John 6:22-71

The discourse on Jesus being the bread from heaven.

Jesus addresses three groups.... the People v 22-40, the Jews v 41-59 and the Disciples in v 60-71

6:22-25 The people followed Jesus.

They came from the side of Tiberias to Capernaum. vs. 22-24 * Village of Nahum.

2. They were perplexed as to how Jesus had gotten there. vs. 25

Jeremiah 13:19 NKJV

19 The cities of the South shall be shut up, And no one shall open them; Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; It shall be wholly carried away captive.

6:26-27 Jesus does not answers their question but tells them the reason they are following him.

They came because Jesus was a free meal ticket. vs. 26

They were exhorted not to seek the food that perishes but the spiritual food for

everlasting life. vs. 27a-b

3. The One authorized to give this is Jesus by the Father. vs. 27c

6:28-29 The people ask Jesus a question.

1. What shall they do, to do the works of God? vs. 28

* No man can so any works to merit salvation, this is the curse of man!

2. The answer is to believe in Him whom God has sent. vs. 29

6:30-31 They desire a sign to believe the authority of Jesus and pointed to the Manna.

1. Jesus has just fed the 5,000. vs. 30

2. Their concern was still for the physical. vs. 31

6:32-33 Jesus corrects their wrong theology.

1. Moses did not give them bread from heaven but God had given them the "true" "genuine” bread from heaven. vs. 32

2. Jesus is the "true" bread come to die for the world. vs. 33

6:34 They, the Samaritans, desired this bread so that they won't have to purchase any more.

6:35-40 Jesus proclaim spiritual truths to them.

1. He is the bread of life who alone satisfies man's life. vs. 35

a. Bread is sufficient to live, having all the necessary elements.

b. Water is also essential for life.

Exodus 3:14 NKJV

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

2. He declares that they do not believe in Him. vs. 36

3. He states that all individual given by the Father for salvation will by no means by rejected. vs. 37

4. He came on the father's bidding. vs. 38-39

a. To fulfill the will of the Father. vs. 38

b. To save them. vs. 39a-b

c. To raise them up at the resurrection. vs.39c

5. He came to impart eternal life to all who believe. vs. 40

The rejection of Jesus by the Jews. 6:41-51

6:41-51 The murmuring of the Jews.

1. They murmured about His claim to have come from heaven. vs. 41

* Their murmuring was after the manner of their fathers, a low muttering and grumbling sound of complaint as indicated in the 40 years for the wilderness murmuring.

Num. 14:2 “2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!”

2. They considered Jesus to be human and not divine. vs. 42

Diety:

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Titus 2:13 NKJV

13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Romans 9:5 NKJV

5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

1 John 5:20 NKJV

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

3. Jesus reproved them and told them to stop their grumbling. vs. 43

4. They were to know that the reason they murmured was that the Father had not drawn them and consequently they would not be raised up in the last day. vs. 44

Isaiah 55:8–9 NKJV

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

a. The doctrine of predestination is half of the truth while the doctrine of human responsibility and free-will is the other half!

b. The last day is indicative of each person's last day on earth, on ongoing resurrection, the first resurrection. vs. 45

5. They were being taught by God according to the prophetic fulfillment.

Is. 54:13 “13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.”

* Those who heard and learned would come to Jesus.

6. Jesus is the only one who has seen God.vs. 46,

John 1:18 “18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

7. The promise of possessing eternal life is based on faith in Jesus. vs. 47

8. Jesus is the bread of life prefigured in the Old Testament type in the Tabernacle. vs. 48

* The first of the "I Am" proclamations!

9. Jesus is superior to the Manna in the wilderness. vs. 49-50

10. Personal partaking is necessary as much as the personal sacrifice Jesus was necessary. vs. 51

6:52-59 The quarreling of the Jews.

1. The Jews quarreled, strove and fought with each other about the eating of His flesh and drinking His blood. vs. 52

2. The Lord was talking in spiritual terns not literal terms, for the law forbid cannibalism and drinking blood. vs. 53-58;

Gen. 9:5-6 “5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”

Lev. 17:11 “11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’”

* Some have attempted to teach that Jesus was talking about the Lord's table but it is absurd!

3. The discourse was in the synagogue at Capernaum. vs. 59

Romans 11:25 NKJV

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 NKJV

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

6:60-66 The murmuring of the many disciples.

1. The many who followed Jesus had a difficult time excepting His words and murmured as the Jews because they expected physical Kingdom. vs. 60-62

* Jesus asked them if they were humbled in Him?

2. The Lord clearly declares that the Kingdom is spiritual, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the flesh can accomplish nothing. vs. 63

3. The Lord plainly tells them that there were some of them who did not believe in Jesus in affirmation of not being drawn by the Father. vs. 64-65

4. The many disciple went back and followed the Lord no more. vs. 66

Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””

6:67-71 The confession of the twelve disciples.

1. Jesus asked the twelve if they would leave Him? vs. 67

2. Peter responded. vs. 68-69

a. To whom shall we go?

b. You have the words of eternal life.

c. We have believe from the past and continue to believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God or the Holy One of God.

3. Jesus confesses that He chose them yet one of them was a devil, Judas Ischariot vs.70-71