So far in John Chapter 6 we have examined the prophetic OT miracle of Elisha feeding the prophets [2 Kings 4:42-44] as being fulfilled in Jesus’ Feeding the Five Thousand.
Then Jesus walks on the sea and fulfills Psalm 107:23-32 and Job 9:8 which are clearly about God.
And now Jesus continues to demonstrate by His works and by His words that He is the Sent One of God because “HE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN”.
Only God incarnate, The Word made flesh, can be the fulfillment of these OT images of the Sovereign Lord and Creator and make such majestic claims for Himself.
Now John alone gives the discourse by our Lord Himself on His being the Bread of God who comes down from heaven.
We will continue to examine John Chapter 6 from verses 22-34:
John 6:22-34
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone —
23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks —
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"
26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."
28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
My intent today is to explain John 6:22-34 but also to introduce a much broader spiritual lesson from John’s Gospel.
Let’s first make some general observations on verses 22-34:
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone —
23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks —
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
22-24
The next day, i.e., after feeding the 5,000...and walking on the water.
Matthew 14:22 tells us that Jesus had made His disciples out into the sea before Him. The people, therefore, knew that He did not go with them in the boat. They were eagerly searching for Him. When they saw that He was not still there they went over to Capernaum seeking Jesus.
They could not guess that He had walked across the sea to get into the boat with His disciples and then calm the raging storm and bring the boat into its desired haven.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"
The crowd finds Jesus. “Teacher, When did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly [Amen, Amen], I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.
Jesus ignores their “when” question and answers “why” they were looking for Him.
Cf. Mark 6:51-52
51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
Even His disciples, after they had seen Him miraculously feeding thousands did not understand the meaning of the miracle of the loaves and fish.
The multitudes have a selfish motive. The word He uses “and were filled” [John 6:12] refers to the kind of eating that is done by animals; they eat without thought or thankfulness.
I love to feed the birds and make sure every day that there is seed for the cardinals and doves and sugar water for the hummingbirds. But not yet has a single bird said “Thank you” to me.
The people followed Him to get food without working for it, not because they believed that He is Messiah. They had completely missed the significance of His feeding the multitudes.
Jesus knows their selfish motive for following Him.
Have you ever heard of anyone “following Christ” for the wrong reason? The “Health & Wealth” false prophets on TV are getting rich deceiving the simple that want to escape their stupid choices by simply exercising what they call “faith” which these religious hucksters define as sending them money.
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."
Jesus gives them a riddle. “Stop working” but “work.”
Cf 4:14-15 with their answer v 34. These Jews did not understand the “Bread from God” any more than the Samaritan woman understood the “Living Water.”
Jesus is not endorsing indolence. There is a damning heresy that says that when a person is “saved” that there is no more to do. No time for reading the Bible, not much interest in meeting with the church, especially on Wednesday night. They won’t give their money as the Lord has blessed them. But not to worry they are “saved.”
What I am preaching is not legalism. I am not saying these things are necessary in order to be saved or to keep your salvation. What I am saying, without apology or fear of contradiction, is that saved people are not careless about church!
The person who claims to be a Christian but who is not “striving to enter the Kingdom” is simply deceived.
Luke 13:23-25
23 And someone said to Him, "Lord are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them,
24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
25 "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, "Lord open up to us!" then He will answer and say to you, "I do not know where you are from."
Matthew 11:12-13
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
This is not salvation by works but it is salvation that works!
If a person believes they are saved but has no interest in the things of God and His word and the church they are simply deceived and are among the many who are on the broad way that leads to destruction.
In this verse there is something forbidden; to labor for the things that perish in the using of them.
There is something commanded; to work hard for spiritual food which will last forever.
We should never hesitate to offer salvation full and free.
As bad as their motive was the Lord still offered them the remedy.
Jesus pointed out their selfish motive but at the same time told them how to overcome it.
THE SON OF MAN
Which the Son of Man will give you,
The title of the “Son of Man” is from the prophet Daniel.
Daniel 7:11-14
11 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 "I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
The vision of Daniel is the four empires of Chaldea, Persia, Greece, and Rome under the symbols of four great beasts and is followed by the appearance of the Christ to take dominion forever.
When Jesus takes the title “Son of Man” for Himself He is clearly claiming to be the Person of Daniel’s prophecy, the all-conquering Redeemer before whom all powers, seen or unseen, must fall, whose kingdom and dominion are everlasting!
The Jews could not fail to have perceived the daring nature of the claim, reinforced as it was by the miracles He had worked as He fed the multitudes and walked on the sea.
But in a sad commentary, Jesus says in verse 36,
“But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet you do not believe.”
Here stands the Lamb of God, the Son of Man, the Ancient of Days, and still they do not believe.
So I ask you, do you believe in the Christ of the Bible?
THE SEALING OF THE SON
Which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him
The Son of Man was prophesied many centuries before He came into the world. But before there was time, in the eternal moment, in the counsel of the Holy Trinity, the Son is given a people and He will redeem them with His own blood. That is the seal God the Father has set on His only begotten Son. That is who Jesus of Nazareth is!
Do you know Him? Nay, does He know you?
28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
If we must labor tell us what kind of labor. What are the works of God, what kind? Could be all sorts of things.
Men have come up with many things that they say that you must do to earn the favor of God. But anything added to what Jesus answered, as being necessary to be saved is human merit.
Jesus’ answer: One thing is needed. Believe in Christ.
The Lord is not making faith a work although some have tried.
Repentance and faith are gifts of God but you and I are commanded to repent and believe the Gospel!
Do you want to be saved from the power of sin? Then believe in Christ!
Do not look for merit in your deeds. Look at Christ’s reply:
"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Messiah is only received by faith.
To the Jews, their Abrahamic birth certificate was not enough.
John 1:10-13
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Their unbelief is settled. They cannot recognize the One standing before them. And so they ask Him for more “proof.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?
“Seeing is believing,” the saying goes. Cf. verse 69, “believe and then see.”
Show us another sign and we will believe in you. .
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly [Amen, Amen], I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
HE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN
All the words of Jesus are full of meaning. To the Jew that knew the OT Scriptures Jesus was making one claim after another and demonstrating the truth of His words by His mighty works.
In verse 33 Jesus makes the first of seven mentions in Chapter 6 where He claims to have “come down from heaven.”
In the OT, to “come down from heaven” means a divine descent from the throne of all power and glory to execute some design of grace or judgment.
Since this term is descriptive of deity in the movement of divine omnipotence and sovereign purpose, when Christ applies it to Himself He is making a supreme and absolute claim to deity.
In the interest of time I will not try to expound on the many OT uses of “come down from heaven”. It would be a helpful Bible study for you to search the OT for this phrase or idea and study the context of its use.
Genesis 11:7 is the judgment on Babel and the confusion of languages.
Genesis 18:21 is the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Exodus 3:8 God sees the affliction of the Hebrews in Egypt.
Exodus 19:20 God gives His law.
Psalm 18:9 God answers a cry for deliverance.
Malachi 3:1 the Lord comes to His temple.
This imagery is carried over into the NT in John 6 and Revelation 20.
In John 6 when God “come down from heaven” it is in grace and mercy.
For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
Jesus destroys the contrast the Jews had drawn and presents His own:
Moses was simply an agent who gave directions.
The Father is the Giver.
Moses himself was neither the bread nor the type.
The true Bread from heaven is Jesus.
The manna provided nourishment for a day.
Jesus, the true Bread, gives life eternal.
The Bread that Christ gives is Himself. Christ was sent into the world on purpose for a purpose. Christ will die on the cross for sinners and He will be buried and after three days He will rise from the dead by His own power.
But dear sinner it is Christ who has the prerogative to give life.
33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
They still did not understand, thinking only of literal bread.
That is the gist of today’s passage.
The Lord willing I am going to expand on something next Sunday that I will only mention today.
John wrote this gospel a generation after the other three evangelists. Already the Lord’s Supper was being abused by assigning special power to the bread and to the wine. John writes five chapters about the events in the Upper Room on that final night and does not mention the institution of the Lord’s Supper. The reason, I believe, is so his readers will understand the spiritual meaning of the Supper.
What has that to do with John 6? We will see how Christ’s saying that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood was misunderstood then and is still misunderstood today.
Amen
