John 6, The Bread of Life (Overview)

This chapter is the longest chapter in the gospel of John.

After the Sabbath healing in the previous chapter, and after the controversy that followed, the apostle John includes a long passage that describes Jesus as the Bread of Life, the wilderness manna for mankind.

John 6:1-13, Feeding five thousand
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.

Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

The feeding of the five thousand is covered in all four gospels.  If this has already been covered in the other gospels, and if John seems to be skipping the major events covered in those other gospels, then why does John cover this event?  John wants to make a point. John wants to records some statements Jesus makes about the feeding that are not mentioned in the other gospels.  These statements occur after one more strange miracle.

John 6: 14-21, Jesus walks by on water.
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.

But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."

Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

This miraculous transportation across the waters is also covered by the other gospels.

In the next portion Jesus will explain to the crowds that there are more important things than miraculous bread.

John 6: 22-29, Crowds follow
The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

The crowds discover that Jesus has gone but only one boat is missing and so they are curious about how he crossed the sea.  Jesus doesn't answer this question but challenges the crowds to be interested in more than just physical food.

John 6: 30-34, Give us more bread! 
So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."

The quote in verse 31 is from the event in the exodus in which God gave the Israelites manna from heaven, see Exodus 16:4. This event is then later quoted in Nehemiah 9:15 and Psalm 78: 24-25.

The challenge that the crowd gives Jesus is dishonest.  They are following Jesus because of the intriguing miracle he did the day before, feeding them all.  Yet they ask for a sign and seem to be interested in him providing this miracle on a regular basis.  The gospels report numerous times in which Jesus responds to urgent personal needs but this is not the main focus of his ministry.

John 6: 35-40, The Bread of Life
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

All four gospels report on the stories and metaphors Jesus used to teach the crowds following him. But John's gospel, above all, will emphasize these teachings.  Here Jesus directly identifies himself as the spiritual food that everyone needs.  Those who identify with Jesus will be led by him into eternal life.

John 6: 41-45, Oh but this is just the son of Joseph!
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, `I came down from heaven'?"

"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered.

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.

The quote in verse 45 is from Isaiah 54:13 in which Isaiah speaks of a future peaceful time for Israel, in which everyone is taught by God.

John 6: 46-51, The Bread of Life, part 2
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

The teaching here is direct and not in parable.  People need an "eternal bread" and Jesus offers it, with his body.  This will be explained more as the gospel of John progresses.

Jesus will continue lecturing on the spiritual "bread" as we finish this long chapter.

John 6: 52-58, Take a bite; drink my blood!

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

If this saying is taken literally, Jesus is suggesting something rather gross, that people literally take a bite out of him!

John 6: 59-66, Only the Father brings people to Jesus

He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.  On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

It might be suggested that some disciples turn away from the cannibalism Jesus seems to suggest. Most likely these disciples turn away because of Jesus's audacious claim to be the Son of Man, the Messiah, and not just an interesting street preacher or entertainer.

John 6: 67-71, You have the words of eternal life

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

Good ol' Simon Peter, quick to step forward and say what the others are thinking! His response is not a sentimental one, but rational.  Peter admits to being confused, but sees no other options!  The one before him seems to be the Messiah ... and the Messiah might say and do unexpected things.

John 5: 41-47, The Pharisees Are Accused by Moses

The Pharisees, who have questioned the right of Jesus to heal on the Sabbath, are accused of ignoring the Scriptures (the Old Testament writings.)

John 5: 39-40, Vain study of the Scriptures

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 
40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Jesus accuses the Pharisees of diligently studying the Torah and the Prophets yet ignoring the One they point to, the Messiah who brings life and salvation.  Those scriptures, says Jesus, testify about Him!

John 5: 41-47, Pharisees accused by Moses

“I do not accept glory from human beings, 
42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 
43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 
44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 
46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 
47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

The Pharisees, are accused of not loving God, despite their appearances.  They like to appear religious but that is an act.  In verse 43, Jesus implies that they would easily accept the testimony of a convenient liar who (verse 44) gives them glory, while ignoring the glory of God.

Although it is Jesus scolding them now, their accuser is their hero, Moses.  Again, Jesus emphasizes that the scriptures -- here the Torah of Moses -- point to him, Jesus.  That they have essentially ignored Moses for their own ends means that they will not believe Jesus.

Once again, the writer of the gospel put in front of his readers the issue of belief in the words of the Messiah.  Here those words are identified as previously spoken by Moses and the Scriptures.

John 5: 30-40, Witnesses to the Messiah

Jesus, accused of abusing the Sabbath by healing a lame man, defends himself.  In his claims to be one with God, he identifies three witnesses to his identity as Messiah: John the Baptist, God ("the Father") and the Scriptures.

John 5: 30-40, Three witnesses to the Messiah's identity
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 
32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

In general, testimony of this nature is expected to come from someone else.  Jesus will identify at least three witnesses, besides himself, to his Messianic claims.

John 5: 33-35, The witness of John the Baptizer
“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 
34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 
35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

The first witness was John the Baptizer, who, as a "burning light" pointed the way to the Messiah. He provided "human testimony" that they personally watched and enjoyed his "light".

John 5: 36-38, The witness of the Father
“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 

37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 

38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 

The works of Jesus, given by the Father, offer God's testimony about Jesus.

And God has audibly spoken testimony about Jesus.  (Was this the voice at the baptism? Or is something more being mentioned here.

Those who don't want to hear, will not.  So the Jewish leaders are not aware of God's voice.

John 5: 39-40, The witness of Scripture

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 

40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The Jewish Scriptures also provide testimony.  Jesus chastises his listeners for studying these Scripture and then ignoring them.

From the NIV footnotes: "You diligently study" in verse 39 could be an imperative, "Study diligently..."

John 5: 17-29, The Son Will Raise the Dead

Jesus has been accused of healing on the Sabbath and of claiming to be equal to God.  The disciple John then records a lengthy response to these accusations.

John 5: 17-19, My Father and I are working
In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus identifies his work with that of the Father (God) and this claim intensifies the anger of the Jewish leaders.

John 5: 19-23, The Son reflects all of God.
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 
20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 
21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 
23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Jesus calls himself "the Son", a Messianic term, and continues to identify his work as God's work... and identifies God's work as his.  In this relationship is love and support.  One of the activities of the Son will be to raise the dead and apparently to judge mankind.

Jesus claims to be, in some sense, co-equal with God. This claim is, of course, blasphemy.  Unless it is true.

John 5: 24-29, The Son will raise the dead
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 
25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 

The write of the gospel has Jesus explaining eternal life as hearing the voice of Jesus and believing him.  That act gives eternal life, "crossing over" from death. The Messiah has God-given authority to judge the world.  Not just those in Jesus audience have this opportunity; eternal life (and judgement) extend to those in the grave.

John 5: 9-18, Healing on the Sabbath

Jesus has just instructed a man, lame from birth, to get up and walk.

John 5: 9-13, Healing on the Sabbath
At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 
10 and so the Jewish leaderssaid to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

This dramatic miracle of Jesus occurs, as many others do, on the seventh day of the week, the Jewish Sabbath.  On the Sabbath one is to rest, not work.  Apparently carrying a mat is work. (So is healing someone!)  When one should be excited and awed by this wonderful miracle, the religious leaders are jealous and upset.

The healed man does his best to answer the questions of the leaders, but he is also pretty clueless as to the identity of his healer.

If the man had been lame by the pool all his life, shouldn't the religious leaders know of him by now?

John 5: 14-18, Conversation
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 
15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus meets up with the healed man later.  I presume the "stop sinning" statement has something to do with the man moving on to a positive lifestyle?  The man reports to the leaders as to the idenity of his healer and they begin to verbally attack Jesus.

Apparently in his answer, Jesus identifies himself with God ("My father and I have the same task") and so Jesus is accused of blasphemy.  The writer wants the reader to know that Jesus has equated himself with God.

In the remainder of the passage Jesus gives a lengthy response to the accusations against him.  We will cover that next time.

John 5: 1-9, Pool of Sadness

The apostle John covers a number of incidents in Jerusalem, in contrast to the other gospels reports about Galilee. In both regions Jesus gets into trouble with the religious authorities for healing on the Sabbath.

John 5: 1- 8, Pool of illness and sadness
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 
3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 

9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.

Jesus is back in Jerusalem, at an unnamed festival.  This time he visits a place inhabited by the ill and disabled. John provides a fair amount of identification of the pool at Bethesda, presumably having traveled there with Jesus.

We don't really have a verse 4. Some old Greek manuscripts,  considered less trustworthy, add, at the end of verse 3, an explanatory passage, several lines of Greek that translate as "and they [the blind, lame and paralyzed] waited for the moving of the waters. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had."  In medieval manuscripts, this sentence was verse 4 but due to its lack of authenticity, has been removed in most modern translations.

Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed and the man says, "Yes, but I don't have anyone to help me into the water." (The added material, above, is an attempt to explain why the man wants into the water. ) In response, Jesus shrugs -- that myth is irrelevant -- and simply says, "Get up!" The man responds immediately and gets up. (What was that like? How did the man know to use old unresponsive legs?)

The passage ends on an ominous note -- this happened on the Sabbath, the day at the end of the week where no one was to work.  This prohibited "work" included carrying one's mat ... and healing others!

John 5, Back in Jerusalem (Overview)

The apostle John covers a number of incidents in Jerusalem, in contrast to the other gospels reports about Galilee. In both regions Jesus gets into trouble with the religious authorities for healing on the Sabbath.

John 5: 1- 8, Pool of illness and sadness
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."

Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."

Some old Greek manuscripts,  considered less trustworthy, add, at the end of verse 3, an explanatory passage, several lines of Greek that translate as "and they [the blind, lame and paralyzed] waited for the moving of the waters. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had."

In this story, Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed and the man says, "Yes, but I don't have anyone to help me into the water." (The added material, above, is an attempt to explain why the man wants into the water. ) In response, Jesus shrugs -- that myth is irrelevant -- and simply says, "Get up!"

John 5: 9-13, Healing on the Sabbath
At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. 

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."

But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, `Pick up your mat and walk.'"

So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"  The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

The Pharisees considered "work" to include carrying something and so they stop this man for not following the Sabbath codes they were enforcing.  This leads to questions about this healing, but the healed man is ignorant of the one who healed him.

As in other cases, we do not see the religious leaders rejoicing in healing but angry about this good deed.

John 5: 14-18, Conversation
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

In the remainder of the passage Jesus gives a lengthy response to the accusations against him.

John 5: 19-23, The Son reflects all of God.
Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Jesus is making an extraordinary claim here.  He claims to be, in some sense, co-equal with God. This claim is, of course, blasphemy.  Unless it is true.

John 5: 24-30, The Son will raise the dead
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

The specific powers of Jesus described here are related to the resurrection and a final judgment. This man, Jesus, will raise the dead and judge all mankind.

John 5: 31-40, Three witnesses to the Messiah's identity
"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.

"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Jesus identifies three witnesses to his identity as Messiah: John the Baptist, God ("the Father") and the Scriptures.

From the NIV footnotes: "You diligently study" in verse 39 could be an imperative, "Study diligently..."

John 5: 41-47, Pharisees accused by Moses

"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

The Pharisees, who have questioned the right of Jesus to heal on the Sabbath, stand accused, not by Jesus, but by their forefather, Moses!