Scripture: On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” 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. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose Father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me, not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
John 6:22-59 ESV
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Observation: Recapping yesterday’s Daily Focus, the disciples set out for Capernaum by boat. As the night air sweeps down on the lake’s surface, it churns a storm. Having rowed three to four miles from shore, the reality of perishing grips the disciples. Discerning their distress, Jesus breaks from his retreat with the Father and miraculously walks on water toward their boat. Naturally, the disciples are terrified at seeing what appears to be a ghost of Jesus (see Mark 6:49). So, Jesus calms their fears by speaking aloud to them over the crashing waves and assuring them that it is he they see, and then commands them not to be afraid. So the disciples gladly welcome him into their boat, which, once he steps inside, immediately lands at Capernaum’s shoreline.
Today’s devotion continues the storyline of Jesus’ visit to Capernaum. John tells us that the crowd Jesus fed the previous day pursued him by boat once they learned of his whereabouts. Having located Jesus teaching in the synagogue (see John’s footnote, v.59), they anxiously question when he arrived in Capernaum. Jesus cuts through the niceties and calls them out about laboring for perishable food when the Son of Man is willing to provide eternal sustenance (similar to his conversation with the woman at the well, Chapter 4).
The crowd then questions Jesus about his reference to the work of God. So Jesus challenges them to believe that he has come from the Father. Dubious of this bold claim, they ask for a miraculous sign to validate that he is one of the great prophets within the ranks of Moses, who provided manna to their forefathers. Without missing a beat, Jesus distinguishes himself from Moses because Moses could only distribute bread from heaven, but Jesus, who came from heaven, is the bread of life who will satiate their hunger. Echoing his claim to the Samaritan woman, Jesus adds they will never thirst. Also, alluding to his forthcoming crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus boldly states that all who believe in him shall have eternal life.
At this point, the Jewish leaders grumble about Jesus’ audacious claims, noting that they know his biological parents. Unlike when conversing with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, Jesus does not clarify the spiritual implications and presses the matter forward, correlating their lack of understanding with their lack of faith. Still, no one can place their faith in Jesus unless the Father wills it (v.44). Then, turning up the heat, Jesus declares that the bread he gives to bring eternal life is his flesh, referring to his soon-to-be crucifixion.
As this intense dialogue concludes, the perplexed crowd and synagogue rulers argue about how Jesus could offer his flesh as food (wondering if he refers to cannibalism). Not letting up, Jesus reemphasizes that his flesh is real food and his blood is genuine drink and hints at the spiritual meaning by adding that those who consume him will abide with him.
Takeaway: Verse 48 introduces the first of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements intended to reveal his identity as the Son of God and one with “Yahweh,” which means “I am” in Hebrew (see Exodus 3:13-14). Here are the seven:
- I am the bread of life (6:35)
- I am the light of the world (8:12)
- I am the gate for the sheep (10:7, 9)
- I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14)
- I am the resurrection and the life (11:25)
- I am the way and the truth and the life (14:6)
- I am the true vine (15:1, 5)
When we cover Chapter 15, we will explore to a greater extent what Jesus means regarding “abiding” with him. In the context of our passage, Jesus explains that to abide is to obtain a mutual union founded in our faith that the Father sent him (i.e., he is the Son of God). But to flourish in this intimate relationship, we must regularly come to the table he has graciously prepared for us and, by faith, consume his body and blood represented in the consecrated bread and wine.
Our takeaway? Various denominations view the elements of the Lord’s Supper as ranging from remembrance (symbolic) to a metabolic transformation (transubstantiation). Holding to the latter, the Roman Catholic Church believes that when consecrated by the priest, the bread physically becomes the body of Christ, and the wine becomes his blood. Many liturgical churches land in the middle and hold that while Christ is not in the elements, he is present with them (consubstantiation). Regardless, it would grieve the Holy Spirit to make Holy Communion a dividing point, a means of judging and criticizing our fellow believers.
Our part? The only critical aspect of receiving the bread and wine is that we receive them by faith, believing that Jesus is the Son of God and our Lord and Savior. In this story, two audiences seek answers to the big question: Who is this man? The basis of their question is what they desire. First, the crowd seeks sustenance (food and healing) from Jesus to sustain their well-being. While there is nothing wrong with seeking Jesus’ blessings to improve our quality of life, we risk drifting from Christ if the gifts become more important than the Giver.
Second, the Jewish leaders sought answers that aligned with their contrived image of Israel’s Messiah: a mighty warrior-king who would deliver the nation from oppression and return it to world prominence. Truth be told, Jesus came to rescue Israel and the world from sin’s oppression and raise all who abide in him to world distinction as his new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). But we must receive him by faith as our Lord and Savior, for there is no other way (John 14:6) to the eternal feast than through the Bread of Life.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, our Bread of Life, who has prepared a table for us to regularly and corporately foretaste his eternal banquet. We confess, though, that we sometimes take this solemn sacrament for granted and will drift away from you and your Son as we seek the gifts over the Giver or reimagine you to suit our agendas. So, please help us to feast on your son so that we might glorify his and your name and grow your kingdom? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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