Study on the Gospel of John Chapter 6

Jesus fed 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish; and he walked on the water. He thought Jews that he is the bread of their "spiritual and eternal" life and he commanded them to believe him. But most of them didn't believe and left because they wanted their own image of messiah who fulfill their worldly prosper. They didn't understand the true meaning of miracles (signs) which are revealing who Jesus is but they just wanted miracles and provisions in their current life.

So Jesus says, "you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves"

Outline and Exposition

Jesus’ Signs, Many Follow (1-22)

The feeding of the 5,000 is the one miracle, apart from the resurrection, found in all four Gospels (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9). It tells significant of the sign. It shows Jesus as the supplier of human need and also sets the stage for this testimony that he is the bread of life (v. 35).

(1) Sea of Tiberias: probably the official Roman name of the Sea of Galilee.

(2) signs: see (2:11)

(4) Passover: one of the annual feasts that all Jewish men were required to celebrate in Jerusalem (Ex 12:13-14)

(5) Philip: since he came from nearby Bethsaida (see 1:44), it was appropriate to ask him.

(7) Two hundred denarii: A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer

(9) barley loaves: cheap bread, the food of the poor

(10) five thousand: not including women and children (Matthew 14:21)

(12) Gather up the leftover fragments: bread was regarded by Jews as a gift of God, and it was required that snaps that fell on the ground during a meal be picked up. The fragments were collected in small wicker baskets that were carried as a part of daily attire.

(13) filled twelve baskets with fragments: there was abundant supply

(14) This is indeed the Prophet: It pointed people to the Son of Man and the food for eternal life that he gives (see v. 27), but they thought only of the Prophet, i.e., the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 who would like Moses. (see 1:21)

• (Deuteronomy 18:15) “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen”

Through Moses, God had provided food and water for the people in the desert, and they, expected the Prophet to do more than this.

(15) to make him king: Jesus rejected the widely held Jewish view of the Messiah’s kingship

• (John 18:36) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
• (Luke 24:21) But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 

(19) they were frightened: they thought they were seeing a ghost (Matthew 14:26).

Jesus, the Bread of Life (23-59)

(26) signs: Greek σημεῖα (sēmeia) meaning “an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally.” Jesus wanted them to see the meaning of the miracle. They were not interested in spiritual thing but only in fleshly thing.

(NLT) “not because you understood the miraculous signs”

(27) eternal life: not something to be achieved but to be received by faith in Christ (v. 28-29; 3:15); someone God grants (v. 65).

(30) What work do you perform?: they seek from Jesus a sign greater than the gift of manna that had accompanied Moses’ ministry.

(31) manna: a popular Jewish expectation was that when the Messiah came he would renew the sending of manna. The crowd probably reasoned that Jesus had done little compared to Moses. He had fed 5,000; Moses had fed a nation. He did it once; Moses did it for 40 year. He gave ordinary bread; Moses gave “bread from heaven”. (see Exodus 16:4; Numbers 11:7)

But Jesus corrected them, (32) pointing out that the manna in the desert did not come from Moses but from God, and that the Father still “gives (present tense)” the true bread from heaven (life through the Son).

(34) this bread: probably another misunderstanding, like that by the woman at the well (see 4:15), also Nicodemus (3:4). They minds ran along materialistic lines.  

(38) the will of him who sent me: see 4:34

(39) the last day: Jesus probably refers to the day of resurrection followed by judgment.

(40)  I will raise him up on the last day.: Death cannot destroy the life that Christ gives.

(45) It is written in the Prophets: Isaiah 54:13

(60) hard: hard to accept, not hard to understand, The thought of eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood was doubtless shocking to most of Jewish hearers.

By Truth, Many Left (60-71)

(62) Son of Man, Jesus’ favorite self designation. In (Da 7:13,14), pictured as a heavenly figure who in the end times is entrusted by God with authority, glory ad sovereign power.

ascending: probably refers to the series of events that began with the cross, where Jesus was glorified

where he was before: referring to Jesus’ heavenly preexistence

(63) Are the Spirit at work producing life. Cf. 3:5-8

(66) After this: may also mean “for this reason” or both.

Topical Study

What Must We Do

(28) What must we do: they missed the point that eternal life is Christ’s gift and were thinking in terms of achieving it by pious works.

Nicodemus thought (3:4) and all other religious teach/offer “what must we do” - good work, ritual, baptism … even money.

On this Jesus answered, (29) This is the work of God

• (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
• (Titus 3:5) he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

(37) All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.: God’s action, not ours, is primary in salvation.

People do not come to Christ strictly on their own initiative; the Father draws them. (44) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. (65) “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Coming to Christ for salvation is never a merely human achievement. And believing in Jesus Christ is the indispensable “work” God calls for - the one that leads to eternal life. (see 9:4)

I.e., our responsibility is “faith” not our work, (40) For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Believing who he is - the bread of life.

I Should Lose Nothing

And true believer will persevere because of Christ’s firm hold one them. (39) I should lose nothing of all that he has given me

(10:28-29) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 

(Philippians 1:6) And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 3:6) but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (14) For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Bread of Life

(35) may mean “the bread that is living” and/or “the bread that gives life.” What is implied in v.33 is now made explicit and repeated with minor variations in v. 41, 48, 51.

Also it, comes down from heaven: (33, 38, 41, 50, 51, 58) six times in this context emphasizing Jesus’ divine origin. the value of the manna is limited and is contrasted with the heavenly food Christ gives.

(49) they died: Jesus’ opponents had set their hearts on that (v. 31) which could neither give nor sustain spiritual life. int contrast, Jesus’ gift, the life is eternal. (50) he will live forever

(51) anyone eats of this bread: appropriates Jesus as the sustenance of one’s life

the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh: looking forward to Calvary. Providing eternal life would be costly to the Giver.

“Flesh” and “bread” here point to Christ as the crucified one and the source of life. Jesus speaks of faith’s appropriation of himself as God’s appointed sacrifice, not - at least not directly - of any ritual requirement.

eats: receiving, believing; also means you have hunger for him, felt need of him

drink blood: we have to believe his death; sacrificial death; he died for us, for our sins

I Am

Greek: Ἐγώ εἰμι (Egō eimi)

In the Greek the words are solemnly emphatic and echo Exodus 3:14.

(Ex 3:14) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” - The name by which God wished to be known and worshiped in Israel; the name that expressed his character as the dependable and faithful God who desires the full trust of his people. “I AM” - the shortened form of the name.

Jesus applied the phrase to himself; in so doing he claimed to be God and risked being stoned for blasphemy.

Verse 35 "I am the bread of life" is the first of seven self-descriptions of Jesus introduced by “I am”.

• (8:12, 9:5) I am the light of the world
• (10:7,9) I am the door of the sheep
• (10:11,14) I am the good shepherd
• (11:25) I am the resurrection and the life
• (14:6) I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
• (15:1,5) I am the true vine

Many vs. Few

Seeing the miracles people were amazed and believed that Jesus is a prophet; they even wanted him to be their king (v. 19).

However, Jesus was concerning their soul/spirit/eternity but they wanted fleshly satisfaction (v. 26, 34). Jesus wanted them to "believe" but they wanted to "see" (v. 30). And,

(66) many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him: Jesus had already made clear what discipleship meant, and many were not ready to receive life in the way he taught

Few'd confess and cry out, (68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

(70) Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”

Imagine how our Lord would feel on people's unbelief and betrayal.

Many'd see but can't see the truth nor don't want to see the truth.

(Matthew 7:13,14, 22, 23) “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Are we of "few" or "many"? I pray we all believe in Jesus Christ and enter the narrow gate.

Truly, Truly

Let’s meditate points where Jesus emphasizes with “truly, truly I say to you”,

(26) you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

(32) it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

(47,48) whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. 

(53) unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

References

• 2002 NIV Study Bible (Zondervan)
• John MacArthur Study Bible
• https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6&version=ESV
• http://kcm.co.kr/bible/kor/Joh6.html
• https://biblehub.com/john/6-26.htm

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