THE BREAD OF LIFE John 6:1 to John 7:1. Feeding the five thousand. Walking upon the sea. Discourse upon the bread of life. Defection of many disciples. The Apostles stand firm. Returning from Jerusalem, our Lord met the Apostles somewhere on the W. of the lake (perhaps at Capernaum), and heard thei... [ Continue Reading ]
TIBERIAS] a Gentile city on the lake, built by Herod Antipas during our Lord's lifetime, and named after the emperor Tiberius.... [ Continue Reading ]
A MOUNTAIN] RV 'the mountain.'... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PASSOVER] the second of the ministry. The nearness of the Passover accounts for the crowds seen approaching (John 6:5). They were Galileans going up to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. Probably our Lord did not go up to Jerusalem for this feast, as there were plots against His life (John 7:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE THE MEN] RV 'the people.' SO THE MEN] i.e. the males.... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVEN THANKS] The other Gospels say, 'blessed.' The usual benediction was, 'Blessed art Thou, Jehovah our God, King of the world, who causest bread to come forth from the earth.' 14, 15. This miracle marks a crisis in our Lord's ministry. His popularity was at its height. The people were convinced... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIRACLE OF WALKING ON THE SEA is recorded also by Mt (Matthew 14:22) and Mk (Mark 6:45): see on Mt. St. John records it, perhaps because of its close connexion with the miracle of feeding; more probably because of the mystical signification which he discerns in it, for which see on Mt. 18, 19.... [ Continue Reading ]
DISCOURSE ON THE BREAD OF LIFE. As in John 4 Jesus is the giver of 'living water,' so here He is the 'living bread' or 'manna' of the soul. Such language had been to some extent prepared for by OT. references to the spiritual feast to which 'Wisdom' invites her children, 'Come eat ye of my bread, an... [ Continue Reading ]
'Do not earnestly strive to obtain food and raiment and luxuries for your bodies, but spiritual food for your souls. I am indeed the Messiah, but the Messiah's work is not to give temporal prosperity as you imagine, but everlasting life.' SEALED] 'By this miracle God the Father has “sealed” (i.e. pu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS OF GOD] i.e. works well-pleasing to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
For the plural 'works,' i.e. a multitude of supposed meritorious acts, Jesus substitutes one single work, faith in Himself. Faith in Jesus is called a 'work,' because it is a definite act of the will. It is the one work required, because it is the solemn dedication of the whole life to God, and virt... [ Continue Reading ]
Moses' manna, though it came from heaven, was not heavenly bread, and could not sustain spiritual life.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WHICH COMETH] RV 'that which cometh.' 35. What bread and water are to the body; that Christ is to the soul. Every aspiration after God and holiness He is able to satisfy.... [ Continue Reading ]
The idea is contained in John 6:26, but perhaps Christ is referring to some unrecorded words.... [ Continue Reading ]
Those whom the Father 'gives' to Christ, are those who actually come. The Father desires the salvation of every man, and draws all men to Christ (John 3:16; John 12:32), but some refuse to come (John 5:40). The Father foresees what men will come, and, as a result of His foreknowledge, 'gives' them t... [ Continue Reading ]
RAISE IT UP] Jesus shows that He has come to abolish not natural, but spiritual death. Believers will die, but their death will be followed by a glorious resurrection. Here, as usually in the NT., 'resurrection' means the resurrection of the righteous, not also of the wicked.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jews argue that since Jesus has a human parentage, He cannot have existed before His birth, and so have come down from heaven. JOSEPH] see John 1:45.... [ Continue Reading ]
'Your murmuring and unbelief are caused by your resistance to the “drawing” of the Father, who bids you believe on Me. You have hardened your heart, and closed your ears to His teaching, so that now you cannot believe.'... [ Continue Reading ]
A free quotation from Isaiah 54:13 : cp. also Joel 2:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
Only our Lord is 'taught of God' in the fullest sense.... [ Continue Reading ]
'I am the reality typified by the manna.'... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH I WILL GIVE] an allusion to our Lord's atoning death, as is made evident by the mention of His blood in John 6:53. THE WORLD] Salvation is offered to all mankind.... [ Continue Reading ]
Eating and drinking Christ's flesh and blood is not the same thing as faith, though faith is the means of it. It is an actual and vital union with Christ's human nature, whereby the believer dwells in Christ and Christ in him, and all the benefits of Christ's passion are communicated to him: see abo... [ Continue Reading ]
MEAT INDEED] lit. 'true meat.. true drink,' i.e. true nourishment for the soul.... [ Continue Reading ]
The life-imparting union between the Father and the Son, is a figure of the life-imparting union between Christ and the believer.... [ Continue Reading ]
If Tell Hum is the ancient Capernaum, its synagogue has been excavated. We can still trace its dimensions, observe its fallen pillars, and discover over the lintel of its entrance the device of a pot of manna ornamented with vine-leaves and bunches of grapes. 62. 'After My Ascension, when I shall n... [ Continue Reading ]
'What imparts the power of everlasting life to those who feed upon My flesh, is not the flesh as such, but the Spirit which pervades it. The flesh without the Spirit profits nothing: the flesh with the Spirit profits much. In heaven I shall be a quickening Spirit, and My body will be spiritual. Afte... [ Continue Reading ]
See John 6:44; John 6:45.... [ Continue Reading ]
EFFECTS OF THE DISCOURSE. Many disciples forsake Jesus, but the Twelve stand firm, and their faith is strengthened.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT.. CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD] RV 'the Holy One of God,' which emphasises Christ's sinlessness. Not till later does St. Peter confess that He is the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS] RV 'Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.' 'Iscariot' means an inhabitant of Kerioth, a town in Judæa. Judas was thus the only Judæan apostle.... [ Continue Reading ]