Bread of Life

Bread of Life

John 6:22-59

          22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone-----23 however, other boats came from Tiberius, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks-----24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  25 And they found Him on the other side of the sea; they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.  27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him 28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"

 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent." 30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe you?  What work will you do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat" 32Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 The Jews then complained about Him because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven.  42 And they said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How it He says I have come down from heaven?" 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one ca come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day. 

 45 It is written in the prophets.  'And they shall be taught by God ' Therefore everyone who is drawn by the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead  50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and the bread  and the bread I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 52 the Jews quarreled among themselves saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat." 53 Then Jesus to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abide in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  58 This is the bread which came down from heaven------not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread lives forever."  59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 Commentary

The multitude had seen only one boat.  Since Jesus had not entered the boat they began searching for Him.  When they found Him, Jesus wanted to tell them of the food (Jesus had just fed the five thousand) that never perishes but "endures to everlasting life", which the Son of Man can provide.  The fact that the Father had set a seal on Him means the Father authorized Him as the Giver of Life.  But when Jesus said "believe in Him who He sent" the multitudes demanded a sign even though He had just fed the five thousand.

          In verse thirty two the crowd misrepresented the truth in that the manna that they thought was a sign of Moses when in fact it was God who sent the manna.  Moreover God was offering "true bread" through His Son who is the bread of life that whoever believes in has eternal life. In verse thirty five "bread of life" means bread which supplies eternal life.  Not like the manna that supplied that supplied physical needs.  The bread Jesus was offering satisfies spiritual needs forever.

          In verse thirty six He states "that you have seen Me and yet do not believe" Seeing miracles and sign like the feeding of five thousand doe not make one a believer.  Most just want to see more miracles or signs which is a perverse generation.  But He blesses those who have not seen and believe. (John 20:29) In verse thirty seven He explains that those the Father draws to Him He will not lose.  In the following verse He explains to them that He is only doing His Father will.

          In verses thirty nine and forty He explains to them the will of the Father. That is that all who believe in the Son will be received and all that believe in the Son will have everlasting life.

          The Jews that are complaining about Him in verse forty one are of the council.  When Jesus said that He "was the bread come down from heaves" the religious leaders knew His parents so believed He could not have come down from heaven. Jesus told them to stop murmuring.  In verse forty five he quotes Isaiah 54:13 in that all will be "taught by God."  God the Father draws people with His teaching and whoever learns from God comes to Christ.

          In verses forty six and forty seven Jesus declares no one has seen God.  Except He the Son of God has seen the Father.

          In verses forty eight and forty nine Jesus again declares He is the bread of life and whoever eats of this bread has eternal life.  Once again comparing it to the manna from that only sustained life but those people eventually died.

          Anyone who eats of His bread and drinks of His blood will be saved. These are synonyms for faith. The Jewish leaders took it literally while Jesus was speaking figuratively.  In verses fifty three through fifty eight Jesus has made it clear that believing in Him brings eternal life.  The verses also teach the benefits of His death in that it must be believed by faith by each person.