In Galilee up on the mountain

The people followed Jesus there

As night grew near and even came

A meal for them was due

He knew at once the course to take

Yet for a test He questioned one

Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?

My lesson is not quite through

The answer came with hesitation

There is no bread that we can buy

To meet the needs of such a crowd

Before the setting sun

Another said there is a lad

With five loaves and two small fishes

Yet what are they among so many?

There is nothing to be done

Jesus took the loaves and gave His thanks

As He had done before

Then told His friends to share the bread

With all those who had stayed

Somehow, someway the meager meal

Became a mighty feast

For at the end when they were filled

Twelve baskets still remained

To all who witnessed this great scene

Remembrance seemed to kindle

This happened once before they said

To our fathers long ago

Moses and the manna from heaven

Could this mean our wait is over?

We have been looking for thousands of years

For the promised Messiah to show

He’ll come to deliver from bondage and burden

From chains He will set us free

Defeat all our foes, bring back our kingdom

Sustain us with manna once more

Glory, peace, and prosperity bring

We’ll rest from our labors and pains

At last it is here, our deliverance and bliss

Our long day of rest is in store

They sought to take and crown Him their king

By force to make Him their king

Force Him to fight for them and their rights

Force Him to give them more bread

Jesus knew at once the thought that began

They wanted bread just not the right kind

They wanted meat and bread of the world

Not bread of His flesh – offered instead

To them the deliverer promised the world

Endless feasts and bread with no labor

Political freedom, life in the palace

No rulers, and never a care

Jesus knew that the king they wanted to serve

He could not, and never would be

There are two kinds of bread you must understand

One common and one much more rare

Your fathers indeed had manna to spare

Yet mine is the true bread of God

It giveth life and light to the world

I AM THAT BREAD your true hunger to fill

The bread of my Father to all of the world

In order to rise up again

This is His will, His plan and my purpose

Hear me clearly now all those who will

Their excitement and clamor, their force and their zeal

At once declined to a murmur

How is it so that you are this bread

We know that it cannot be so

Ye are a son of Joseph and Mary

Your father and mother we know

Their hopes were all dashed, expectations removed

From the kingdom that they hoped to know

Jesus continued to drive the point home

Eat my flesh and drink of my blood

My flesh is meat, and my blood is drink,

Dwell in me and ye shall eat bread

The bread that I offer is made of my flesh

My words they are spirit, my words they are life

Their murmurs grew loud – understanding His meaning

They realized now what He said

An hard saying indeed, this to them seemed to be

They asked who can hear it, itis not for us

Their hope of deliverance from toil and from pain

Vanished again – as quick as it came

We want a king who provides for us bread

But not this live bread of which you proclaim

We want the bread that you brought down from heaven

Real bread like our fathers – that is our aim

We want the pleasure of meals without price

Food of a plenty – we’ve seen you provide

Don’t make us labor for things we can’t see

We want the real bread – the kind you just made

Saddened and pained, the savior then asked

Doth this offend you, these plain words I say

The truthful Messiah that you claim to know

Is here now before you, precious few are my days

There were many indeed – including disciples

Discouraged that Jesus had drawn clear the line

Between those who sought him learn and to follow

And those who would use him to gain their own way

Those who were troubled, followed no more

Thinking his sayings too stringent to stay

Jesus asked those around him, the ones to him near

You that remain – Will ye also go away?

Then Peter, great Peter said with force and with zeal

To whom will we go Lord? We know whom thou art

We know of thy truth and have felt in our hearts

We believe and are sure – Thy bread it is good.

Indeed He had planned this decisive encounter

To identify those with intentions so pure

From those who sought him, their own wills to serve

His faithful and chosen ones in His presence now stood

Let us be like them, His followers true

Seeking and eating His flesh and His blood

To believe and be sure, that is our start

Feasting indeed on the true words of life

To stand in the presence of Jesus the Christ

To hear with our ears and see with our eyes

To feel with our hands, to know in our hearts

For us to know Him – this is the prize