them of their earthly toil; they did not understand. Likely, these had been the very ones He had fed on the previous day (at least in part, and had spread the news, causing others to come for their own).

Although coming from Heaven, the Bread of the Exodus (supplied by God and not Moses the man), like this broken by Jesus, was only temporal, and like the people, eventually perished.

Unlike that bread, however, Jesus is Eternal, and all who eat of Him now will never perish. One can only see this if shown by the Father, and this one will be drawn to Jesus who will keep him forever, raising him up at the last day as He Himself will soon be raised.

For a beginning in understanding this invitation to eat His body for Life, start with His instructions to His disciples in the elements of the Lord's Supper, then go to the instructions for eating the Sacrificial Lamb of the Mosaic Law. Compare this with John's identification of Him as that Lamb now come for a final offering and Feast, and Jesus' own words of vs.51 & 53. Notice the one distinction made between the Old Ordinance and the New.

(Compare Gen.9:4; Lev.3:17; 7:26; Deu.12:16; Deu.12, key vs.23; 16:1-8.)

In the Old Testament, man was forbidden to drink the blood (for the curse of Adam was in it that caused death, and would, therefore, be to man's own physical detriment); but in the New, he is ordered to drink, for this Lamb's blood is pure (without Adam's curse), therefore, it contains the Life from the one it is taken without its possible detriments -- and that Life is not only pure, but eternal. Do you see it now? That is why God said to man that life was in the blood, and he was forbidden to drink the contaminate of the cursed creature (it was unholy); but now He says to drink, there is no fear, for the Life you drink is both Holy and Eternal. (Continue with your own additional scripture.)

Moreover, to the physical body, the basic elements that will sustain life is both bread and water. Now it is clear that Jesus has come to offer man a new menu that will sustain Him forever. He is both the Bread and Water that will provide man with Life throughout all eternity. After the garden, Adam was cursed to work for his bread by the sweat of his own brow; in the Garden, and again in the Eternal, Adam did not and man will not have to work any longer for this Bread. No price received through man's own labor can purchase it. It is free for the asking. But as with the sacrifice in the Old Ordinance, man has to bring his sins for exchange before receiving the New and readmittance into His Eternal Garden. Isn't our Lord wonderful in His way with us?

This has been a most difficult teaching. People to this day fail to see the spiritual lesson taught here. Jesus has said Himself that these words are spiritual and not physical. Because of this teaching, the early Church and Christians were even accused of cannibalism, to which many Apologetic writings were offered in the 2nd and 3rd century to refute this simple-minded idiocy, Justin being the principal Apologist of the 2nd century. (See his Apology dated A.D.150 that was addressed to the Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius.)

The disciples were now faced with a hard decision. The "MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES" were those who had come expecting free tangible food for the taking. Disappointed, and unable to perceive Jesus' intent in both His demonstration and now teaching, like the rich young ruler, they went away sad and discouraged. (This likely was the beginning of their rejection of Him that would eventually provoke His judgment upon the region.)

But the tiny band of 12, though not understanding either, knew that their total trust in Jesus must now be acknowledged to take them beyond their own reasoning, if they were to continue to follow Him.

Peter's recognition and admission for himself and the eleven should be the same for all: "To whom shall we go? Thou [meaning, thou alone] has the words of Eternal Life."

They may not understand, but they all concur through Peter's confession (none seen dissenting, not even Judas who Christ knows will betray Him): "And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." His question remains: Are you equally sure, or will you identify with the group that turned and walked away from the only One who is capable of getting you out of this world intact? The choice is simple.