CHAPTER 125.
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Levi
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.