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John 6:22-59
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I Am the Bread of Life 22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only d one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord e had given thanks. 24 f So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and g went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, h “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, i you are seeking me, not because you saw j signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 k Do not work for the food that perishes, but for l the food that endures to eternal life, which m the Son of Man will give to you. For on n him God the Father has o set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing p the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, q that you believe in him whom r he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, s “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 t Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, u ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is v he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, w “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, x “I am the bread of life; y whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 z All that a the Father gives me will come to me, and b whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For c I have come down from heaven, not to do d my own will but d the will of him e who sent me. 39 And f this is the will of him who sent me, g that I should lose nothing of h all that he has given me, but i raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who j looks on the Son and k believes in him l should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, m “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, n “Is not this Jesus, o the son of Joseph, whose father and mother p we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’ ?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me q draws him. And r I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, s ‘And they will all be t taught by God.’ u Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 v not that anyone has seen the Father except w he who is from God; he x has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, y whoever believes has eternal life. 48 z I am the bread of life. 49 a Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and b they died. 50 c This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it d and not die. 51 I am the living bread e that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give f for the life of the world is g my flesh.” 52 The Jews then h disputed among themselves, saying, i “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of j the Son of Man and drink his blood, you k have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood l has eternal life, and m I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood n abides in me, and I in him. 57 As o the living Father p sent me, and q I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 r This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread 1 the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus 1 said these things in the synagogue, as he taught s at Capernaum.
John 6:22-59
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22 Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ἑστηκὼς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἶδον ὅτι πλοιάριον ἄλλο οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖ εἰ μὴ ἓν καὶ ὅτι οὐ συνεισῆλθεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἀλλὰ μόνοι οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον• 23 ἄλλα ἦλθεν πλοιά[ρια] ἐκ Τιβεριάδος ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου ὅπου ἔφαγον τὸν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ κυρίου. 24 ὅτε οὖν εἶδεν ὁ ὄχλος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ οὐδὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐνέβησαν αὐτοὶ εἰς τὰ πλοιάρια καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ ζητοῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν. 25 καὶ εὑρόντες αὐτὸν πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἶπον αὐτῷ• ῥαββί, πότε ὧδε γέγονας; 26 Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν• ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ με οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα, ἀλλʼ ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε. 27 ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην ἀλλὰ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἣν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑμῖν δώσει• τοῦτον γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐσφράγισεν ὁ θεός. 28 εἶπον οὖν πρὸς αὐτόν• τί ποιῶμεν ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ; 29 ἀπεκρίθη [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος. 30 Εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ• τί οὖν ποιεῖς σὺ σημεῖον, ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμέν σοι; τί ἐργάζῃ; 31 οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον• ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν. 32 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς• ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλʼ ὁ πατήρ μου δίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν• 33 ὁ γὰρ ἄρτος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ καταβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ. 34 εἶπον οὖν πρὸς αὐτόν• κύριε, πάντοτε δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον. 35 εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς• ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς• * ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσει πώποτε. 36 Ἀλλʼ εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι καὶ ἑωράκατέ [με] καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε. 37 πᾶν ὃ δίδωσίν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω, 38 ὅτι καταβέβηκα ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. 39 τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκέν μοι μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ [ἐν] τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. 40 τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼ [ἐν] τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. 41 Ἐγόγγυζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι εἶπεν• ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ καταβὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, 42 καὶ ἔλεγον• οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ, οὗ ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα; πῶς νῦν λέγει ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκα; 43 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• μὴ γογγύζετε μετʼ ἀλλήλων. 44 οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. 45 ἔστιν γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς προφήταις• καὶ ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ• πᾶς ὁ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μαθὼν ἔρχεται πρὸς ἐμέ. 46 οὐχ ὅτι τὸν πατέρα ἑώρακέν τις εἰ μὴ ὁ ὢν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗτος ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα. 47 ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ πιστεύων ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 48 Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς. 49 οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὸ μάννα καὶ ἀπέθανον• 50 οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνων, ἵνα τις ἐξ αὐτοῦ φάγῃ καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ. 51 ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς• ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἄρτου ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ὁ ἄρτος δὲ ὃν ἐγὼ δώσω ἡ σάρξ μού ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς. 52 Ἐμάχοντο οὖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες• πῶς δύναται οὗτος ἡμῖν δοῦναι τὴν σάρκα [αὐτοῦ] φαγεῖν; 53 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς• ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. 54 ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. 55 ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστιν βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθής ἐστιν πόσις. 56 ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ. 57 καθὼς ἀπέστειλέν με ὁ ζῶν πατὴρ κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ὁ τρώγων με κἀκεῖνος ζήσει διʼ ἐμέ. 58 οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, οὐ καθὼς ἔφαγον οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἀπέθανον• ὁ τρώγων τοῦτον τὸν ἄρτον ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 59 Ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐν συναγωγῇ διδάσκων ἐν Καφαρναούμ.
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Notes
I AM the bread of life Intro Recap last week; the geography; Jesus as greater Moses; Jesus' kingdom misunderstood. Recap themes of belief/unbelief. There is a form of 'faith' which depends on miraculous and remarkable things, but is really a form of unbelief. 1. The crowds follow Jesus not because they want to believe in Him but because they want more miraculous food (v22-34) v22 on the next day. They are hungry again. v26 because you ate your fill. The crowd saw the bread and wants more, they don't see Jesus and want him. v27 the point is not that we shouldn't work, or that we won't get physically hungry, but that whatever we do we must make sure we get the life Jesus is offering. God has 'set his seal' - 'authorised' Jesus with life-in-himself. v28 miss the point. What must we do. The flesh wants to earn and perform and justify itself. 'Works'. v29 just one 'work'. Believe in Jesus. This is the hardest and easiest work of all, to entrust ourselves fully to him. v30 smokescreen, request for another sign or work. The lesson we are seeing again and again in John is that 'faith' which depends on the remarkable and miraculous is not true faith but a form of unbelief. It turns out to be another appetite, luke physical hunger, which keeps needing to be satisfied. v32 Jesus himself the bread of God was always the one who has given all good gifts. v34 they miss the point. FCF. We won't believe unless we see miraculous and remarkable. H1 . Blatant chasing after supernatural. H2 . Wanting success and glory, and a sense of control over the results. Wanting things which meet our appetites. 2. Jesus is the true bread of life, who will sustain and preserve his people for eternal life (v35-59) v35 Jesus clearly speaking symbolically and metaphorically. He doesn't say 'eat my flesh' here, though he does in v54. It is those who 'come' and 'believe' who will be satisfied with eternal life. v36 seeing itself no guarantee of believing and finding life. Similarly, not seeing and yet believing is blessed indeed. v37 Both phrases matter; the sovereign life-giving of God. The Father has given a people to his son as a gift. All those who are given to him will therefore believe in him/come to him. And all those who come to Jesus, he will never cast out; ie they are totally secure. Jesus is indeed the true bread of life. v38-40 secure in life all the way through to eternity. v41 misunderstanding and grumbling. v42 They want to think they have some control over Jesus, by knowing his family etc. They resent the direction of this discourse, as it moves ever further from their ideal of a miraculous king who works for them. v44-51 Jesus expands on what he has said. All of God's people will come to Jesus. He is the greater life-giving manna. And the life he gives is his own body. NB not at all justifying a roman catholic understanding of body and blooed. v52 they miss the point - can't see beyond the literal. v53-59 Jesus' people abide in Christ crucified. We never move on from the reality of body and blooed given that his people might have life. Now in heaven, his body and blood sustain our lives here on earth. This passage is not about the Lord's supper, but the Lord's supper is about what John 6 is about. God's glory . The Father has given a people to the Son, and they will believe and he will hold them forever. Person of Jesus. He himself the true bread of life. Work of Jesus. Gives his life that we might have eternal life. The bread a repeated reminder. We 'feed' on his flesh and we 'drink' his blood day after day, and thus abide in him. Union with Jesus . Come to him and you will not hunger or thirst. Invitation . Do the work of believing. Confrontation . Stop looking for success and remarkable things. Consolation . He will not lose you or ever cast you out. Wrap up : Sets up next section, where many leave him but the 12 believe and have come to learn that he has the words of eternal life. Jesus is the bread of life. The crowds follow Jesus not because they want to believe in Him but because they want more miraculous food. Jesus is the true bread of life, who will sustain and preserve his people for eternal life.
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