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JOHN CHAPTER 6
CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
(v. 1) "Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias)
(v. 2) and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
(v. 3) Then Jesus went up on a mountain side and sat down with his disciples.
(v. 4) The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
(v. 5) When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'
(v. 6) He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do."
(vv. 1-2)
(v. 1) "Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias)
(v. 2) and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick."
Jesus, after some unspecified amount of time from an unspecified location, was reported as having crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is the Sea of Tiberias), where a great crowd of people followed because of the miracles He had performed on the sick.
The previous verses and other passages from John and other books may shed some light on where our Lord was and how long ago before he crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee and how these accounts are related. This we can do later, after first observance of the text of the entire chapter is completed - so that we are not swayed by information from elsewhere until we can get a handle on the passage at hand. Notice that author John provides a motivation for the crowd's following Jesus.
(v. 3) "Then Jesus went up on a mountain side and sat down with his disciples."
"anElthen de ..eis .....to ..oros .........iEsous"
"went up ..and into ..the mountain Jesus" =
Notice that the Greek text indicates that Jesus went up and into the mountain. We can thus observe from this that He did not go to the top, but to a side of the mountain. Certainly He did not dig into the side of the mountain to go under the earth. Hence the best rendering is mountainside in English. We can observe that He positioned Himself, the transportation mode not being stipulated, on the side of the mountain - a good place for addressing a large crowd.
So Jesus went up and into a mountain indicating that he went onto a mountain side with His disciples - as opposed to a mountain top. Verse 23 indicates that a boat landing on the sea shore was in close proximity to the mountain side.
(v. 4) The Jewish Passover Feast was close to beginning.
We can investigate what the significance of the Passover is to this account later as we take a look at parallel passages and the previous chapter 5.
(vv. 5-6)
(v. 5) When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'
(v. 6) He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do."
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?' (He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.)
So we can expect more details of our Lord's plans for the crowd as the passage unfolds in view of what we have investigated so far. And we can observe that the passage infers that our Lord presumed that the crowd was seeking Him and would be hungry and without sufficient provisions to satisfy that hunger. We also see that the author John is inputting his own personal comments on the motivation of our Lord, this time, the reason for His question to Philip which was to test him for some particular reason.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) PARALLEL PASSAGES IN MATTHEW, MARK & LUKE
(Additional pieces of information are italicized)
(v. 13) "When Jesus heard what had happened, [the beheading of John the Baptist, (vv. 6-12)], He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
(v. 14) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
(v. 15) As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
(v. 16) Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.' "
(v. 30) "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
(v. 31) Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'
(v. 32) So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.' "
(v. 33) But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
(v. 34) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 130]:
"6:32-34. These verses are a transition from the successful mission of the Twelve to the resultant presence of a large crowd in a remote place. Two phrases in the fulfillment of Jesus' directive provide the connecting links: by themselves (kat' idian, Gr. idiom meaning 'privately'), a phrase Mark used for Jesus' private instruction of individuals (cf. 4:34a; 6:31-32; 7:33; 9:2, 28; 13:3); and to a solitary (erEmon, 'remote') place (cf. 1:3-4, 12-13, 35, 45; 6:31-32, 35). The place where they sailed, though unnamed by Mark, was near Bethsaida Julias, a city across the Jordan River on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee (cf. Luke 9:10).
Many people anticipated their destination and arrived there on foot... ahead of them. Their planned rest was interrupted by people in need.
When Jesus...saw the large crowd, He felt compassion (not annoyance) toward them. This inner emotion moved Him to help them (cf., e.g., Mark 6:39-44). He viewed them as sheep without a shepherd, lost and helpless, without guidance, nourishment, or protection. In several Old Testament passages (Num 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ezek 34:5, 23-25) the sheep/shepherd image is associated with the 'wilderness' (erEmos; cf. Mark 6:31-32). This crowd, representing the nation of Israel, received compassion, extensive teaching concerning God's kingdom (cf. Luke 9:11), and the provision of their needs (Mark 6:35-44) from Jesus, the true Shepherd (cf. John 10:1-21)."
(v. 35) By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to him.
'This is a remote place,' they said, 'and it's already very late.
(v. 36) Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.'
(v. 37) But He answered, 'You give them something to eat.' They said to him, 'That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?' "
[BKC, op. cit., p. 130]:
"6:35-38. These verses present a significant dialogue between Jesus and the Twelve after He had taught the crowd all day. Since it was late (after 3 P.M. Jewish time) and they were in a remote (erEmos; cf. vv. 31-32) place, the disciples asked Jesus to dismiss the people...so they could buy food in surrounding...villages before sunset.
Unexpectedly, Jesus told them to feed the crowd. He emphasized the word you (hymeis). The disciples' caustic reply showed the inadequacy of their resources and the impossibility of meeting His demand. According to their calculations, to feed such a crowd would take, literally, 200 denarii (NIV marg.). The denarii was roughly equivalent to eight months of a man's wages, a sum beyond the disciples' means.
Jesus insisted they find out what bread was available, probably back at the boat and also in the crowd. The disciples returned with the answer: a mere five loaves of bread and two fish (salted and dried or roasted)."
(v. 10) "When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
(v. 11) but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
(v. 12) Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.' "
[BKC, op. cit., p. 229]:
"9:12-17. The people who had gathered were apparently not local people for the disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away so that they could find food and lodging. This would not have been necessary if the people had lived nearby and could have returned to their homes."
(v. 13a) He replied, 'You give them something to eat.' "
2) THE TIME FRAME FROM CHAPTERS 5 TO 6 IS ABOUT 6 MONTHS JUST AFTER JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS BEHEADED
"Some time after this" = There is much that occurred during our Lord’s ministry which took place between the end of chapter 5 and the beginning of chapter 6, (ref. the period between Mt 4:12 and 14:12). Consider that chapter 5 refers to the time when Jesus healed the invalid at the pool of Bethsaida, (vv. 1-15); after which He claimed equality with the Father which caused the Jews to seek to kill Him, (vv. 16-24); and after this He spoke of two resurrections, one for the condemned and one for those who will rise to live, (vv. 25-29); then He indicated those who verified His testimony of Who He was, (John the Baptist, Jesus’ own words, the Father Himself, Scripture).
(v. 9) "The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request [to behead John the Baptist, (v. 8)] be granted.
(v. 10) and had John beheaded in the prison.
(v. 11) His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
(v. 12) John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
(v. 13) When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns,
(v. 14 ) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
(v. 15) As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, 'This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’
(v. 16) Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away, You give them something to eat.’
(v. 17) 'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,' they answered."
[After this follows Matthew’s account of the feeding of the 5,000]
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord & Zuck, Eds., Victor Books, 1981, p. 293]:
"6:1-2. Though some time after this is indefinite, it can be learned from the Synoptics that Herod Antipas had killed John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29; cr. John 3:24), the disciples had preached throughout Galilee (Mark 6:7-13, 30-31), multitudes of people were curious about Jesus, and Herod Antipas was seeking Jesus (Luke 9:7-9). So the time between the events in John 5 and 6 was probably six months. From verses 1-2 it seems that Jesus had gone to the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee with His disciples for rest. This lake was also called the Sea of Tiberias (cf. 21:1), named for a town on the lake’s west shore built by Herod Antipas. But a crowd gathered even in this 'solitary’ (cf. Mat 14:13; Mark 6:32) and 'remote place' (Matt 14:15)."
"The Jewish Passover Feast was close to beginning" =
There were a number of Passovers recorded in the gospel of John which were concurrent with our Lord's 3 year ministry, (2:13, 23; 6:4 and 11:55, 13:1), the last Passover coinciding with His crucifixion, (v. 13:1).
[Scofield NIV Study Bible, op cit., p. 77]:
"The Passover, a type of Christ our Redeemer (Ex 12:1-28; Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:6-7; 1 Pet 1:18-19):
(1) The Lamb must be without blemish, and to test this it was kept for four days (Ex 12:5-6). So our Lord's public life, under hostile scrutiny, was the testing which proved His holiness (Lk 11:53-54; Jn 8:46; 18:38).
(2) The lamb thus tested must be slain (Ex 12:6; Jn 12:24; Heb 9:22).
(3) The blood must be applied (Ex 12:7). This answers to appropriation by personal faith, and refutes universalism (Jn 3:36).
(4) The blood thus applied of itself, without anything in addition, constituted a perfect protection from judgment (Ex 12:13; Heb 10:10, 14; 1 Jn 1:7).
(5) And the feast typified Christ the Bread of life, answering to the memorial supper (Mt 26:26-28; 1 Cor 11:23-26). To observe the feast was a duty and privilege but not a condition of safety. The believer in Christ is saved by the blood of 'the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world' (Rev 13:8), and is strengthening daily by feasting on the Word - the living Word, Christ, and the written Word, the Scriptures."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 293]:
"Since this was the second Passover John mentioned, (cf. 2:13, 23), and since he mentioned at least one other Passover (13:1 [5:1 refers to an unnamed feast of the Jews]), Jesus' ministry extended for about three years. The events in chapter 6, then, took place about one year before He was crucified."
I) [Jn 6:1-6 cont.]:
(v. 1) "Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias)
(v. 2) and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
(v. 3) Then Jesus went up on a mountain side and sat down with his disciples.
(v. 4) The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
(v. 5) When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'
(v. 6) He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do."
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
4) JESUS' QUESTION TO PHILIP WAS NOT FOR INFORMATION BUT TESTING HIM FOR INSTRUCTION PURPOSES
"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"
[BKC, op. cit., p. 293]:
"Jesus' question to Philip - Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" was not for information but was part of His program of educating the disciples. Philip was from Bethsaida (1:44) which was the closest town, and he would know the local resources. The answer to Jesus' question was that it was impossible, humanly speaking, for thousands of people to get bread late in the day from the little neighboring villages. John wrote, as he thought back on the incident, that Jesus was asking this to test Philip. God tests people to refine their faith, never to tempt them to do evil (cf. Gen 22:1-18; James 1:2, 13-15; 1 Peter 1:7)."
(v. 2) "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
(v. 3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
(v. 4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
(v. 12) "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
(v. 7) "Philip answered him, 'Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!'
(v. 8) Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,
(v. 9) 'Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?'
(v. 10) Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down.' There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
(v. 11) Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
(v. 12) When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.'
(v. 13) So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."
(vv. 7-9)
(v. 7) "Philip answered him, 'Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!'
(v. 8) Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,
(v. 9) 'Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?' "
So Philip answers Jesus' test question that not even eight months wages would be enough to provide bread so that each one in the crowd could have even one bite of bread. And another of our Lord's disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, observed out loud that there was a boy in the crowd with five small barley loves and two small fish but reflected that so little food would not go to feed so many. So the point is made by two disciples that there was not going to be enough food for the crowd to eat by a huge margin.
This demonstrates that the disciples did not look to Jesus' capacity to provide supernatural solutions.
Having heard this, Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down.'
Author John then provides his observation that 'there was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.'
It is interesting to note that men are reported as having sat down. Women and children are not mentioned in this observation - but this does not exclude them of course - especially considering the little boy mentioned in verse 9 who was part of the crowd.
(v. 11) "Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish."
(v. 11 NKJV) And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
Notice that there were thousands who were seated and they all received as much bread and fish as they wanted. The context indicates that all of this food came from the original supply of the boy's five small barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus demonstrated His capacity and readiness to meet the needs of a large crowd supernaturally relative to hunger.
Manuscript evidence points to the disciples not being mentioned in verse 11, but the context and Mark 6:41 point to their participation in the distribution of the loaves and fish.
(v. 13) "So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."
When the thousands had all had enough to eat, Jesus told His disciples to gather the left overs, and 'let nothing be wasted'. Whereupon the disciples gathered twelve baskets of bread pieces left over from those who had eaten which it is directly stated came from the original five barley loaves and from those who had eaten.
Notice that a miracle is implied here as thousands were fed from 5 small barley loaves with twelve baskets of pieces left over from those who had eaten. So no other source of the food can be interpreted except those original 5 loaves and 2 small fish.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) PARALLEL PASSAGES IN MATTHEW, MARK & LUKE
(Additional pieces of information are italicized)
a) [Mt 14:17-21 cf Mk 6:37-44; Lk 9:12-17]:
(v. 17) " 'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,' " they answered.
(v. 18) 'Bring them here to me,' he said.
(v. 19) And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
[Notice that these three passages confirm specifically that the disciples participated in the distribution of the loaves and fish, which context of Jn 6:11 implies]
(v. 20) They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
(v. 21) The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children."
[Notice that the crowd numbered 5,000 men plus the number of women and children]
(v. 14) "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.'
(v. 15) Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
(v. 16) When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
(v. 17) where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.
(v. 18) A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
(v. 19) When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
(v. 20) But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'
(v. 21) Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading."
(v. 14) "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.' "
Once more the people saw a miraculous sign that Jesus did and they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet Who is to come into the world.'
Notice that this is confirmation that our Lord indeed did miraculously feed the crowd on the mountain side, for if nothing miraculous occurred then there would be no reason to remark that Jesus was the expected Prophet.
Notice also that the people referred to a Prophet Who they apparently heard of Who is to come into the world and that Prophet was Jesus in their estimation. This statement bears further investigation from other passages in Scripture and related writings.
(v. 15) "Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."
Then comes a startling revelation from author John: Jesus knew that the crowd intended to force Him to declare Himself and become King.
This testifies to a supernatural quality which only God can have or provide one with omniscience. Thus the crowd indeed concluded by what Jesus said and did that He was this Prophet that they spoke of and that He had come into the world as Jesus in their time. They viewed this Prophet as One Who would take over a worldly kingdom when He came. And they intended to force Him to become King. The extent and description of this kingdom is not stipulated here but bears further investigation also from other passages in Scripture as well as related writings.
So Jesus withdrew Himself from the crowd to a mountain by Himself.
From this account we may conclude that Jesus was not expecting to be King over an earthly kingdom at this time. We can also conclude that He was either God or enabled by God to be omniscient.
(vv. 16-17)
(v. 16) "When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
(v. 17) where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them."
Then when evening came, presumably the evening of that day, Jesus' disciples went down to the Lake [literally, sea] where they got into a boat and set off across the sea for Capernaum, hence continuing this literal historical narrative in a consecutive time sequence account. At that time it was dark and Jesus had not joined them by the time they had disembarked. The account indicates that there was an expectation that Jesus would join them.
(vv. 18-20)
(v. 18) "A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
(v. 19) When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
(v. 20) But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.' "
A strong wind was blowing that night on the Sea and the waters grew rough. The disciples had departed without Jesus and had rowed out approximately 3 to 3 1/2 miles in the rough seas at night when they saw something on the water approaching them that terrified them. What they saw they did not immediately recognize. It was Jesus walking on the water toward them, for He said, 'It is I, don't be afraid', which verifies that they did not know what it was that made them so frightened.
Notice that the original Greek has "peripatouva epi tes thalasses" = "walking upon the sea", indicating a supernatural event. This is corroborated by the frightened reaction of the disciples.
(v. 21) Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading."
Then when Jesus spoke to them, the disciples were willing to take Him into the boat. Immediately after that the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
The word "immediately" appears at the beginning of the phrase in verse 21b for emphasis which indicates a supernatural end to their trip the moment Jesus entered the boat rather than a normal sequence of events.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) PARALLEL PASSAGES IN MATTHEW AND MARK
(Additional pieces of information are italicized)
(v. 22) "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
(v. 23) After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone,
(v. 24) but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
(v. 25) During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
(v. 26) When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.
(v. 27) But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'
(v. 28) 'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.'
(v. 29) 'Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
(v. 30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'
[Notice that if this were shallow water & Peter was walking on the bottom, then it could be said that there was no miracle of Jesus & Peter walking on water. But Peter did sink as a result of his lack of faith not as a result of a sudden drop in the depth. So there were miraculous events portrayed here]
(v. 31) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'
(v. 32) And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
(v. 33) Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'
(v. 34) When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret."
(v. 45) "Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
(v. 46) After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
(v. 47) When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
(v. 48) He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
(v. 49) but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,
(v. 50) because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
(v. 51) Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,
(v. 52) for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."
III cont.) [Jn 6:14-21 cont.]:
(v. 14) "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.'
(v. 15) Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
(v. 16) When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
(v. 17) where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.
(v. 18) A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
(v. 19) When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.
(v. 20) But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'
(v. 21) Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading."
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
2) PASSAGES & COMMENTS ON THE PROPHET WHO IS TO COME INTO THE WORLD
(v. 8) "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you.
(v. 9) You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him?
(v. 10) The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
(v. 11) He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
(v. 12) His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk."
Note that the final (eternal) Ruler of Israel will be a member of the tribe of Judah.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 98]:
"In this oracle Jacob predicted a fierce lion like dominance of Judah over his enemies and over his brothers who would praise him. A wordplay was made here on the name Judah which means 'praise' (cr. 29:35, NIV marg.). The oracle pivots on the word until (49:10b). When the Promised One who will rule the nations appears, the scene will become an earthly paradise. These verses anticipate the kingship in Judah culminating in the reign of Messiah (cf. the tribe of Judah, Rev 5:5), in which nations will obey Him."
(v. 15) "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him."
(v. 18) "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."
(v. 40) "On hearing his words, some of the people said, 'Surely this man is the Prophet.'
(v. 41) "Others said, 'He is the Christ.' Still others asked, 'How can the Christ come from Galilee?
(v. 42) Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?' "
[BKC, op. cit., p. 302]:
"7:40-41. The crowd continued to debate Jesus' identity. Some saw Him as the Prophet mentioned by Moses (Deut. 18:15, 18). He would speak God's words to people but not in the awesome display of Mount Sinai from which Moses spoke. Jesus is indeed that predicted Prophet (Acts 3:22), but many rejected Him as such. Some said Jesus is the Christ, that is, the Messiah, but others rejected that idea because He came from Galilee (cf. John 7:52).
7:42. According to Samuel and Isaiah (2 Sam 7:16; Isa 11:1) the Messiah was to be born into a Davidic family. Micah predicted that He would be born in Bethlehem...David's hometown (Micah 5:2). Jesus is from a Davidic family (Matt 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38; Rom 1:3) and was born in Bethlehem (Matt 2:1-6), but the crowd ignorantly overlooked those facts."
(v. 6) "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(v. 7) Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."
(v. 22) "The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake [Capernaum, (v. 16)] realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with His disciples, but that they had gone away alone.
(v. 23) Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread [vv. 1-15 = miracle of feeding the 5,000] after the Lord had given thanks.
(v. 24) Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
(v. 25) When they [a crowd of people, (v. 22)] found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' "
(v. 22) "The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone."
The next day [notice a continuation of a literal historical narrative with the phrase, 'the next day'] the crowd, which had stayed on the opposite shore of the Sea from where Jesus was now, realized that only one of the two boats which Jesus & His disciples were using remained there overnight.
The context indicates here that this observation included information gathered from the previous night. Furthermore, the crowd that stayed observed that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples when they left shore; but that they had gone away without Him. They also observed that the second boat which Jesus and His group were using remained on the shore. Hence they wondered how and when Jesus came to be on the opposite shore because they did not observe how and when He had left to cross over the sea in a rather rough night on the water.
Notice that all of this indicates how closely the crowd followed Jesus' movements to the extent that they observed the boats and individuals He traveled with and where they thought He might go.
(vv. 23-25)
(v. 23) "Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
(v. 24) Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
(v. 25) When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' "
So when some boats from Tiberias landed near where the people had eaten the bread and not finding Jesus or His disciples there, the crowd got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Him. When they got to the other side of the sea at Capernaum they found Jesus and immediately asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?'
Notice the word 'Rabbi' which means Teacher of the Scriptures - one with such authority was a highly respected individual in Jewish society. It is evident that they were persistent in their pursuit of Jesus but Jesus remarked that it was for all the wrong reasons:
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) THE CROWD SEEKS OUT THE LORD AFTER MIRACULOUSLY FEEDING THOUSANDS
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, N.T., Walvoord & Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, USA, 1988, pp. 294-295]:
"The crowd who had been fed were still on the eastern shore of the sea. They saw Jesus compel His disciples to get into the one boat which was there. But since Jesus did not get into the boat, the crowd supposed that He had stayed in the area. After some time they realized He was no longer there. Some boats from Tiberias landed, so the people decided to seek Jesus in the Capernaum region and got into the boats. The people's question, When did You get here? introduces His long discourse in Capernaum (v. 59). Jesus did not explain how or when He crossed the lake, for His walking on the water was a private sign for the disciples only [vv. 16-21]"
(v. 25) "When they [a crowd of people, (v. 22)] found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?'
(v. 26) Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.' "
(v. 25 cont.) When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' "
So when some boats from Tiberias landed near where the people had eaten the bread and not finding Jesus or His disciples there, the crowd got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Him. When they got to the other side of the sea at Capernaum they found Jesus and immediately asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?'
Notice the word 'Rabbi' which means Teacher of the Scriptures - one with such authority was a highly respected individual in Jewish society. It is evident that they were persistent in their pursuit of Jesus but Jesus remarked that it was for all the wrong reasons:
(v. 26) "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.' "
Jesus answered their question in an attempt to give them a perspective of what He came for:
"I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs...
Notice that Jesus says specifically that He was performing miracles.
...not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."
Notice that Jesus is rebuking those in the crowd because their perspective is their stomachs = the temporal, materialistic.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
The crowd sought out our Lord and even used the term, "Rabbi", a term of great respect, meaning "Teacher" to address Him; but they fell short of accepting Who He was and what was of greatest importance in His message to them. They willfully missed the significance of His miraculous signs that pointed to Him as "the Son of Man", upon Whom God had "placed His seal of approval, (v. 27)". They were motivated solely by temporal things, the physical, such as the bread and fish which His last miracle provided to them. But man does not live by bread alone:
"Jesus answered, 'It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
[Bible Knowledge Commentary, op. cit., p. 296]:
"Jesus began with the solemn words, 'I tell you the truth'...Jesus spoke these words four times in this discourse (6:26, 32, 47, 53). This drew attention to the importance of what He was about to teach. He rebuked them for their materialistic motivation and their lack of spiritual perception. They 'saw miraculous signs,' but to them it was only an easy meal. They failed to see what it signified."
"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval."
Jesus continues to say, 'Do not work for food that spoils [the temporal] but for the Food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. Oh Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.'
Notice that Jesus rebukes the crowd for focusing on the temporal instead of the eternal which evidently is what is most relevant to His mission and message. Recall in verse 15 that the crowd 'intended to come and make Him king by force' which indicates their viewpoint was of an immediate earthly kingdom which was to give them a worldly & temporal benefit without consideration for their own problem of falling short of eternal kingdom life. So Jesus compares the temporal nature of eating physical food which satisfies for only a short while and has to be repeated to the eternal result of working for the Food that once received endures to eternal life, this Food not needing to be repeatedly received.
Notice that the Son of Man is depicted as having the authority and power to give eternal life when one 'works for the Food that endures to eternal life'. Jesus refers to 'the Son of Man' in such a way that within the context of this passage it points to Himself and His mission. The term 'the Son of Man' connotes a unique Man considering the definite article and singular context - meeting the seal of approval of God the Father and granting eternal life to men. The term 'Son of Man' thus denotes here 'the One Who uniquely has the qualities of' humanity, Who is eternal & thus can give eternal life to fellow man & perform miracles.
Furthermore, considering that the only One Who is capable of giving eternal life to anyone is God Himself Who alone is eternal, then the Son of Man is God and the Son of Man is the unique Man Who Jesus said 'on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval'. This is the One who gives eternal life - fully human in a uniquely superlative way and fully God in His capacity to be omniscient, (v. 15), and give eternal life, (v. 27).
Other passages are to be investigated relative to the term 'the Son of Man' in order to corroborate this.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
(v. 13) "In my [Daniel's, (v. 2)] vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man [therefore He is Man], coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days [God the Father, (v. 9)] and was led into His presence.
(v. 14) He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. [Therefore He is God]. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed, [Therefore He is Messiah, the Chosen One of God]."
(v. 24) "The Jews gathered around Him, saying, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ [= the 'Anointed One', the One chosen of God], tell us plainly.'
(v. 25) Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me.' "
[Notice that Jesus answers in the affirmative here and below]:
(v. 25) "The [Samaritan] woman said, 'I know that the Messiah' (called Christ) 'is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.'
(v. 26) Then Jesus declared, 'I Who speak to you am He.' " (cf. Jn 8:24)
(v. 35) "Jesus heard that they had put him ["him" = the blind man who was healed by Jesus]
(v. 35 cont.) "Jesus heard that they had put him out [of the Temple]; and finding him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?
(v. 36) He answered and said, 'And Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?
(v. 37) Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him, and He is the One Who is talking with you.'
VI cont.) [Jn 6:27 cont.]:
"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval."
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
Notice that our Lord told the crowd to seek the kind of food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man Himself will give to them. Thus the kind of food for eternal life is pictured as some special kind of food which will be given to one by our Lord, the Son of Man; and, looking ahead to verse 29, this will be done when an individual believes on Him for eternal life.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 295]:
"When Jesus said, 'Do not work for food that spoils', He was not condoning laziness. Rather He was saying that people should expend their efforts for what will last forever. 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' (Matt. 4:4). Physical 'food' is short-lived but spiritual 'food' leads 'to eternal life. The Son of Man' (Who has access to heaven [John 3:13]) will give' people this spiritual food, which is ultimately Christ Himself (6:53) [spiritually not physically]. 'God the Father' Himself authenticated Jesus' claim that He is true heavenly [i.e., spiritual] 'food' "
(v. 28) "Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' "
So the crowd is now focused on and recognizes the possible authority of Jesus from God to declare what a man must do to have eternal life - especially considering His past miracles. In essence they are recognizing His possible authority from God, potentially even the Prophet they spoke of, the One they intended to force to be King, (v. 14).
So when Jesus stipulated that a man must 'work... for the Food that endures to eternal life' and when that was satisfied the Son of Man would give one eternal life, the crowd then asked for clarification of what this means when they asked, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) THE PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN WORKS ONE MUST DO IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE
[BKC, op. cit., p. 295]:
"The people recognized that Jesus was saying God had a requirement for them. They would do God's requirement if He would inform them what it was. They believed that they could please God and thus obtain eternal life by doing good works (cf. Rom 10:2-4)."
(v. 2) "For I [author Paul] can testify about them that they [the Israelites, (v. 1)] are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
(v. 3) Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
(v. 4) Christ is the end of law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."
Notice that the Jews were committed to doing works in order to obtain eternal life. But the truth of the matter is that God's righteousness is not through man's works but through "everyone who believes" in the Son of Man: "Christ is the end of law" = "law" without the definite article = works in general.
"Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' "
So Jesus then answered, 'The work of God [to receive the Food which endures to eternal life] is this: to believe in the One He has sent'
The original Greek with the English below looks like this:
apekrithE iEsous kai eipen autois .....touto esti to ..ergon
Answered Jesus ..and said ..to them, 'This ..is ...the work
tou .......Theou hina pisteusEte ..............eis hon apesteilen
of [the] God ....that .you should believe in .the One Whom sent
ekeinos
that One [or best rendered believe in the One He has sent].'
Notice that the English translation which describes the work one must do to have eternal life, "to believe", is literally in the Greek, "that you should believe". This phrase is in the present tense in the subjunctive mood without qualifiers, (such as 'continuously believing').
Recall the contrast Jesus makes in verse 27 between continually working for physical food that does not endure and only satisfies ones physical hunger for the moment and has to be taken over & over again as compared to the once for all time Food received as a result of a single moment of believing in Jesus, (as opposed to continual believing), that endures to eternal life, (v. 29). This includes one single moment of spiritual indwelling of Jesus Christ Who endures in one forever.
The present tense "that you should believe" signifies that a present moment of believing is the sole condition required in order to receive the benefit of the Food that endures to eternal life. Furthermore, the passage lacks any stipulations other than "to believe" in order to receive the benefit of the Food that endures to eternal life. This rules out continual actions such as a lifestyle of faithful works, constantly taking the Mass or Lord's Supper, continually going to church, etc. Such activities as water baptism, confession, etc. are similarly ruled out for the lack of anything else stipulated in the passage as a requirement.
3) A ONCE FOR ALL TIME RECEPTION OF ETERNAL LIFE WHEN ONE BELIEVES IS IN VIEW
Notice that the Food which endures to eternal life is received internally within the individual by a belief in the One God has sent to save one and not via food which must be physically ingested and which spoils and must be eaten over and over again, (v. 27). Thus eternal life is portrayed as a once for all time reception of the Food not by physical ingestion but by simply believing; and it endures unto eternal life. It won't have to be taken over and over again by repeated moments of believing because of its enduring quality once this Food is received the first time!
Notice that the phrase 'the work of God is this' in verse 29 refers to the work of God one must do for the Food that endures to eternal life per verse 27. And the sentence that follows 'the work of God is this' in verse 29 stipulates what is necessary to accomplish the reception of the Food which endures to eternal life:
All Jesus asks of anyone in order to receive the Food which endures to eternal life according to this sentence is to believe in the One God the Father has sent into the world, meaning Himself, Who would then endure in one unto one's eternal life because one would be receiving Jesus Himself.
At this point one might have indeed asked what is the Food that endures to eternal life. What is inferred here is that it is Jesus Christ Himself Who is and provides eternal life. For the reception of Food here pictures the Food being incorporated into oneself. Since the eternal food is Jesus Himself then the one who believes incorporates Jesus into oneself . This connotes a figurative and spiritual meaning which later verses in this passage and elsewhere in Scripture will corroborate. So it is Jesus Himself Who is the Food that endures to eternal life within the believer.
So a present moment of believing = present tense, 2nd person, plural verb 'hina pisteusEte' = 'that you should believe' results in the reception of the Food Jesus Christ Who endures to eternal life. When Jesus is received He endures in one unto eternal life. He is received in the present moment that believing in Him began, i.e., in an instant of time. There is nothing in the context to indicate that it is more than that. Just as one can say that one receives possession of 'return-to-fellowship-with-God forgiveness of sins the instant one meets God's qualification to confess them to Him, (1 Jn 1:4-9), so one can say that one receives possession of the Food that endures to eternal life the moment one meets God's qualification of believing in the One He has sent into the world.
Notice that believing in the 'One God has sent' is the 'work...for the Food that endures unto eternal life'. Therefore it is the 'work' of a moment of believing once for all time which provides the 'Food which endures to eternal life'.
So an enduring faith is not in view but the 'Food', Jesus Christ, which endures in the believer unto eternal life is:
[Compare Jn 6:27 Greek/English interlinear]:
Reference: http://www.olivetree.com/bible/Frames/GreekNewTestament.htm
"Ergazesthe mE tEn .......brOsin tEn apollumenEn ..alla .tEn
"Do work ...not .for the .food.......the .one perishing but ..for the
....V_PMD2P
brOsin tEn ......menousan eis zOEn aiOnion hEn ....ho huios
Food....the one enduring...to .life.....eternal...which the Son
N_ASF ...RA_ASF V_PAPASF
V_PAPASF = Verb_Pres,Active Voice,Participle,Accusative,Singular,Feminine
tou .......anthrOpou humin dOsei .....touton ...........gar
of [the] man ............to you will give .upon this one for
ho .PatEr ..esphragisen ......ho Theos."
the Father has set His seal .the God."
[Notice the noun:
"the Food" (ASF) = Accusative, Singular, Feminine
matches up with the participle:
"enduring" = (ASF) = Accusative, Singular, Feminine
and not with the verb "work" which is plural:
"work" [= V_PMD2P] = Plural
So the phrase "which endures" [lit. "the one enduring"] is not describing working 'enduringly' as 'enduring' would have to be an adverb and be plural, but it is a participle serving as an adjective modifying the noun, 'the Food', i.e., modifying the result of believing: 'the Food enduring unto eternal life'. So the Food which endures unto eternal life is received by simply believing in the Son of Man to save you.
The identity of the Food which endures to eternal life is inferred here and clearly stipulated in this passage as Jesus Himself, (v. 35).
In view of the present tense "to believe", one could no more conclude that continual faith is required any more than if water baptism were the work one must do to receive the Food which endures to eternal life, which would have to be a continuously wet experience.
Recall the contrast Jesus makes in verse 27 between continually working for physical food that does not endure and only satisfies ones physical hunger for the moment and has to be taken over & over again as compared to the once for all time Food received as a result of a single moment of believing in Jesus, (as opposed to continual believing), that endures to eternal life, (v. 29). This includes one single moment of spiritual indwelling of Jesus Christ Who endures in one forever.
According to Scripture, a continuous and perfect state of believing in Christ is not possible with mortal man which would necessitate sinless perfection. For any sin a believer commits reflects a degree of unbelief and no one can claim to be without sin, nor maintain a perfect state of continuous faith in this mortal life:
CORROBORATION
(v. 8) "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
(v. 10) If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
No believer can claim to maintain a perfect, uninterrupted record of faith in Christ as he is bound to commit acts of unbelief throughout his life.
(v. 7) "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
(v. 8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
[Notice that "whoever does not love does not know God" in the sense of being out of fellowship with Him for the moment, acting as one who does not know God, an unbeliever. Since sin is an act of not loving, and since all believers sin, then at those moments they do sin, they do 'not know God', i.e., their faith in Him is imperfect]
OBSERVATIONS, (cont.)
Can an individual express saving faith in Christ as Savior continuously - without any interruption all his life even during moments when he is asleep - completely in unconscious sleep?
Suppose while in a deep sleep with your active mind unconscious, you no longer are continuously maintaining faith in Christ as Savior, you die in your sleep and then because of this unconscious lapse, wake up in Hell - after a long life of faithful service to God!!!!
Can an individual maintain perfect, uninterrupted saving faith in Christ as Savior throughout his waking day? Consider an accountant who is in deep concentration, keying in figures on a spread sheet making sure of his accuracy. Can he also be maintaining a deep concentration on trusting in Christ as Savior without interruption?
Have you ever lost your salvation during the moment when you are considering what to have for lunch instead of continuing to believe in Christ to save you - as your thoughts are not for the moment on Jesus Christ but on the Tuna Melt sandwich on the menu?
What do you then need to do to get it back? Is it really eternal life if you keep losing it every time your mind wanders to some other subject? Wouldn't it be better to call it 'For the Moment Life' rather than eternal life? And how do you get eternal life back after your momentary lapse?
"Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' " =
Present tense signifies action in present time for the duration of whatever the context indicates. The Greek present tense by itself does not automatically convey continuous action - nor does the English equivalent. It may or may not be continuous - depending upon the context and/or the presence of qualifying words. Present tense action in the absence of qualifiers demands a singular action in the present moment without requiring that it be continuous throughout the present. No first century Greek reader or hearer was likely to get a meaning such as 'continue to believe' on order to have eternal life without the necessary additional qualifiers to the present tense.
CORROBORATION
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."
"anapherOmen ..thusian .aineseOs diapantos"
"we should offer sacrifice of praise continually"
Notice that "anapherOmen" = "we should offer" is present tense. Yet in order to emphasize continual action the word "diapantos" = "continually" must be inserted.
Since the present tense in English is not always continuous and since we have no major or even minor translation of the bible in English that includes an adverb modifier of believes such as continually believes, then we can conclude that the Greek most likely does not demand continual action either.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. "
"hEmeis eucharistoumen tO theO .....adialeiptOs" =
"we .......give thanks .............to God ..unceasingly"
Notice that "eucharistoumen" = "give thanks" is present tense, indicative mood. Yet in order to emphasize unceasing activity the word "adialeiptOs" = "unceasingly" must be inserted to picture unceasing action.
(v. 16) "Be joyful always;
(v. 17) pray unceasingly;
(v. 18) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
"adialeiptOs proseuchesthe" =
"unceasingly pray"
Notice that "proseuchesthe" = "pray" is present tense, imperative mood. Yet in order to emphasize unceasing activity the word "adialeiptOs" = "unceasingly" must be inserted to picture unceasing action.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
"whoever believes in Him" = "pas ho pisteuon" = lit, whoever [is] the believer, nominative particple, i.e., a noun
"should have eternal life" = "all echE zOEn aiOnion" = present tense verb (echE)
If the present tense were the verb in the original Greek text of John 3:16, "whoever believes" - and it is not, it is the noun, 'pas ho pisteuon' = whoever [is] the believer', then a special context and/or additional words such as "diapantos" = continually and the future tense 'will have eternal life' instead of 'have eternal life', must be inserted into the text in order to convey the idea of continuous believing in order to have eternal life.
If the present tense were the verb in the original Greek text of John 3:16, "whoever believes" - and it is not, it is the noun, 'pas ho pisteuon' = whoever [is] the believer', then a special context and/or additional words such as "diapantos" = continually and the future tense 'will have eternal life' instead of present tense 'have eternal life', must be inserted into the text in order to convey the idea of continuous believing in order to eventually secure eternal life. If possession of eternal life is secured in the present moment of believing, (and it is), then it is secured forever, being eternal by definition.
OBSERVATIONS, cont.
If I were to say, "In the morning I get on a bus, pay my fare with a bus pass, and get off where I work;" does the phrase 'pay my fare' mean I continually pay the fare until the ride ends, or is it in a moment of present time until the end is achieved, i.e., about 1 second to swipe the pass through the slot on top of the fare box? Same with 'I get on the bus' is not continual nor is 'get off'. Present tense is simply a present moment of action until the context determines when the action ceases. This is true in the koine Greek also.
CORROBORATION
Consider the individuals who are found guilty of various offenses before a magistrate in a court in the times of the ancient Roman Empire - New Testament times. The magistrate declares before the group of guilty people in koine Greek, the language of the New Testament, in a statement that directly parallels the second half of Jn 3:16, 'Whoever pays his fine shall not perish in jail, but have freedom to go, with his life.' Does the present tense of 'Whoever pays' demand continuous - uninterrupted payment of the fine in order for an individual to "have freedom to go, with his life?" The answer is obvious, the present tense does not always demand continuous uninterrupted action in the present.
Just as the payment of the Magistrate's fine was done once in present time such that it results in freedom - the payment not having to be continuous;
so the believing in Christ as Savior, when it begins in present time, immediately results in the aorist completed action of never perishing and the present tense reception of eternal life such that the believing need not continue in order to keep the result of never perishing and possession of eternal life continuous because the never perishing is a completed action and the eternal life by its very nature once received is continuously eternal.
In addition to this, the appeal to force the simple present tense to mean continuous action would lead to havoc in many passages in the New Testament. For example, 1 John 1:8 reads, "If we [born again believers] say that we have no sin [="ouk echomen" = present tense] we deceive ourselves". If this verse is rendered in the continuous mode, it would be read, "If we say that we do not continuously have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." This indicates that in spite of becoming born again believers there is no time in the believer's life that he can claim not to be living a lifestyle of continuous, unadulterated sin - no time for anything else!!!
OBSERVATIONS, cont.
Furthermore, since eternal life is everlasting by definition, then the first present tense moment of believing which is the 'work' stipulated in verse 29 which provides the 'Food' that endures to eternal life begins the reception of that life which will last forever. It cannot ever be lost because eternal life cannot end once it has begun, otherwise it wouldn't be called eternal, i.e., unending life.
One must consider according to this verse that believing in Jesus, the Son of Man, to give one the Food enduring unto eternal life is all the work that is required because no more than this is stipulated in the verse and the result stipulated in that same verse is eternal life when one believes.
In answer to those who say you cannot take just one verse to determine what it takes to be saved, like Jn 6:29, i.e., that other verses add more to what is required:
If anything else besides faith is stipulated in other verses as necessary in order to gain eternal life, then this particular verse is in error. No matter what the case, this particular verse, (29), within its context cannot be changed to include anything more than what is says: a moment of faith alone in Christ alone as necessary to gain eternal life. Furthermore, Jesus being the Son of God cannot be wrong in what He said, leaving something out. Finally, the other passages which people cite which supposedly add more to what it takes to have eternal life have been incorrectly interpreted. There is no contradiction in Scripture here.
Consider that to believe in Jesus to save one is actually no work at all. Since a work is something one does to merit a result; and since believing in someone to provide eternal life is not meritorious for one is not portrayed as providing the eternal life for oneself; then it is Jesus Who is the One doing all the work.
b) FAITH & WORKS ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Thus the second 'work' in verse 29 is a figure of speech, a play on words. The false interpretation that makes faith a work produces the absurdity of equating the mutually exclusive terms faith and works. On the other hand, v. 29 by the normative rules of language is a figure of speech called catachresis. A cathachresis occurs when one is using a word to denote something radically different from its normal meaning. It pictures the contrast of the first actual 'work' for physical food that spoils which work has to be repeated over and over with the second 'work' for the Food that endures to eternal life by a completed action moment of believing in Jesus, which needs no repetition and is no work at all for you and me.
The dictionary defines the two words faith and works in such a way that they are mutually exclusive especially relative to the reception of eternal life. Scripture corroborates this - as already established above.
Furthermore, James chapter two indicates that faith and works are separate concepts which are supposed to be coordinated with one another. Hence it clearly implies that a work is not faith and faith is not a work, otherwise the verse, "Faith without works is dead", (v. 17), does not make sense, nor the rest of the chapter.
Furthermore, if faith is a work, then how can you have faith without works?? Impossible!!! Let’s take flowers and daisies for example. Since daises are a flower can you contrast daisies vs. Flowers. Ans. No, because daisies are flowers. Can you have daisies without flowers??? Ans. No again, because daisies are flowers.
(v. 4) "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation."
(v. 5) However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."
Ro 4:4-5 implies that faith and works are different concepts - one [faith] results in being credited as righteousness and the other [works] does not. Faith and works can exist without the other and are thus mutually exclusive, especially relative to the reception of eternal life. One, [faith] provides eternal life, the other [works] do not. There is no dictionary that lists faith and works as synonyms.
Just as a father can answer his precocious under aged young son's question using the word 'drive' in a non literal fashion as follows: " 'Which car can I drive to class, Dad?', the son said to his father."
And the father answered, 'I'll tell you which car you can drive. You can drive [i.e., take] the school bus."
In the same way our Lord uses the word work in a figurative fashion when He says, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent' which is no work at all.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
In John 6:29, our Lord explicitly states that the work that one must do for eternal life is exclusively a matter of faith in the One God had sent, Himself - which is no work at all. There is no mention of anything else but that moment of faith in the "One He [God] has sent" resulting in eternal life.
[Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co, Springfield, Ma, 1980]:
"activity in which one exerts strength of faculties to do or perform something...
something produced or accomplished by effort, exertion or exercise of skill... creative talent .."
[Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary]: ftp://ftp.uga.edu/pub/misc/webster/ faith \Faith n]
1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony.
2. The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth. Faith, that is, fidelity, -- the fealty of the finite will and understanding to the reason.
Notice that work is defined as something one does proactively - performing an action toward some particular result. On the other hand, faith is defined as something passive - not proactive = a mental event, accepting the testimony of someone or the validity of something which is proposed.
b) WORKS AND FAITH ARE SEPARATE CONCEPTS ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE
(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been [completely & forever] saved through faith - and this [salvation is] not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
(v. 9) not by works, so that no one can boast."
"you have been saved through faith" =
"este sesOsmenoi .......dia ........pisteOs" =
"este" = "you are saved, 2nd pers., plur., pres. active voice, indicative mood, (statement of fact) along with
"sesOsmenoi" = saved, participle, perfect tense passive voice.
Thus both verbs work together to emphatically stipulate that one is completely saved in the past through a moment of faith with ongoing results in the present forever.
"and this" = "kai touto" = neuter = the context at hand = that of being saved, i.e., salvation.
Note: "this" = "touto" cannot refer to faith = "pisteOs" as faith is feminine.
"and .this ..[salvation is] ...not .of .yourselves"
"kai .touto [salvation is]... ouk ex .humOn"
"[it is] God's the gift [of] = "it is the gift of God"
........."theou to ..dOron"
"not .of .works"
"ouk ex ergOn"
"that .not .anyone might boast"
"hina mE tis .........kauchEsEtai"
"and this [salvation is] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works" =
Salvation is defined here as "not of yourselves" and "the gift of God" and "not by works" which translates to the fact that God provided to those who believed, the gift of eternal life at the moment they believed [perfect tense]. And this provision was exclusive of any contribution by the individual - no works of any kind in view.
Note that the word "works" is not qualified or restricted here or anywhere in the context. Therefore "works" here = works in general = any human doing. Furthermore, salvation being a "gift", (ref. Ro 6:23), provides it with the characteristic of having no obligation, no strings attached in order to receive eternal life or keep it. It requires nothing proactive, i.e., no works required.
Therefore, since salvation is completely and exclusively through faith
and since salvation is "not of yourselves and not by works"
then faith and works are separate and different concepts which are mutually exclusive when it comes to what a man must do to be saved - it is either all works or all faith:
"And if [salvation is, (vv. 1-5, 11)] by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
VIII) [Jn 6:29 cont.]:
(v. 29) Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.' "
c) CONCLUSION: FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
Our Lord uses a play on the word 'work' to make a point: He perceived that the people were looking for what they must work for to have eternal life instead of simply trusting in Him to provide it for them as a gift, (Eph 2:8-9). He used the term "work" not in a literal sense but a figurative one: for work and faith according to dictionaries and the bible are mutually exclusive concepts, (cf Ro 11:6). Thus He provided the answer as to how to have eternal life, which is no work at all: but to simply believe in "the One He [God] has sent", meaning Himself. He offered it as a gift = faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life.
[BKC. op. cit., p. 295]:
"Jesus' response to their question was a flat contradiction of their thinking they could please God by doing good works. There is only one 'work' of God, that is, one thing God requires [which is no work at all]. They need to put their trust in the One the Father has sent. Because of their sin people cannot please God by doing good works for salvation (Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). God demands that people recognize their inability to save themselves and receive His gift (Rom 6:23) [by faith alone]."
"He [God, (v. 4)] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
Just as a father can answer his precocious under aged young son's question using the word 'drive' in a non literal fashion as follows:
" 'Which car can I drive to class, Dad?', the son said to his father."
And the father answered, 'I'll tell you which car you can drive. You can drive [i.e., take] the school bus"
In the same way our Lord uses the word work in a figurative fashion when He says, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent' which is no work at all.
Notice that since no work is stipulated as required in order to have eternal life, then work such as ingesting bread and wine in the Lord's super ritual in order to have eternal life is excluded - otherwise salvation could not be by grace, (Ro 11:6):
"And if [salvation is (vv. 1-5)] by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
(v. 30) "So they asked Him, 'What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?' "
Jesus answered their question of 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' by stipulating that all one had to do was 'to believe in the One He has sent,' referring to Himself. But the crowd did not accept that He was indeed the One God had sent to save them and asked for yet another miraculous sign to prove Who He said He was - this after He had just miraculously fed the 5,000 the day before. The crowd said, 'What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe? What will You do?'
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
"So they asked Him, 'What miraculous sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You?' " =
'That we may see it and believe' that You are Who You claim to be: the Son of Man, sent from God, come from heaven, the Messiah Who will save them from their sins and rule in an everlasting Kingdom as the Son of God. They responded with an understanding of Who He claimed to be. They also responded with disbelief in the truth of His claims. This was in spite of His miracles, His words and actions all of which fulfilled Scripture at every point relative to the Messiah.
Countless miracles had already been performed by our Lord and still the people did not believe that He truly was their Messiah, the Son of Man. They continued to ask for more miracles as if the next sign, if it was impressive enough, would prompt them to change their minds and believe on Him unto eternal life, (v. 29). But history proves that they would never believe - they crucified Him instead.
(v. 24) "The Jews gathered around Him, saying, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, [=the Messiah], tell us plainly.'
(v. 25) Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me,
(v. 26) but you do not believe because you are not My sheep.' "
"Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "
The crowd even demanded a miracle equal to or greater than the miracle of the manna in the desert so that they would believe in Him.
They said, ''' "Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He [Moses] gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "'''
Note the phrase "our forefathers' which points to the crowd being predominately Jewish. So the unbelieving crowd 'special' orders Jesus to produce a miracle greater than when manna from heaven was provided daily to feed millions of ancient Israelites as they wandered in the desert. The one time miraculous feeding of the more than 5,000 the previous day and all the other miracles Jesus had performed before them were not enough for them to believe in Him as the One God has sent. They were looking for something even greater. One might conclude that any miracle from God which authenticated Jesus as the True Bread from heaven should have been sufficient, no matter what the scale. But not this crowd nor most of humanity. Notice by the phrase 'that we may see it and believe' that the crowd understood that Jesus was saying that to have eternal life all one had to do was to believe in Jesus as the One God had sent to save them. They just did not believe in His capacity to provide eternal life for them as the One God had sent, demanding a miracle greater than the manna in the desert.
B) CORROBORATION FURTHER COMMENTARY
The crowd of mostly Jews pointed to their forefathers, Moses and Israel in the wilderness when manna from heaven miraculously fed the entire nation of over a million people for 40 years.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The [Israelite, (v. 1)] people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions."
"In their [Israel's (vv. 1, 9)] hunger you [God, (v. 7)] gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock."
The miracle of the manna from heaven to feed millions of Israelites for 40 years was mentioned by the crowd to belittle what Jesus did for only 5,000 in one day. Thus they attempted to refute His claim to be Messiah by challenging Him to produce a miracle greater than the manna from heaven to prove He was greater than Moses: the Messiah, God's Chosen One.
But the Jews willfully missed the purpose of the miracles our Lord performed even as they willfully missed the purpose of the manna:
(v. 1) "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you to day, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers.
(v. 2) Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.
(v. 3) He humbled you, caused you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."
Furthermore, the expectations of the crowd of what Messiah would do when He came to the world had His Second Coming in view, not His First Coming. They expected miracles on a greater scale than what God had done in Moses' time. They had in mind the time when the Messiah would begin His kingdom rule with Israel as the leading nation:
"Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom"
(v. 13) "In my [Daniel's, (v. 2)] vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man [therefore He is Man], coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days [God the Father, (v. 9)] and was led into His presence.
(v. 14) He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. [Therefore He is God]. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed, [Therefore He is Messiah, the Chosen One of God]."
(v. 1) "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
(v. 2) In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
(v. 3) Many peoples will come and say,
'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.'
The Law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(v. 4) He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."
(v. 32) "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread from heaven.
(v. 33) For the bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
(v. 32) "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the Bread from heaven, but it is my Father Who gives you the True Bread from heaven.' "
Jesus' answer indicated that He Himself was far greater than any miracle of the past. He said to them, 'I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the Bread from heaven, but so much the greater is the miracle that My Father gives you which is the True [Eternal] Bread from heaven.'
Since the crowd brought up the miracle of the manna, i.e., bread from heaven to feed the ancient Israelites, Jesus uses the word 'bread' to describe a far greater miraculous sign which had occurred right their in their midst in their time: Himself, God Incarnate. He said, 'It is not Moses who has given you the Bread from heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the True Bread from heaven [referring to Himself].
Notice that Jesus refers to God as 'My Father' inferring a close personal relationship with Him.
So Jesus points to a far greater gift from God the Father from heaven than Moses' manna from heaven to feed the ancient Israelites - one that does not merely feed one physically from day to day, but one which provides eternal life once for all time, the True Bread, Jesus Himself. So when Jesus told the crowd in v. 27 to work for the Food that endures to eternal life, the Food He was referring to was Himself, the True Bread as it says in vv. 32-35.
There are some
key passages that corroborate the doctrine that when one believes in the
Son one then immediately has the Son and has eternal life. These will be
examined as soon as we finish this first phase of observing what John
chapter 6 says from beginning to end. 
Jesus here refers to Himself as the True Bread, (specifically stipulated in v. 35), and says that He came from heaven. Recall that no man has yet reached heaven, yet Jesus Christ refers to Himself as having come from heaven. This is a reference to His eternal and heavenly existence as the Son of God - the Second Person of the Trinity. This corroborates the fact that He addresses God as His Father, inferring a close and personal relationship with God as the Son of God His Father.
(v. 33) "For the Bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
Then Jesus explains further so there can be no mistaking what He is saying, 'For the Bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world'. In other words, Jesus gives eternal life to those who simply believe in Him, (vv. 27-29) once for all time. There is no need to repeat the work of believing in Jesus over and over to produce this True Manna from Heaven Who endures in the believer to provide you eternal life.
Notice that Jesus states that He is the Bread of God Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. He is claiming here to have the power of life, i.e., the power of God Himself. He claims to come from heaven where only angels and God reside and to be the Provider of eternal life to the world. This statement dwarfs the manna from heaven that fed the Israelites and is another claim of the diety of Jesus Christ.
The crowd infers that the manna from heaven is superior to anything Jesus did or is. They were focused on the miracles of Jesus comparing them to the Manna and missed the significance of Jesus' miracles pointing to Himself as the True Bread from heaven that provides eternal life. The Manna was only food for the physical body and was limited to providing temporary sustenance to the physical body. But Jesus' miracles pointed to Himself as the True Bread from heaven that provides eternal life.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
[BKC, op. cit., p. 295]:
"In response the people demanded a miraculous sign (...cf. 'Jews demand miraculous signs' [1 Cor 1:22]). They thought God's order is see and believe. But the divine order is believe and see (cf. John 11:40). They did not have faith or spiritual perception, but they understood that Jesus was proclaiming something new...
"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?' "
...His coming was claimed as an advance over Moses. They reasoned, 'If You are more than Moses, do more than Moses.' The crowd that asked for a sign from Jesus must have felt that the feeding of the 5,000 did not compare with Moses' gift of bread from heaven. They remembered the divine gift of manna (Ex 16; Num 11:7). They thought Jesus' feeding was less significant because manna fed the whole nation for 40 years. But they missed two things. First, many of the Israelites who were fed 40 years did not believe. The important thing is not the magnitude of the sign but the perception of its significance (cf. Luke 16:29-31). Second, both Moses and Jesus were authenticated by God's signs; therefore both should be listened to and believed."
Notice that the manna from heaven was "given", aorist past tense completed action in the past, but the "True Bread" is what God the Father gives, present tense - continual action in the present, obviously superior to what is no longer available and only sustains the physical body for a season. The True Bread on the other hand provides "life", eternal life!! This is an astounding statement for the Jews to hear.
XI) [Jn 6:32-33 cont.]:
(v. 32) "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread from heaven.
(v. 33) For the bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
"For the bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." =
2) OUR LORD REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE ONE WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, GOD'S CHOSEN ONE: THE SON OF MAN
(v. 35) "Jesus heard that they had put him ["him" = the blind man who was healed by Jesus]
(v. 35 cont.) "Jesus heard that they had put him out [of the Temple]; and finding him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?
(v. 36) He answered and said, 'And Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?
(v. 37) Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him, and He is the One Who is talking with you.' "
"[Jesus said] 'No one has ever gone into heaven except the One Who came from heaven - the Son of Man.' "
Notice that in Jn 9:35-38 our Lord claims to be 'the Son of Man'; and in Jn 3:13, He says that "the Son of Man" is "one [the only One] Who came from heaven". This could only refer to God's Chosen One, the Messiah, Who will save His people from their sins." (cf Mt 1:21-23)
Notice that our Lord refers to God as "My Father" not "our Father" as was customary. This declaration of intimacy with the Father by our Lord often angered the Jews who considered this a declaration of a close personal relationship with the Father in heaven blasphemy because it inferred a face to face relationship - an indication of being equal with God.
XI cont.) [Jn 6:32-33 cont.]:
(v. 32) "Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread from heaven.
(v. 33) For the bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
The crowd had recently been miraculously served with bread and fish; and now it demanded another miraculous sign from our Lord so that they would believe in Him as He had declared Himself: the One Whom God had sent, (v. 29), i.e., the Messiah Who would save them from their sins and bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven. Notice that the crowd touched on the key and sole stipulation that God requires in order to enter the Kingdom: a moment of faith in the One He had sent.
The concept of food, [="bread"], sustaining life are thematic here. The crowd of people were provided in our Lord's feeding of the 5,000, (vv. 1-15), with the food of bread & fish which sustained their physical bodies; but this was only for a time until they needed their next meal. The crowd which was largely Jewish also reflected, (v. 31), on how their forefathers, (Israelites), were miraculously provided with manna bread from heaven to sustain their physical bodies; but even the miraculous manna did not sustain them for long - and it spoiled quickly, (Ex 16:19-20). The crowd looked to Jesus for further miracles so that they would believe in Him as the One God had sent to bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven, (vv. 29-30). But miracle after miracle had not resulted in them trusting in our Lord as Messiah/Savior, (cp. 10:25-26). Furthermore, Jesus had already explained to the crowd not "to work for food that spoils [including miracles] but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man [meaning Himself, (Jn 9:37)] will give you, (v. 27)."
The crowd then asked Jesus, (v. 28), "what must we do to do the works God requires [for eternal life, (v. 27)]. And Jesus answered, (v. 29), "believe in the One He [God] has sent".
"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.
So in verses 32-33 of John chapter 6, our Lord again points to the way to eternal life: through trusting in the "The true Bread from Heaven" meaning Himself - the Bread which "endures to eternal life", i.e., trusting in Him alone to provide eternal life.
Notice that the phrase "True Bread" here is a figurative one and not literal as our Lord is obviously not a literal loaf of bread comprised of flour, baked in an oven and physically ingested; for this would be tantamount to cannibalism which is forbidden under the Mosaic Law, (ref. Lev 17:10-14).
Furthermore, could our Lord have meant at that moment that one was to ingest His actual body and blood? Could He be offering to the crowd that each one take a physical bite out of His arm or leg - especially before He went to the cross??
Bread, i.e., food which is physically ingested repeatedly in order to provide and sustain one's physical life which will "spoil" and thus is fleeting is contrasted with "the True Bread" Who is Jesus Christ, in Whom one trusts once for all time, (cf. v. 29), in order to provide and sustain one's spiritual life which will never perish and thus is forever. Note that there is no physical activity - no works such as ingesting bread and wine - required of an individual to receive eternal life in view in this passage up to this point.
[BKC. ibid.]:
"The Father, not Moses, gave the manna.
The True Bread from heaven is Jesus, not the manna. Thus the supposed superiorities of Moses and his sign vanish. Manna was food for the body, and it was useful. But Jesus is God's full provision for people in their whole existence. Jesus repeatedly said He had come down from heaven (vv. 32-33, 38, 41-42, 50-51, 58)...
God is the Source of all life. The Son has life in Himself (1:4; 5:26) and He has come to give real and lasting life to people. Sin cuts them off from God, Who is Life, and they die spiritually and physically. Christ has come down from heaven to give life to the world. Jesus is thus the genuine Bread of God."
(v. 34) " 'Sir,' they said, 'from now on give us this bread.' "
After all of this, the crowd still does not comprehend, for they tell Jesus 'from now on give us this bread' as if they needed a constant supply of some food to ingest to keep on having eternal life. Modern day religious people think the same way. But Jesus already told them that all one had to do was to believe in the One God had sent to them and that would endure to eternal life, (v. 29). And He stipulated that He was that One Who came down from heaven. Yet they asked Him to give them 'this bread of life from now on' as if it was some kind of food like the manna that was given every day to ancient Israel to sustain their physical lives from day to day and not Jesus Himself. They did not understand that eternal life once received by believing in the One God has sent Who endures forever unto eternal life was all sufficient because the True Bread is Jesus Himself Who is eternal. So it does not require a day by day action. Thus the miracle of Jesus was far superior to the manna which was only good for one day at a time & then the Israelites needed tomorrow's provision all over again.
"Sir" = "Kurios" = "Lord". "Lord" is used here by the Jews, whereas before "Rabbi", (v. 25), was used. It is evident here that their intended meaning of "Lord" fell short of accepting Him as Messiah.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
Note that the crowd was still looking for the Bread of Life as some kind of physical substance to ingest instead of trusting in the Lord Himself as their Messiah, the True Bread of eternal life. They also thought that a continuous supply of physical bread to ingest was in view rather than a one time expression of faith in Christ.
a) [Compare Jn 4:13-14, 39, 42]:
(v. 13) "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water [physical water in Jacob's well, (v. 6)] will be thirsty again,
(v. 14) but whoever drinks the water I give Him ["the gift of God... living water", (v. 10)] will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
(v. 15) The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'
(v. 39) Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him [being the 'Savior of the world', (v. 42)] because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did,'
[And after staying with our Lord for several days, (vv. 40-41)]:
(v. 42) They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.' "
Note that, at first, the Samaritan woman did not understand that our Lord was speaking figuratively of spiritual matters, not literally of physical drinking when He spoke of giving her "Living Water" to drink, i.e., the baptism of God the Holy Spirit, (7:37-39).
"For we [believers, (v. 12)] were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
She [the woman at the well] still had in view the actual ingestion of some special kind of physical water to attain eternal life just as the crowd in chapter 6 had in view the actual ingestion of some special kind of physical bread to be eaten continually in order to attain eternal life. But further on in the passage, it is evident that she finally understood that our Lord was speaking figuratively; for rather than demanding Living Water from our Lord to physically drink once more, she simply accepted, via a moment of faith, our Lord as the 'Savior of the world', (v. 42), as did the rest of her Samaritan community, (v. 39-42). She believed in His claim to be the Messiah, (vv. 25-26) Who would save her from her sins, (cf Mt 1:21). So it is evident in the passage in John chapter 4, that our Lord was referring to believing in Him as the "Savior of the world" in order to receive eternal life when He stated, "But whoever drinks the Water I give Him will never thirst. Indeed, the Water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Note that Jn 7:37-39 indicates that the Living Water is a figure of speech referring to God the Holy Spirit, Who is received by one when he trusts in Christ as Savior:
(v. 37) "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
(v. 38) Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.'
(v. 39a) By this He meant the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were later to receive."
So actual physical drinking of water is not in view; but a figurative expression of receiving the Holy Spirit when one believed in Christ as Savior, i.e., the baptism of the Holy Spirit was in view.
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked [i.e., baptized] in Him with a Seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 295]:
"As yet, the crowd did not perceive that Jesus is the genuine Bread which He had been describing. Like the woman at the well (4:15), they asked for this better food. And they wanted it continually (from now on), not like the manna which lasted for 40 years."
(v. 35) "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.' "
Jesus however persisted in spite of the obtuseness and unbelief of the crowd. He declared, 'I am the Bread of Life, He Who comes to Me will never go hungry and He Who believes in Me will never be thirsty.'
"Never" in the Greek = "ou me", is a double negative, signifying an emphatic, "absolutely never". Once one expresses a belief in Jesus one will absolutely never be hungry, nor thirsty. This must refer not to a temporal condition of physical hunger or thirst but to an absolute condition of eternal life, never to be lost, especially considering the double negative.
Notice that the key operative word here again in order to 'never be thirsty' is to believe = to believe in Jesus unto eternal life. Since it has already been established that 'the Bread of life' refers to the One Who provides eternal life, the key subject of this chapter 6, then the phrases 'never go hungry' and 'never be thirsty' are to be taken figuratively to mean to have eternal life - a state in which one indeed will never be hungry or thirsty. Therefore the phrase "He who comes to me will never go hungry" parallels the next phrase "he who believes in Me will never be thirsty" - both meaning he who believes in Jesus, the Bread of Eternal life from heaven, will have eternal life.
Notice then that we are back to faith in Jesus as the One Whom God has sent as what one must do to have eternal life - this faith being previously described, (vv. 27-29), as providing the work enduring to eternal life the moment it is exercised; and this is reaffirmed here in verse 35.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE - BELIEVE IN ME UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
"I am the Bread of Life" =
This was certainly a startling statement for anyone in those days to hear: a declaration that One is the source of life, eternal life - all life. This was tantamount to a declaration of deity.
"he who comes to Me will never go hungry" =
Notice that one is required to "come to" our Lord, i.e., trust in Him, "the Bread of Life" in order to "never go hungry", i.e., have eternal life. Verses 27-29 set the context of believing in Christ in order to have eternal life, i.e., of receiving by faith the "food that endures to eternal life," Christ Himself. Physical ingestion of bread is not in view, but coming to the Lord, another figure of speech signifying believing in Him is. Note that the very next phrase in this verse stipulates believing unto eternal life:
'and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty" =
(v. 37) "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
(v. 38) Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.'
(v. 39a) By this He meant the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were later to receive."
Notice that eternal life comes through a moment of faith in Christ, not through physical ingestion of bread or water. Thus, believing in our Lord, i.e., having "come to" Him, results in the eternal and spiritual condition of never being hungry or thirsty = eternal life.
Finally, "never" in the Greek = "ou me", an emphatic "never" = once one trusts in the Lord, one will absolutely never go hungry and absolutely never be thirsty. This must refer not to a temporal condition of physical hunger or thirst but to an absolute eternal condition of eternal life.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 295]:
"I am the Bread of Life. This corrected two more errors in their thinking:
(1) The food of which He spoke refers to a Person, not a commodity.
(2) And once someone is in right relationship to Jesus, he finds a satisfaction which is everlasting, not temporal.
This 'I am' statement is the first in a series of momentous 'I am' revelations (cf. 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). 'Bread of Life' means bread which provides life. Jesus is man's necessary 'food.' In Western culture, bread is often optional, but it was an essential staple then. Jesus promised, 'He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.' The 'nevers' are emphatic in Greek."
"But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe."
Jesus tells the crowd plainly of their disbelief in Him. He told them of Himself. They have seen Him and all that He is, has said, has done and still they do not believe in Him to provide eternal life for them. He has told them plainly Who He is and what they must do to have eternal life and their understanding is still nil. The context portrays a deliberate refusal to believe for which each individual is held accountable. It is interesting to note that Jesus' claims to diety and godly powers were not questioned by the crowd at this time, although they constituted outright blasphemy if Jesus were not God.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) BUT EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN JESUS - MANY WOULD NOT BELIEVE
(v. 31) '''Again the Jews picked up stones to stone Him,
(v. 32) but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?"
(v. 33) "We are not stoning You for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because You, a mere man, claim to be God."
(v. 34) Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?
(v. 35) If he [the Psalm writer: 82:6] called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came - and the Scripture cannot be broken -
(v. 36) what about the one Whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse Me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?
(v. 37) Do not believe Me unless I do what My Father does.
(v. 38) But if I do it, even though you do not believe Me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."
(v. 39) Again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"Jesus then rebuked the crowd for their lack of faith. They had the great privilege of seeing Him and yet they did not believe. Seeing does not necessarily lead to believing (cf. v. 30)."
(v. 37) " 'All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.' "
"Comes to Me" is depicted in verse 35 as a figure of speech meaning believing in Jesus resulting in eternal life.
Jesus continues this train of thought on who will believe in Him unto eternal life and who will not by stipulating "all that the Father gives Me will come to Me" implying God's sovereign choosing of certain individuals who will then choose to come to faith in Jesus unto eternal life.
The word "gift" implies provision. God has provided for certain individuals such that they are drawn, (v. 44) and enabled, (v. 65) to choose to come to Jesus, His Son, by faith such that these individuals are stipulated as God's gift to His Son. Thus to make this a true gift, there cannot be anyone outside of this elect group of individuals who come to Jesus by faith on their own without God. Otherwise God's gift to His Son would be meaningless for anyone could come to faith in Jesus without God. How valuable and meaningful would such a gift be then? Would it bring glory to God if others could claim to come to Jesus without God's help and outside of His plan. Therefore all who come to faith in Jesus are part of God's gift to His Son and not one who comes to faith in Jesus outside of God's gift. So God gets all the glory as He should.
The phrase "all that the Father gives Me will come to Me [by faith]" has the entire population of those who believe throughout history in view and these will never be cast out of eternal life as the second half of the verse says. So all throughout history who will believe in Jesus are the gift of the Father to His Son.
So Jesus says "and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out"
= Gk: "ou ...me ..ekbalw exw" =
..........."not .not ..cast .....out"
The words "ou me" are a double negative in the Greek which is best rendered "never will I cast out" and pictures the position a believer has in eternal life in Jesus Himself the Bread of life from which he will never be cast out by Jesus.
One might ask, 'Couldn't a believer cast himself out of eternal life?' Answer: Not unless he has the power of the Son of God Himself! The only One Who has the power of providing eternal life according to this passage is Jesus Himself. Man is not stipulated in this passage as having the capacity to grant or cancel his own eternal life.
So once one comes to Jesus by faith this confirms that he is God's gift to His Son and Jesus will never cast him out. Thus the believer in Jesus can be assured that Jesus will never leave nor forsake him from the moment he trusts in the One God has sent because the believer has been provided with the Food which endures to eternal life. So eternal life in the believer will endure forever; for Jesus, the True Bread is what that believer receives and it is He Who endures in and for the believer unto eternal life and He will never cast the believer out of Himself or Himself out of the believer. No where in this context is there an opening for a believer to lose his salvation even if he were to turn his back on it since it is evident in this verse that once one comes to Jesus it is Jesus Who is in control of the individual's eternal destiny, not the individual.
Notice that Jesus is claiming to have the authority and power of God over every individual's eternal destiny. He indicates here that He can cast an individual out of the realm of eternal life or keep Him secure. Therefore He must be God, the Son of God.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
" 'All that the Father gives Me will come to Me' "=
At the same time that it is up to each individual to choose to trust alone in Christ the Messiah alone unto eternal life; it is the working of God's sovereign election that those whom God the Father sovereignly chose to give to our Lord will come to His Son of their own volition and will never be driven away. Note that "never driven away" affirms the eternal security of the believer.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"Jesus then gave the ultimate explanation of their lack of faith: the Father works sovereignly in people's lives. There is an election of God which is the Father's gift to the Son. The Son has no concern that His work will be ineffective, for the Father will enable people to come to Jesus. Jesus has confidence. But people may have confidence also.... One who comes to Jesus for salvation will by no means be driven away (cf. 6:39)."
(v. 38) " 'For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me.
(v. 39) And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.' "
(v. 38) " 'For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me.
Jesus then explains again to the crowd what heretofore has been unfathomable to them and which they so far have not addressed: He states that He has "come down from heaven" not to do His will but the will of "Him Who sent Me." He is claiming to have come from heaven on a special mission of God's. Recall that only angels and God Himself resided in heaven at this time. Jesus indicates He has come not to do His will but the will of "Him Who sent Me." Jesus pictures a face to face personal relationship with God as His Father. Recall that only One Who is God can come from heaven and have such a personal relationship with the Father, i.e., Jesus further emphasizes that He is God the Son.
No man can truly claim to not do his own will but only the will of the Father Who sent Him down from heaven unless that man is the GodMan Jesus Christ Himself.
(v. 39) "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day."
Jesus indicates that it is God's will that Jesus Himself on the last day raise up from the dead unto eternal life all those whom God has given to Jesus to have eternal life. Thus all those whom God has given to the Son, which are all those who believe, will choose to believe and receive the Food that endures to eternal life. None will be lost because Jesus said "I shall lose none of all that He has given Me."
So verse 39 has in view all those who choose to believe in Jesus being God's gift to His Son of whom none will be lost. For all believers are portrayed as being God's gift to His Son, (v. 37). And it says that those who are given to the Son by the Father will be "raised up at the last day", so evidently all believers are eternally secure.
Could there be others who come to the Son through faith that are not going to be raised up on the last day perhaps because they are not part of God's sure gift to His Son and have lost their salvation? Answer: not by what this passage is saying. And the very next verse indicates that all those who believe will have eternal life and be raised at the last day.
One could hardly make a case here for some to believe and receive the Food that endures to eternal life but are not part of the eternally secure gift that God has given to the Son and thus this 'other' group could lose their salvation and not be raised up on the last day. So all believers are in view and none will be lost and all will be raised up at the last day by Jesus, the Food that endures to eternal life. For all not some who believe are given to the Son by the Father. No one will come to Jesus unless they are chosen by the Father to give to the Son for all must be drawn by the Father in the first place, (v. 44).
Furthermore, if there are believers who come to Jesus on their own without God's help and thus outside of God's gift to His Son, then God's gift to His Son wouldn't be much of a gift at all: Here is this scenario:
We have over here this group that God has given to His Son that come to faith in Jesus and God presents this group to His Son as an example of His glory. And here we have over there another group that have come to faith on their own which present themselves to Jesus in their own glory, not having to give God the credit for their decision to believe, nor glorify God for His sovereign gift to His Son. Obviously, this scenario is unbiblical.
Finally, since verse 37 says, "whoever comes to [=believes in] Me I will never cast out", i.e., whoever believes in Jesus will not be excluded from eternal life; and since those who come to [= believe in] Jesus are God's gift to His Son and Jesus will lose none of them, (v. 39), then salvation once received is eternally secure. In no way can this context be shown to support the idea that there are some who will come to Jesus outside of God's gift to His Son and might lose their salvation.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
Jesus repeats His claim to have "come down from heaven", evidently an extremely important point because He repeats it. Yet its significance escaped the crowd of mostly Jews, for only God and the angels resided in heaven at that time, yet this particular claim to diety was again not addressed by them.
Furthermore, our Lord specifies that His purpose was not to do His will but "the will of Him Who sent" Him. This was another declaration of absolutely divine purpose and being. For no man can truly claim to do not his will but the will of the Father Who sent Him down from heaven unless He was God Himself.
1) THE WILL OF THE FATHER IS THAT NONE HE HAS CHOSEN WILL BE LOST
Finally, the will of the Father is stipulated that our Lord will "lose none of all that He has given [Him] but raise them up at the last day." This confirms the eternal security of the believer once more. Once individuals come to the Lord as a result of their own volition yet due to God's sovereign election, those individuals having been given to our Lord by the Father will never be lost again but He will "raise them up at the last day."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"Jesus then repeated His claim about His heavenly origin. The reason He came down from heaven was to do the will of the Father Who sent Him. The Father's will is that those whom He gives to the Son will not suffer a single loss and all will be raised to life in the resurrection (cf. vv. 40, 44, 54). This passage is strong in affirming the eternal security of the believer."
(v. 40) "For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.' "
Jesus completes this series of astounding statements about God the Father, Himself and eternal life with a summary account beginning with the conjunction "For":
"For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day."
This is a concluding statement as it begins with the conjunction "For" signifying a conclusion of what is in view in the previous verses. The previous verses include a view of a group of individuals that the Father has given to the Son that come to faith in Jesus. Then this concluding verse begins: "For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him" which of necessity has God's gift of all those who believe in His Son in view. Since this concluding verse has "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him" in view then this confirms that everyone who comes to the Son is part of God's gift to the Son.
There is nothing complicated going on here in verse 40. This is a simple statement: everyone who believes in the Son is God's gift to the Son and shall have eternal life. Everyone who believes = "Pas ho... pisteuOn" = lit, "everyone [who is] the believing one" = a nominative participle, i.e., a noun. So all it takes is a single present moment of believing to become the believing one with nothing else stipulated resulting in the present tense possession of eternal life forever because it is eternal. Plus, there is a future tense promise of being raised up from the dead at the last day for all who believe!!
Notice that everyone who becomes "the believing one" will be raised up at the last day which corroborates the fact that the Father's will that all who "look to the Son and believe" is God's gift to His Son and will assuredly have eternal life never to lose it.
"everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life" =
Repetition of the theme, faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life as a gift, is made here in chapter 6 for the ninth time. Absence of any declaration of actual ingestion of physical food or water or any action on the part of man other than believing resounds in the silent aftermath of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life which our Lord once more reiterates.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"This verse repeats and reinforces the ideas of the previous verses. One who looks and believes on Jesus for salvation has his destiny secure. The divine decree has insured it (cf. Rom. 8:28-30). He has eternal life (John 6:47; 50-51, 54, 58) and will be raised at the last day (cf. vv. 39, 44, 54)."
(v. 41) "At this the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’
(v. 42) They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?"
(v. 41) "At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.' "
At this point the Jews began to grumble as a result of continual disbelief in what Jesus was saying. One might even wonder if our Lord had provided the most awesome miracle ever, that they still would have rejected Who He was.
Author John provides the main reason why the Jews grumbled: "Because He said, 'I am the Bread that came down from Heaven.' " The Jews continually rejected Jesus' claim to be "the Bread from Heaven"; a claim to a supernatural existence, i.e., the Prophet they had earlier declared He was, (v. 14); a claim that was continually supported by the miracles Jesus performed which were even admitted to by those very Jews who now grumbled in disbelief.
(v. 42) They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
The Jews were continually focused on the temporal and finite and ignored the spiritual, supernatural and infinite. So they denied Jesus' claims to be the True Bread from heaven, in spite of all the evidence. Surely God could come down from heaven in any way He chose even as a Man. The Jews ignored the evidence of the miracles and their own testimony that He was their Prophet.
It is evident by their selective memory that they were not willing to accept the clear evidence that Jesus is the True Bread Who came down from heaven.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
The crowd of Jews focused at
last on our Lord's repeated declaration that He came down from heaven,
assigning to Himself a unique designation, that of being God's chosen One,
the Messiah. They reasoned that since our Lord was the natural son of
Joseph and Mary, then how could he "now say, 'I came down from
heaven' "
It is interesting to note, however, that Old Testament Scripture
covers this point, yet this was not taken into consideration:
"Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel [= God with us]"
(v. 6) "For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(v. 7) Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"The Jews, hostile unbelievers, grumbled because of Jesus' proclamation of His heavenly origin. Like their ancestors in the wilderness, these Jews murmured (Ex 15:24; 16:2, 7, 12; 17:3; Num 11:1; 14:2, 27). Their thinking was seemingly logical: one whose parents are known could not be from heaven (cf. Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22). They were ignorant of His true origin and full nature. They said He was the son of Joseph, but they did not know of the Virgin Birth, the Incarnation. He had come down from heaven because He is the 'Logos' (John 1:1, 14)."
(v. 37) "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
(v. 38) For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
(v. 39) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
(v. 40) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
(v. 41) At this the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’
(v. 42) They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?
(v. 43) ‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,' Jesus answered.
(v. 44) ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws Him, and I will raise Him up at the last day."
(vv. 41-44)
(v. 41) "At this the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’
(v. 42) They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?
(v. 43) 'Stop grumbling among yourselves,' Jesus answered.
(v. 44) No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.' "
Notice that Jesus specifically addressed those who were "grumbling", evidencing their unbelief, (vv. 41-43). Verse 42 especially corroborates their state of unbelief: "They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?" The implication here is that Jesus is acknowledging their lack of coming to Him by faith as due to the Father not drawing them. From v. 44 we can conclude that the Father draws some and not others. And only those who are drawn by the Father will come to faith in Jesus Christ. Since believing is volitional by definition then only those drawn choose of their own volition to come to Jesus by faith in Him as the true Bread from heaven to receive eternal life.
(v. 44) "No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day....
(v. 37) All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away...
(v. 39) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
(v. 40) For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
In the light of verses 37-44 it can be concluded that all who come to faith in Jesus were previously drawn by the Father, (v. 44); and thus all who come to faith were, previous to that faith, given by the Father to the Son, (v. 37); and Jesus "shall lose none of all that He [the Father] has given [Him], but raise them [all] at the last day", (v. 39). Finally, it is the "Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him [which is all who will ever believe] shall have eternal life, and I [Jesus] will raise him[= all] up at the last day", (v. 40).
(v. 41) "At this the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ (v. 42) They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’? (v. 43) 'Stop grumbling among yourselves,' Jesus answered. (v. 44) No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.' " =
The Jews who grumbled at Jesus in vv. 41-43 evidenced that they were unbelievers, especially in v. 42. Jesus then indicates in v. 44a the reason why they were not believers: "No one can come to me, [i.e., become a believer in Him unto eternal life], unless the Father Who sent Me draws Him." This is followed by the phrase, (44b), "and I will raise him [who is drawn by the Father) up at the last day" affirming the point that all who are drawn by the Father become believers and will be raised up on the last day. Because not all will be believe in Jesus and be raised up at the last day as evidenced by vv. 37-44, some are not going to be drawn by the Father.
"No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws Him, and I will raise Him up at the last day." (v. 44) =
This verse indicates that once one comes to faith in Christ, our Lord states that He will raise him up at the last day.
Again, we have reinforced in v. 44 that when one comes to Jesus by faith he is eternally secure because Jesus "will raise him up at the last day".
5) SINCE THE INHERENT NATURE OF BELIEVING IS FREE WILL, GOD'S DRAWING DOES NOT FORCE MAN TO BELIEVE
"No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws Him, and I will raise Him up at the last day." (v. 44) =
Although "no one can come to Me [= saving faith in Jesus Christ] unless the Father.... draws him," the individual must still choose of his own volition to come by definition of the word believe.
To come to Christ in this context is to believe in Him to provide eternal life for you. To believe is defined as to accept, regard, receive as true that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life Who will provide eternal life in a moments faith in Him to do that. Hence the word believe requires that the individual have complete freedom to exercise his will to believe in what he will. Therefore God's drawing stipulated in v. 44 cannot overpower an individual's exercising of what he believes.
[Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament]:
'''The basic meaning is "to draw," "tug," or, in the case of persons, "compel." It may be used for "to draw" to a place by magic, for demons being "drawn" to animal life, or for the inner influencing of the will (Plato). The Semitic world has the concept of an irresistible drawing to God (cf. 1 Sam. 10:5; 19:19ff.; Jer. 29:26; Hos. 9:7). In the OT helkein denotes a powerful impulse, as in Cant. 1:4, which is obscure but expresses the force of love. There is no thought here of force or magic. The term figuratively expresses the supernatural power of the love of God or Christ [p. 227].'''
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, says helkuo is used figuratively "of the pull on man's inner life....draw, attract J 6:44" [Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, Danker, p. 251].
The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, states that helkuo is used metaphorically "to draw mentally and morally, John 6:44; 12:32" [William Mounce, p. 180].
The Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament has, "met., to draw, i.e. to attract, Joh. xii. 32. Cf. Joh. vi. 44" [W.J. Hickie, p. 13].
The Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament by Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller says, "figuratively, of a strong pull in the mental or moral life draw, attract (JN 6.44)" [p. 144].
Calvinist Spiros Zodhiates, in his Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, says, "Helkuo is used of Jesus on the cross drawing by His love, not force (Jn. 6:44; 12:32)" [New Testament Lexical Aids, p. 1831]
Finally, the context of forceful drawing elsewhere in Scripture, (Jas 2:6; Jn 21:6) cannot be imposed upon Jn 6:44 to change its context and make God force an individual to believe in Jesus Christ for the action of believing by definition must always be volitional. It is frankly ludicrous to think that God has to force one to be regenerated anyway, and then forced to believe unto eternal life. If God had done His job right when he forced the individual to be regenerated, it would seem to me that the individual would then voluntarily believe and not have to be forced to do believe also.
"No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" =
The nature of faith is volitional by definition, i.e., by the will of man. Coming to faith in Christ then is implied as within the capacity of man depending upon his will. Yet for man to exercise his will and believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation, the Father must draw one to exercise one's will unto saving faith within one's capacity to believe. Evidently what is in view is that man has the capacity to believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life but he will not exercise that capacity until after the Father draws him. Details of the Father's drawing are not provided except that only those that are drawn will believe and be saved, such drawing not to violate man's free will to believe.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) NO ONE CAN TRUST IN CHRIST UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
(v. 7) "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
(v. 8) Those controlled by the sinful nature [which includes all men at some time] cannot please God."
(v. 3) "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
(v. 4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"
Since all men, elect and non elect begin their mortal lives as unregenerate unbelievers "controlled by the sinful nature,"
then all men have their understanding of the gospel veiled to them. They "cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." They "cannot please God" with saving faith. The depraved will of man has permitted the condition wherein "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
(v. 24) "The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
(v. 25) And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
(v. 26) From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
(v. 27) God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
Notice that "God has made every nation" "so that they should seek the Lord, in hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." This implies that man indeed does have the capacity to "grope" and "seek" God]
(v. 18) "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
(v. 19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
(v. 20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
(v. 21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
(v. 22) Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
(v. 23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."
[Notice the phrases "men who suppress the truth", "what may be known about God is plain to them", "God's invisible qualities.. have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made", "men are without excuse" all imply man's capacity to understand and know God and believe in Him.
And the phrase "men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" implies that man understands truths about God but he willfully supresses them. This willful suppression of the truth about God evidently prevents man from believing and obeying Him.]
(v. 16) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
(v. 17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
(v. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
[Note that "whoever believes" has in view the whole world having the capacity to believe in God's Son and be saved unto eternal life or not believe and stand condemned. It is presented in this passage as volitional, with a view to the capacity of each individual to choose. Otherwise, if unregenerate man could not believe, then the verse would be a lie. So all men have the capacity to believe and be saved unto eternal life]
(v. 37) '''Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
(v. 38) This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
(v. 39) For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
(v. 40) "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
"They still would not believe in Him" =
This passage implies that man has the capacity to believe in and obey God but his sinful nature has turned his will totally against the exercise of that capacity, hence he cannot believe in or obey God because he will not. The passage goes on to say that this unwillingness to believe results in the LORD GOD blinding "their eyes and [deadening] their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
Just as some individuals with the capacity and intelligence to do well in school cannot do well because they will not, i.e., they have an incorrigible attitude problem - they will not do homework, nor study, nor carry books, nor appear studious in any way because it would jeopardize their image in association with a peer group;
so all unsaved individuals all of which have the capacity to trust alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, (otherwise God would not ask them to trust in His Son, (Jn 3:5-18, etc.), cannot please God by trusting in Christ as Savior because they will not, i.e., because they all have totally depraved natures that simply will not accept anything that God commands them to do. They cannot believe in Christ as Savior because they will not even accept the sovereignty of God in their lives over their eternal destiny.
Or consider the wife who in spite of the evidence presented cannot believe her husband has been unfaithful because she just will not accept the truth.
Since finite man has the capacity but cannot believe certain things relative to his temporal life because of prejudices, so it is indeed possible - which you have not ruled out - that man has the capacity to hear God with understanding and believe in the gospel but cannot because of his prejudice against God, i.e., his depraved will. He cannot because he will not.
"And you, my [David's] son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."
Notice that the phrase "if you seek Him" implies that man has the capacity to seek God. Furthermore, the phrase "He will be found by you" implies that God is available for all who choose to seek Him. So it is a matter of man's will, not his capacity.
3) ALL MANKIND IS ALSO DRAWN TO GOD IN A NUMBER OF WAYS BUT NOT ALL WILL RESPOND
a) ALL MEN ARE DRAWN BY CHRIST WHEN HE WAS LIFTED UP BUT NOT ALL WILL RESPOND
(v. 32) "If I be lifted up, I will draw all unto Me (John 12:32-33).
(v. 33) He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."
Here in this passage, it is evident our Lord said that He will draw all men, Greek "pantas" Str 3956 = all, (i.e., everyone whoever lived to Him with a view of His death on the cross for the sins of the whole world, (Jn 3:14-18; 1 Jn 2:2).
The all in this passage is not restricted and therefore is universal, the same as it is in Romans 10:13 and Jn 2:24:
'''For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
"Everyone" = "pas" Str 3956 = all, everyone - not just all types of men, same root word as in Jn 6:44.
"But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men."
"All" = "pantas" Str 3956 = all, everyone - not just types of men, identical word as in Jn 6:44.
For example, Judas was surely drawn to Christ in a very intense way, yet he rejected Him. That is why his guilt is so great. The nation of Israel was consistently drawn to trust in a coming Messiah and repent in that light, yet she consistently failed except for a remnant who believed. Jesus said that the guilt of those in Chorazin and Bethsaida would be greater than that of those from ancient Tyre and Sidon because they had rejected greater light (Luke 10:13-16). Indeed, Jesus indicted the whole generation for rejecting One greater than Solomon and Jonah (Luke 11:29-32).
All men indeed are drawn to Christ and Him crucified. So all men have available to them the full benefit of what He did on the cross. But Scripture elsewhere indicates that not all men will respond, (Mt 7:13-14).
(v. 8) "When He [the Holy Spirit, vv. 7-8)] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
(v. 9) in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me;
(v. 10) in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer;
(v. 11) and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."
Note that Jesus said that as a result of unbelief in Him and our Lord's ascension to the Father and the defeat of the Devil, the Holy Spirit would come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This implies that men can be convicted of sin, the need for righteousness and of judgment to come. Man is thus held accountable for his unbelief in Jesus Christ especially as to His message of convicting men of sin, the need for righteousness and a coming judgment.
(v. 18) "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
(v. 19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
(v. 20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
[Notice that the creation of the world gives clear and plain evidence of Who God is. Hence creation draws all mankind to God, but few respond]
(v. 24) "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
(v. 25) And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
(v. 26) From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
(v. 27) God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
[Notice that the order in which creation exists, especially God's determination of the times set for man and the exact places where they should live give clear evidence of Who God is so that all men may be drawn to their Creator and seek Him. This implies that man can understand Who God is and seek Him. But few do.]
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him."
[Notice that God has granted to believers not only to believe on Jesus Christ but also to suffer for Him. The context has in view God's exclusive granting of faith in Christ and suffering to believers. These two grants are portrayed as exclusive to believers in light of a number of things:
1) Since unbelievers can do nothing to please God, then God's grant of suffering is exclusive to those who believe;
and since believing is paralleled with suffering in this verse, then God's grant of faith is also exclusive to those who believe.
2) If one could come to faith in Christ without God's grant to believe on His Son then God's gift of faith would be meaningless.
(v. 44) ''' "No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws Him, and I will raise Him up at the last day.
(v. 45) It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me.' " '''
Jesus continues on the subject of God's sovereignty in the process of an individual's coming to faith in Jesus. From Old Testament teaching Jesus quotes a passage located in the teachings of the Prophets that indicates that it all starts with being taught by God and whoever listens to the Father's teaching and learns from Him thereby comes to Jesus, the Messiah to come by in faith.
So we have the fact that no one comes to faith in the Son without the Father drawing him, (v. 44); added to the fact that one has to be taught by God such that one listens and learns and then comes to believe in Jesus unto eternal life, (v. 45); which is all part of God's sovereign plan that all those God has given to the Son will come in faith to the Son, (v. 37); which are all those who believe in the Son, (v. 40) and of which Jesus will lose none but raise up all at the last day, (v. 39-40).
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
"They will all be taught by God" =
"All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace."
''' "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." '''
In the above passages our Lord quotes the Old Testament picturing the Kingdom Age of God on earth when all men at that time will inherently know God - will be taught by Him. He applies this picture to those men in this age whom God chooses to draw to Himself. So, inherent in the Father's drawing of an individual to Himself is His teaching of them about His Son so that they will inevitably chose of their own volition to come to Him, i.e., trust alone in His Son alone unto eternal life.
(v. 12) "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
(v. 13) We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.
(v. 14) But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
(v. 15) Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
(v. 16) But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."
Notice that when anyone turns to the Lord, the veil which hides the understanding of the gospel is taken away.
[BKC, ibid.]:
"In support of this doctrine of salvation by God's grace, Jesus cited the Old Testament. The quotation, They will all be taught by God, is from the Prophets, probably Isaiah 54:13, though Jeremiah 31:34 has the same thought. This 'teaching' of God refers to His inner work that disposes people to accept the truth about Jesus and respond to Him. Everyone who listens to and learns from God will come to and believe in Jesus."
(v. 46) "No one has seen the Father except the One Who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
(v. 47) I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
Jesus then goes immediately back to Who He is on the basis of His relationship with the Father and if one believes in Who He is they have eternal life, repeating His message of vv. 35-40:
Jesus begins with a statement that no one has seen the Father except the One Who is from God, [Himself, vv. 35-40] indicating a face to face relationship with the Father by which Jesus is claiming to be God Himself, the Son of God. To this He adds 'He who believes [in Me] has everlasting life.'
Notice for the eighth time Jesus stipulates that by simply believing in Him one will have eternal life. The grammar pictures one who in a present tense moment of believing in Jesus becomes a believer, (ho pisteuon' = lit., the believing one), which moment produces a present tense possession of eternal life which once begun is forever by definition. Eight statements of faith alone in Christ alone and one has eternal life and will endure unto eternal life. Can this be any clearer?
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) OUR LORD AGAIN DECLARES HIS MESSIAHSHIP, HIS DIETY
a) [Compare Jn 1:18 AMPLIFIED]:
"No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique God, Who is in the bosom, that is, in the intimate presence of the Father, He [Jesus Christ, God the Son] has declared Him [God the Father] - He has revealed Him, brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him, and He has made Him known."
2) NO ONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER EXCEPT THE ONE WHO IS FROM GOD - WHO MUST BE GOD HIMSELF, GOD THE SON
"No man has ever seen God at any time" = No man has ever seen God with respect to His essence - His complete being.
[God says to Moses]:
(v. 20) [God says to Moses]: " 'You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.'
[God is telling Moses that no man can see His full essence and survive. So God permits Moses to see just a part of His essence - His glory as reflected in a perfect light as He passes by Moses in the cleft of a rock]:
(v. 21) Then the Lord said, 'There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock.
(v. 22) When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in a rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.' "
["cover you with My hand" = hand = not an actual hand but a figurative hand for God is Spirit, (Jn 4:24), and in this particular instance He was not appearing in the form of a man. God is using figurative Hebrew language here to give Moses who has the finite mind of an ancient Hebrew the best understanding of how He will protect Moses from being exposed to His full glory]
(v. 23) Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen."
God, Who is Spirit, Who has no limits - Who is not limited by hands, or face or back, yet speaks to Moses as if He has human characteristics. This is so Moses will understand Him, not so that Moses would see that God has human parts. Yet there are passages in Scripture which indicate that men saw God:
(v. 9) "Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up
(v. 10) and saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself."
BKC, (op cit, O.T., p. 146):
"Since no one can see God and live....they probably "saw the God of Israel" in the sense that they had a vision of Him.....
[and the language of this passage certainly indicates just that, see passage from Numbers below*]
....they had a vision of Him in which they discerned Who He is. Apparently the sight was so grand and awesome that their eyes saw only below "His feet."
Throughout history certain men were given an opportunity to "see" God in the sense of seeing a vision of Him or an appearance of Him in the form of a man, a burning bush, a cloud or a pillar of fire, etc. Only a part of the infinite essence of God is revealed to men in each case when God directly contacts humanity.
"Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; He stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, He said, 'Listen to My words:
When a prophet of the Lord is among you,
I reveal Myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.
But this is not true of My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form [not the full essence] of the Lord.............. "
[Morris states, (op cit, p.113)]:
"...In His essential being God has never yet been seen of men.. Men had their visions of God, but these were all partial. The theophanies [visible revelations of God to man, cp Gen 18:1-end] of the Old Testament did not and could not reveal God's essential being. But Christ has now made such a revelation."
"In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord [Jehovah God Almighty] sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."
[Carson states, (op cit., p. 134)]:
"The vision of the Lord seated on His throne that Isaiah saw was so vivid and terrifying, so close to the 'real thing,' even though it was but the hem..............
['hem' is a better rendering than 'train']
....even though it was but the hem of the Lord's garment that filled the temple, that he [Isaiah] could cry, 'Woe to me....I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips......
and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.' [Isa 6:5].
(v. 18 Amplified) "No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique God, Who is in the bosom, that is, in the intimate presence of the Father, He [Jesus Christ, God the Son] has declared Him [God the Father] - He has revealed Him, brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him, and He has made Him known."
Objectors to the Trinity ask: 'If no one can see God and live, (Ex 33:20), and if Jesus Christ is God, then how come so many saw Him and did not die? Although no one has seen God at any time, the Lord Jesus Christ has now made such a revelation - a declaration - of Who God is. The Lord Jesus Christ, being God, limited Himself in order to become a man, (Phil 2:5-8), so that His humanity in its perfection would reflect to mankind in a finite way Who God is without destroying men in the process. At no time did God fully reveal His entire essence to men on earth. Mt 17:1-13 speaks of our Lord revealing part of His glory as God in New Testament times and Ex 33:20-23; 24:9-10; Nu 12:5-8; Isa 6:1-5 in Old Testament times.
e cont.) Jn 1:17-18 cont.]:
(v. 18 KJV) "the only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him."
The KJV which states: "[the Son] Which is in the bosom of the Father" best renders the intimacy with which the Father and the Son have. It is also the most literal translation of the Greek text. It is such an intimacy that it indicates the diety of the Son, for no One but God could have such an intimacy with the Father. As a matter of fact, the original Greek text as determined from further examination of manuscripts indicates that the word "Son" in some manuscripts was most likely substituted for the word "God" because some scribe probably thought that the word "Son" is what should have been written there since this was author John's usual way of referring to our Lord. The word "God" here in this passage would be unique, but that's just what John wrote. Reliable manuscripts do have the word God instead of Son. The Amplified and the NIV translations reflect this:
(Jn 1:17 AMP): "For while the Law was given through Moses, grace - unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing - and truth came through Jesus Christ. [Exod. 20:1]
(Jn 1:18 AMP): No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, the only-begotten God, Who is in the bosom [that is, in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him - He has revealed Him, brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him, and He has made Him known. [Prov 8:30]
(Jn 1:17 NIV): "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
(Jn 1:18 NIV): "No one has seen God, but God the One and Only, Who is at the Father's side, has made Him known."
The second word "God" refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, especially in light of the context from the previous verse 17 which is also quoted. Thus this verse is a tremendous passage proving out the diety of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[BKC, op. cit., p. 296]:
"Yet this secret teaching of God is not a mystical connection of people with God directly. Knowing God comes only though Jesus, the Logos of God (cf. 1:18). As one is confronted by Him and hears His words and sees His deeds, the Father works within him."
(v. 13) "In my [Daniel's] vision at night I looked and there before me was One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven.
["clouds" = here refer to angels, cp. Ps 104:1-4]
(v. 13 cont.) He approached the Ancient of Days.....
["Ancient of Days" = a special name for God referring to His eternality - in this passage it refers to the Personality of the Father, (Dan 7:9)]
(v. 13 cont.) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.......
[So God the Son, Who is God and Man at the same time, appears in heaven in Daniel's vision of the future in His glorified human body. He is thusly led by angels into the throne room and the presence of God the Father before hosts of angelic beings and believers of ages past, (vv 9-12)]
(v. 14 cont.) He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away; and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
["worshipped Him" = indicates our Lord's Diety, for only God is to be worshipped, (Dt 6:13; Mt 4:10).
It is in the name of the Son of Man in which universal judgment is committed to Him, (Jn 5:22, 27). And in the Son of Man is fulfilled the Old Testament foreview of blessing and salvation through a coming Man, (Gen 1:26: 3:15; 12:3; Ps 8:4; 80:17; Isa 7:14: 9:6-7; 32:2). All of this is a function of God and God alone. So He Who bears the title of the Son of Man is God Himself]
XXI cont.) [Jn 6:46-47 cont.]:
(v. 46) "No one has seen the Father except the One Who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
(v. 47) I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
B cont.) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY CONT.
3) "HE WHO BELIEVES" = "HO PISTEUON" = "THE BELIEVING ONE" = "THE ONE WHO IS THE BELIEVER"
"he who believes" = "ho .pisteuOn" ...........=
..................................."the believing one"
The Greek phrase, "ho pisteuon" contains the definite article "ho" = "the" with the present tense, active voice, nominative participle verb "pisteuon" = [the] "believing one." The phrase is a participle verb functioning as a noun, lit., "the believing one". It is not a statement of simple present tense which is supposed to have an emphasis on continuous action of believing, as some contend, in order to demand that one maintain a constant state of believing in order to continue having or eventually receive eternal life.
According to Scripture, a continuous state of believing in Christ is not possible with man which would necessitate sinless perfection. For any sin a believer commits reflects a degree of unbelief and no one can claim to be without sin, nor to maintain a perfect state of continuous faith, (ref. 1 Jn 1:8, 10).
Furthermore, even if the simple present tense were the verb in the original Greek text - which it is not - a special context and/or additional words such as "diapantos" = continually, (ref. Lk 24:53), must be inserted into the text in order to convey the idea of continuous believing. The Greek present tense by itself does not convey such an idea - nor does its counterpart in English. For example, when one says, 'I believe the sky is blue', the verb "believe" by itself does not demand a continuous believing. Simple present tense action in the absence of qualifiers demands a singular action in the present moment without requiring that it continue into later moments. No first century Greek reader or hearer was likely to get a meaning such as continue to believe without the necessary additional qualifiers to the simple present tense. In addition to this, the appeal to force the simple present tense to mean continuous action would lead to havoc in many passages in the New Testament. For example, 1 John 1:8 reads, "If we say that we have no sin [="ouk echomen" = present tense] we deceive ourselves". If this verse is rendered in the continuous mode, it would read, "If we [true born again believers] say that we do not continuously have sin without ceasing, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." This indicates that in spite of becoming born again believers there is no time in the believer's life that he can claim not to be living a lifestyle of continuous, unadulterated sin - no time for anything else!!! But the context and lack of qualifying words does not permit this interpretation - it is only speaking of a single moment in time in the present, not a continuous, uninterrupted lifestyle of sinning.
In the final analysis "he who believes" = "ho pisteuon", (lit., "the believing one"), in the Greek, the form of the verb to believe in Jn 6:47, is not a simple present tense form at all; but it is actually a nominative, singular, masculine, present active participle, i.e., a participle acting as a noun indicating "the believing one" [in Christ as Savior], i.e., a believer. The participle acting as a noun does not require a perfection of continuous action such as continuous believing in order for an individual to be qualified as a believer.
For example, just as John the Baptist was still considered the one who baptizes even while he was in jail, (Mt 14:8), and just as Paul referred to the Corinthians as "sanctified in Christ Jesus", (v. 1:2), "in Christ", (v. 3:1) yet they were not acting continuously faithfully at all, (3:3), so a believer in general is legitimately referred to as a believer from the moment he trusts in Christ for eternal life.
XXI cont.) [Jn 6:46-47 cont.]:
(v. 46) "No one has seen the Father except the One Who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
(v. 47) I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
B cont.) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
"has everlasting life." =
Finally, since eternal life is immediately received at the first instant one becomes a believer according to this passage and according to numerous salvation passages whereupon it is also established - often stipulated, that a believer has an absolute assurance of his eternal destiny in heaven, (ref. 1 Jn 5:9-13);
and since eternal life once received by definition is continuous and everlasting for that individual believer without interruption or cessation from then on no matter what,
then to insist that continuous believing is thereupon required in order to continue to have eternal life is nonsensical, contradicts normative rules of language and violates the doctrines of assurance and eternal security.
(v. 47) " 'I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
(v. 48) I am the Bread of life.
(v. 49) Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
(v. 50) But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
(v. 51) I am the living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' "
(vv. 47-51)
(v. 47) " 'I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
(v. 48) I am the Bread of life.
(v. 49) Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
(v. 50) But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.' "
So once more Jesus says, 'I am the Bread of [eternal] life.' This is a figurative statement since the context does not support Jesus referring to Himself as a literal loaf of bread. Thus Jesus compares the literal, physical manna-bread in the desert which must be physically ingested repeatedly to sustain the literal, physical bodies of the forefathers and then they literally, physically die to the figurative or spiritual Bread 'that comes down from heaven', which one may eat one time [figuratively, i.e., believe in Jesus to receive Him spiritually] and not spiritually die but have eternal life. So on the one hand we have the repeated eating of physical bread which sustains physical life but only moment to moment until they physically die; and on the other hand we have the figurative and spiritual Bread Who comes down from heaven, which a man may eat in a figurative and spiritual sense by a moment of faith and not die spiritually but have eternal life.
Thus there is nothing in this section of John chapter 6 that demands that there be a literal, physical eating of the flesh of Jesus . A figurative and spiritual meaning is portrayed in verse 50 which parallels the other eight statements of what one must do to have eternal life: believe in Jesus, the Bread of life that came down from heaven.
(v. 51) " 'I am the living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' "
Jesus continues to confront the unbelieving crowd, pushing them to believe in Him or totally reject Him. His message to those in the crowd who refuse to take Him figuratively and spiritually becomes too graphic for them to be accepted literally. This pushes them to total rejection of Him such that they will no longer be His disciple or follow Him around. He reiterates that He is "the Living Bread that came down from heaven." And then He becomes very graphic when He says, "If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever. This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the Life of the world." There are many who insist that this phraseology of eating of Jesus' flesh is to be taken literally in some manner - even today. However, normative rules of context and language direct one to take this figuratively and spiritually. For the context has already been developed with Jesus as the True Bread from heaven as a figurative and spiritual Bread and not a literal loaf of bread. Furthermore, the reception of this Bread is established in previous verses by faith and not by actual physical ingestion, (vv. 32-35; 49-50).
Note also that a literal interpretation of physically eating the actual bodily flesh of Jesus violates God's commandment against cannibalism.
Finally, Jesus says, "This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the [eternal] life of the world" which depicts a future event in which He will actually give of His physical body such that eternal life will be available for the world - a future event. So by virtue of a moment of faith in Jesus as a result of His future sacrifice of His physical body for the world, one receives eternal life.
Since there is no actual bread indicated in this passage that is supernaturally transformed into the flesh of Jesus and offered to the crowd to physically ingest as in the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass;
and since cannibalism is forbidden;
and since Jesus at the time of this passage had not yet given of His physical body for the world at the time of John chapter 6;
then the concept of a literal, physical ingestion of the flesh of Jesus in any format or form which was given for the world is not in view in this passage.
The context must therefore remain figurative and spiritual and not literal and physical.
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY
So the moment one believes in Christ he "has everlasting life." Everlasting being forever, it becomes the permanent possession of the one who believes at the moment he believes.
And immediately after saying, "he who believes has everlasting life", our Lord reminds the Jews once more, "I am the Bread of Life." One must then consider that stating that one is "the Bread of Life" refers directly back to what He just said: believe in Him and one receives eternal life. It is not a suggestion to literally ingest bread or anything in order to receive eternal life, but a figurative one referring to receiving eternal life via faith alone in Christ alone. It is also an authoritative expression. Our Lord claimed to be the Source of all life and the Provider of it. Note that the bible declares that the sole Source and Provider of life, even eternal life is God Himself:
"The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"
"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
XXII cont.) [Jn 6:47-51 cont.]:
(v. 47) " 'I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
(v. 48) I am the Bread of life.
(v. 49) Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
(v. 50) But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
(v. 51) I am the living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' "
B cont.) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
2) THE TEMPORARY SUSTENANCE FROM MANNA VS THE ETERNAL LIFE VIA THE BREAD OF LIFE, JESUS CHRIST
Our Lord once again compares the temporary sustenance of eating the physical manna by the Israelites in the desert yet they all inevitably died physically to Himself, the Bread of Life which He says, "a man may eat and not die." The phrase "and not die" refers to the spiritual concept of eternal life which is received simply by believing in Christ, the Bread of Life, to provide it for you, (v. 47). Having already established that eternal life is by faith alone in Christ alone in this discourse 10 times up to this point, we can determine that the verse "But here is the Bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die" is a figure of speech relative to the phrase, "which a man might eat" referring to a one time act of believing.
3) "WHICH A MAN MAY EAT" CANNOT REFER TO PHYSICAL INGESTION OF OUR LORD'S HUMAN FLESH
(v. 34) " 'Sir,' they said, 'from now on give us this bread.'
(v. 35) Then Jesus declared, 'I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.' "
Notice that the crowd had previously requested that Jesus provide them, from that moment on, with the Bread of Life that Jesus was referring to so that they could receive eternal life. Notice our Lord's response At that time: He told them, (v. 35), "I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty" = faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life. Notice the absence of anything physical such as providing food - even supernaturally or offering Himself up so they could devour His actual flesh. Nothing was done in this respect in order to receive the Bread of Life except to tell the crowd to believe on Him as Savior.
(v. 5) Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit.
(v. 6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit' ".
So it requires another birth, one which is out of the renewing work of the Holy Spirit and out of the realm of the spiritual, to become born again. This birth is brought about only by the Spirit, God the Holy Spirit. In Jn 3:6, Jesus reiterates His answer to Nicodemus' question of "How can a man be born when he is old" so that Nicodemus will not miss it: "Flesh gives birth to flesh [the physical birth] but the Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] gives birth to [your dead] spirit in the spiritual realm." There are two distinct realms: One is fallen man, the flesh, and the other is of God, the Holy Spirit, in the spiritual realm. A fallen man cannot regenerate himself, (be reborn), he needs a divine operation in a spiritual realm. Only God the Holy Spirit can regenerate a dead human spirit. Man can do nothing, the words are clear. So such actions as water baptism, committing one's life to Christ, going to church regularly, etc., being in the realm of the flesh will do nothing to effect an action in the spiritual realm, i.e., to become born again with an alive spirit.
c) GOD'S WORD PROHIBITS THE INGESTION OF BLOOD OR HUMAN FLESH
(v. 10) "Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood - I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.
(v. 11) For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
(v. 12) Therefore I say to the Israelites, 'None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.' "
"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to Me along with anything containing yeast. The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning."
"This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood."
(v. 26) "And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
(v. 27) If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people."
[Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum states in an email dated, Thursday, September 13, 2001 1:37 PM: "Something that was forbidden in its lesser form would certainly be forbidden in its greater form. It was strictly forbidden to partake of blood of any kind in passages such as Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10-16; Deuteronomy 12:16, 23. The primary emphasis of these passages is on animal blood, though the phrase "all manner" would include just that, all manner of blood which would include human blood. At any rate, even if the focus is only on animal blood, if animal blood was forbidden, then clearly human blood would be forbidden as well. "
[BKC, op. cit., p. 297]:
"Manna met only a limited need. It provided temporary physical life. The Israelites came to loathe it, and ultimately they died. Jesus is a Bread of a different kind. He is from heaven and gives life. A person who eats of that Bread will not die...
Since Jesus is the Bread of Life, what does 'eating' this Bread mean? Many commentators assume that Jesus was talking about the Lord's Supper. This passage may well illuminate the meaning of the Lord's Supper, in relation to Christ's death. But since the Last Supper occurred one year later than the incidents recorded in this chapter, eating His flesh and drinking His blood should not be thought of as sacramentalism. 'Eating' the living Bread is a figure of speech meaning to believe on Him, like the figures of coming to Him (v. 35), listening to Him, (v. 45), and seeing Him (v. 40). To eat of this Bread is to live forever (cf. vv. 40, 47, 50, 54, 58). Jesus' revelation about the Bread was then advanced in that not only is the Father giving the Bread (Jesus), but also Jesus is giving Himself: This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Salvation is by the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God (1:29). By His death, life came to the world."
[http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine/ddc3.html]:
ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
By St. Augustine
Translation from Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
Book III:
Interpretation required by the ambiguity of signs
'''CHAP. 16.--RULE FOR INTERPRETING COMMANDS AND PROHIBITIONS.
24. If the sentence is one of command, either forbidding a crime or vice, or enjoining an act of prudence or benevolence, it is not figurative. If, however, it seems to enjoin a crime or vice, or to forbid an act of prudence or benevolence, it is figurative.
"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man," says Christ, "and drink His blood, ye have no life in you."
This seems to enjoin a crime or a vice; it is therefore a figure enjoining that we should have a share in the sufferings of our Lord, and that we should retain a sweet and profitable memory of the fact that His flesh was wounded and crucified for us.
Scripture says:
"If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;"
and this is beyond doubt a command to do a kindness. But in what follows,
"for in so doing thou shall heap coals of fire on his head,"
one would think a deed of malevolence was enjoined. Do not doubt, then, that the expression is figurative; and, while it is possible to interpret it in two ways, one pointing to the doing of an injury, the other to a display of superiority, let charity on the contrary call you back to benevolence, and interpret the coals of fire as the burning groans of penitence by which a man's pride is cured who bewails that he has been the enemy of one who came to his assistance in distress. In the same way, when our Lord says,
"He who loveth his life shall lose it,"
we are not to think that He forbids the prudence with which it is a man's duty to care for his life, but that He says in a figurative sense, "Let him lose his life"
--that is, let him destroy and lose that perverted and unnatural use which he now makes of his life, and through which his desires are fixed on temporal things so that he gives no heed to eternal.
It is written:
"Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner."
The latter clause of this sentence seems to forbid benevolence; for it says, "help not a sinner." Understand, therefore, that "sinner" is put figuratively for sin, so that it is his sin you are not to help.'''
(v. 52) "Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us His flesh to eat?'
(v. 53) Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
(v. 54) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
(v. 55) For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink.
(v. 56) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.'
(v. 57) Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
(v. 58) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this Bread will live forever.'
(v. 59) He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."
(v. 52) "Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us His flesh to eat?' "
The Jews repeatedly rejected the obvious meaning of what Jesus said. Instead, they decided in their willful unbelief to take what He said literally in spite of the context. Unbelief here leads to a self-imposed blindness to the obvious message of what Jesus was saying. Jesus explained over and over how the Living Bread could be 'eaten' figuratively by faith alone in Him alone and then one would have eternal life. In this last section He added that His flesh would be given for the life of the world, pointing - at that time - to a yet future sacrifice of His physical body, i.e., His physical life. So when Jesus said before this, "If anyone eats of this Bread [i.e., His flesh] he will live forever," He was referring figuratively to believing in Him which would then result in the spiritual reception of eternal life, i.e., Jesus Himself, made possible by the future sacrifice of His physical body for the life of the world.
But the Jews concluded instead that what He was saying was that one would have to literally and physically eat Jesus' flesh right then and there which was to be given for the life of the world, missing completely the future tense. This was not only cannibalism but live cannibalism. Their reasoning was completely out of context and virtually insane = the twin brother of willful unbelief.
(vv. 53-54)
(v. 53) "Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
(v. 54) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
This is parallel to verses 40 and 51:
(v. 40) "For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
(v. 51) "I am the living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever. This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Notice that a moment of believing causes one to have eternal life and being raised up at the last day which is parallel to 'eating and drinking Jesus' flesh and blood'. The latter is obviously figurative of the former.
Jesus has already been portrayed in this passage as being aware of what the crowd was thinking, (v. 15), so one might infer that He was supernaturally aware of what they were arguing about if He did not overhear what they were saying. Notice then that He does not back off. Objectors to Christians being dogmatic, confrontational and divisive should take notice that Jesus does not back off in the light of the Jews' negative reaction. Instead He presses on even more emphatically with, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day."
This is mostly a repetition of what Jesus had said before. It remains figurative and spiritual in the absence of words to the contrary. There is one addition, the phrase "drinks My blood," which must also be taken figuratively and spiritually since believing in Jesus is the sole requirement stipulated throughout this passage to receive eternal life.
The giving of Jesus' flesh and blood for the world is portrayed in this passage at the time of its occurrence as being directly related to providing eternal life for the world which points to a literal, future sacrificial event in which His body of flesh will evidently perish and His blood will be shed.
(vv. 55-58)
(v. 55) ' "For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink.
(v. 56) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.
(v. 57) Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
(v. 58) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this Bread will live forever.'
This is more repetition amounting to confrontation of the unbelieving crowd - a summary of what Jesus has said a number of times before. Its effect was to push those who have refused to accept what Jesus has said into total rejection of Him - even most of His disciples.
"Real food" and "real drink" are figures of speech with a spiritual meaning which refer to that which leads to eternal life as previously stipulated, (vv. 32-35; 48-51). The phrases "whoever eats My flesh", "drinks My blood", "feeds on Me" and "feeds on this Bread" are all likewise figurative and spiritual and signify a simple moment of believing in Jesus, (vv. 29, 35-36; 40, 47), with the result of receiving eternal life, i.e., one will "live forever", (v. 58). The reference to the flesh and blood of Jesus refers to His future bodily sacrifice for the eternal life of the world which includes the shedding of His blood.
(v. 59) "He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."
Apparently, the dialogue between Jesus and the crowd changed locations to the synagogue in Capernaum. It is interesting to note that although the crowd of Jews continually rejected what He had to say, they still followed Him around and continued to listen to Him, albeit, now at the grumbling stage as He becomes more confrontational. Other passages will be investigated to corroborate how our Lord demands that one accept Who He is or pushes them to total rejection of Him. There is no middle ground with the Lord Jesus Christ.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
"Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him." =
"For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.' "
Our Lord repeated the figure of speech equivalent to trusting in Him to provide eternal life, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood" over and over - this time even more graphically with the additional phrase, "For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink." Those who would not trust in Him found this last reiteration too difficult to accept because they took Him literally. So they all left Him - including those disciples who had not trusted in Him yet. They kept on taking Him literally in the figures of speech He was using, instead of accepting what He was actually saying. Ironically, they rejected His literal claim to come from Heaven as God's Chosen One, the Messiah, the Son of Man to save them from their sins through faith alone in Him alone. Each time our Lord repeated the gospel of faith alone in Him alone unto eternal life directly and through His metaphor of partaking of the Bread of Life - His body and blood they only heard the literal concept of cannibalism and pondered, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat, (v. 52)."
[BKC, op. cit., p. 297]:
"As often happens, Jesus' teaching was not understood (cf. 2:20; 3:4; 4:15; 6:32-34). A violent argument started in the crowd regarding what He meant. Their perception remained at a materialistic level. They wondered, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?...
This revelation by Jesus is marked out as important by the fourth use of the phrase, I tell you the truth (cf. vv. 26, 32, 47). Sacramental interpretations appeal to the words eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood as evidence that Jesus was speaking of the Eucharist. As stated earlier, the basic objection to this approach is historical: Jesus did not institute the Communion service until a year later. Drinking 'His blood' is another bold figure of speech. The Jews knew the command, 'You must not eat...any blood' (Lev 3:17; cf. Lev 17:10-14). And yet blood was the means of atonement. It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life (Lev 17:11). Jesus' hearers must have been shocked and puzzled by His enigmatic words. But the puzzler is unlocked by understanding that Jesus was speaking of His making atonement by His death and giving life to those who personally appropriate Him (cf. John 6:63). Faith in Christ's death brings eternal life (cf. vv. 40, 47, 50-51) and (later) bodily resurrection (cf. vv. 39-40, 44).
Even today there are those who ponder whether of not the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper become our Lord's literal flesh and blood. They willfully miss the obvious:
The Lord's Supper in the upper room took place a year after this discourse in John chapter 6.
There was no transformation of any bread or wine into our Lord's flesh and blood during the discourse so that the crowd could partake of eternal life that way.
It is evident that our Lord was not offering up His flesh to eat at the time of the discourse. There was neither bread nor wine provided to be transformed into His flesh and blood; and certainly He was not expecting them to literally devour Him as He stood or reclined at either moment, violating the Mosaic Law's against cannibalism and eating / drinking of blood. Finally, the John chapter 6 discourse was given to unbelievers about eternal life; and the Last Supper had in view already saved disciples, i.e, believers, about remembering what our Lord did to provide the salvation that they had already received.
(v. 5) "Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
(v. 6) And so He came to Simon Peter. He [Peter] said to Him, 'Lord, do You wash my feet?'
(v. 7) Jesus answered and said to him, 'What I do you do not realize now; but you shall understand hereafter.'
(v. 8) Peter said to Him, 'Never shall You wash my feet!' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.'
[i.e., 'If you, Peter, do not live your life in service for the Lord Jesus Christ you will not have a part - a share - of the blessings, rewards and inheritances which a faithful believer, a disciple, receives for an obedient, serving, a faithful life. Cp Dt 12:12]
(v. 9) Simon Peter said to Him, 'LORD, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.'
(v. 10) Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet...
[i.e., he whose sins are forgiven unto eternal life needs only to 'wash' clean his daily sins relative to fellowship, (cp 1:19)]
(v. 10 cont.) Jesus said to him, 'He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet but is completely clean [i.e., is permanently saved unto eternal life]; and you [Peter] are clean......' "
This ceremonial washing by our Lord was nothing new to the disciples who would as Jews be familiar with the ceremonial washings under the Mosaic Law which dealt with the ritual cleansing of daily sins of the Aaronic and Levitical priests in order to establish temporal fellowship with Jehovah God so as to serve Him within the bounds of their priesthood duties, (cp Ex 30:19-21; 40:11-12; 30-31). This ritual was never done to be saved.
ii_a) [Mt 26:26-28; Lk 22:14-20]:
(v. 14) "When the hour came, Jesus and His apostles reclined at the table.
(v. 15) And He said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
(v. 16) For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.'
[Notice several things:
Our Lord had not yet gone to the cross - so His blood was not yet shed.
This Passover - Lord's Supper will be celebrated by Him when He comes again to rule in the Kingdom of God.
So a literal consumption of His human flesh and blood cannot be in view on this alone. For His body and blood had not yet been sacrificed on the cross; and He promised to celebrate this very ceremony in His Kingdom]
(v. 17) After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you.
(v. 18) For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.'
(v. 19) And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'
(cp Mt. 26:26) "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body.'
[Notice that His body had not yet been broken for them - so a literal transformation of the bread into His broken body is not in view, but a symbolic meaning pointing to His future sacrifice for our sins is in view.
This is confirmed by the phrase, "Do this in remembrance of Me." which points to an action done in symbolic remembrance rather than an action done to provide eternal life. If it had been an action to contribute to the reception of eternal life, surely He would have said so.]
(v. 20) In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.'
(cp Mt 26:27) "Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you.
(cp Mt 26:27) This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.' "
Again, His blood had not yet been shed for us on the cross in payment for the sins of the whole world, (1 Jn 2:2; Mt chapter 23) - so a literal transformation of the wine into His shed blood is not in view because He hadn't shed it yet! But a symbolic meaning pointing to His future sacrifice for our sins is - a point of remembrance, not a point of supernatural provision of real blood from wine to consume in order to receive eternal life.
Consider that the gospel of John is the great account of what a man must do to be saved, yet there is no specific mention of the detail of the wine and bread consumption at our Lord's last supper before going to the cross, (Jn 13:12-30).
Furthermore, the accounts of our Lord's last supper in Mark 14:22-25 does not command one to follow suit:
(v. 22) "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, 'Take it; this is My body.'
(v. 23) Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they drank from it.
(v. 24) 'This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,' He said to them.
(v. 25) 'I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.' "
(v. 23) "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed took bread,
(v. 24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'
(v. 25) In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'
(v. 26) [Paul says] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
[Notice that Paul describes the significance of celebrating the Lord's Supper: 'You proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.', i.e., as the text says, 'Do this in remembrance of Me.' There is no mention of an actual transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord nor partaking of this ceremony for the purpose of attaining eternal life - and here would have been a good time to do just that]
(v. 27) Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
[Note that Paul is saying here that one who unworthily celebrates the proclamation of our Lord's death is sinning against His "body and blood" in the sense of his improper remembrance of what our Lord did on the cross for him.]
(v. 28) A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
(v. 29) For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself."
"recognizing the body of the Lord" = This is not a statement that the bread and wine have been transformed into the body and blood of our Lord, for there is nothing in this passage that suggests that.
But it is recognizing that what one is doing when one eats the bread and drinks the wine is one of, in Paul's own words, 'proclaim[ing] the Lord's death until He comes', i.e., of doing this in remembrance of Him - of what He did on the cross, His body broken and His blood shed for you, for the sins of the whole world.
XXIII) [Jn 6:52-59 cont.]:
(v. 52) "Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us His flesh to eat?'
(v. 53) Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
(v. 54) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
(v. 55) For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink.
(v. 56) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.'
(v. 57) Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
(v. 58) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this Bread will live forever.'
(v. 59) He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
4) THOSE WHO PARTAKE OF CHRIST VIA FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE REMAIN IN HIM FOREVER - AND HE IN THEM
"Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me." =
[BKC, op. cit, p. 297]:
"Just as good food and drink sustain physical life, so Jesus, the real (reliable) spiritual food and drink, sustains His followers spiritually. His flesh and blood give eternal life to those who receive Him...[by faith alone in Him alone]...
One who partakes of Christ enjoys a mutual abiding relationship with Christ. He remains (menei) in Christ, and Christ remains in him. MenO is one of the most important theological terms in John's Gospel... The Father "remains" in the Son (14:10), the Spirit "remains" on Jesus (1:32), and believers 'remain' in Jesus and He in them (6:56; 15:4). The implications of this 'remaining' are many. A believer enjoys intimacy with and security in Jesus. Just as He has His life from the Father, so believers have life because of Jesus."
5) JESUS GAVE THIS DISCOURSE IN THE SYNAGOGUE IN CAPERNAUM
"He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum" =
[BKC, cont.]
"Jesus gave this discourse on the Bread of Life in the synagogue in Capernaum. He often spoke in Jewish synagogues, where man had opportunities to give expositions and exhortations (Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-28; Acts 13:15-42). The services were not as formal as those of traditional American churches; 'laymen' usually spoke. The conclusion to Jesus' exposition and exhortation, based on the manna incident from Exodus 16, repeats the major themes: Moses' bread did not give lasting life (salvation does not come by the Law); God has given the genuine life-giving Bread...from heaven; those who trust Jesus have eternal life."
(v. 60) "On hearing it [the previous discourse, vv. 22-59)], many of His disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' "
Notice that many of His disciples rejected what He was saying. They took what He said out of context and then rejected what they misconstrued Him to say. They ignored that He had said that eternal life was simply by believing in Him. Note that a disciple is one who follows another but only a true disciple of Jesus is one who both believes in Him unto eternal life and follows His teachings.
So the disciples who left Him took Jesus literally, completely missing what He was saying and found themselves convinced that Jesus was commanding them to literally take a bite out of His actual body even while He was alive in front of them - before the cross.
To believers this is so obviously figurative, but to unbelievers like many of Jesus' disciples, they deliberately concluded that Jesus was telling them to be cannibals and even drink His blood. Willful unbelief often leads to insane ideas, in spite of repetition and clear explanation. Even today there are millions who espouse the belief that they are physically ingesting the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ."
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) FOR THE JEWS & MANY DISCIPLES THE ISSUE WAS ROME AND NOT ETERNAL LIFE
(v. 14) "After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did [of the feeding of the 5,000], they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet Who is to come into the world.'
(v. 15) Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make Him King by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself."
What our Lord was repeatedly and clearly saying was not hard to understand, but hard for those without God's drawing to accept, i.e. to believe - especially outside of one's personal interests. The Jews wanted Jesus as their own kind of political Messiah. They did not want to deal with their sin problem before God through Him. They wanted Him to deal with Rome, keeping their own idea of power and position intact. As Rome was to be pushed out of their lives, so they could now rule the world in the Kingdom He was to usher in as their political leader.
[BKC, op. cit. p. 297]:
"They [the Jews] saw that He was not going to deliver them from Rome. He might be a great Healer, but His words were a hard (i.e., harsh) teaching. Who could accept it, that is, obey it? How could they personally appropriate Him?"
XXIV cont.) [Jn 6:60 cont.]:
(v. 60) "On hearing it [the previous discourse, vv. 22-59)], many of His disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' "
B) CORROBORATION AND FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
" 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' " =
Just as God made it harder and harder for Pharoah each time Pharoah hardened his heart through Moses and the plagues upon Egypt to accept the truth, (Ex 10-11), so our Lord's sayings became harder and harder to accept for those who rejected His simple message of faith alone in Him, the Messiah alone unto eternal life. They kept on insisting on their own will instead.
(v. 3) "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
(v. 4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
(v. 10) '''The disciples came to Him and asked, "Why do You speak to the people in parables?"
(v. 11) He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
(v. 12) Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
[Whoever continues to seek the Lord receives understanding. "Whoever has" understanding as he continues to seek "will be given more." "Whoever does not have" because he does not seek "even what he has will be taken from him"]
(v. 13) This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.'
(v. 14) In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
(v. 15) For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
[Notice that those who have "closed their eyes," whose "heart has become calloused" receive nothing until they change their attitude and seek the Lord - open up their eyes, listen with attentive, willing ears]
(v. 16) But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
(v. 17) For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." '''
4) THOSE WITHOUT THE SPIRIT CANNOT UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL TRUTHS
It is interesting to note that those who do not have the mind of Christ, i.e., carnal believers who have blocked the mind of Christ that indwells them and unbelievers, have neither the interest nor the capacity to discern spiritual truths:
(v. 14) "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(v. 15) The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment.
(v. 16) 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ."
So the unbeliever is not capable of understanding spiritual things nor is he willing to seek the truth:
(v. 6) "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
(v. 7) the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
(v. 8) Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
(v. 10) "As it is written:
'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."
5) THE PARABLES AND SAYINGS OF OUR LORD WERE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK HIM
The parables and sayings that our Lord spoke required one to be spiritually minded in order to understand what He was saying. The messages were often not discernible to those who were spiritually minded until they sought the Lord for an explanation. Most people, even most believers, do not seek the Lord for an explanation for most of what God says in His Word - especially truths that are relayed in parables.
(v. 13) "We [Church age believers] are not like Moses, who veiled his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it [the glory of God as reflected in the face of Moses, (vv. 7-11)] while the radiance [of God's glory] was fading away.
(v. 14) But their [the Israelites'] minds were made dull; for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
[Notice, only when one comes to believe in Christ as Messiah/Savior is the veil of darkness re: spiritual truths lifted. So a Jew, or anyone can understand spiritual things]
(v. 15) Even to this day when Moses is read a veil covers their [the Israelites'] hearts.
(v. 16) But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, 'the veil is taken away.'
[Notice again that it is God Who has veiled the minds of the Israelites Yet it is Israel who has turned away from the Lord; but understanding is just a moment of faith in Christ away for anyone]
(v. 24) "The Jews gathered around Him, saying, 'How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.'
(v. 25) Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me,
(v. 26) but you do not believe because you are not My sheep."
(v. 47) "[Jesus said] He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
If you do not belong to God, i.e., have not trusted alone in Christ alone unto eternal life and thus have become a child of God, (Jn 1:12), then understanding spiritual truth is not possible.
[BKC, op. cit. p. 297]:
"As the people began to understand His teaching, they found it to be totally unacceptable. Besides the hostile Jewish leaders, many of the Galilean disciples turned away from Him. The popular enthusiasm for Jesus as political Messiah (v. 15) was then over...."
(v. 61) Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, 'Does this offend you?
(v. 62) What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! [i.e., to heaven, (vv. 41-43)]
(v. 63) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
(vv. 61, 63)
(v. 61) "Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, 'Does this offend you?
(v. 63) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.' "
Jesus then focuses on His disciples, discerning that they too were grumbling, even offended. Notice that He confronted their unbelief as well when He said to them, 'Does this offend you.' His question does not infer that He meant what He said literally, that people must be cannibals and eat His flesh. Note that verse 63 stipulates that His words were spiritual, i.e., figurative and not literal:
"The Spirit gives life. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
So Jesus reaffirms that He was speaking figuratively intending a spiritual, figurative meaning as the context pictures throughout this discourse. Notice that Jesus adds that it is the Spirit which gives life and it is in the spiritual realm which His words have in view throughout this discourse. Nothing in the physical realm gives eternal life, neither man, nor physical bread, nor physical eating, nor literal drinking, but God alone through faith in His Son alone.
Notice also that Jesus proclaimed the Father and then Himself earlier in this passage each as the One Who provides eternal life, (vv. 27, 32, 35, 40, 44, 48-51, 54); and now He proclaims that it is the Spirit Who gives [eternal] life. All statements can only be true if the Father and the Son and the Spirit are One. And they are: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: the Triune God, One with three Personalities. This will be corroborated by other passages.
(v. 62) "[Jesus said] 'What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before!' "
Jesus then asks the disciples, 'What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before, i.e., heaven. Jesus is saying, 'If you don't believe in Me know and are offended by My saying I have come down from heaven standing here before you as a man, the Son of Man; how much the more will you disbelieve and be offended when you see Me, that same Son of Man, ascend back into heaven where I was before?' Jesus foretells of His future ascension to heaven after His resurrection.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
"What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! [i.e., heaven]" =
(v. 8) " 'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'
(v. 9) After he said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
(v. 10) They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
(v. 11) 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.' "
This is similar to our Lord's conversation with Nicodemus earlier wherein He said that if His earthly ministry was so difficult for Nicodemus to understand, how much more difficult would be heavenly such matters as being born from above, i.e., born again:
(v. 10) "'You are Israel's teacher,' said Jesus, 'and do you not understand these things?
(v. 11) 'I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
[Notice that first and foremost, it is a matter of faith. Without faith there is no understanding of spiritual matters]:
(v. 12) I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
(v. 13) No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.
(v. 14) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
(v. 15) that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
Note that our Lord further explains to His disciples what He was talking about. He explained once more that it was a spiritual frame of reference He was speaking about relative to the reception of eternal life, not a physical one, i.e., one of the flesh. So He said, 'The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.' The phrase, 'the words' could only refer in context to what He had just spoken, namely vv. 22-62: spiritual not physical eating of the Bread of Life unto eternal life via faith alone in Him alone, (cf Jn 3:6; 6:27-29)]
(v. 64) " 'Yet there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.
(v. 65) He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.'
(v. 66) From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
(v. 64) " 'Yet there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him."
Jesus concludes what He has said in vv. 62-63 with v. 64:
"Yet there are some of you who do not believe" is addressed to all of His disciples, (v. 60), whom depart from Him in disbelief except for the Twelve.
Notice that the only operative word for man throughout this passage is "believe". In spite of the fact that Jesus knew from the beginning which of the disciples would not believe and in spite knowing of their continued disbelief, He persisted in telling them Who He was and how to have eternal life.
(v. 65) "He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.' "
Jesus persisted in telling Who He was and how to have eternal life with the understanding that many, even many of His own disciples, would never believe, (v. 64). He thereupon said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him." Evidently, this was said more than once considering the past tense in the phrase, "This is why I told you."
Consider that our Lord knew who would believe and who would not. And He knew that no one can come to Him in faith unless the Father draws him, (v. 44); instructs him, (v. 45); and enables him, (v. 65); yet He persisted even with those who were not drawn, instructed or enabled by the Father. The conclusion is that although one will not come to faith in Jesus, God's purpose is to make the information available for all to choose or to not choose. In either case it is apparent that God's sovereignty prevails without fail.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) THE ISSUE IS ONE OF BELIEVING IN CHRIST AS SAVIOR - YET ONE OF GOD'S ENABLEMENT
"Yet there are some of you who do not believe." = the issue is not a physical one of eating and drinking but one of faith - of trusting alone in Christ alone, the Bread of Life to provide a spiritual solution of eternal life.
2) FURTHERMORE, OUR LORD REITERATES THAT IT IS ONLY BY GOD'S ENABLEMENT THAT ONE DOES COME TO CHRIST
" 'This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.' " =
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Notice that the Father must draw an individual to Him in order that he come to Christ, i.e., believes in Him. Furthermore, this passage indicates that once one is drawn by the Father, he inevitably comes to faith in Christ because our Lord states that He will raise up those who are drawn by the Father at the last day.
Although our Lord has clearly presented His case for faith alone in Him alone unto eternal life repeatedly, claiming to be the Messiah, from heaven, sent from God, it is evident that nothing will turn their minds from disbelief in Him unless God's sovereign election has provided for their blindness to be removed and faith to be exercised, thus enabling them to choose to trust alone in Him alone unto eternal life of their own free will.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God."
[Notice that while one is an unbeliever one is blinded to the gospel - helpless and hopeless]:
"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope."
(v. 11) "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) -
(v. 12) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world."
But by the sovereign will of God He grants one the gift of faith:
(v. 29) "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him."
So it is indeed by the sovereign enablement of God that any spiritual truths are comprehended and accepted by man:
(v. 16) "Simon Peter answered 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
(v. 17) Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of John, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven.' "
Notice that Peter's statement came not from man but from the Father. This rules out Peter's own reasoning, in spite of the fact that OT Scripture and our Lord's ministry - especially His words spoken directly to the disciples and to others, as recorded in the NT, constantly pointed to the fact that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Thus it took God's supernatural intervention for Peter to accept and make the statement he made about our Lord in Mt 16:16.
(v. 26) "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
(v. 27) But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
(v. 28) He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,
(v. 29) so that no one may boast before him.
(v. 30) It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, Who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
(v. 31) Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'
[Notice again that God enabled not the wise of the world, nor the influential, nor the strong to know the wisdom of God but the lowly, the weak and those the world considered in their human viewpoint as foolish, and those that the world despised. Again the simplest of truths would only be known by those whom God chose and not as a result of mans reasoning. Thus no one can claim to have arrived at the wisdom of God utilizing their own reasoning. So verse 31 says: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.' for this wisdom.]
(v. 13) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
(v. 14) The man without the Spirit [i.e, the unbeliever, ref. Eph 1:13-14] does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
[Notice that inspite of human wisdom man cannot discern spiritual truth. It takes the indwelling Spirit of God to do that]:
(v. 15) The spiritual man makes judgments about all things..."
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
[BKC, ibid.]:
"Jesus had taught that divine enablement was necessary for people to come to faith (v. 44). The apostasy here (v. 66) should not be surprising. Believers who remain with Jesus evidence the Father's secret work. The unbelieving crowds are evidence that 'the flesh counts for nothing' (v. 63)."
3) OUR LORD KNEW WHO WOULD BELIEVE AND WHO WOULD NOT
"For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him." =
Just as those in the early church period who had the spiritual gift of word of knowledge and discernment through the Holy Spirit, so our Lord in His humanity had the spiritual gift of knowledge, as demonstrated when He evidenced knowledge of who did not believe and who was going to betray Him.
(v. 70) "Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!'
(v. 71) (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)"
(v. 66) "From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.
(v. 67) 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve."
The result of persistently and unwaiveringly proclaiming the truth without softening the message or the rhetoric results in many who depart from following Jesus, even many of His disciples. This is applicable today when believers, especially pastors and teachers, persistently and uncompromisingly proclaim the doctrines of the faith which causes people to depart in unbelief and join congregations which tickle their ears with what they want to hear.
Jesus asks the Twelve, "You do not want to leave Me too, do you?".
It is evident that Jesus knows the answer to His question considering verses 15 and 61 in this passage which points to His godly omniscience. So we can infer that Jesus was seeking for the disciples to openly testify of their faith in Him, demonstrating God's glory and sovereignty in the lives of the Twelve.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
1) MANY OF THE DISCIPLES CEASED TO FOLLOW HIM - HAVING REJECTED HIS MESSAGE OF ETERNAL LIFE
"From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him." =
The context here is one of disciples who rejected our Lord's presentation of the gospel of eternal life. Evidently they were following Him for other reasons - most likely to follow Him into a political rulership of His Kingdom. They followed Him as disciples but were evidently not believers and departed from Him as a result of their disbelief in His 'hard sayings'.
[BKC, p. 298]:
"His rejecting their desire to make Him their political king; His demand for personal faith; His teaching on atonement; His stress on total human inablility and on salvation as a work of God - all these proved to be unpalatable for many people. They gave up being His disciples ("disciples: here refers to followers in general, not to the 12 Apostles; this is evident in v. 67)."
XXVII cont.) [Jn 6:66-67 cont.]:
(v. 66) "From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.
(v. 67) 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve."
B) CORROBORATION, cont.
" 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve." =
Although our Lord chose the Twelve, (Jn 6:70; 15:16), it was also up to each individual disciple to choose to remain a disciple - which each inevitably did - except for Judas who was chosen to betray our Lord, (Jn 13:18). In the same way that God chose those who are elect unto eternal life, it is up to each individual to choose to trust alone in Christ alone as Savior - which they inevitably do.
[BKC, ibid.]:
"He framed this question to encourage their weak faith. The Twelve were affected by the apostasy of the many, and Jesus used that occasion to refine their faith. They did not fully understand His words either and would not until after the Resurrection (20:9)"
(v. 68) Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
(v. 69) We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'
(v. 70) Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!'
(v. 71) (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray Him.)"
So the Twelve affirm their faith in Who Jesus is. And Jesus' answer is, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"
Thus Jesus chooses those who will choose to believe in Him and become faithful disciples - except for one which He chose to not believe but rather to choose to be 'a devil', i.e., possessed by the devil.
It is interesting to note that first comes the sovereignty of God in what He chooses to do and then comes man's free will choices which inevitably fullfil what God has chosen for that man to freely choose.
So when an individual of his own free will comes to Jesus by faith, it is as a result of God's choice for him to do just that, (v. 70), God's drawing that individual to Him, (v. 44), God's instruction of that individual, (v. 46), and God's enablement of that individual to believe, (v. 65).
Consider the total incapacity of one to come to faith in Jesus without God's choosing him, drawing him, instructing him and enabling him. Without God's intervention, man is helplessly lost and condemned to the Lake of Fire.
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY
[BKC, Ibid]:
"Peter, as a spokesman, gave his confession of faith. The path may be difficult, but he was convinced that Jesus' words lead to life. No one else has the gift of eternal life. 'We have believed and have known' is a better translation of the Greek perfect tenses... Peter was confident of the apostles' commitment to Jesus as the Holy One of God. This title is unusual (a demon addressed Jesus that way; Mark 1:24). It suggests Jesus' transcendence ('the Holy One') and His representation of the Father ('of God'); thus it is another way of confessing Him as Messiah. Peter knew this by a special work of the Father (cf. Matt 16:17)."
(v. 16) "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
(v. 17) Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.' "
XXVIII cont.) [Jn 6:68-71 cont.]:
(v. 68) Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
(v. 69) We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'
(v. 70) Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!'
(v. 71) (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray Him.)"
B) CORROBORATION & FURTHER COMMENTARY, cont.
2) JESUS CHOSE THE TWELVE AND THEY INEVITABLY REMAINED BUT ONE WHO WAS CHOSEN TO BETRAY HIM
"Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil! (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray Him.)" =
Note that Jesus chose 12 men to be His disciples but one was not chosen of God such that he would believe; and so he, Judas Iscariot, did not. He was actually chosen to betray our Lord, (Jn 13:18). Chapter 6 of John indicates that disciples may or not be believers and believers may or may not be disciples. The former are followers of our Lord, the latter trust in Him to save them from their sins unto eternal life.
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' " [Ref. Ps 41:9]
"While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled."