Scripture Reference: John 6:25-59
Those who followed after Jesus had just experienced the miracle of Jesus feeding the five-thousand and the following day, they went looking for Jesus who was not present.
When they found Him they were baffled as to how Jesus had reached the other side of the lake, and their question as to how He arrived on the other side, shows the purely human level on which they were thinking. Jesus’ answer to their question however, goes much deeper. He pointed out their failure to realize the significance of the signs from the previous day; they saw only food, not the real meaning of Jesus’ act. They were convinced of their ability to meet what was required, but Jesus had to remind them that eternal life is a gift. The seal of which Jesus spoke of, is God’s mark of authentication. Whoever holds the seal acts on God’s behalf. Hence the importance of Jesus as God’s agent, who is here called the Son of Man, a title which draws attention to His humanity. The statement in verse 27 must have seemed strange, for the people were seeking to avoid labor, but in these words Jesus was graciously declining their quest for merely physical food. Clearly, the next verse implies that they thought in terms of working to earn merit, but Jesus at once reminded them of the need for faith, not works.
The question they posed in verse 30 reveals the shallowness of their thoughts, for what further sign did they expect than the feeding of a multitude of people from such limited supplies? The reference to the manna in the desert in the following verse provides some clue as to the working of their minds. They were probably thinking this provision was superior to that which Jesus had provided because of the sheer quantity of it. Their concept of a sign seems to have been limited to a reproduction of the desert experience of the Israelites. This was on the grand scale of expecting the Messiah to outdo Moses just to impress them. The reference to bread from heaven is most probably a quote from Psalm 78:24, although there are other parallels as well. Jesus then expounded on the theme, first denying that Moses provided the heavenly bread and then identifying the bread with Himself. As compared with the manna, which was limited to the Israelites and for a prescribed time, Jesus shared with them that He alone as the bread continually gives life to the world. Then John’s writing shows in their questions that the hearers could not rise above the level of material provision. In the next verses Jesus affirmed his claim to be the true bread.
Verse 35 records the first of the great “I am” sayings of Jesus, and the following verses are an expanded commentary on it. It is a direct response to the people’s demand for bread, for it was necessary for them to understand that Jesus was speaking of the spiritual and not physical food. The meaning of the phrase bread of life is bread which gives life, but such bread is available only to those who believe in Jesus, a condition which the hearers had not yet fulfilled or even fully understood. If we then understand that Jesus’ mission depended on the faith of the people, does this suggest a failure? Verse 37 gives us the emphatic answer. The final result is in the Father’s hands. The one who comes shows an emphasis on the individual response. The emphatic negative statement I will by no means cast out is to be understood as an assurance that Jesus will preserve them. There is no possibility of any disagreement between the Father and the Son, as the next verses show. What the Father gives, the Son will receive, I should [shall] lose nothing. Note that the all in this verse sums up everything given by the Father to the Son. The two references to the last day show us that Jesus was thinking ahead to the end of the age, when all of the Father’s will and plans will be consummated.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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