Jesus is the Bread of life. Praise the Lord!
The Gospel of John: John 6.41-59
Read and meditate on John 6.41-59.
Throughout this difficult and divisive teaching, Jesus kept one idea consistently before the people.
41So then
the Jews complained about Him, since He said,
“I am the Bread of heaven.” 42They said, “Is this
not Jesus, Joseph’s son? So how then is
it that He says, ‘I have from heaven come down?’”
43Then Jesus answered, looking all around,
“You should not murmur. 44None can come to Me
unless the Father draws him unto Me,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
45 As it is written in the prophets, ‘They
shall all be taught by God.’ So everyone
who hears, and from the Father learns, will come
to Me. 46No one has ever seen the Father,
except Him sent by God; He has the Father
seen. 47Truly do I say to you, he who
believes in Me shall never die, but to
eternity shall live. 48I am the Bread
of life. 49Your fathers, all of whom are dead,
ate manna in the wilderness. 50But this
the Bread which comes downs from the heavens is,
that one may eat of it, and never die.
51The living Bread that came from heaven am I.
Whoever eats this Bread will ever live,
because My flesh this Bread is, which I give
so that the world may live.” 52The Jews began
to argue, saying to themselves, “How can
this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53But He
explained, “I say to you, unless you eat
the flesh of Him Who is the Son of Man,
and drink His blood, then you in no way can
have life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh
and drinks My blood, shall certainly be blessed
with life eternal; on the last day, I
will raise him. 55For My flesh is food indeed;
likewise My blood, My blood is drink indeed.
56And He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood
abides in Me, and I in him. 57The good
and living Father sent Me, and I live
because of Him; so also, he shall live
who feeds on Me, because of Me. 58For this
the Bread that comes to you from heaven is,
not as your fathers ate the manna, and
are dead. But eat this Bread, now understand,
and you will live forever.” 59These things He
taught in the synagogue, across the sea,
when He was in Capernaum.
– John 6.22-40
Reflect
1. Go back to the beginning of this message in verse 26. Over the course of Jesus’ teaching, from verse 26 to verse 28, how many times do the words life, live, or living appear? Summarize the message of Jesus relating to these terms. Complete this prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of life, that is, for…
2. The idea of life is associated, first, with Jesus Himself. Summarize what Jesus taught about life and Himself. You are indeed the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Lord, and I know this because…
3. Life is available, and it’s to be had in Jesus. But certain responsibilities devolve upon those who want to have the life Jesus came to bring. What verbs in this passage tell the hearers what they must do? Complete this sentence, “To have eternal life in Jesus…” Lord Jesus, I want to know more of the life I have in You, so today…
4. People began to be upset as they heard Jesus’ message. Why? What was troubling them? Is this to be expected? Why or why not? Lord, let me not shrink back from bearing witness to You, simply because…
5. The issue Jesus put before these people is summarized in two words in verse 58: “dead” and “live.” Is the Gospel really that cut-and-dried? Explain. Bring together into one prayer the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.
Summary
“If it was possible without harvest or fruit of the earth, or any such thing, to preserve the lives of the Israelites of old for forty years, much more will he be able to do this, having come for a greater purpose.… He knew how precious a thing life was in people’s eyes, and therefore he repeats his promise of life often, just as the Old Testament had done. But the Old Testament only offered long life, whereas he offers life without end. This promise was an abolition of that sentence of death that sin had brought on us.… He said these things in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum, where many displays of his power took place.… He taught in the synagogue and in the temple, with the intention of attracting the multitude and as a sign that he was not acting in opposition to the Father.” John Chrysostom (344-404 AD)
As we share the Gospel with others, we need to sing the new song of life, praising the Lord and living the life of salvation joyfully and boldly before others. Then we’ll have a sound basis on which to invite them to consider the claims and promises of Jesus. What can you do today to improve your witness for the Lord?
Closing Prayer
Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand…
Psalm 149.1-6
Psalm 149 (Toulon: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art)
Sing to the Lord a glorious song and new!
Praise Him you people, to Whom praise is due!
Let us rejoice, let us be glad in Him
Who has created us and cleansed our sin.
Praise Him with dance, with tambourine and lyre!
To be so praised is God’s one great desire.
Lord, beautify Your holy ones with grace;
Show us the mercy of Your saving face.
Sing to the Lord, exult with great delight!
Sing on your beds with joy to God by night!
Sing praise and take His Word into your hand;
Publish His grace and wrath in every land!
T. M. Moore
Jesus is the Centerpiece of all Scripture, as He Himself explained (Jn. 5.39). But how can we learn to see Him there? How do the primary themes of Scripture revolve around Jesus? Our online course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, shows you how best to get at, get into, and get with the Word of God, so that you can grow more consistently in the Lord. It’s free, and you can study at your own pace. For more information or to register, click here.
We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.
