John 6

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 6

Jesus feeds 5000 men and their families 6:1-15

v1 After this, Jesus went across Lake *Galilee. (Lake *Galilee was called also Lake Tiberias). v2 A large crowd had seen him cure ill people. They had seen the *miracles that he did. So they followed him. v3 Then Jesus went up a mountain. He sat down there with his *disciples. v4 (It was nearly time for the *Jewish *festival called *Passover.)

v5 Jesus looked up. He saw the large crowd, which was coming towards him. So he asked Philip, ‘Where can we buy enough bread to feed all these people?’ v6 (Jesus knew already what he would do. But he wanted to see if Philip knew.)

v7 Philip answered, ‘We would need more than 200 coins of silver. And then everyone would have only a small piece of bread!’

v8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke. He said, v9 ‘This boy here has 5 small loaves of *barley bread and two small fish. But certainly that is not enough for all these people!’

v10 Jesus said, ‘Tell everybody to sit down.’

There was a lot of grass there. So all the people sat down. There were about 5000 men in the crowd. v11 Jesus took the bread and he thanked God for it. Then he passed the bread to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish. And everyone had as much as they wanted.

v12 Everyone had enough to eat. Afterwards, Jesus told his *disciples to gather the pieces of food that still remained. ‘We must not waste anything’, he said.

v13 So the *disciples gathered the pieces that remained. There had been only 5 small *barley loaves at the beginning. But the *disciples filled 12 baskets with the pieces that people had left!

v14 After the people saw this *miracle, they began to talk. They said, ‘Jesus is definitely the *Prophet who is coming into the world!’

v15 They wanted to make him their king by force. But Jesus knew what they intended to do. So he went further up the mountain, alone.

Verses 1-7 Often Jesus went away from the crowds to be alone. He needed time to pray to his *Father. And sometimes, he went away from the crowds with his *disciples. He needed time to teach them important things. On this occasion, it seemed that he wanted to get away from the *Jewish leaders. They had accused him and he had answered them strongly. But it was not yet the time for him to die. So he and his *disciples went back across Lake *Galilee to the other side.

But the crowd saw where he was going. So the people followed him on the land. They went round the north shore of the lake.

It was nearly the *Passover. So, many *Jews were travelling to *Jerusalem. Probably, many of them had joined the crowd who were following Jesus. So, when they found him on the mountain, the original crowd had increased very much in size. John recorded that there were 5000 men there. But probably there were really many more people, because he did not include the women and children in this number.

The crowd had been travelling for a long time. Jesus knew that they were tired and hungry. He would need to do a *miracle in order to feed so many people. He knew that too. But he wanted to see if Philip knew this. So he asked him this question on purpose (verse 5). Philip had lived in Bethsaida, which was the nearest town. So Philip would know where to buy food.

Immediately, Philip tried to think of a practical solution to the problem. He estimated the cost. But he realised that they did not have enough money to buy food for everyone! One silver coin was the amount that a workman could earn in a day. So 200 coins was about 8 month’s wages for one man. This was a lot of money.

Jesus wanted to make Philip’s *faith stronger. Philip had tried to think of a practical solution to the problem. But he had not included God in his solution. Jesus’ disciples did not have the resources to feed so many people. But the lack of resources does not stop what God can do!

Verses 8-13 But then a young boy gave what he had: his own lunch. But Andrew, like Philip, still could not understand what was possible for God to do.

Probably the *disciples had money with them, to buy food as they travelled. But because their money was not enough, they did not even offer it. However, this boy had much less than they had. In fact, he was probably poor. Only poor people cooked with *barley, which was usually food for animals. But still the boy offered what he had to Jesus.

Jesus took it and a *miracle happened. He thanked God for it. Then Jesus passed it to the crowd. Everyone there had enough to eat.

We can learn from this boy. Our resources are our time, our money and our possessions. Also we have the skills that God has given to us. We may not think that we have much to offer to God. But it is better to offer to him something rather than nothing. He will take whatever we offer to him. And he will do great things with it on behalf of his *kingdom.

After the meal, there was a lot of food that the people had left. We can learn from this, too. We can offer ourselves and our resources to God. Then he will do so much more than we can imagine.

Verses 14-15 ‘The *Prophet’ is a reference to the person about whom Moses *prophesied (Deuteronomy 18:15). He said that this person would be ‘a *prophet like me (Moses)’. By these words, Moses meant the *Messiah.

Moses had led the *Israelites out of a land where they were slaves. The *Jews were not slaves at the time of Jesus. But they did not rule in their own land. The *Romans, who were very powerful, ruled their land. The *Jews had to obey the laws of the *Roman government. Many *Jews hated this. They wanted to be free from *Roman rule. So they were looking for a leader who would defeat the *Romans for them.

Jesus had the power to do something that did not seem possible. The crowd had seen this. So they wanted to make him their king. They wanted a political and military ruler who would lead them to fight against the *Romans. They had the wrong idea about what the *Messiah should do. They wanted Jesus to help them with their plans. They did not want God’s plans. They wanted to use him for their purposes, but not for God’s purposes. So Jesus escaped from them. Later, in the *synagogue at Capernaum, he tried to explain more about who he was. He wanted them to understand better the real reason why he had come to the earth (John 6:22-59).

Jesus walks on the water 6:16-21

v16 That evening, Jesus’ *disciples went down to the shore of the lake. v17 It became dark. Jesus had still not returned to them. So they got into a boat and they went back across the lake towards Capernaum.

v18 A strong wind was blowing. Waves rose up. v19 The *disciples were using oars to row (move) the boat. When they had travelled 5 or 6 kilometres (3 or 4 miles), they saw Jesus. He was walking on the water towards the boat. They were very afraid.

v20 Jesus said to them, ‘I am here! Do not be afraid.’

v21 Then they wanted him to get into the boat. Suddenly, the boat reached the shore. They had arrived.

Verses 16-21 Jesus fed the crowd on the east side of Lake *Galilee. Then he escaped from them and he went up to the hills.

Probably, he wanted to pray to his *Father. But it had become night, and he had not returned. So the *disciples decided to cross the lake without him. It seems strange that they did not wait for him. But in Mark’s account of this incident, Jesus had sent them ahead of him (Mark 6:45). Probably, they had arranged to meet him later.

They got into a boat and they started to cross the lake. They were heading towards Capernaum. Many hills surround Lake *Galilee. It is deep. Because of this, sudden storms are common. Several of the *disciples had fished on the lake for their work. They were familiar with the weather on the lake. But these sudden storms frightened them still. (See also Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25.)

Then, when they were about half of the way across, they saw Jesus. The most direct route to Capernaum is about 10 kilometres (6 miles). Jesus was walking on the water towards them. This made them very afraid. They thought that he was a *spirit. (See Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49.) They had seen him do *miracles. But they did not expect him to walk on the water. This surprised them very much. But as soon as he spoke, they were not still afraid. They wanted him to get in the boat. But another wonderful thing had happened. Suddenly, they had reached the place where they were heading. Their struggle was over. They were safe and Jesus was with them.

This account shows us how Jesus helps us, too. Bad things can happen to us suddenly, like the storm on the lake. We may feel that we have no control over our situation. We may think that we are struggling alone with our problems. But sometimes Jesus comes to us when we do not expect him. He may surprise us by the way that he comes to us. But Jesus can do anything! He protects us from bad things. We know that we are safe with him.

The bread that gives *life 6:22-40

v22-23 Some of the crowd had stayed on the east shore of the lake. They saw that only one boat had been there. Also, they knew that the *disciples had set off without Jesus. The next day, some boats came from Tiberias. These boats sailed near to the place where the *Lord Jesus had thanked God for the bread. He had done this before he gave it to the crowd to eat.

v24 The crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his *disciples were there. So the people got into the boats. They went to Capernaum to search for Jesus.

v25 They found him on the west side of the lake. They asked, ‘Teacher, when did you get here?’

v26 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth. You are looking for me because I fed you. And you ate as much as you could. You are not looking for me because you saw *signs. v27 Do not work for food that becomes stale and bad. Instead, use your energy to find *eternal life. I, the Son of Man, can give you this *eternal life. I can do this because God the *Father sent me with his authority for this purpose.’

v28 They asked him, ‘What does God want us to do? How do we do God’s work?’

v29 Jesus said, ‘God has sent someone to you. You must *believe in him. That is what God wants you to do.’

v30 They answered, ‘You must show us a *miracle (*sign). If we see it, we will believe you. What will you do for us? v31 Our *ancestors ate *manna when they were travelling through the desert. The *scriptures say, “He gave to them bread from heaven to eat.” ’

v32 Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. The bread that came down from heaven was not a gift from Moses. Rather, my *Father gives to you the real bread from heaven. v33 This bread means the man who came down from heaven to give *life to the world.’

v34 The people said, ‘Sir, please give to us this bread to eat every day of our lives!’

v35 Jesus answered, ‘I am that bread. I am the bread that gives *life. Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry again. Anyone who *believes in me will never be *thirsty. v36 But remember what I told you. You have seen me and still you do not *believe! v37 Everyone that the *Father has given to me will come to me. And I will not *reject anyone who comes to me.

v38 I came down from heaven to do what God wants. He sent me. I did not come to do what I want. v39 He does not want me to lose anyone that he has given to me. And I will make them become alive again on the last day! v40 My *Father wants people to see the Son and to *believe in him. Everyone who does this will have *eternal life. Then I will make them become alive again on the last day.’

Verses 22-24 Jesus had surprised his *disciples when he appeared on the water. He also surprised the crowd. They knew that the *disciples had left in the boat without him. So the people were waiting for him to return from the hills. But then they realised that he was not coming back to them. So they crossed the lake in some boats that had come from Tiberias. Probably, these boats had come near to the shore in order to find shelter from the storm.

Verses 25-27 The people found Jesus on the other side of the lake. And they wanted to know how he had travelled there so quickly.

But Jesus did not reply to their question. Instead, he told them that they were concentrating on the wrong things. They had seen him feed over 5000 people with only a small amount of food. This was a wonderful *miracle. But they did not understand the real meaning of the *miracle. They saw only that Jesus had satisfied their physical hunger. They were concentrating only on the things of earth, not on the things of heaven.

Food is essential for our bodies. We need food to remain alive and healthy. But we are more than just bodies. We have spirits, too. And even as we have physical hunger, we have *spiritual hunger, too. When we are hungry for physical food, we feel empty inside our bodies. But also we can feel empty inside our hearts and our spirits. This is *spiritual hunger. Only God can satisfy it, because he created this *spiritual hunger in us. This hunger is the desire to know him and to love him. It is hunger (desire) for the *life that only he can give to us by means of his Son, Jesus.

Some people do not know why they feel empty inside their hearts and their spirits. And other people are not even aware that they feel empty inside their hearts and their spirits. They feel strong desires, but they do not know how to satisfy these desires. They may buy more possessions because they want to achieve this. Or they may work hard and look after their families. Or they may do activities that they enjoy. Or perhaps they do activities that they consider important. But still they cannot satisfy their desires. They want to live a life that pleases God. But their problem is that they do not know how. And they may not even realise that this is their problem.

Physical things can never satisfy *spiritual hunger. Physical things do not last. So Jesus told the people that they should desire to find *eternal life, instead. He told them that he could give *eternal life to them. That was why God had sent him to the earth.

We receive *eternal life when we *believe in Jesus as our *Lord and *Saviour. Then we can start to live a life that pleases God. This is how God intended us to live. When our lives please God, we are content, too. We realise that our lives have a special purpose. This satisfies all the desires in our hearts and our spirits. And this satisfaction lasts. We can be content always, whatever our circumstances.

It is not enough just to read or to talk about *eternal life. We have to receive it ourselves to know how wonderful it is.

Verses 28-29 Immediately, the *Jews thought that to get *eternal life they had to follow rules. Their religion had many rules already. So they were expecting Jesus to give them rules to obey. Then they could earn *eternal life for themselves.

But we can never earn *eternal life. We can never be good or *holy enough for God. *Eternal life is God’s gift to us. We must do just one thing to receive it. We must *believe in God’s Son, Jesus. We must have *faith in him. When we have *faith, we become God’s friend. We know that he loves us. We know that he wants to forgive us. *Faith is not a set of rules. But when we have *faith in Jesus, we want to obey him. Because he loves us, we want to love other people. We want him to guide us so that we do good things. We want him to control every part of our lives.

Verses 30-31 Jesus had told them that God had sent him. He had God’s authority. They had to *believe in him to have *eternal life. These were very impressive statements! Jesus did not use the word ‘*Messiah’ here. But really Jesus was saying that he was the *Messiah. The *Jews realised this. So they asked for proof.

They were thinking still about how he had fed them all with the bread and the fish. They connected this with the *manna that their *ancestors, the *Israelites, ate in the desert. *Manna was a special food that appeared on the ground at night (Numbers 11:9). It was white and it tasted good. When other food became available, the *manna did not continue to appear (Joshua 5:12). The *Israelites knew that the *manna appeared by means of a *miracle. And the *Jewish teachers believed that the *Messiah would cause *manna to fall from heaven again. They considered that *manna was God’s bread for them (Psalms 78:24; Exodus 16:15). Jesus had fed over 5000 people when he gave them real bread. Now the people wanted him to produce *manna from nothing.

Verses 32-34 Firstly, Jesus reminded them that ‘he’ in this *Scripture (see verse 31) referred to God, not to Moses. Again, Jesus referred to God as ‘my *Father’. But the *manna did not last. And it satisfied only their physical hunger. It was just a *symbol of the real bread from heaven. The real bread from heaven gives *life to people and it satisfies their *spiritual hunger. But the real bread from heaven is not physical food. Instead, the ‘real bread from heaven’ means God’s Son, Jesus.

Verse 35 In John’s *Gospel, Jesus made 7 important statements about himself. Each of these statements explained something about his nature and why he had come to the earth. The statements began with the words ‘I am’. This phrase had another important meaning, because ‘I am’ was also the name for God. God had told Moses that ‘I am’ was God’s name (Exodus 3:14). This name means that God has always existed. He will always exist. So Jesus used the words ‘I am’ on purpose in these statements. He wanted people to understand, by means of these words, that he is God. This is the first of these ‘I am’ statements.

Jesus is ‘the bread that gives *life’. Bread is the most important daily food in many parts of the world. It gives energy and strength to our bodies. It helps us to stay alive. But Jesus does more than this on our behalf. He gives to us the *life that comes only from God. God made us for himself. We can be really happy only when we know him as our friend and our *Father. Jesus makes this possible. When we receive Jesus as our *Lord and *Saviour, we can know God as our friend and our *Father. He satisfies our desire (*spiritual hunger and *thirst) for love.

Verses 36-37 Jesus emphasised the importance of *faith. The people had seen Jesus do a wonderful *miracle. But still they did not *believe in him.

However, Jesus will never *reject anybody who has *faith in him. They *believe because the *Father has caused them to come to Jesus. In other words, the *Father has given these people to Jesus.

Verses 38-40 Jesus wanted to do only those things that his *Father wanted. Everyone who *believes in Jesus is safe from the results of *sin. The results of *sin are death and not to be with God. But Jesus saves all who *believe in him from this. After they die, they will not remain dead. ‘The last day’ is when Jesus returns to the earth. Then he will raise from death all who have *believed in him. They will live again. And they will be with him always (see 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Corinthians 15:1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is what the *Father wants. So he wants everyone to *believe in his Son, Jesus.

The people complain about Jesus 6:41-59

v41 Then some *Jews began to complain about him. This was because of some of his words. (He had said, ‘I am the bread from heaven.’)

v42 They said, ‘This is Jesus, Joseph’s son. We know his father and mother. So he cannot say, “I came down from heaven.” ’

v43 Jesus answered, ‘Do not complain! v44 The *Father sent me. People cannot come to me unless the *Father gives to them the desire to come. And I will make them become alive again on the last day. v45 One of the *prophets wrote, “God will teach all of them.” People listen to the *Father and they learn from him. Everyone who does this comes to me. v46 This does not mean that anyone has seen the *Father. Only the person who came from God has seen the *Father. v47 I tell you the truth. Everyone who *believes has *eternal life.

v48 I am the bread that gives *life! v49 Your *ancestors ate *manna in the desert. Later, they died. v50 But the bread from heaven has come down. Anyone who eats it does not die. v51 I am this bread that lives. I came down from heaven. Everyone who eats this bread will live always. This bread is my *flesh. I offer it to give *life to everybody in the world.’

v52 Then these *Jews began to argue about what Jesus meant. They said to each other, ‘This man cannot give us his *flesh to eat.’

v53 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth. You will not have *eternal life in you unless you eat the Son of Man’s *flesh. And also you must drink his blood. v54 If you do this, you have *eternal life. And I will make you become alive again on the last day. v55 My *flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. v56 Whoever consumes (eats and drinks) my *flesh and my blood unites themselves with me. They remain in me. I unite myself with them. I remain in them.

v57 The *Father, who is alive, sent me. I live because of the *Father. In the same way, everybody who eats my *flesh will live because of me. v58 I am the bread that came down from heaven. Anybody who eats this bread will live *forever. They will not die, like your *ancestors who ate *manna.’

v59 Jesus said all this while he was teaching in the *synagogue in Capernaum.

Verses 41-44 When the *Israelites were travelling in the desert, they complained often to Moses (for example, Exodus 15:24; Numbers 11:1). And the *Jews who were listening to Jesus complained also. They knew that Jesus was human. They knew his mother Mary and Joseph, her husband, who had brought Jesus up. So they did not believe that Jesus had come down from heaven. They refused to believe that he was really God’s Son.

Verses 45-46 The *prophets had written about a time when God would teach all people himself (Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:31-34). But people had to listen to him and to learn from him.

Nobody has seen God, except for Jesus. But God speaks to us and he teaches us in many ways. He teaches us by means of the Bible, by our own experiences and by other *Christians. That is why it is so important to pray. And we should read the Bible daily. And also we must meet regularly with other *Christians to *worship God and to learn more about him together.

Verses 47-50 ‘I am the bread that gives *life!’ (verse 48). This was the second time that Jesus said these words. They are very important. The *Jewish leaders had wanted Jesus to prove who he was (John 6:30). They had wanted him to produce *manna. But Jesus provided something much better than *manna. *Manna was a physical substance. It did not last. Every day, the *Israelites had to get more of it to satisfy their hunger. They had to get more of it to keep themselves alive. But Jesus is the *spiritual bread from heaven. He satisfies our *spiritual hunger completely. He gives us *life of a wonderful quality that continues *forever.

Verse 51 Jesus did not mean that we must eat his physical *flesh to have *eternal life. He meant that we have to receive him into our spirits. When we eat, we take food into our bodies. We unite ourselves with the food! Then our bodies can continue to live. In the same way, we must unite ourselves with Jesus to receive *life in our spirits.

This is how we can unite ourselves with him:

1. We must believe that his death was a *sacrifice for us. The word ‘*flesh’ in verse 51 means Jesus’ human life. He died on our behalf, so that God could forgive us.

2. We must obey him. We must trust the *Holy Spirit to guide us. But we must not depend on our own strength to do what he wants. We must receive *spiritual strength and power from him.

Verses 52-59 The people did not understand what Jesus meant. He told them that they had to drink his blood. And these words upset them very much. *Jews would never drink blood. In fact, they would not even eat meat with any blood in it. Their *Law did not allow them to do this. They believed that the blood was the life of an animal or a person. The blood, and therefore the life, belonged to God (Genesis 9:4; Deuteronomy 16:23).

*Christians eat bread and drink wine together to remember Jesus’ death. The bread is a *symbol of his body and the wine is a *symbol of his blood. At his last meal with his *disciples before his death, Jesus gave instructions to do this (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-21). However, John did not include these instructions in his *Gospel. Many experts think that he included this passage instead. They think this because, in the same way, Jesus was referring to his body and blood as food and drink. And probably, he was explaining the meaning of the *symbols of bread and wine. To take bread and wine as Jesus’ body and blood reminds us that now our *sinful life has ended. And now we have *eternal life.

Many of his *followers leave Jesus 6:60-71

v60 Many of Jesus’ *followers heard this message. Afterwards, they said, ‘This is too difficult for anybody to understand!’

v61 Jesus knew that his *followers were complaining. So he said to them, ‘My words upset you. v62 The Son of Man will return to heaven again. Think about your reaction if you were to see that event. v63 It is the *Holy Spirit who gives *eternal life. Human effort can do nothing! My words are from the *Spirit that gives *eternal life. v64 But some of you do not *believe.’

Jesus had known from the beginning who did not *believe. He knew also who would *betray him.

v65 Then Jesus continued to speak to them. ‘People cannot come to me unless the *Father gives to them the desire to come. That is why I have told these things to you.’

v66 Because of what he said, many of Jesus’ *followers left him. They did not continue to follow him. v67 Then Jesus asked his 12 *disciples, ‘Do you want to leave, too?’

v68 Simon Peter answered, ‘*Lord, we cannot go to anybody else! Only you speak the words that give *eternal life. v69 We *believe in you. You are the *Holy One (the *Messiah) who has come from God. We are sure about this.’

v70 Jesus told his *disciples, ‘I chose all 12 of you. But one of you is a devil (an evil accuser)!’ v71 (Jesus was referring to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Although Judas was one of the 12 *disciples, later he *betrayed Jesus.)

Verses 60-66 Jesus’ speech in the *synagogue was difficult to understand. But it was difficult also for his *Jewish audience to accept as the truth. Jesus was saying that he had come down from heaven. And he was saying that he would return there again. Also, he was saying that people had to eat his *flesh. And they had to drink his blood. This idea would have upset them very much.

But Jesus did not argue with them. Instead, he tried to explain that his words had a *spiritual meaning, not a physical meaning. People need the help of the *Holy Spirit in order to understand that they need God’s *life. It is the *Father who makes them come to Jesus. They can receive that *life only by means of the same *Spirit. Jesus’ words were from the *Spirit.

But his words caused many of his *followers to leave him. Probably, they had followed him because he had given physical food to them. They wanted him to use his power to defeat the *Roman rulers. They wanted a *Messiah who would fight their enemies. Also, what he said about himself upset them. It was a new idea and they did not want to understand it.

We can learn from this. Some of Jesus’ words are difficult for us to understand or to accept. But we should not *reject what he has said. Instead, we should ask him to show us what he meant. Also we should ask him what he wants to say to us personally by means of those words.

Verses 67-69 Jesus had chosen 12 men to be his special friends and *disciples. But they could not have understood everything that Jesus had said. This was because he had not yet died. And he had not become alive again yet. But they knew enough to trust him. Although they did not understand everything, they *believed in him. They knew that God had sent him. So they wanted to stay with him. Simon Peter spoke on their behalf. Nobody else could offer what Jesus offered. Only Jesus could give *eternal life.

People today have the same choice: to accept or to *reject Jesus. But there is nobody else who can give *eternal life to us. Only Jesus can give it to us.

Verses 70-71 Jesus knew that one of his *disciples would *betray him. In verse 70, the *Greek word for ‘devil’ means ‘somebody who accuses’. Jesus was referring to what Judas would do. Jesus said this because Judas would hand him (Jesus) over to the *Jewish leaders. And they accused Jesus of crimes against God and against the *Roman *Emperor.

Galilee ~ an area and a large lake in northern Israel. The home area of Jesus and several of his disciples.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
Passover ~ an important holy day for the Jews. They eat a special meal on this day every year. This is to remember that God freed them. Before God freed them, they were slaves in the country called Egypt. This happened at the time of Moses. So Passover became an important holiday. At the time of Jesus, the Jews came to Jerusalem to pray in the Temple. And families shared a special meal together.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
barley ~ a kind of grain. People made flour from barley for bread.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Father ~ God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘Father’. All Christians are God’s children.
father ~ someone whom a person respects and follows; an ancestor. The Jewish leaders said that Abraham was their father. But Jesus said that the devil was their father, instead!
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
prophesy ~ to speak or to write God’s words.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ name for the special servant of God. It means the person whom God sent to save people from the results of their sins. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Israelite ~ a person who lived in Israel; a Jew.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
synagogue ~ the building where Jews met locally to worship God.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Spirit ~ see Holy Spirit.
spirit ~ there are good spirits called angels. There are also evil spirits who work for the devil. They are alive but we cannot see them. Also, the spirit means the part of a person that continues to live after the death of the body.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
angel ~ God’s servant who takes messages from God to people on the earth. Angels live with God in heaven.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
life ~ the quality that a person has, because that person is alive. In John’s Gospel, it means to be completely alive in our spirits. When we *believe in Jesus, we receive this life as a special gift. When we have this life, we can live to please God. It is the best way to live.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sign ~ the word that John often uses in his Gospel to mean a miracle. A sign gives evidence and it points to something beyond itself.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
manna ~ special food that God provided for the Israelites when they were in the desert.
Israelite ~ a person who lived in Israel; a Jew.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.

'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
reject ~ not to accept or not to believe in someone or something.
spiritual ~ something that belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
manna ~ special food that God provided for the Israelites when they were in the desert.
Israelite ~ a person who lived in Israel; a Jew.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.'symbol/symbolic ~ a thing that reminds us of something else, especially an idea or a quality. So we may use the symbol in order to describe that other thing. Something that is a symbol is called ‘symbolic’.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
flesh ~ the soft part of the body, between the bones and the skin.
forever ~ always.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
follower ~ a person who accepts another person as their guide and their teacher; like a disciple.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Spirit ~ see Holy Spirit.
spirit ~ there are good spirits called angels. There are also evil spirits who work for the devil. They are alive but we cannot see them. Also, the spirit means the part of a person that continues to live after the death of the body.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
angel ~ God’s servant who takes messages from God to people on the earth. Angels live with God in heaven.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
betray ~ to give information about a friend to their enemy.
Greek ~ a person from Greece; the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.