Jesus was the bread of god

JESUS WAS THE BREAD OF GOD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 6:33 33Forthe bread of God is the bread that
comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Christ the Gift of God to All Men
Biblical Illustrator
John 6:30-33
They said therefore to him, What sign show you then, that we may see, and
believe you? what do you work?…
When the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine's doctrine was impugned, and his discourses
complained of before the ecclesiasticalcourts, he was enabled to vindicate
himself with greatdignity and courage;and expressions sometimes fellfrom
his lips which, for a time, overawedand confounded his enemies. On one
occasion, ata meeting of the synod of Fife, according to the accountof a
respectable witness, whensome members were denying the Father's gift of
our Lord Jesus to sinners of mankind, he rose and said, "Moderator, our
Lord Jesus says ofHimself, 'My Fathergiveth you the true bread from
heaven.' This He uttered to a promiscuous multitude; and let me see the man
who dares to affirm that He said wrong?" This short speech, aided by the

solemnity and energy with which it was delivered, made an uncommon
impression on the synod, and on all that were present.
Come Down from Heaven
John Calvin.
John 6:30-33
I. WE HAVE A DIVINE LIFE IN CHRIST, because He has come from God
to be the author of life for us.
II. THIS LIFE IS NEAR (Deuteronomy 30:12, 13; Romans 10:6-8). No man
could ascendup, therefore Christ came down.
(John Calvin.)
Christ Gives Life
Ralph Robinson.
John 6:30-33

Christ is such meat and drink as preserves from death. Other meat and drink
cannot keepman from the grave. That rich man that fared deliciously every
day was not made immortal. "The rich man died and was buried" (Luke
16:22). All that generationthat fed on manna, and drank the waterout of the
rock, died (John 6:49). But Christ preserves the soul from death (John 6:50).
This is the bread of God that came down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof and not die. It immortalizes the soul that feeds on it. He that believeth
on Him hath eternal life (ver. 51). Other meat and drink cannotpreserve a
living body from death, much less canit give life, and restore breath to a dead
body. Put the most delicate meat, the strongestdrink, into the mouth of a dead
man, and they will not give him life if the soul be quite departed. They may
recoverfrom a swoon, they cannot from death. But the flesh and blood of
Christ quickenthe dead. Christ, by putting His flesh and blood into the mouth
of the dead soul, conveys life into it. His flesh and blood make the lips of the
dead to speak. "As the Fatherraiseth the dead and quickeneth them, so the
Son quickeneth whom He will" (John 5:21). If thou hast any spiritual life in
thee, thou didst receive it from the enlivening virtue of Christ's flesh and
blood communicated to thee by the Spirit of life.
(Ralph Robinson.)
Christ is the True Manna
Ralph Robinson.
John 6:30-33

Christ is heavenly meat and drink. "My Fathergiveth you the true bread
from heaven" (John 6:32). Other meat and drink is terrene and earthly. Your
bread grows out of the bowels of the earth. Your wine is the blood of an
earthly grape. The flesh you eat is fed of the tender grass that springs out of
the earth. If the earth should prove barren, you would soonfeela famine!,
The king himself is servedby the field" (Ecclesiastes5:9). It is true, the
blessing comes from heaven, but all the materials of meat and drink are
earthly. But Jesus Christ is the Breadof heaven and the Wine of heaven. The
manna came from the clouds only; but Christ from the beautiful heaven, even
from the bosomof the Father.
(Ralph Robinson.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(33) He which.—Better, that which. The identification with Himself does not
occurbefore John 6:35. This verse is a fuller expressionof the last clause of
John 6:32, to which eachterm answers.
“My Father giveth” . . . . . “the bread of God.”
“The (ideally) true bread” . . . . . “giveth life unto the world.”
“From heaven” . . . . . “which cometh down from heaven.”

The tenses are present. (Comp. Notes onJohn 6:50-51.)The manna in the
wilderness was but one instance of that which is constant. The Jewishnation
was but an unit in the Father’s family. The bread of God ever cometh and
ever giveth life, and the life which it giveth is for the world. Every word
proceeding from the mouth of God, spokenin many portions and in many
ways, was part of the true food for the true life of man.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
6:28-35 Constantexercise offaith in Christ, is the most important and
difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation.
When by his grace we are enabledto live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy
tempers follow, and acceptable services maybe done. God, even his Father,
who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives,
now gave them the true Bread for the salvationof their souls. Coming to
Jesus, and believing on him, signify the same. Christ shows that he is the true
Bread; he is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the
spiritual life. He is the Breadof God. Breadwhich the Father gives, which he
has made to be the food of our souls. Breadnourishes only by the powers of a
living body; but Christ is himself living Bread, and nourishes by his own
power. The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and
comforting to a believer as ever it was. He is the Breadwhich came down
from heaven. It denotes the Divinity of Christ's person and his authority; also,
the Divine origin of all the goodwhich flows to us through him. May we with
understanding and earnestnesssay, Lord, evermore give us this Bread.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
The bread of God - The means of support which God furnishes. That which,
in his view, is needful for man.
Is he ... - Is the Messiahwho has come from heaven.
And giveth life ... - See the notes at John 1:4.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary

33. For the bread of God is he, &c.—This verse is perhaps best left in its own
transparent grandeur—holding up the Bread Itself as divine, spiritual, and
eternal; its ordained Fountain and essentialSubstance,"Him who came down
from heaven to give it" (that Eternal Life which was with the Fatherand was
manifested unto us, 1Jo 1:2); and its designedobjects, "the world."
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Moses gave youspiritual, heavenly bread; but that was only spiritual as it was
typical and prefigured me; heavenly, as it came from the lowerheavens, was
mined down from thence, not made upon the earth by the art of man; and was
therefore called the bread of angels;but I am the true bread of God, signified
by that type, who came not down from the lower, but from the highest
heavens;and who do not only maintain and uphold life in men, (as that did),
but give life to men; and that not a mere natural life, but a spiritual and
eternal life; and that not to the Jews only, for whose use alone manna was, but
to the world.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
For the bread of God is he which comethdown from heaven,.... In the way
and manner just now mentioned: and which clearly points out Christ himself,
who may be called"the bread of God"; to distinguish him from common
bread, and to show the excellencyof him, and that he is of God's providing
and giving, and which he would have his children feed upon:
and giveth life unto the world; a spiritual life, which he is the author,
supporter, and maintainer of; and eternal life, which he gives a right unto and
meetness for, and nourishes up unto; and this not to a few only, or to the
Israelites only, but to the Gentiles also, and even to the whole world of God's
elect:not indeed to every individual in the world, for all are not quickened
now, not shall inherit eternallife hereafter; but to all the people of God, in all
parts of the world, and in all ages of time; of such extensive virtue and efficacy
is Christ, the bread of God, in which he appears greatly superior to that
manna the Jews instance in.
Geneva Study Bible

For the bread of God is he which comethdown from heaven, and giveth life
unto the world.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
John 6:33. Mosestherefore could not give this bread, since it comes down out
of heaven. It is characterisedby two attributes: (1) it is ὁ καταβαίνωνἐκ τοῦ
οὐρανοῦ, that which cometh down out of heaven—not, as Godetrenders, “He
who cometh down from heaven”;at leastthe request of John 6:34 shows that
those who heard the words did not take them in this sense;(2) the other
characteristic ofthe bread of God is that it giveth life to the world; a fuller
life-giving powerthan that of the manna is implied; and it is of universal
application and not merely to their fathers. Hearing this description of “the
bread of God” the crowd exclaim (John 6:34) Κύριε, πάντοτε δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν
ἄρτοντοῦτον, preciselyas the womanof Samaria had exclaimedΚύριε δός
μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, when Jesus had disclosedto her the properties of the living
water. And as in her case the direct request brought the conversationto a
crisis, so here it elicits the central declarationof all His expositionof the
bearing of the miracle: Ἐγὼ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς. [It is not impossible that
some of them may have had a glimmering of what He meant and uttered their
request with some tincture of spiritual desire; for among the Rabbis there was
a saying, “In seculo venturo neque edunt neque bibunt, sedjusti sedent cum
coronis suis in capitibus et aluntur splendore majestatis divinae”.]“I am the
bread of life,” “I am the living bread” (John 6:51, in a somewhatdifferent
sense), “Iam the bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:41), or, “the
true bread from heaven”—allthese designations our Lord uses, and that the
people may quite understand what is meant, He adds ὁ ἐρχόμενος … πώποτε.
The repetition of the required action ὁ ἐρχόμενος, and ὁ πιστεύων, and of the
result οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, and οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ, is for clearnessand emphasis, not for
addition to the meaning. The “believing” explains the “coming”;and the
“quenching of thirst” more explicitly conveys the meaning of “never
hungering,” that all innocent and righteous cravings and aspirations shall be
gratified. The “coming” was notthat physical approach which they had
adopted in pursuing Him to Capernaum, but such a coming as might equally

well be called “believing,” a spiritual approach, implying the conviction that
He was what He claimed to be, the medium through which God comes to man,
and man to God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
33. the bread of God is he which] Better, the bread of God is that which.
Christ has not yet identified Himself with the Bread; it is still impersonal, and
hence the present participle in the Greek. ContrastJohn6:41. There is a clear
reference to this passagein the Ignatian Epistles, Romans VII. The whole
chapter is impregnated with the Fourth Gospel. See onJohn 4:10.
giveth life unto the world] Without this Breadmankind is spiritually dead;
and this is the point of the argument (the introductory ‘for’ shews that the
verse is argumentative): we have proof that it is the Fatherwho gives the
really heavenly Bread, for it is His Breadthat quickens the whole human race.
Bengel's Gnomen
John 6:33. Ὁ καταβαίνων, whichcomethdown) Repeat, ἄρτος, the bread:
comp. John 6:41, “I am the bread which came down from heaven,” 58.—τῷ
κόσμῳ, unto the world) not merely to one people, or to one age, as the manna
fed one people of one age:John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down
from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread
that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 33. - For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven,
and giveth life to the world. It is debated whether the ὁ καταβαίνωνis "he
who cometh down," or "that (bread) which cometh," etc. - whether in this
verse the Lord passes atonce to the identification of himself with the bread, or
for a moment longeris delaying the announcement, and broadly asserting the
qualities of that "bread of God," viz. that whoeverand whateverit is, IT
comes from heaven, and gives life, not merely to the theocratic people, but to
the whole world. (The latter is the view of Hengstenberg, Lange, Meyer,

Westcott, Moulton;the former translation is partially urged by Godet, who
thinks our Lord here spoke amphibologically, meaning both ideas, but by the
form of the expressionreserving the solution of the problem.) It certainly does
not follow that, if he was speaking ofhimself, the expressionὁ καταβάς would
have been used, because, in ver. 50, after he has removed all ambiguity, he still
uses the present tense, ὁ καταβαίνων. The presenttense is that of quality
rather than of time. These characteristicsofthe veritable bread of God must
hold good. It must have a heavenly origin, life-giving power, and universality
of application to human need. John 3:16 is here repeated. The whole world is
the objectof the Divine grace and love. The bread of God must be a Divine
gift, mysterious and heavenly in its origin, and must at once demonstrate its
vitality, its Source, and its Giver.
Vincent's Word Studies
He which cometh down (ὁ καταβαίνων)
So it may be rendered; but also that which, referring to ἄρτος, bread: and so,
better, as Rev., since Jesus does notidentify Himself with the bread until John
6:35.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
The bread of God - The means of support which God furnishes. That which,
in his view, is needful for man.
Is he … - Is the Messiahwho has come from heaven.
And giveth life … - See the notes at John 1:4.

Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon John 6:33". "Barnes'Notes onthe Whole
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/john-6.html.
1870.
return to 'Jump List'
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven and giveth life
unto the world.
Unto the world ... Notfor Israelalone was the true bread, but for all the
world. The true bread was far greaterthan the manna in these particulars: (1)
it gives and sustains spiritual life, a far greaterthing than merely sustaining
physical life; (2) it is for all the world, not merely for Israelalone;(3) it
creates spiritual life leading to eternal life, which no manna could have done.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/john-6.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

For the bread of God is he which comethdown from heaven,.... In the way
and manner just now mentioned: and which clearly points out Christ himself,
who may be called"the bread of God"; to distinguish him from common
bread, and to show the excellencyof him, and that he is of God's providing
and giving, and which he would have his children feed upon:
and giveth life unto the world; a spiritual life, which he is the author,
supporter, and maintainer of; and eternal life, which he gives a right unto and
meetness for, and nourishes up unto; and this not to a few only, or to the
Israelites only, but to the Gentiles also, and even to the whole world of God's
elect:not indeed to every individual in the world, for all are not quickened
now, not shall inherit eternallife hereafter; but to all the people of God, in all
parts of the world, and in all ages of time; of such extensive virtue and efficacy
is Christ, the bread of God, in which he appears greatly superior to that
manna the Jews instance in.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on John 6:33". "The New John Gill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/john-
6.html. 1999.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the bread of God is he, etc. — This verse is perhaps bestleft in its own
transparent grandeur - holding up the Bread Itself as divine, spiritual, and

eternal; its ordained Fountain and essentialSubstance,“Him who came down
from heaven to give it” (that Eternal Life which was with the Fatherand was
manifested unto us, 1 John 1:2); and its designedobjects, “the world.”
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
6:33". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/john-6.html. 1871-8.
People's New Testament
The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven. He here defines the
marks of the true bread: (1) It comes from heaven; (2) It bestows life upon the
soul and sustains it; (3) It is for the world, not for a single race.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Original work done by Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 atThe
RestorationMovementPages.

Bibliography
Johnson, BartonW. "Commentary on John 6:33". "People's New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pnt/john-6.html.
1891.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
The bread of God (ο αρτος του τεου — ho artos tou theou). All bread is of
God (Matthew 6:11). The manna came down from heaven (Numbers 11:9) as
does this bread (ο καταβαινων— ho katabainōn). Refers to the bread (ο αρτος
— ho artos masculine). Bernard notes that this phrase (coming down) is used
seventimes in this discourse (John 6:33, John 6:38, John 6:41, John 6:42,
John 6:50, John 6:51, John 6:58).
Giveth life (ζωην διδους — zōēn didous). Chrysostomobserves that the
manna gave nourishment (τροπη — trophē), but not life (ζωη — zōē). This is
a most astounding statementto the crowd.
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday School Board)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Robertson'sWordPictures of
the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/john-6.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.
Vincent's Word Studies

He which cometh down ( ὁ καταβαίνων)
So it may be rendered; but also that which, referring to ἄρτος , bread: and so,
better, as Rev., since Jesus does notidentify Himself with the bread until John
6:35.
Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon John 6:33". "Vincent's Word
Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/john-6.html. Charles
Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
unto the world.
He that — giveth life to the world - Not(like the manna) to one people only:
and that from generationto generation. Our Lord does not yet say, I am that
bread; else the Jews wouldnot have given him so respectful an answer, John
6:34.
Copyright Statement
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Bibliography

Wesley, John. "Commentary on John 6:33". "JohnWesley's Explanatory
Notes on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/john-6.html. 1765.
The Fourfold Gospel
Jesus therefore saidunto them, Verily, verily1, I say unto you, It was not
Moses thatgave you the bread out of heaven2;but my Father giveth you the
true bread out of heaven3.
John 6:32,33
Verily, verily. See John 6:32,33.
It was not Mosesthat gave you the bread out of heaven. In testing the claims
of Jesus the Jews proceededupon the hypothesis that the Messiahmust be
greaterthan all the prophets, and that this greatness mustbe authenticatedor
sealedby greatersigns than those wrought by others. Proceeding under this
method, they compared the miracle just wrought by Jesus with the fall of
manna in the days of Mosesand drew conclusions unfavorable to Jesus. They
reasonthus: Moses fedmany millions for forty years with bread from heaven,
but Moseswas less than Messiah. This man fed but five thousand for only one
day and gave them barley bread. This man is even less than Moses,and
consequentlyfar less than the Messiah.
But my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. See John 6:48,50.

Copyright Statement
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon John 6:33". "The
Fourfold Gospel". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/john-
6.html. Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
33.Forthe bread of God. Christ reasons negativelyfrom the definition to the
thing defined, in this manner: “The heavenly bread is that which hath come
down from heaven to give life to the world In the manna there was nothing of
this sort; and, therefore, the manna was not the heavenly bread. ” But, at the
same time, he confirms what he formerly said, namely, that he is sent by the
Father, in order that he may feed men in a manner far more excellent than
Moses.True, the manna came down from the visible heaven, that is, from the
clouds; but not from the eternalkingdom of God, from which life flows to us.
And the Jews, whom Christ addresses, lookedno higher than that the bellies
of their fathers were well stuffed and fattened in the wilderness.
What he formerly calledthe bread of heaven, he now calls the bread of God;
not that the bread which supports us in the present life comes from any other
than God, but because that alone can be reckonedthe bread of God (144)
which quickens souls to a blessedimmortality. This passage teachesthat the
whole world is dead to God, exceptso far as Christ quickens it, because life
will be found nowhere else than in him.

Which hath come down from heaven. In the coming down from heaven two
things are worthy of observation;first, that we have a Divine life in Christ,
because he has come from God to be the Author of life to us; secondly, that
the heavenly life is near us,
so that we do not need to fly above the clouds or to cross the sea,
(Deuteronomy 30:12;Romans 10:6;)
for the reasonwhy Christ descendedto us was, that no man could ascend
above.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/john-6.html. 1840-
57.
Vv. 33 applies this idea of true bread from heaven, to Jesus, but for the
moment in obscure words. The difficulty of this verse is that the words
descending from heaven, which are the paraphrase of the term bread from
heaven, should be logicallyjoined to the subjectwhich is to be defined, and
not to the attribute which contains the definition. It seems that it should be:
"Forthe true bread from heaven is that which descends from God, from God
Himself." I formerly tried to resolve this difficulty by applying the participle ὁ
καταβαίνων, the descending, not to the bread, but to Jesus himself: "He who
descends." Meyerand Weiss objectthat in that case ὁ καταβάς, "He who
descended," wouldbe necessary. John6:50 answers this objection.

Nevertheless,I acknowledge thatthe ellipsis of ὁ ἄρτος (the bread) is more
natural, although the idea of descending applies more easilyto a personthan
to a thing (comp. John 6:38). Weiss himself has recourse to a very far-fetched
explanation: it is to make ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ θεοῦ, the bread of God, the predicate of
the two following participles: "The bread which descends from heavenand
gives life to the world, is that which is the true bread of God." What seems
more simple is to understand with Keil: "Forthe bread which God Himself
gives (John 6:32) is the only bread which truly descends from heaven and can
give life." Jesus thus opposes the true heaven, that is, the glorious life of God,
to the localheavenfrom which, according to the opinion of His hearers, the
manna descended. The expressionτῷ κόσμῳ, to the world, is opposedto the
theocratic particularism which boasteditselfespeciallyin the greatnational
miracle—that of the manna. The greatnessofthe heavenly gift, as Jesus
presents it here, no longer allows a national and particular destination. In
proportion as Jesus seesthe people refusing to follow Him in the spiritual
sphere into which He wished to elevate them, He is led to turn his eyes
towards mankind for whom He has come. The fourth part of the conversation
(John 6:34-40)reveals completely the rupture which has just takenplace
betweenthe thought of the people and that of Jesus.
Copyright Statement
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Godet, Frédéric Louis. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Frédéric Louis Godet -
Commentary on SelectedBooks".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsc/john-6.html.
Scofield's ReferenceNotes
world

kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield"Matthew 4:8").
Copyright Statement
These files are consideredpublic domain and are a derivative of an electronic
edition that is available in the Online Bible Software Library.
Bibliography
Scofield, C. I. "ScofieldReferenceNoteson John 6:33". "ScofieldReference
Notes (1917 Edition)".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/srn/john-6.html. 1917.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life
unto the world.
Ver. 33. Which came down from heaven] From the highest heaven (not out of
the middle region of the air only, as manna), and is the true ambrosia.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Trapp, John. "Commentary on John 6:33". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/john-6.html.
1865-1868.
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
33.]ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ θεοῦ = ὁ ἄρτος ὃν δίδωσιν ὁ πατήρ μου. The words ὁ καταβ
… are the predicate of ὁ ἄρτος, and do not apply, in the constructionof this
verse, to Christ personally, howevertruly they apply to Him in fact. The E. V.
is here wrong: it should be, The bread of God is that (not He) which cometh,
&c. Not till John 6:35 does Jesus first say, ‘I AM the bread of life.’ The manna
is still kept in view— ὅτανκατέβη ἡ δρόσος … κατέβαινεντὸ μάννα ἐπʼ αὐτῆς,
Numbers 11:9. And the present participle, here used in reference to the
manna, is dropped when the Lord Himself is spokenof: see John6:38; John
6:41; John 6:58, and especiallythe distinction between John 6:50 and John
6:51 (so Lücke, De Wette, Stier, Bengel).
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on John 6:33". Greek TestamentCritical
ExegeticalCommentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/john-6.html. 1863-1878.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
John 6:33. ὁ καταβαίνων, whichcomethdown) Repeat, ἄρτος, the bread:
comp. John 6:41, “I am the bread which came down from heaven,” 58.— τῷ

κόσμῳ, unto the world) not merely to one people, or to one age, as the manna
fed one people of one age:John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down
from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread
that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on John 6:33". Johann Albrecht
Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/john-6.html. 1897.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Moses gave youspiritual, heavenly bread; but that was only spiritual as it was
typical and prefigured me; heavenly, as it came from the lowerheavens, was
mined down from thence, not made upon the earth by the art of man; and was
therefore called the bread of angels;but I am the true bread of God, signified
by that type, who came not down from the lower, but from the highest
heavens;and who do not only maintain and uphold life in men, (as that did),
but give life to men; and that not a mere natural life, but a spiritual and
eternal life; and that not to the Jews only, for whose use alone manna was, but
to the world.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon John 6:33". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/john-6.html. 1685.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
He which cometh down from heaven; rather, as the original may be rendered,
that which cometh down from heaven; for the Jews, as appears from the
following verse, did not yet understand him as speaking ofhimself.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Edwards, Justin. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Family Bible New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/john-6.html.
American Tract Society. 1851.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
33. ὁ καταβαίνων. Thatwhich cometh down. Jesus has not yet identified
Himself with the Bread, which is still impersonal, and hence the present
participle: contrastJohn 6:41. There is a clearreference to this passagein the
Ignatian Epistles, Romans 7; the whole chapter is impregnated with the
Fourth Gospel. see onJohn 4:10, John 3:8, John 10:9.
τῷ κόσμῳ. See onJohn 1:10. Not to the Jews only, but to all. We have
evidence (the γάρ introduces an argument) that it is the Father who gives the
really heavenly Bread, for it is His Breadthat quickens the whole human race.

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
"Commentary on John 6:33". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools and
Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/john-6.html.
1896.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
33. Is he—The modest third person for himself. He comes in the full power of
the first person in his next response. John6:35. And in these two verses the
Lord uses restrained language;terms which could be applied to either the
physical heaven-descendedmanna sustaining temporal life, or the true bread
of eternal life.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Whedon, Daniel. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Whedon's Commentary on
the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/john-6.html.
1874-1909.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament

John 6:33. Forthe bread of Godis that which cometh down out of heaven,
and giveth life unto the world. The ‘bread of God’ is the bread which God
gives (John 6:32). It is not easyto decide on the translation of this verse. The
Greek equally admits of two renderings, either ‘he that cometh,’ or ‘that
(bread) which cometh.’ If the former is correct, our Lord begins here to
identify Himself with the ‘true bread;’ if the latter, the figure is retained
unexplained until John 6:35. The expressions in John 6:50; John 6:58 do not
decide the point; for after John 6:35 the descentfrom heaven might with
equal propriety be connectedeither with the bread or with Him whom the
bread symbolized. Nor does the present tense ‘cometh down ‘compel us to
refer the word to the bread; for Jesus might be designated‘He that cometh
from heaven’ (comp. chap. John 3:31) as correctly as ‘He that came from
heaven:’ one description relates to nature and origin, the other to a past fact
of history. On the whole, however, it seems bestto carry on the thought of the
bread in this verse. The very word ‘come down’ is used (Exodus 16) in the
accountof the manna; and the answerof the multitude in John 6:34 seems to
show that no new and (to them) strange thought has come in since the mention
of the Father’s gift. But if the figure is still continued in this verse, it is only a
thin veil that conceals the truth. In John 6:27 the Son of man is He who gives
eternal life; here it is the bread of God that giveth life unto the world.—The
last word is very significant. The manna had been for ‘the fathers;’ the true
bread is for the world. We are reminded at once of chap. John 3:16, ‘God so
loved the world,’ and of chap. John 4:42, ‘the Saviour of the world.’ The
unlimited offer also recalls chap. John 4:14, ‘Whosoeverhath drunk of the
waterthat I will give him;’ and in both casesthe result is the same.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Schaff, Philip. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Schaff's PopularCommentary
on the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/scn/john-6.html. 1879-90.
The Expositor's Greek Testament
John 6:33. Mosestherefore could not give this bread, since it comes down out
of heaven. It is characterisedby two attributes: (1) it is ὁ καταβαίνωνἐκ τοῦ
οὐρανοῦ, that which cometh down out of heaven—not, as Godetrenders, “He
who cometh down from heaven”;at leastthe request of John 6:34 shows that
those who heard the words did not take them in this sense;(2) the other
characteristic ofthe bread of God is that it giveth life to the world; a fuller
life-giving powerthan that of the manna is implied; and it is of universal
application and not merely to their fathers. Hearing this description of “the
bread of God” the crowd exclaim (John 6:34) κύριε, πάντοτε δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν
ἄρτοντοῦτον, preciselyas the womanof Samaria had exclaimed κύριε δός μοι
τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, when Jesus had disclosedto her the properties of the living
water. And as in her case the direct request brought the conversationto a
crisis, so here it elicits the central declarationof all His expositionof the
bearing of the miracle: ἐγὼ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς. [It is not impossible that
some of them may have had a glimmering of what He meant and uttered their
request with some tincture of spiritual desire; for among the Rabbis there was
a saying, “In seculo venturo neque edunt neque bibunt, sedjusti sedent cum
coronis suis in capitibus et aluntur splendore majestatis divinae”.]“I am the
bread of life,” “I am the living bread” (John 6:51, in a somewhatdifferent
sense), “Iam the bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:41), or, “the
true bread from heaven”—allthese designations our Lord uses, and that the
people may quite understand what is meant, He adds ὁ ἐρχόμενος … πώποτε.
The repetition of the required action ὁ ἐρχόμενος, and ὁ πιστεύων, and of the
result οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, and οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ, is for clearnessand emphasis, not for
addition to the meaning. The “believing” explains the “coming”;and the
“quenching of thirst” more explicitly conveys the meaning of “never
hungering,” that all innocent and righteous cravings and aspirations shall be
gratified. The “coming” was notthat physical approach which they had

adopted in pursuing Him to Capernaum, but such a coming as might equally
well be called “believing,” a spiritual approach, implying the conviction that
He was what He claimed to be, the medium through which God comes to man,
and man to God.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Nicol, W. Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. "Commentary on John 6:33". The
Expositor's Greek Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/egt/john-6.html. 1897-1910.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
life of immortality and eternalhappiness to all who worthily receive it.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Haydock, George Leo. "Commentaryon John 6:33". "George Haydock's
Catholic Bible Commentary".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hcc/john-6.html. 1859.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

He, or "That". the world. Put by Figure of speechMetonymy (of Subject),
App-6, for its inhabitants. Used in John to show that Gentiles will be included
in Israel"s blessing.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on John 6:33". "E.W. Bullinger's
Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/john-6.html. 1909-1922.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
unto the world.
unto the world. This verse is perhaps best left in its own transparent
grandeur-holding up, as it does, the Bread itself as divine, spiritual, and
eternal; its ordained Fountain and essentialSubstance,Him who came down
from heaven to give it, that Eternal Life which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us (1 John 1:2); and its designedobjects, "the world."
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
6:33". "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -
Unabridged". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/john-
6.html. 1871-8.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on John 6:33". "Ellicott's Commentary
for EnglishReaders".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/john-6.html. 1905.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge
unto the world.
cometh
38,48;3:13; 8:42; 13:3; 16:28; 17:8; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 1:1,2
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on John 6:33". "The Treasury of Scripture
Knowledge". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tsk/john-6.html.
The Bible Study New Testament
Is he who comes down. The true bread: (1) comes down from heaven; (2) gives
life to the spirit; (3) is for the entire world. Jesus is that bread, and he alone
can give life to mankind.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Ice, Rhoderick D. "Commentary on John 6:33". "The Bible Study New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ice/john-6.html.
College Press, Joplin, MO. 1974.
Ver. 33. "Forthe bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and
giveth life unto the world."
We are not to interpunctuate after ὁ καταβαίνωνἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, but must
connectthis, which is common to the heavenly bread of Mosaic times with
Christ (it is said that the manna came down from heaven in Numbers 11:9,
LXX.: κατέβαινε τὸ μαννα), with what follows, by which the new heavenly
bread is distinguished from the old. We have the carrying out of the thought
in vers. 49 , 50.
That ὁ καταβαίνωνdoes not refer directly to Christ, but to the bread, is
evident even from the answerof the Jews, whichpresupposes that Jesus had

not yet pronounced concerning the identity of the bread and His own person,
which He does first in ver. 35 , then in ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνων
in ver. 50 , and ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς,vers. 41 , 51. The participle
Presentalso is opposedto the direct reference to Christ, for He has already
come down from heaven; but the bread, the nourishing virtue proceeding
from Him, comes downanew, whenever there are hearts capable of receiving
it. Cf. the Future δώσει in ver. 27.
The whole world apart from Christ is represented as lying in death, in
harmony with the declaration, "In the day thou eatestthereofthou shalt die;"
for in the whole wide universe. He is the only point whence life proceeds. Cf.
the remarks on the words, "in Him was life," of the Prologue. There is,
perhaps, in the life-giving bread here a reference to the death-bringing food of
yore. In view of our incapacityto raise ourselves to the heavenly source of all
life, it is a great grace that the life has come down to us, and is thus brought
within our reach. On the words, "and giveth life unto the world," the
BerleburgerBibel says, "There they gotthe true wide horizon before them. It
was necessaryto say this to the Jews, forthey applied everything to their
nation. Thus they must be introduced into God's wider circle. Such a Messiah
must be so for the whole world."
Only the bread which gives life to the world, and imparts to all men a happy
immortality, truly deserves the name of the bread of God, and not the manna,
which only in a lowerand imperfect sense is called in Psalms 78:25, "breadof
the mighty," bread from the region of the angels, orbread of heaven.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BARCLAY

THE DEMAND FOR A SIGN (John 6:30-34)
6:30-34 They said to him: "What sign are you going to perform that we may
see it and believe in you? What is your work? Our fathers ate the manna in
the wilderness. As it stands written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to
eat.'" Jesus saidto them: "This is the truth I tell you--Moses did not give you
bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the real bread from heaven. The
bread of God is he who comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."
They said to him: "Sir, always give us that bread."
Here the argument becomes specificallyJewishin its expressionand
assumptions and allusions. Jesus had just made a greatclaim. The true work
of God was to believe in him. "Very well," said the Jews, "this is in effect a
claim to be the Messiah. Prove it."
Their minds were still on the feeding of the crowdand inevitably that turned
their thoughts to the manna in the wilderness. Theycould hardly help
connecting the two things. The manna had always been regardedas the bread
of God (Psalms 78:24; Exodus 16:15); and there was a strong rabbinic belief
that when the Messiahcame he would againgive the manna. The giving of the
manna was held to be the supreme work in the life of Moses and the Messiah
was bound to surpass it. "As was the first redeemerso was the final redeemer;
as the first redeemercausedthe manna to fall from heaven, even so shall the
secondredeemercause the manna to fall." "Ye shall not find the manna in
this age, but ye shall find it in the age that is to come." "Forwhomhas the
manna been prepared? For the righteous in the age that is coming. Everyone
who believes is worthy and eateth of it." It was the belief that a pot of the
manna had been hidden in the ark in the first temple, and that, when the
temple was destroyed, Jeremiahhad hidden it away and would produce it
againwhen the Messiahcame. In other words, the Jews were challenging
Jesus to produce bread from God in order to substantiate his claims. They did
not regardthe bread which had fed the five thousand as bread from God; it
had begun in earthly loaves and issued in earthly loaves. The manna, they
held, was a different thing and a real test.

Jesus'answerwas twofold. First, he reminded them that it was not Moses who
had given them the manna; it was God. Second, he told them that the manna
was not really the bread of God; it was only the symbol of the bread of God.
The bread of God was he who came down from heavenand gave men not
simply satisfactionfrom physical hunger, but life. Jesus was claiming that the
only real satisfactionwas in him.
CHRIS BENFIELD
True Bread from Heaven
John 6: 32-40
Our text this evening is a continuation of the discussionJesus had with the
multitude the day following the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. As we look at
the miracles and ministry of Jesus, having the benefit of the complete Word,
we see His life served to revealwho He was, the Christ. Clearly the works He
accomplishedcould not have been achieved by a mere mortal, but the people
failed to see Jesus as the Christ. They were so focusedon their immediate
wants and desires that they failed to see anything else.
As we discussedin our last study, this line of thought continues today. We live
in a time where most are mainly concernedwith the “here and now.” The
majority are driven by the desire to satisfytheir wants and desires. The
average believerstruggles with these issues as well. We seek to maintain a
spiritual perspective, but often our lives are consumedby the pressing needs
of daily life. Justas the multitude of old, we need to see Jesus forwho He is,
and develop a spiritual mindset for our lives.
As we continue to considerthe conversationofJesus, I want to examine the
principles He confirms as we think on: True Breadfrom Heaven.

I. The Preeminence of the Savior(32-33)– Jesus addresses theirskewed
perception contrastedwith His divine preeminence. Consider:
A. Man’s Indiscretion (32) – Jesus mentions a common indiscretion among the
Hebrews. They were all familiar with the manna that sustained the children of
Israelwhile making the wilderness journey. It miraculously appearedeach
morning with the dew, except for the Sabbath day. It was undeniable that God
had blessedand sustained them, and yet the people held to the idea that Moses
was in fact responsible for the manna. Rather than acknowledging the
blessing and powerof God, they lookedto man. The multitude in Jesus’day
maintained that perspective as well.
 We may think such an idea is completely ridiculous, but often we tend to
hold the same views. We do not expect the Lord to provide bread on the
ground with the dew, but often we tend to rely more on the abilities and
resources ofmen than we do the Lord Himself. We must remember that God
is responsible for all we enjoy. He alone provides daily for us. Were it not for
His grace and power, we would never survive!
B. Jesus’Incarnation(33) – Jesus came to earth in the form of a man to
provide for our redemption. They had already experiencedenoughto
recognize who He was, and yet they failed
P a s t o r C h r i s B e n f i e l d , F e l l o w s h i p M i s s i o n a r y B a p t i s t
C h u r c h
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to acknowledgeJesusas the Christ. He reveals the manna was given of God
from heaven, but the true Breadnow stoodbefore them. Rather than seeking

that which is momentary and fleeting, they needed to seek the Breadof life.
Manna would sustain for a day, but Christ sustains throughout eternity, John
6:57-58.
II. The Presentationofthe Savior(35-36)
A. His Person(35) – Jesus begins this powerful statementwith an affirmation
of who He is: I am. This is the first of several“I Am” statements that Jesus
reveals concerning Himself in John’s gospelalone. He said, “I am the Breadof
life; the Light of the world; the Door;the good Shepherd; the Resurrection
and the Life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and the true Vine. He wanted
them to see Him for who He was. He was much more than one who worked
wonders;He is the I AM! Surely this brought to mind when Moses stoodby
the burning bush. Ex.3:14 – And God saidunto Moses, IAM THAT I AM:
and he said, Thus shalt thou sayunto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent
me unto you. Jesus would later proclaim His deity in Jn.8:58 – Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am; and in Rev.1:8 – I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which
was, and which is to come, the Almighty. We must see the Personof Jesus as
He is, the I AM!
B. His Provision (35b) – The multitude was seeking physical bread that would
only sustain them for a while, but Jesus offeredthe Bread of life that once
received, man would never hunger again. He offeredlife giving water that
would forever satisfy the thirst of a hungry soul. Rev.21:6 – And he said unto
me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give
unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the waterof life freely.
 Many today are like those who came to Jesus that day. They are looking for
things to satisfybut can’t seemto find what they desire. Many look to the
pleasures of the flesh, alcohol, or a bottle of pills, but once the effects of those
influences wearoff there is still a hunger and emptiness in the soul. Jesus is

the only One who can provide what we need, and His provision is for eternity.
One touch from the Lord and you will be foreverchanged!
C. His Position(36) – Jesus knew the desire of their hearts. He knew their
intentions. They were more than happy to receive the benefits He provided,
but they were unwilling to submit to Him as Lord and Master. Their rebellion
and unbelief would hinder their receiving His marvelous gift.
 This fundamental truth has not changedand never will. No doubt all who
ever lived want to go to heaven when they die. All desire to receive the favor
and grace ofGod in their lives, but all are not willing to receive Christ.
C h u r c h
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 He is the source of our salvation. There is no other way to be forgiven and
inherit eternallife. What we do with Jesus is the defining factorin our lives
and our eternal destiny. He must be recognizedand acceptedas Lord if man is
to be saved.
III. The Plan for our Salvation (37-38)– Jesus reveals greattruth about God’s
plan of salvation. Let’s considerthe elements involved in these truths.
A. The Sovereignty(37a) – Jesus speaksofthose whom the Father has given
unto Him. It is those who come unto Him. If we are to be saved and receive
the Breadof life, there must have been a drawing of the Lord, v.44. There

must be the work of the Holy Spirit dealing with our hearts in conviction. We
cannot leave God out of the salvationprocess.
 There are many today who are not savedand yet they fully intend to get
saved. “I plan on getting saved before I die, just not right now. I have a lot of
living yet to do.” There is only one problem with that attitude: we can’t just
get savedwhen we decide that we want to. The Lord must be dealing with our
hearts and drawing us towardthe Savior. Many have had goodintentions, but
I fear that hell is filled with goodintentions. If you are unwilling to do
business with God when He is dealing with your heart, what makes you think
that you will be willing to when He isn’t? Once again, we cannot leave God
out of the salvation process!We must come as He leads.
B. The Security (37b) – These were seeking fulfillment for a temporal need.
Had Jesus produced bread again, they could’ve been filled, but just as before
they would’ve hungered again. Jesus declaresthat all who come to Him will
be receivedand enjoy the benefit that He affords. He offers much more than
physical bread to those who believe.
 What a promise for the child of God! All who come to Him shall never be
castout. There will never come a day when we are askedto leave the presence
of the Lord. There will never be a time when He fails to care for us. There will
never be a circumstance that He isn’t able to provide our need. John 10:28-29;
Rom. 8:31-39.
C. The Submission (38) – Clearly those present that day had not graspedthe
enormity of this encounter. Calvary was yet in the distance, but already Jesus
is resignedto go to the cross. He is determined to fulfill the plan of salvation
that God had setforth before the foundation of the world. Had there been no
Savior there would be no salvationand Jesus fully submitted to offering
Himself a sacrifice forthe sins of mankind!
 Salvation is the most precious gift that one could receive and I am truly
thankful that I have been saved, but often we forget just what our Savior

endured to fulfill salvation’s plan. He was the holy, sinless Son of God. He who
knew no sin, He who never once committed sin or had to seek forgiveness
willingly took our sin upon Himself, bearing that sin on the cross. He could’ve
called
C h u r c h
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more than twelve legions of angels and escapedthe cross, but He submitted to
that awful death so that we might be saved!
IV. The Powerin our Salvation (39-40)– In these verses Jesus revealsthe
matchless powerthat is associatedwith our salvation.
A. Our Hedge (39) – Once againJesus is speaking ofthe will of the Father. He
has come to offer Himself a sacrifice for our sin, fulfilling salvation’s plan, and
all who come to Christ in salvation will be kept by His power. (I’m glad that it
isn’t up to me to keepmyself saved!) Of all the Father hath given Him, He
should lose nothing, not a single soul who has come to Christ is lost!
 No doubt those who followedJesus may have wondered about their security
in Him as He died upon the cross, but death was not the end for our Lord. He
rose from the grave victorious over sin, having completely securedsalvation
for all who come unto Him.
 We can take comfortin that today. In factwe can greatlyrejoice. All who
are savedare hedged in by the power of God. There aren’t enough demons in
hell to remove us from the grace and powerof Christ. Every soul that has ever

receivedChrist will be found worshipping Him in heaven! 1 Pet.1:5 –Who are
kept by the powerof God through faith unto salvationready to be revealedin
the lasttime.
B. Our Healing (40) – Long before Jesus everwalkedupon this earth in the
form of a man, sin had entered into the hearts of men. That sin caused
separationbetweenGod and man. Becauseofthat sin, all who everlived stood
condemned in that sin. God demanded that we be righteous as He is righteous.
That is impossible within ourselves. There had to be a sacrifice to atone for
that sin in order for restorationto be made. Jesus became that Sacrifice and
through Him man can now restored unto God. The wages ofsin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christour Lord. I’m glad that I no
longerstand condemned but have receivedHis righteousness.
 The key to this verse is: every one which seeththe Son, and believeth on
Him. We must see our need before a holy God and believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Savior. There were many in Jesus’day who knew who He was,
but they never believed on Him. Many today know who Jesus is, but they have
never come to Him in salvation. There must be more than head knowledge;
we must know Christ in a personalway unto salvation.
C. Our Hope – Twice in these verses Jesus speaksofthose who will be raised
up in the last day. He is speaking ofthe coming resurrection. Many who have
believed in the Lord have gone by the way of the grave;but just as it was for
our Lord, death is not the end for the child of God either. We too have the
hope of being raisedagainwhen Jesus steps out and calls for His bride. Titus
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2:13 – Looking for that blessedhope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (1 Thes.4:16-17)
Conclusion:We have dealt with a wonderful passage ofScripture today. Jesus
is the True Breadfrom Heaven, the Bread of Life. He is the source ofour
salvation, the Anchor of our souls, and the Hope of our resurrection.
Do you know Him today as Lord and Saviorof your life? If not, you can. He
came that all might be saved.
The choice is yours. Will you partake of the Breadof life or refuse Him? The
difference is being savedor remaining lost is sin, heaven or hell. Why not
come to Him today and partake of the Bread of life?
CALVIN
Verse 33
33.Forthe bread of God. Christ reasons negativelyfrom the definition to the
thing defined, in this manner: “The heavenly bread is that which hath come
down from heaven to give life to the world In the manna there was nothing of
this sort; and, therefore, the manna was not the heavenly bread. ” But, at the
same time, he confirms what he formerly said, namely, that he is sent by the
Father, in order that he may feed men in a manner far more excellent than
Moses.True, the manna came down from the visible heaven, that is, from the
clouds; but not from the eternalkingdom of God, from which life flows to us.
And the Jews, whom Christ addresses, lookedno higher than that the bellies
of their fathers were well stuffed and fattened in the wilderness.

What he formerly calledthe bread of heaven, he now calls the bread of God;
not that the bread which supports us in the present life comes from any other
than God, but because that alone can be reckonedthe bread of God (144)
which quickens souls to a blessedimmortality. This passage teachesthat the
whole world is dead to God, exceptso far as Christ quickens it, because life
will be found nowhere else than in him.
Which hath come down from heaven. In the coming down from heaven two
things are worthy of observation;first, that we have a Divine life in Christ,
because he has come from God to be the Author of life to us; secondly, that
the heavenly life is near us,
so that we do not need to fly above the clouds or to cross the sea,
(Deuteronomy 30:12;Romans 10:6;)
for the reasonwhy Christ descendedto us was, that no man could ascend
above.
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR
I. Christ Is the bread of God in His personalDivine life (John 6:32-40).
1. The typical and the true bread of God (John 6:32-33).
2. The false and the true appetite for this bread (John 6:34-38).
3. The liberating and quickening operationof this bread (John 6:39-40).
II. Christ GIVES the bread of life in His giving up of His flesh in His atoning
death (John 6:41-51).
1. He gives it not to murmurers, but to those who are drawn and taught of the
Father (John 6:41-47).

2. He gives it with the full partaking of eternal life (John 6:48-50).
3. He gives it in giving Himself (John 6:51).
4. He gives it in giving His flesh for the life of the world (John 6:51).
III. Christ INSTITUTES the meal of life in making His flesh and blood a feast
of thank-offering to the world (John 6:52-59).
1. The offence at the words concerning the flesh of Christ (John 6:52).
2. The heightening of the offence by the fourfold assertionconcerning the flesh
and blood of Christ (John 6:53-56).
3. The ground of this assertion;the life of Christ is in the Father (John 6:57).
4. The conclusionof this assertion(John 6:58-59).
IV. Christ TRANSFIGURESthe meal of life into a meal of the Spirit (verse
60-65)
1. By His exaltation(John 6:62).
2. By His sending the spirit (John 6:63).
3. By His word (John 6:63).
4. By the excisionof unbelievers (John 6:64). (J. P. Lange, D. D.)
The bread of life contrastedwith manna
1. The manna could not detain for one moment the fleeting spirit of man; but
the bread of life, like the tree of life, imparted immortality.
2. That was from the air; this from the real heaven of heavens.
3. That nourished the decaying body; this the never dying soul.

4. That left the multitude, after a few hours, hungry still; he who eats of this
will never hunger. (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
Come down from heaven
I. WE HAVE A DIVINE LIFE IN CHRIST, because He has come from God
to be the author of life for us.
II. THIS LIFE IS NEAR (Deuteronomy 30:12-13;Romans 10:6-8). No man
could ascendup, therefore Christ came down. (John Calvin.)
I. WHAT IS IT TO LIVE.
Life in Christ
1. Anything lives when it fills up the capacityof its being. Animal life does not
consistin material force but in organic vitality. In man, however, we see the
added element of spiritual existence.
2. Here comes up the everlasting fact that man is not like the brute satisfied
with meat and drink, but yearns for what is beyond. And as there is harmony
in the universe there must be something more than the material for man.
II. THE HIGHER NATURE MUST HAVE ITS FOOD, OR IT DIES. Christ
saw the spiritual nature of man in all its priceless capacityand quenchless
immortality, and to that He addressedHimself when He bade His hearers eat
of His flesh and drink of His blood.
III. EACH KIND OR NATURE IN THE UNIVERSE IS LINKED IN ITS
OWN CHAIN OF DEPENDENCIES. The body depends on things material;
but the moment we look on the spirit of man we must ascribe it to some higher

source than matter. The affectionof the human heart; the yearning for the
beautiful and the good;the intellect; the sense of sin and moral freedom,
whence came they? If you could take awayevery other proof of the existence
of God, this spirit proves the Being of a moral and intelligent Source over and
above the material world.
IV. EACH THING IS LINKED TO THINGS OF ITS OWN KIND.
1. The soul, living, intelligent, and morally conscious,is linked to an intelligent
and moral God, and by Him, and in Him alone, can it live. It cannotlink itself
to mere sensationand matter.
2. Jesus brings men into communion with that infinite intelligence, love, and
freedom by bringing man’s soul into communion with Himself, so that living
in Him we live in the Father, and as Christ becomes assimilatedto our inner
spiritual being, so we truly live.
V. WE NOT ONLY LIVE IN, BUT BY JESUS. This brings into view His
essentialpersonality. “I am the Bread, the Way.” “He that believeth in ME,”
etc. No other teachereverso spoke. Plato orConfucius may have said,
“Believe this truth,” but never, “I am the truth, believe in me.” Christ saves us
not merely by the truth He revealed, but by Himself.
VI. THIS LIFE IS A PRESENTEXPERIENCE. Notmerely is going to live,
but liveth. Religionis an end as well as a means. It is not simply something
that helps us to live by and by, but something by which we live now. The great
essentialthings are those we live by, not for. Bread, water, air--we do not live
for them, but by them. So we live by religion, heaven, Christ, not for them.
Conclusion:
1. See whatan argument this is for the truth of the religion of Jesus, becauseit
shows us how we truly live. We live by Jesus now because

2. Have you everreally lived? (E. H. Chapin, D. D.)
Jewishtraditions connecting the manna with the Messiah
There was a tradition that as the first Redeemercausedthe manna to fall
from heaven, even so should the secondRedeemercause the manna to fall.
For this sign, then, or one like it, the people lookedfrom Him whom they were
ready to regardas Messiah(cf. Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11)
. Philo says, “Whenthe people sought what it is which feeds the soul, for they
did not, as Moses says, know whatit was, they discoveredby learning that it is
the utterance of God and the Divine Loges from which all forms of instruction
and wisdom flow in a perennial stream. And this is the heavenly food which is
indicated in the sacredrecords under the person of the First Cause, saying,
“BeholdI rain on you bread out of heaven!” (Exodus 14:4). For in very truth
God distils from above the supernal wisdom on noble and contemplative
minds, and they, when they see and taste, in greatjoy, know what they
experience, but do not know the powerwhich dispenses the gift. Wherefore
they ask, ‘What is this that is sweeterthan honey and whiter than snow?’But
they shall all be taught by the prophet that this is the Bread which the Lord
gave them to eat “ (Exodus 16:15). (Bp. Westcott.)
STEVEN COLE
Seeking JesusRightly (John 6:22-36)
RelatedMedia

November 3, 2013
What are you seeking forin life? We all seek happiness, but where are you
looking for that happiness? Some think that they will find it in financial
successora satisfying career, and so they devote themselves to those pursuits.
Others think that they will find happiness in sex. They become enslavedto
pornography, or they go from one partner to the next. Many try to find that
pleasure in alcoholor drugs, only to destroytheir lives. Some seek happiness
through marriage and children. While a happy family is a blessing from God,
it should never become our main source for happiness, because we caneasily
lose it through death. And often our families can be the source of greatpain.
As Solomon makes clearin Ecclesiastes,any earthly thing that you seek to
satisfy the inner void is like chasing soapbubbles. You catch one only to have
it burst in your hand.
The Bible is clearthat our ultimate source ofhappiness and pleasure is found
only in God. David wrote (Ps. 16:11), “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in
Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Jesus toldthe disciples (John
15:11), “These things I have spokento you so that My joy may be in you, and
that your joy may be made full.” We will find fullness of joy and pleasures
forever when we seek God.
A. W. Tozerbegins his spiritual classic, The Pursuit of God ([Christian
Publications], p. 11), by pointing out “that before a man canseek God, God
must first have sought the man.” As Paul says (Rom. 3:11), “There is none
who seeksfor God.” Tozeradds (ibid.), “We pursue God because, andonly
because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit.” Thus
we can’t take credit for our pursuit of God.
And yet at the same time, the Bible clearlyexhorts everyone, including the
ungodly, to seek the Lord. Isaiah 55:6-7 calls to us,
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the
wickedforsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him

return to the Lord, and He will have compassionon him, and to our God, for
He will abundantly pardon.
So there is a mystery here: no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws
him (John 6:44), and yet we are commanded to come to Jesus and to seek Him
diligently. We begin by seeking Him for the mercy of salvationand we keep
seeking Him for the grace to live in a manner pleasing to Him. It’s a lifelong
quest. The prophet Hosea said(6:3), “So let us know, let us press on to know
the Lord.” The apostle Paulechoes that (Phil. 3:7-11), where he says that he
has counted all of his former gains as loss for the surpassing value of knowing
Christ. Even though he had known Christ for about 25 years when he wrote
that letter, he admits that he had not yet attained what he desired. Then he
added (Phil. 3:14), “I press on toward the goalfor the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.”Tozerput it like this (ibid., p. 14, 17),
Come near to the holy men and womenof the past and you will soonfeel the
heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and
wrestledand soughtfor Him day and night, in seasonand out, and when they
had found Him the finding was all the sweeterforthe long seeking….
Complacencyis a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.
In our text (John 6:24), many of the people whom Jesus had fed with the
loaves and fish “came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.”The morning after the
miracle, they couldn’t find Jesus. Theyknew that He had not left in the boat
with the disciples and that there had not been any other boats there the night
before. But they couldn’t find Him. So when some small boats from Tiberias
came there, these people gotinto the boats and went to Capernaum in search
of Jesus. Theirquestion when they found Him (6:25), “Rabbi, when did You
get here?” shows thatthey couldn’t figure out how He gotthere because they
didn’t know about His walking on the waterto the disciples.
Jesus couldhave replied, “I got here early this morning after I walkedon the
waterto the disciples and joined them in the boat.” That answerwould have
causedsome jaws to drop! But Jesus didn’t answertheir question. Instead, He
confronted them because eventhough they had gone to a good bit of trouble to
seek Him, they were seeking Him wrongly. They sought Him because they

wanted a political Messiahto bring peace and prosperity. By reversing their
negative example into a positive one, we canlearn how to seek Jesus rightly:
Seek Jesus forthe right reason, by the right route, and through the right
relationship to give you eternal life.
These Jews were seeking Jesus forthe wrong reason:They wanted Him to
provide them with material comfort, not with eternal life (6:22-27). They were
seeking by the wrong route: works, notfaith (6:28-29). And, they were seeking
Jesus as the new Moses,to provide them with what they wanted, but not as the
satisfying bread of life whom they could know personally (6:30-36).
1. Seek Jesusforthe right reason:Desire eternalfood, not temporal food
(6:22-27).
Jesus confronts the multitude (John 6:26): “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek
Me, not because you saw signs, but because youate of the loaves and were
filled.” He means that they had missedthe true significance ofthe miracle that
He had just performed. Rightly understood, the miracle of the loaves and fish
should have turned them to Christ as their Messiah, who could satisfy their
spiritual hunger for time and eternity. But, as one commentatorput it (Lange,
cited by F. Godet, Commentary on the Gospelof John [Zondervan], 2:18),
“Insteadof seeing in the bread the sign, they had seenin the sign only the
bread.” Their minds were on the temporal and material, rather than on the
eternal and spiritual. They wanted their stomachs filled, but they weren’t
seeking Jesusfor eternallife. They had no sense oftheir sin or their need to be
reconciledto the holy God. They sought Jesus only for what He could do for
them materially.
Jesus’words here obviously refute the popular heresy that it is God’s will for
every Christian to be financially prosperous. The false teachers who promote
this damnable teaching are preying on people’s greed. Sadly, this teaching is
rampant in many poor countries, as well as in the United States. It deceives
people into thinking that their real need is more money, when in fact their real
need is the eternallife that Jesus offers. So, Jesus becomes Aladdin’s Genie to
help you getwhat you want out of life. But He isn’t the Saviorfrom sin, who

satisfies your soul whether you are rich or poor, living in a nice home or
lockedup in a cold prison cell.
So Jesus exhorts (6:27), “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the
food which endures to eternallife, which the Son of Man will give to you, for
on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Jesus doesn’tmean that you should
quit your job and take a vow of poverty. The Bible commends hard work and
commands us to provide adequately for our families (Col. 3:23; 1 Tim. 5:8). It
does not condemn having earthly riches, although it does warn about the
dangers of riches (1 Tim. 6:8-10, 17-19).
Rather, Jesus is showing us by way of contrastwhere to put our focus. As He
said in Mark 8:36, “Forwhat does it profit a man to gain the whole world,
and forfeit his soul?” Or, as Jesus graphicallyillustrated with the parable of
the man who wanted to build biggerbarns to store his wealth, but who died
that very night, to end up rich in this world’s goods, but to die poor toward
God, is a huge mistake (Luke 12:15-21). We should not be so caughtup with
working to put food on the table that we neglectworking for “the food which
endures to eternal life.”
I’ll comment more on this when we look at 6:28-29, but note the irony of
Jesus’statementthat we should work for this food that endures to eternal life,
and yet at the same time, the Son of Man gives it to us. It’s the same as when
Jesus exhortedHis hearers (Luke 13:24), “Strive to enter through the narrow
door.” Or (Matt. 11:12), “Fromthe days of John the Baptistuntil now the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” There is
a lot of effort involved in “striving” and “taking the kingdom by force.” And
yet at the same time, Jesus gives living waterto the spiritually thirsty and the
true bread of eternal life to the hungry (John 4:10; 6:27, 32, 35).
What does it mean to work “for the food which endures to eternal life”? J. C.
Ryle (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:347)sums it up well:
How are we to labor? There is but one answer. We must labor in the use of all
appointed means. We must read our Bibles, like men digging for hidden
treasure. We must wrestle earnestlyin prayer, like men contending with a
deadly enemy for life. We must take our whole heart to the house of God, and

worship and hear like those who listen to the reading of a benefactor’s will.
We must fight daily againstsin, the world, and the devil, like those who fight
for liberty, and must conquer, or be slaves. These are the ways we must walk
in if we would find Christ, and be found of Him. This is “laboring.” This is the
secretof getting on about our souls.
As always, Ryle cuts to the quick! Evaluate yourself in light of his words and
put them into action. Figure out how to rearrange your busy schedule so that
you take the time and effort to work for the food which endures to eternal
life.”
Before we leave these verses, note three important truths here about Jesus.
First, Jesus knows yourmotives. He saw right through this crowd that was
seeking Him for the wrong reasons and He lovingly confronted and exhorted
them in the way they neededto change. WhenJesus confronts your wrong
motives through His Word, pay attention and respond with repentance. He’s
doing it because He loves you, not to hurt you.
Second, Jesus gives spiritual food to those who seek Him properly. He could
not do this if He were not God. He knows exactlywhat you need to grow in
Him and He will give it to you when you diligently seek Him for it.
Third, Jesus is God’s only approved source of spiritual blessing. He says
(6:27b), “Foron Him the Father, God, has setHis seal.” A sealin that day
authenticated a document and showedthat the owner of the sealapproved of
it (Leon Morris, The GospelAccording to John [Eerdmans], p. 359). D. A.
Carsonexplains (The GospelAccording to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 284),
“The idea is that God has certified the Son as his own agent, authorizing him
as the one who alone canbestow this food.” So don’t fall prey to any false
teaching that diminishes the full deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek Him for
the food that endures to eternallife.
2. Seek Jesusby the right route: by faith, not by works (6:28-29).
John 6:28-29:“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may
work the works ofGod?’ Jesus answeredand said to them, ‘This is the work
of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” Their question picks up

on Jesus’command not to work for the food which perishes, but for the food
which endures to eternallife (6:27). John Calvin explains (Calvin’s
Commentaries [Baker], p. 243), “By the works of God we must understand
those which Goddemands, and of which he approves.”
Again, Jesus is using irony here. He does not mean that faith is a meritorious
work on our part that somehow commends us to God. The Bible is clearthat
faith itself is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 1:29). Rather, Jesus is picking
up on their question about works and saying, in effect, “The only ‘work’ that
you cando is not to work, but rather to believe in Me, the one whom the
Father has sent to provide salvationthrough My death and resurrection.” As
Calvin againexplains (ibid., p. 245),
Now faith brings nothing to God, but, on the contrary, places man before God
as empty and poor, that he may be filled with Christ and with his grace. It is,
therefore, if we may be allowedthe expression, a passive work, to which no
reward canbe paid, and it bestows on man no other righteousness than that
which he receives from Christ.
Seeking to be right with Godby works rather than by faith alone is probably
the most common spiritual error in the world. All false religions, including
some that go under the label of “Christian,” teacha works-approachto
salvation. They may teachthat we are savedby faith, but not by faith alone,
but by faith plus works. But if that is true, then we have grounds for boasting
in ourselves. And, the question is, how many works do you have to add to your
faith to be saved? The Bible is clearthat those who are savedby faith in
Christ always produce goodworks as a result (Eph. 2:8-10; James 2:14-26).
But it is faith in Christ alone that saves. As Paul put it (Rom. 4:4-5), “Now to
the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But
to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is credited as righteousness.”
So to seek Jesus and the food that endures to eternal life, come to Him as a
guilty, helpless sinner and trust entirely in what He did for you when He died
on the cross. If you want to fly somewhere, you’ve got to entrust yourself
totally to the pilot and the airplane. It would be ridiculous to insist on going

into the cockpitand helping the pilot fly the plane, especiallyif you are not a
trained pilot. Even so, it’s crazy to tell God that you’re going to help Jesus
save you by your goodworks when He has said that He will save all that trust
in Him. Don’t trust in your own goodworks to justify you when you stand
before God someday. Rather (Acts 16:31), “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved.”
Thus there is nothing more important to seek for in life than to seek forJesus
and the eternal life that He can give. Seek Him for the right reason:you need
eternal food, not temporal food. Seek Him by the right route: by faith and not
by works.
3. Seek Jesusthrough the right relationship: Hunger for Him to satisfyyour
soul (6:30-36).
These Jews,who have just the day before eatenthe miraculous loaves and
fish, ask Jesus an incredible question (6:30): “What then do You do for a sign,
so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?” They go
on (6:31) to mention that their fathers ate the manna in the wilderness.
Behind this request for a sign was the Jewishexpectationthat when the
Messiahcame, He would renew the miracle of the manna (Morris, p. 361).
So in spite of Jesus’miraculous feeding the 20,000, they’re asking for more:
Jesus fed a large crowd; Mosesfed the entire nation. Jesus did it once;Moses
did it for 40 years. Jesus provided ordinary bread; Moses gavethem “bread
out of heaven.” So they’re saying, “Okay, Jesus,you gave us a little sign. Let’s
see You do a big one, like Moses did! Then we’ll believe in You!” Ryle (pp.
361-362)astutelycomments,
They were always deceiving themselves with the idea that they wanted more
evidence and pretending that if they had this evidence they would believe.
Thousands in every age do just the same…. The plain truth is that it is lack of
heart, not lack of evidence, that keeps people back from Christ.
Jesus responds by correcting them. He says (6:32-33), “Truly, truly, I sayto
you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My
Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is

that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” He is
saying, first, that it wasn’tMoses who gave them the manna; God did. And,
second, the manna wasn’tthe true bread, because people who ate it still died.
But Jesus, whomGod sent, gives eternallife to the world, that is, to all people
everywhere who believe in Him.
The Jews’reply focuses onthe material, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
(“Lord” here should properly be translated, “Sir.” They were not
acknowledging Jesus to be Lord, as 6:36 makes plain. They just wanted Jesus
to be their free meal ticket.) Jesus’reply tells them who the true bread is and
how to get it (6:35): “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not
hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” This is the first of seven
“I am” metaphors in John (8:12; 10:7; 10:11;11:25; 14:6; 15:1). I’ll say more
next time, but for now note what an astounding claim this is. Jesus is saying
that He is the source of eternallife and the sustainer of that life for whoever
comes to Him and believes in Him.
These Jews were satisfiedwith their religion and rituals that had come down
to them from Moses, so they had no hunger for the living bread that Jesus
offered. Before you are hungry to eat of the living bread God has to open your
eyes to your true condition: Without Christ you are spiritually starving. In
Christ’s day, bread was the main staple in their diet. You could not live
without bread. In the same way, you cannot live eternally in the presence of
the holy God without Jesus Christ. The Father sent Jesus to this world to bear
the sins of all who believe in Him. Without Him, you’re under God’s righteous
judgment.
“Coming to Jesus”and “believing in Jesus” are parallelhere. They explain
what Jesus means in 6:53 when He talks about eating His flesh and drinking
His blood. It means to trust in Jesus’death as the complete and final payment
for your sins. Jesus says that the result of coming to Him is that we will not
hunger and the result of believing in Him is that we will never thirst. This
does not mean that we will not still long to know more and more of the riches
of Christ. Rather, it means that when we truly believe in Jesus, we are
satisfiedwith Him. We have all spiritual blessings in Him (Eph. 1:3). We are
complete in Him (Col. 2:10).

Conclusion
Sadly, these Jews were seeking Jesus forthe wrong reason:They wanted Him
to provide for their material needs, but they didn’t see their spiritual needs.
They sought Jesus by the wrong route: works, but not faith. They sought Him
through the wrong relationship: They wantedHim to be the new Moses, the
new political leaderto bring in peace and prosperity, but they didn’t want to
come to Him personally in faith to satisfy their spiritual hunger. Jesus states
the tragic result (6:36): They had seenHim and yet they did not believe.
What are you seeking forin life? Jesus is the only one who can provide true
soul satisfaction, bothin this life and for eternity. But perhaps you’re seeking
Jesus wrongly:You want Him to provide for your temporal needs, but you
don’t sense your desperate spiritual need for Him as the living bread to give
you eternallife. Even worse, maybe you aren’t seeking Jesus atall. You’re a
heartbeataway from standing before God in judgment, and yet you don’t
even see your desperate condition. Cry out to God to open your eyes to your
greatestneed. Come to Jesus and you will not hunger. Believe in Him and you
will never thirst.
Application Questions
How can we help unbelievers to see that their main need is for eternal life, not
for temporal goods orpleasures?
A Roman Catholic friend argues that James 2:14-26 proves that we must add
our works to faith in order to be saved. How would you answerhim? What
Scriptures would you use?
To do well in a demanding career, you must devote much time and effort to it.
How does John 6:27 apply in this situation?
RereadJ. C. Ryle’s comments (pp. 3-4)on how we should labor for the food
that endures to eternal life. How can you best apply his prescription?
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2013,All Rights Reserved

TOM CONSTABLE
Verse 32-33
The people were viewing Moses as the source oftheir blessing in the past.
They believed that the manna was given through his merits, and ended with
his death. [Note: Edersheim, 2:30.] There is also some evidence that they
believed Moses was interceding for them in the presentas well. [Note: See
Beasley-Murray, p79.]Jesus pointed them beyond Mosesto the true source,
namely, God. He wantedthem to look to God for their needs, not to a human
channel of God"s blessing.
Jesus also turned the conversationawayfrom the request for a physical sign
back to the subject of the bread that satisfies.Godhad given manna in the
past, but He was giving a new type of bread now. Jesus describedit as coming
down from heaven and providing life for the entire world, not just Israel.
With this response Jesus effectivelytook Moses andhis sign, which the people
had put in a superior place over Himself, and placed them in an inferior
position under Himself. The true (Gr. alethinos, genuine or original, cf. John
1:9) bread is the bread that satisfies ultimately. In this discourse Jesus
mentioned seventimes that He had come down out of heaven, stressing the
fact that He was God"s divine gift ( John 6:33; John 6:38; John 6:41-42;John
6:50-51;John 6:58).
Verse 34
Jesus had glorified the new bread sufficiently now for the people to request it
of Him, as he had glorified the living waterfor the Samaritanwoman. He had
setthem up for the revelation that He was that bread. If they were sincere in
their desire for it, they would acceptHim. Yet the people did not realize what
they were requesting, as the woman at the well did not (cf. John 4:15). They

were still thinking of physical bread. They wanted this new type of physical
bread from then on.
OUR LORD AS BREAD
Dr. W. A. Criswell
John 6:31-50
7-12-87 8:15 a.m.
And welcome once againthe throngs of you who share this hour on radio; you
are a part now of the dear congregationof the First Baptist Church in Dallas.
This is the pastorbringing the messageentitled Our Lord as Bread– Jesus the
Breadof Heaven. It is an expositionof the central part of the sixth chapter of
the GospelofJohn, and the reading of a part of the text begins with verse 31:
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread
from heaven to eat.
Jesus said, my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth His
life unto the world,
I am the Breadof Life: he that comethto Me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on Me shall never thirst.
Verse 50:

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and never die.
I am the living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
Bread, he shall live forever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world.
[John 6:31-33, 35, 50-51]
Bread: bread is made of grain that is crushed and ground beneath the upper
and nether millstones, a signand a symbol of the cross. And bread is bakedin
an oven, a sign and a symbol of the intensity of His sufferings; the bread of
God, bread of heaven, Jesus ourLord.
Thus it is the purpose of God in heaven, purposed in heaven, that He suffer
and die for the sins of humanity. Whatever other purpose there may have
been in the creationof this world, one of the purposes of God is that He should
be the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world [1 Peter1:18-20;
Revelation13:8]. Whateverother purpose of God in the creationof this
planet and our life, with all of its majesty and mystery, with its syllogisms of
systems and suns, where every star is a burning light in the spelling of His
name, whateverother purposes of God in the creationof this earth, this is one
of those purposes in heaven: before the world was made, that He, our Lord,
suffer and die for a lost humanity.
Our Lord did not come into this world primarily, purposely, that He be a
socialreformer, that He be a purveyor of the bread that perishes, that He be
an example of noble citizenship or manhood, but our Lord came into this
world with an announced aim and goalto die for the sins of the people. His
language throughout this text is always one of sacrificialsuffering and death.
It is of the altar, it’s of the sacrifice, it’s of blood, it’s of atonement, it’s of the
intercessorygrace ofGod. He came from heavenand took upon Him our
nature. Are any afflicted? He was afflicted. Do any weep? He wept. Are
any troubled and burdened? He was troubled and burdened. Do any hurt?
He hurt. Are any slandered, spit upon, despised, rejected? He was slandered

and rejected. "The chastisementof our peace is upon Him; and with His
stripes we are healed." [Isaiah53:1-5] Thatis the gospelof salvation. God
does not demand twice payment for the offense. He paid it: He suffered in
our steadthat we might be free.
One of the most dramatic of all of the laws in the Mosaic legislation:the
sinner, the sacrificialofferer, put his hands on the head of the sacrifice,
identified with it, and when the sacrifice was slain, he was slain. When the
blood poured out, his blood of expiation poured out. He came from heaven to
be our Redeemerand Intercessorand sacrifice and Savior.
A vital and dynamic part of this text is our encouragementto appropriate
Christ for our human need to eat. In this brief passagethatI have not time to
reiterate, I have counted seventimes, seventimes in those few verses where we
are encouragedto eat. "Thata man may eatand not die,If any man eat of this
bread,Exceptye eat the flesh of the Son of Man,Whoso eatethMy flesh,He
that eatethMy flesh":seven times in those few verses we are invited to eat of
this life-giving sacrificialdeath of our Lord [John 6:50-58].
Howeverwe may be, there is always in us a soul-hunger and longing for God,
for heaven. "We have this treasure in these earthen vessels." [2 Corinthians
4:7] We cannot escape it. Somehow the husks from the swine’s trough and
the garbage from the dog’s kennel does not satisfythe hunger of the soul. We
look up to God in heaven: "Feedus, Lord, bread of life." In answerto that
hunger of the soul, dissatisfiedwith the things of the earth, Godhath provided
food and drink, in the passage formally and symbolically called"manna":
manna from God, manna from heaven. Eachmorning, every morning it was
gatheredfresh, it tastedlike a waferdipped in honey, and it was free. It was
everywhere, it was without money and without price, and they were invited to
eat and live [Exodus 16:11-31]. In the desert, in the wilderness, God gave
them bread from the ovens of heavento eat. "O taste," says the psalmist,
"and see that the Lord is good";enough and sufficient for everyone [Psalm
34:8]. And the soul’s work could be no more beautifully acceptable to God
than to share in the Bread of heaven.

It is our Lord Himself: we are to feed upon Him. His doctrines, His works,
His precepts, all of the wondrous things that characterizedHis life, how
beautiful and how precious they are, and how worthily thought upon when we
meditate upon the earthly ministry of our blessedLord. But we are to feed
upon Him, upon Him, Jesus Himself: meditate, fellowship, talk to, walk with
the Lord Himself.
I think of that wondrous occasionofthe transfiguration, when Peter, James,
and John on the top of the mount there saw the Lord glorified, and on one
side Elijah, and on the other side Moses, talking to the blessedand exalted
Savior. And in the presence ofsuch glory they fell down, unable to bear the
heavenly sight. Then, the Bible says, Jesus touchedthem, put His hand upon
them, and when they lifted up their faces, Moseswas gone,and Elijah was
gone, and they saw no one but Jesus only [Matthew 17:1-8]. That is such a
parable of our devotionallife before the Lord: just Jesus only.
I one time heard of a neophyte, a young preacher, who sat by the side of an
old, dying saint, and in his words of comfort and consolation, the young
preacherquoted 2 Timothy 1:12, and said it like this: "I know in whom I
have believed, and am persuaded He is able to keepthat which I have
committed unto Him, againstthat day." And the old saint put his hand on the
young preacher’s arm, and said, "My son, my son, this is the wayit is written:
‘I know whom I have believed.’ And son, I don’t want the slightest, littlest
preposition betweenme and my Lord. Not ‘I know in whom’; I know whom I
have believed. Nothing between." To feedupon our Lord: howeverand awed
and beside the wonder of His doctrines and His teachings and His words, our
fellowship is with Him, and in Him is the life of God mediated to us. He is our
all in all.
For the polluted, He is purity. For the weak, He is strength. Forthe faint, He
is courage. Forthe dead, He is life: our Lord Himself, the God Man Christ
Jesus. We do not worship or fellowshipwith a fancy, or a phantom, or a
dream; we fellowship with a living Christ, Jesus our Lord.
In the Bible, in the whole of our scripture, there are two greatordinances:
one in the old covenantand one in the new. In the old covenantit is the

Passover. The lamb was to be eaten, all of it; no part was to be left behind,
and if a family was too small to eat the whole, a neighbor was to be invited,
and they share it together. All of it was to be eaten[Exodus 12:1-4]. In the
fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, "Jesus ourSavior is the Passover
sacrificedfor us" [1 Corinthians 5:7]. He is our Lamb, and we feastupon
Him, all of us, the whole household; the feeblest, the youngest, the poorest, the
weakest, allof us are to share in that Passovermeal, and it is essentialthat we
eat. He is not strength for us and salvationfor us unless we partake, unless we
share. But sharing and eating as a family, and as a people, He brings life and
strength and sustenance to it. We feed upon our Lord.
In the New Testament, the ordinance is our holy and sacred Lord’s Supper.
This broken bread is the communion of the flesh and body of our Lord, and
this fruit of the vine that we drink is the communion, the koinonia, the
fellowship, of the blood of our Lord. And sharing it with Him, we are one in
faith, in hope, in love, in life, in heaven. We are identified with our Savior and
our Savioris identified with us. We are His body. As Paul writes in
Ephesians 5, "We are the members of His bones and of His flesh; we are His
body" [Ephesians 5:30]; we. Howeverweak and feeble we may appear before
God, yet we are in Him strength, and glory, and honor, and resurrection, and
immortality, and life. He looks through our eyes, He speaks withour lips, He
works with our hands, He walks onour feet, And He witnesses withour
words. We are one in Him.
In this feeding upon our Lord, how many times does He say that we may eat
thereof and never die! "This is the Bread which comes down from heaven. If
any man eat, he shall live forever; he will never, ever die." We don’t die; we
just wake up in heaven, translated out of this body of mortality and
corruption and death into the glorious life and liberty of Jesus our Lord.
Do you notice that in this promise of our Savior, feeding upon Him, that it
carries with it, it bears with it a predetermined and predestinated
embodiment? Do you notice that? An eternal embodiment – what an
amazing promise! These who feastupon our Lord, who eatthe Breadof
heaven, are promised an eternalembodiment.

Jesus was the bread of god

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Jesus was the bread of god