João 6
J.C. Ryle · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 6
Ryle on Tiberias - Tiberias was a town on the west side of the lake (ED: SEE MAP ABOVE), built by Herod about the time of our Lord’s birth, and comparatively a modern place in our Lord’s time. In the days of Josephus, forty years after our Lord’s crucifixion, Tiberias had become an important city. It was spared by the Romans, when Vespasian’s army destroyed almost every other city in Galilee, for its adherence to the Roman cause, and was made capital of the province. (John 6 Commentary)
João 6
Ryle - There seems no reason to suppose that this multitude followed our Lord for any but low motives. They “saw His miracles:” that was all. Some few, perhaps, were in doubt and suspense, wondering whether He who wrought such miracles could possibly be the Messiah. The great majority probably “followed” from that vague, idle curiosity and love of excitement, which are the principles that gather nearly every crowd in the world. (Bolding added)
João 6
Ryle - When this teaching was over, He seems to have taken a survey of the crowd before Him, and seeing how large it was, proceeded to show His tender concern for the wants of men’s bodies as well as of their souls. (John 6 Commentary) D A Carson suggests " In this instance Philip was the obvious person to ask: he came from the nearby town of Bethsaida (Jn 1:44+)." (Borrow The Gospel according to John - Pillar Commentary or see The Gospel According to John and scroll up and down for more text)) Guzik agrees - "Why did Jesus ask Philip this question? Maybe because he was from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and this is near where this miracle took place (Luke 9:10). Kenneth Gangel comments that "starvation is a stark and unpleasant reality in our modern world. Ten percent of the world's babies die before their first birthday, and one of every four children suffers from malnutrition. Yet the problem of spiritual hunger is even more severe. Like the people gathering on the mountainside in Galilee, millions today need the living bread that only Jesus can provide. (See Holman New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more text) Warren Wiersbe (Borrow The Bible exposition commentary) sums up this first section - The problem, of course, was how to meet the needs of such a vast crowd of people. Four solutions were proposed. First, the disciples suggested that Jesus send the people away (Mark 6:35–36). Get rid of the problem (see Matt. 15:23). But Jesus knew that the hungry people would faint on the way if somebody did not feed them. It was evening (Matt. 14:15), and that was no time for travel. The second solution came from Philip in response to our Lord’s “test question” (John 6:5): raise enough money to buy food for the people. Philip “counted the cost” and decided they would need the equivalent of 200 days’ wages! And even that would not provide bread enough to satisfy the hunger of all the men, women, and children (Matt. 14:21). Too often, we think that money is the answer to every need. Of course, Jesus was simply testing the strength of Philip’s faith. The third solution came from Andrew, but he was not quite sure how the problem would be solved. He found a little boy who had a small lunch: two little fish and five barley cakes. Once again, Andrew is busy bringing somebody to Jesus (see John 1:40–42; 12:20–22). We do not know how Andrew met this lad, but we are glad he did! Though Andrew does not have a prominent place in the Gospels, he was apparently a “people person” who helped solve problems. The fourth solution came from our Lord, and it was the true solution. He took the little boy’s lunch, blessed it, broke it, handed it out to His disciples, and they fed the whole crowd! The miracle took place in the hands of the Saviour, not in the hands of the disciples. He multiplied the food; they only had the joyful privilege of passing it out. Not only were the people fed and satisfied, but the disciples salvaged twelve baskets of fragments for future use. The Lord wasted nothing. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Bread (740)(artos) according to Vine "signifies (a) "a small loaf or cake," composed of flour and water, and baked, in shape either oblong or round, and about as thick as the thumb; these were not cut, but broken and were consecrated to the Lord every Sabbath and called the "shewbread" (loaves of presentation), Mt. 12:4; when the "shewbread" was reinstituted by Nehemiah (Neh. 10:32) a poll-tax of 1/3 shekel was laid on the Jews, Matt. 17:24; (b) "the loaf at the Lord's Supper," e.g., Matt. 26:26 ("Jesus took a loaf," RV, marg.); the breaking of "bread" became the name for this institution, Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 1 Cor. 11:23; (c) "bread of any kind," Matt. 16:11; (d) metaphorically, "of Christ as the Bread of God, and of Life," John 6:33, 35; (e) "food in general," the necessities for the sustenance of life, Matt. 6:11; 2 Cor. 9:10, etc." Gilbrant - Classical Greek - Liddell-Scott notes that the word artos is a term for a “cake or loaf of wheat-bread.” It further suggests that it differed from maza, “porridge,” the common food of the poor. Bread was the staple of the diet of most peoples in antiquity. Septuagint Usage The Septuagint uses artos as the principal equivalent to lechem, “bread,” or “food” (cf. the verb lācham, “use as food, to eat”). Artos naturally absorbed some of the wide range of meaning of lechem; it rarely substituted for other terms, like path (2 Samuel 12:3 [LXX 2 Kings 12:3]). In conjunction with azumos (105), “unleavened,” it translates matstsâh (Judges 6:20). But the general term lechem and its various compounds (kikhkhar lechem, “loaf,” path-lechem, “piece,” challath lechem, “ring”) most influenced artos. “Bread” is a figure of speech for every kind of food, but artos does not translate ’ōkhel, “food.” Theologically, “man doth not live by bread only” (Deuteronomy 8:3). In other words, true existence is not experienced simply in eating (and drinking, cf. Romans 14:17). In addition to its normal sense and its theological contribution, bread was vital to the sacrificial system. Normally “unleavened bread” (matstsâh, Hebrew) was used in the offerings (as in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, matstsôth), but at times leavened cakes were equally acceptable (e.g., the Pentecost wave-offering, Leviticus 23:17). Unleavened cakes— the Bread of Presence (artous enōpious)—were offered in the presence of Yahweh. Traditions developed—probably stemming from Deuteronomy 8:3, a reference to manna—about the manna of the wilderness. Later the Psalmist wrote of the manna as the “bread of heaven” or the “heavenly bread” (artou ouranou, Psalm 78:24f.). Judaism saw this “bread from heaven” as Torah—the Word of God (Isaiah 55:2 [LXX 77:24f.]). Theories also developed that in the Age to Come manna would be the food (cf. 2 Baruch 29:8; Sybilline Oracles 3.46-49 [cited by Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, p.335]). Jesus identified himself as this bread and probably played upon that tradition. New Testament Usage - The New Testament reveals a diverse understanding of artos. In the simplest terms its basic functions can be reduced to three. Naturally these overlap, but such a reduction will aid in understanding the role of artos in the New Testament. They are: literal, figurative, and theological. Literal Uses. Naturally artos designates literal “bread” or “food.” Satan tempted Jesus to “turn these stones into bread.” Since Jesus was hungry from fasting (Matthew 4:2), the point of attack was “food” (Luke 4:4). The “daily bread” of the Lord’s Prayer, despite debates over the precise meaning of that phrase, first of all refers to “food” (Matthew 6:11, parallel Luke 11:3). References to bread in the Last Supper accounts are certainly literal (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19), but the bread itself conveys something more (“This is my body”; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:24). The same could be said of Acts texts in which the “breaking of bread” denotes actual eating, but stands for a great deal more (e.g., Acts 2:42,46; 20:7,11). “Not to eat bread” signified a “fast” of all food (e.g., Luke 7:33). The “Bread of Presence” of the Old Testament was recognized by the New Testament writers to be literal bread (Luke 6:4; Hebrews 9:2). Figurative Uses. In a general sense bread stands for such ideas as fellowship (1 Corinthians 10:16,17; cf. the “breaking of bread” in Acts) and eternal fellowship (Luke 14:15). “Bread” symbolizes more than food—it is existence itself. To deprive people of bread is to rob them of their existence (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Such an attitude toward the centrality of food—bread— in existence evolved directly out of the Old Testament, where bread was the “staff” of life (cf. Leviticus 26:26; Psalm 105:16 [LXX 104:16]; Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13). These ideas became theologically honed in Jesus, the “Bread of Life” who descended from heaven, and in the event of the Last Supper. Theological Uses. The very nature of the word as an image for existence allows it to be easily adopted into a theological vocabulary. This, coupled with antecedent images associated with bread, allows artos to be a major metaphor for Jesus’ relationship to humanity. Obviously many areas may coalesce or overlap (e.g., Mark 8:14ff.), and the line between literal and figurative and theological may disappear altogether. The two most obvious theological functions of artos are: (1) Jesus as the Bread of Life and (2) the role of bread in the Last Supper. (1) The Bread of Life. As noted, Judaism associated manna—the bread from heaven (Psalm 78:24)—with the Age to Come. They expected the gift of manna to be reinstituted. John used the expression “bread of heaven” or “bread of God” seven times. Jesus referred to himself as the “Bread of Life” on two occasions, each time in the construction egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs (John 6:35,48); and on another occasion He called himself the “Living Bread,” egō eimi ho artos ho zōn (6:51). Jesus offers men and women a bread, which if they “eat,” they will never hunger. It will satisfy them for they will live forever (John 6:34, cf. 6:51,58) and Jesus will abide (menō) in (en) them forever (6:56). (2) The Bread of the Last Supper. Jesus’ own understanding of His role as the Bread of Life may have led to His association of the bread of the Last Supper with His person. The bread which came down from heaven (6:33,41,50,58) is the “flesh” of Jesus (6:51, cf. Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24; “This is my body [sōma (4835)]”). Paul said that one bread—still equated with the body (sōma) of Christ—symbolized the unity of the Body, i.e., the Church. Eschatologically the bread (and cup) anticipate the messianic banquet (Luke 14:15; 22:16 with parallels) because at the Lord’s table one of the primary symbols it represents is the return of the Lord: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26; cf. Luke 22:18). Thus the eschatological significance of the “Bread of Heaven” (cf. the Jewish expectation to eat manna in the Age to Come) is expressed in the expectation of the return of Christ associated with the Last Supper. A new existence is lived out in the one Body—the fellowship of believers. Thus the Last Supper brings together the ideas of fellowship, participation, and expectation which were associated with “bread.” Bread in the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (online) - Bread, made of either wheat or barley, was a staple of the biblical diet. Its importance-Sirach 29:21 calls it “essential”-appears from the phrase “staff of bread” (Lev 26:26; Ezek 5:16; 14:13 RSV), implying that bread enables one to walk. This is so much the case that bread often just means *“food” and is so translated in English versions. The phrase “by bread alone” (Deut 8:3), means “by food alone” (cf. Gen 3:19; Num 21:5; Lk 15:17). In addition to being food for human beings, bread belongs to religious ritual. It is one of the things to be sacrificed to the Lord (Ex 29:2; Lev 2:4–16). Legislation also directs that twelve fresh loaves (the so-called “showbread” or “bread of the presence”) be always arranged on a table before the Holy of Holies (Ex 25:30; 1 Chron 9:32; Heb 9:1–5); and OT law commands that unleavened bread be part of the Passover ritual (Ex 12:1–28). Bread as Gift. Bread is often a gift of hospitality (Gen 14:18). This is so much so that Jesus, when he sends his missionaries out, can tell them to take no bread for the journey (Mk 6:8). The presumption is that bread will be happily supplied to them by those who accept their message. But bread is even more a divine gift. For it is God who fills the hungry with good things (Lk 1:53). This is why one gives thanks for bread (Lk 9:16). Although bread is a human product-dough is made with human hands (Mt 13:33) and baked (Is 44:19)—there is no dough without grain, and there is no grain without the rain, which God sends (Mt 5:45). Biblical thought is appropriately captured by the traditional Jewish prayer, “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.” That God is quite literally the giver of bread appears in several remarkable miracle stories. When the Israelites wander in the desert and become hungry, they find on the ground manna, which is “the bread which the LORD has given you to eat” (Ex 16:15; cf. Ps 78:25). When Elisha is faced with a hundred hungry men and not enough bread to feed them, the Lord nonetheless says, “They shall eat and have some left.” In the event all are fed and some food is left (2 Kings 4:42–44). Twice when Jesus is with exceedingly large crowds, he takes only a few loaves of bread and some fish and miraculously distributes them to everyone (Mk 6:30–44; 8:1–10)—acts of divine provision and hospitality on a grand scale. The bread of the Eucharist is also conceived as a divine gift. At the Last Supper, Jesus takes bread, says a blessing, breaks the bread and shares it with his disciples (Mk 14:22). Here the act of giving bread means that Jesus gives himself up on behalf of others; that is, under the figure of the bread, the Son of God is revealed as a sacrificial offering. Eschatological Bread. If bread is a divine gift in the present, it will also be a divine gift when God’s kingdom comes in its fullness. The occasion for Jesus recounting the parable of the banquet (Lk 14:16–24) is a man’s declaration “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of heaven” (Lk 14:15). This is a reference to the eschatological banquet (Is 25:6–8; Rev 19:9), as are Jesus’ words at the end of the Last Supper: “I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mk 14:25 RSV). Related to this is the intriguing promise in Revelation 2:17: “To the one who conquers I [Jesus] will give some of the hidden manna.” Whether the image is of manna again descending from on high (as in 2 Apoc. Bar. 29:8) or of the recovery of the golden urn of manna that was kept in the temple (Heb 9:4)—in Jewish legend the vessels of the temple were not carried off but miraculously hidden (2 Apoc. Bar. 6:1–10)—we cannot be sure. In either case, the eschatological promise is that the saints will be given “bread from heaven” (Neh 9:15). God will meet the needs of his people. The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches his followers to pray for their “daily (epiousios) bread.” The expression is pregnant with meaning. The (presumably) Aramaic original no doubt alluded to Exodus 16:4, where it is said regarding the manna that “each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.” If so, then the prayer asks God to feed his people now (epiousios means “for the coming day” in the sense of “today”) just as in the past. But given that (a) “the coming day” can be given eschatological sense (cf. “the day of the Lord”), (b) manna was thought of as bread, and (c) there was an expectation that God would send manna in the end as at the beginning, many have taken Jesus’ words to refer to the bread of the eschaton (so already the Gospel of the Hebrews, according to Jerome). Bread as Metaphor. Bread is sometimes used metaphorically. In Numbers 14:9 Joshua exhorts Israel not to “fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” In other words, it will be as easy to defeat the Canaanites as it is to eat bread. In Isaiah 55:2 listening to the word of the Lord is likened to eating bread. The same image lies behind Proverbs 9:5, where Wisdom invites the wise to “come, eat of my bread.” It is understandable that in later Jewish tradition bread and manna become symbols of Torah (Mek. on Ex 13:17). The Bible’s most striking metaphorical use of bread appears in John 6. Here Jesus declares that he is “the bread of life” (Jn 6:35; cf. Jn 6:33, 41, 48, 51). The image is appropriate because John 6 brings together all the major biblical themes associated with bread. The bread from heaven is said to be a gift from above-“my Father gives you the true bread from heaven” (Jn 6:32). Jesus’ multiplication of loaves and fish recalls Elisha’s similar miracle (2Ki 4:42–44) and is explicitly compared with the provision of manna in the wilderness (Jn 6:31–34, 49–51). The bread that is Jesus gives life in the present (Jn 6:35, 47) but also means eternal life (Jn 6:27, 40). Finally, Jesus associates himself as the true bread with the Eucharist: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53). Mention should be made, finally, of the name Bethlehem, which literally means “house of bread, city of bread.” There is obvious symbolism here: God, who provided bread in the wilderness and sent his Son as the salvific bread from heaven, ordained that Christ would be born in the city of bread. Summary. Bread is one of many biblical images that, if traced through the canon, yields a picture of salvation history and biblical doctrine in microcosm. Salient points on the chart include bread as a staple of life that comes to all people from God’s providence, miraculous sustenance of life for God’s chosen people in their wilderness wanderings at the time of the Exodus, the spiritual reality of faith in Christ and his atoning death, and the participation in the coming eschatological messianic banquet. See also ABUNDANCE; EATING; FOOD; GRAIN; HOSPITALITY; MANNA; SUPPER; TABLE; WHEAT. Artos - 89v - Matt. 4:3; Matt. 4:4; Matt. 6:11; Matt. 7:9; Matt. 12:4; Matt. 14:17; Matt. 14:19; Matt. 15:2; Matt. 15:26; Matt. 15:33; Matt. 15:34; Matt. 15:36; Matt. 16:5; Matt. 16:7; Matt. 16:8; Matt. 16:9; Matt. 16:10; Matt. 16:11; Matt. 16:12; Matt. 26:26; Mk. 2:26; Mk. 3:20; Mk. 6:8; Mk. 6:37; Mk. 6:38; Mk. 6:41; Mk. 6:44; Mk. 6:52; Mk. 7:2; Mk. 7:5; Mk. 7:27; Mk. 8:4; Mk. 8:5; Mk. 8:6; Mk. 8:14; Mk. 8:16; Mk. 8:17; Mk. 8:19; Mk. 14:22; Lk. 4:3; Lk. 4:4; Lk. 6:4; Lk. 7:33; Lk. 9:3; Lk. 9:13; Lk. 9:16; Lk. 11:3; Lk. 11:5; Lk. 14:1; Lk. 14:15; Lk. 15:17; Lk. 22:19; Lk. 24:30; Lk. 24:35; Jn. 6:5; Jn. 6:7; Jn. 6:9; Jn. 6:11; Jn. 6:13; Jn. 6:23; Jn. 6:26; Jn. 6:31; Jn. 6:32; Jn. 6:33; Jn. 6:34; Jn. 6:35; Jn. 6:41; Jn. 6:48; Jn. 6:50; Jn. 6:51; Jn. 6:58; Jn. 13:18; Jn. 21:9; Jn. 21:13; Acts 2:42; Acts 2:46; Acts 20:7; Acts 20:11; Acts 27:35; 1 Co. 10:16; 1 Co. 10:17; 1 Co. 11:23; 1 Co. 11:26; 1 Co. 11:27; 1 Co. 11:28; 2 Co. 9:10; 2 Thess. 3:8; 2 Thess. 3:12; Heb. 9:2 Artos in the Septuagint - Gen. 3:19; Gen. 14:18; Gen. 18:5; Gen. 21:14; Gen. 24:33; Gen. 25:34; Gen. 27:17; Gen. 28:20; Gen. 37:25; Gen. 39:6; Gen. 41:54; Gen. 41:55; Gen. 43:16; Gen. 43:31; Gen. 43:32; Gen. 45:23; Gen. 47:15; Gen. 47:16; Gen. 47:17; Gen. 47:19; Gen. 49:20; Exod. 2:20; Exod. 16:3; Exod. 16:4; Exod. 16:8; Exod. 16:12; Exod. 16:15; Exod. 16:29; Exod. 16:32; Exod. 18:12; Exod. 23:25; Exod. 25:30; Exod. 29:2; Exod. 29:23; Exod. 29:32; Exod. 29:34; Exod. 34:28; Exod. 39:36; Exod. 40:23; Lev. 2:4; Lev. 7:12; Lev. 7:13; Lev. 8:26; Lev. 8:31; Lev. 8:32; Lev. 22:7; Lev. 22:11; Lev. 22:13; Lev. 23:14; Lev. 23:17; Lev. 23:18; Lev. 23:19; Lev. 23:20; Lev. 24:5; Lev. 24:6; Lev. 24:7; Lev. 26:5; Lev. 26:26; Num. 4:7; Num. 4:27; Num. 6:15; Num. 6:19; Num. 15:19; Num. 15:20; Num. 21:5; Deut. 8:3; Deut. 8:9; Deut. 9:9; Deut. 9:18; Deut. 10:18; Deut. 16:3; Deut. 23:4; Deut. 29:6; Jos. 9:5; Jos. 9:12; Jdg. 7:13; Jdg. 8:5; Jdg. 8:6; Jdg. 8:15; Jdg. 13:16; Jdg. 19:5; Jdg. 19:19; Ruth 1:6; Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam. 1:24; 1 Sam. 2:5; 1 Sam. 2:36; 1 Sam. 9:7; 1 Sam. 10:3; 1 Sam. 10:4; 1 Sam. 14:24; 1 Sam. 14:28; 1 Sam. 16:20; 1 Sam. 20:34; 1 Sam. 21:3; 1 Sam. 21:4; 1 Sam. 21:6; 1 Sam. 22:13; 1 Sam. 25:11; 1 Sam. 25:18; 1 Sam. 28:20; 1 Sam. 28:22; 1 Sam. 30:11; 1 Sam. 30:12; 2 Sam. 3:29; 2 Sam. 3:35; 2 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 9:7; 2 Sam. 9:10; 2 Sam. 12:3; 2 Sam. 12:17; 2 Sam. 12:20; 2 Sam. 12:21; 2 Sam. 16:1; 2 Sam. 16:2; 1 Ki. 5:9; 1 Ki. 7:48; 1 Ki. 11:18; 1 Ki. 12:24; 1 Ki. 13:8; 1 Ki. 13:9; 1 Ki. 13:15; 1 Ki. 13:16; 1 Ki. 13:17; 1 Ki. 13:18; 1 Ki. 13:19; 1 Ki. 13:22; 1 Ki. 13:23; 1 Ki. 17:6; 1 Ki. 17:11; 1 Ki. 18:4; 1 Ki. 18:13; 1 Ki. 21:4; 1 Ki. 21:5; 1 Ki. 21:7; 1 Ki. 22:27; 2 Ki. 4:8; 2 Ki. 4:42; 2 Ki. 6:22; 2 Ki. 18:32; 2 Ki. 25:3; 2 Ki. 25:29; 1 Chr. 9:32; 1 Chr. 16:3; 1 Chr. 23:29; 2 Chr. 4:19; 2 Chr. 13:11; 2 Chr. 18:26; Ezr. 10:6; Neh. 5:15; Neh. 5:18; Neh. 9:15; Neh. 10:33; Neh. 13:2; Job 6:6; Job 24:5; Job 28:5; Ps. 14:4; Ps. 37:25; Ps. 41:9; Ps. 42:3; Ps. 53:4; Ps. 78:20; Ps. 78:24; Ps. 78:25; Ps. 80:5; Ps. 102:4; Ps. 102:9; Ps. 104:14; Ps. 104:15; Ps. 105:16; Ps. 105:40; Ps. 127:2; Ps. 132:15; Prov. 6:26; Prov. 9:5; Prov. 9:17; Prov. 12:9; Prov. 12:11; Prov. 20:13; Prov. 22:9; Prov. 28:19; Prov. 28:21; Eccl. 9:7; Eccl. 9:11; Eccl. 10:19; Eccl. 11:1; Cant. 5:1; Isa. 3:1; Isa. 3:7; Isa. 4:1; Isa. 21:14; Isa. 28:28; Isa. 30:20; Isa. 30:23; Isa. 33:16; Isa. 36:17; Isa. 44:15; Isa. 44:16; Isa. 44:19; Isa. 55:10; Isa. 58:7; Isa. 58:10; Isa. 65:25; Jer. 5:17; Jer. 11:19; Jer. 16:7; Jer. 37:21; Jer. 38:9; Jer. 41:1; Jer. 42:14; Jer. 44:17; Jer. 52:6; Jer. 52:33; Lam. 1:11; Lam. 4:4; Lam. 5:9; Ezek. 4:9; Ezek. 4:15; Ezek. 4:16; Ezek. 4:17; Ezek. 5:16; Ezek. 12:18; Ezek. 12:19; Ezek. 13:19; Ezek. 14:13; Ezek. 16:19; Ezek. 16:49; Ezek. 18:7; Ezek. 18:16; Ezek. 24:17; Ezek. 24:22; Ezek. 44:3; Ezek. 44:7; Ezek. 48:18; Dan. 10:3; Hos. 2:5; Hos. 9:4; Amos 4:6; Amos 8:11; Hag. 2:12; Mal. 1:7 John 6:6 This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. BGT John 6:6 τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν. KJV John 6:6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. NET John 6:6 (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) CSB John 6:6 He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. ESV John 6:6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. NIV John 6:6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. NLT John 6:6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. to test him: Ge 22:1 De 8:2,16 13:3 33:8 2Ch 32:31 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JUST A TEST This He was saying to test (peirazo) him - Test of course is not used here in bad sense of tempting, which is the other meaning (as in Matt. 4:1+). God tests our faith not to make us bitter, but to make us better. God allows predicaments to test our faith and show His power - Rod Mattoon Bruce Barton - God allowed the test to occur, not expecting failure, but placing the person in a situation where his or her faith might grow stronger. Jesus did not want Philip to miss what he was about to do. (Life application study Bible, Gospel of John - Borrow) J C Ryle on purpose of God testing - We find the same kind of procedure on other occasions. When our Lord appeared to the two disciples at Emmaus, we read that after His discourse with them, “He made as though He would have gone further.” (Luke 21:28.) This was “to prove” whether they really wished for more of His company.—When on another occasion He came to the disciples walking on the sea, St. Mark says, “He would have passed by them.” (Mark 6:48.) When in this very chapter He would draw forth an expression of faith from His disciples, He says, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67) Our Lord knows the sluggishness and coldness of our hearts, and He sees it good to stir our spiritual senses, and draw forth our spiritual desires by such a mode of dealing with us. (John 6 Commentary) Blum reminds us that "God tests people to refine their faith, never to tempt them to do evil (cf. Gen. 22:1–18; James 1:2, 13–15; 1 Peter 1:7)." (See Bible Knowledge Commentary scroll up and down for more text) James 1:2+ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (TESTS) James 1:12+ Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial (TEST); for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:13-15+ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone (THIS IS THE SAME GREEK WORD FOR TEST BUT WHEN GOD TESTS US IT IS NEVER WITH THE INTENTION TO CAUSE US TO SIN). 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. For (gar) - Term of explanation. What is John explaining? He Himself knew what He was intending (about) to do - Jesus knew (eido - knew beyond a shadow of a doubt - Jn 1:47+ "Jesus saw [eido] Nathanael" = in context Jesus "knew" him) He would miraculously create food for the thousands, but wanted to see if Philip would take this as an opportunity to look at the sufficiency of Jesus rather the insufficiency of the supply. Brian Bell - Jesus knew exactly what He was going to do. Which means, He’s not only in control of the situation at hand, but several steps ahead of the game. a) Like a brilliant chess player who thinks several moves ahead. Maybe even giving up a minor piece as a gambit(sacrifice) in order to later gain an advantage. b) So Jesus is willing to give up a little R & R for His troops, in order to gain a more committed band of men. (This is a Test and Wonder Bread)
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Ryle comments on they were filled - "That expression deserves notice. It is one of the strongest proofs of the reality of the miracle we are reading. It would be impossible to convince five thousand hungry men in a wilderness that they were really filled, if they were not. " (John 6 Commentary) There was to be no wastefulness in Christ’s munificence -- A T Robertson (Word Pictures) THOUGHT - There is so little filling of our vessels these days because there is so very little of emptying. The Lord had to empty Philip in order that He might fill him, for Philip was full of his own ideas. The Lord cannot fill with His own presence that which is already full of something else and refuses to be emptied. -- A W Tozer (FROM his sermons -- The “Spiritual-or-Secular” Tightrope Everything in Our Lives Is Made Spiritual by Christ - Tozer, Speaks, Volume One) He said to His disciples (mathetes), "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost (apoluo) - Fragments were not crumbs or scraps on the ground, but pieces broken by Jesus (Mark 6:41) and not consumed. And such a miraculous provision did not justify wastefulness. Charles Swindoll - For most of them, this was their first complete meal in a long while. Leftovers were not a common sight in ancient times. (Borrow Insights on John) THOUGHT - "There is a lesson in the leftovers. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer Him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If you take the first step in making yourself available to God, He will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of His Kingdom." (Borrow Life Application Study Bible) Does this thought not cause your heart to rejoice with thankfulness! John
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Ryle - This simple fact is enough to prove that a mighty miracle had been wrought. Our common sense can tell us that five loaves and two fishes alone could not have filled a single basket. Now if the fragments left after the meal were enough to fill “twelve baskets,” there must evidently have been a miraculous multiplication of the food at some stage of the proceedings. The fragments alone were probably fifty times more bulky than the original supply of food with which the meal began. The identity between the number of the baskets filled, and the number of the apostles, will of course strike any reader. One might think that each apostle had a basket. (John 6 Commentary)
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Ryle - Lessons from the Loaves THESE verses describe one of our Lord’s most remarkable miracles. Of all the great works that He did, none was done so publicly as this, and before so many witnesses. Of all the miracles related in the Gospels, this is the only one which all the four Gospel-writers alike record. This fact alone (like the four times repeated account of the crucifixion and resurrection) is enough to show that it is a miracle demanding special attention. We have, for one thing, in this miracle, a lesson about Christ’s almighty power. We see our Lord feeding five thousand men with “five barley loaves and two small fishes.” We see clear proof that a miraculous event took place in the “twelve baskets of fragments” that remained after all had eaten. Creative power was manifestly exercised. Food was called into existence that did not exist before. In healing the sick, and raising the dead, something was amended or restored that had already existed. In feeding five thousand men with five loaves, something must have been created which before had no existence. Such a history as this ought to be specially instructive and encouraging to all who endeavour to do good to souls. It shows us the Lord Jesus “able to save to the uttermost.” He is One who has all power over dead hearts. Not only can He mend that which is broken,—build up that which is ruined,—heal that which is sick,—strengthen that which is weak. He can do even greater things than these. He can call into being that which was not before, and call it out of nothing. We must never despair of any one being saved. So long as there is life there is hope. Reason and sense may say that some poor sinner is too hardened, or too old to be converted. Faith will reply,—“Our Master can create as well as renew. With a Saviour who, by His Spirit, can create a new heart, nothing is impossible.” We have, for another thing, in this miracle, a lesson about the office of ministers. We see the apostles receiving the bread from our Lord’s hands, after He had blessed it, and distributing it to the multitude. It was not their hands that made it increase and multiply, but their Master’s. It was His almighty power that provided an unfailing supply. It was their work to receive humbly, and distribute faithfully. Now here is a lively emblem of the work which a true minister of the New Testament is meant to do. He is not a mediator between God and man. He has no power to put away sin, or impart grace. His whole business is to receive the bread of life which his Master provides, and to distribute it among the souls among whom he labours. He cannot make men value the bread, or receive it. He cannot make it soul-saving, or life-giving, to any one. This is not his work. For this he is not responsible. His whole business is to be a faithful distributor of the food which his Divine Master has provided; and that done, his office is discharged. We have, lastly, in this miracle, a lesson about the sufficiency of the Gospel for the wants of all mankind. We see the Lord Jesus supplying the hunger of a huge multitude of five thousand men. The provision seemed, at first sight, utterly inadequate for the occasion. To satisfy so many craving mouths with such scanty fare, in such a wilderness, seemed impossible. But the event showed that there was enough and to spare. There was not one who could complain that he was not filled. There can be no doubt that this was meant to teach the adequacy of Christ’s Gospel to supply the necessities of the whole world. Weak, and feeble, and foolish as it may seem to man, the simple story of the Cross is enough for all the children of Adam in every part of the globe. The tidings of Christ’s death for sinners, and the atonement made by that death, is able to meet the hearts and satisfy the consciences of all nations, and peoples, and kindreds, and tongues. Carried by faithful messengers, it feeds and supplies all ranks and classes. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18.) Five barley loaves and two small fishes seemed scanty provision for a hungry crowd. But blessed by Christ, and distributed by His disciples, they were more than sufficient. Let us never doubt for a moment, that the preaching of Christ crucified,—the old story of His blood, and righteousness, and substitution,—is enough for all the spiritual necessities of all mankind. It is not worn out. It is not obsolete. It has not lost its power. We want nothing new,—nothing more broad and kind,—nothing more intellectual,—nothing more efficacious. We want nothing but the true bread of life which Christ bestows, distributed faithfully among starving souls. Let men sneer or ridicule as they will. Nothing else can do good in this sinful world. No other teaching can fill hungry consciences, and give them peace. We are all in a wilderness. We must feed on Christ crucified, and the atonement made by His death, or we shall die in our sins. (John 6 Commentary) Comparing and Contrasting Feeding of the Multitudes Feeding 5000 was recorded in all 4 Gospels, but the feeding of 4000 was recorded only in Mark and Matthew. Similarities: • Both miracles involved huge crowds who were hungry • Jesus used a small amount of bread and fish to feed a lot of people • The disciples doubted the Lord’s ability to provide but were also involved in distributing the food • In both miracles, Jesus took the little they had, gave thanks, and multiplied it • The crowds ate and were completely satisfied and a large amount of food was left over Differences: • The first miracle involved feeding 5,000 compared to 4,000 here • The amount of bread is different – 5 loaves versus 7 loaves • The leftovers from the first miracle go in 12 small baskets and in the second, 7 large baskets are used • There are two different Greek words - smaller baskets = kophinos and larger baskets = spuris • The first meal came after a day of teaching and this one follows three days of teaching • One prayer in the feeding of 5000, two prayers in feeding of 4000 • The first miracle took place among Jewish people and this one happens in the Decapolis, a Gentile community Below is a chart adapted from Warren Wiersbe showing the differences; Feeding 5,000 Feeding 4,000 Primarily Jews Primarily Gentiles Galilee, near Bethsaida The Decapolis 5 loaves, 2 fish 7 loaves, “a few fish” 12 baskets left over 7 baskets left over Crowd with Him 1 day Crowd with Him 3 days Spring of year (green grass) Summer Tried to make Him King No popular response NET Note - Many commentators, on the basis of similarities between this account of the feeding of the multitude (Mk 8:1–10) and that in Mk 6:30–44, have argued that there is only one event referred to in both passages. While there are similarities in language and in the response of the disciples, there are also noticeable differences, including the different number present on each occasion (i.e., 5,000 in chap. 6 and 4,000 here). In the final analysis, the fact that Jesus refers to two distinct feedings in Mk 8:18–20 settles the issue; this passage represents another very similar incident to that recorded in 6:30–44. John 6:14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." BGT John 6:14 Οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον. KJV John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. NET John 6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, "This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world." CSB John 6:14 When the people saw the sign He had done, they said, "This really is the Prophet who was to come into the world!" ESV John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" NIV John 6:14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." NLT John 6:14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!" NRS John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." NJB John 6:14 Seeing the sign that he had done, the people said, 'This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.' NAB John 6:14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." YLT John 6:14 The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, said -- 'This is truly the Prophet, who is coming to the world;' This: John 1:21 Jn 4:19,25,42 Jn 7:40 Ge 49:10 De 18:15-18 Mt 11:3 Mt 21:11 Lu 7:16 Lk 24:19 Ac 3:22-24 Acts 7:37 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 1:21+ They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” John 1:45+ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 4:19+ The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. John 7:40+ Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Matthew 21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Luke 7:16+ Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” Luke 24:19+ And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, THE RIGHT PROPHET THE WRONG INTERPRETATION Therefore - Term of conclusion. What is John concluding? When the people saw the sign (semeion) which He had performed - Saw the sign is a good start. They all saw what had transpired and realized they had witnessed a miracle. But what is a sign? A SIGN is an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. This definition begs the question, what else or better yet, to whom does the sign point? If you are going to a destination and do not follow the signs you will become lost in life, but if you fail to follow the signs of Jesus, you are lost in death and tragically you are lost forever! Thousands witnessed Jesus' miracle of creating abundant bread and fish. Their stomachs were filled by this Man. They begin to reason that He must the the One Moses had spoken about. The bread multiplied by Jesus reminded them of the manna called down from Heaven by the prophet Moses. However as the writer of Hebrews says Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but (term of comparison - this change of direction potentially changes one's eternal destiny) Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. (Perseverance of the Saints) (Heb 3:5-6+) Recall that the Jews were well acquainted with the OT prophecy for earlier they had queried John the Baptist... They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” (ALLUDING TO THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY in Dt 18:15, 18-19) And he answered, “No.”(John 1:21+) They said, "This is truly (alethos) the Prophet (prophetes) Who is to come into the world - The Jews at least knew their OT prophecy and so in one sense their interpretation was "spot on," for Jesus was indeed the One about whom Moses had prophesied. They had the right Man, but the wrong role. They were looking for a political leader, not a Suffering Servant. They were looking for a physical Savior (a conquerer) not a suffering Savior. And so their interpretation was wrong. So here the people saw the bread sign and said truly (alethos) Jesus was the Prophet (definite article "the" is before "prophet" which indicates the specific prophet, the one prophesied of by Moses), whereas after walking on water and stilling the storm the twelve disciples "worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly (alethos) God’s Son!” The crowd saw the Prophet but missed the Son! This is truly the Prophet is a reference to Moses' prophecy (which indicates they were not ignorant of the Scriptures). "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him." 16 “This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 “The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. 18 ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, (MESSIANIC PROPHECY) and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 ‘It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. (Read this version to help understand - Dt 18:19NET) (Deuteronomy 18:15-19+ cf. Acts 3:20–22+, John 1:21; 7:40, 52). Comment - Recall that Jesus had declared to the Jews in John 5:46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me," and Dt 18 is a specific Messianic prophecy which Jesus fulfilled. Note the aspect of this prophecy which they missed (read it again - what did they miss?) They missed the critical warning that they would be held accountable and responsible if they did not pay attention to this Prophet's words! The NLT says it this way "I (YAHWEH) will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the Prophet proclaims on My behalf." (Dt 18:19NLT) Barton - Elisha foreshadowed this Prophet (who was one and the same as the Messiah) to come. According to 2Ki 4:42–44, Elisha fed one hundred men with twenty loaves (a 5:1 ratio). But Jesus fed five thousand with five loaves (a 1000:1 ratio)! In Isaiah 25:6–9, the prophet said that the Messiah would prepare a great feast for all people, Jews and Gentiles. This miracle shows Jesus to be the Messiah (ED: TO THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE!). (Life application study Bible, Gospel of John - Borrow)
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Ryle - Matthew and Mark both say that our Lord “constrained” (FORCED) them to embark in the ship and depart. He “obliged” or “compelled” them. He probably saw that in their ignorance of the spiritual nature of His kingdom they were ready to fall in with the wishes of the multitude, and to proclaim Him a king....Popularity and the good opinion of excited crowds are both worthless and temporary things. (John 6 Commentary) A T
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Ryle says "This would be more literally “the ship.” It seems to mean that particular vessel or fishing-boat which our Lord and His disciples always used on the lake of Galilee." The disciples obeyed Jesus' orders to leave for Mark 6:45+ teaches that "Immediately Jesus made (anagkazo - compelled) His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away." He was aware that the crowd was planning to make Him their king and the disciples might be lured into a similar mindset. As
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Ryle - Burkitt remarks that the position of the disciples, immediately tempest-tossed after witnessing and partaking in a mighty miracle, is an instructive type of the common experience of believers. After seasons of peculiar privileges there often come sharp trials of faith and patience. This sudden trial of faith by danger was no doubt intended to be a lesson to the disciples as to what they must expect in the exercise of their ministry. Affliction and crosses are the grindstones on which God is constantly sharpening those instruments which He uses most. (John 6 Commentary)
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Ryle adds that "John was there himself, and knew that excessive accuracy is sometimes suspicious, and looks like a made-up story. John 2:6 is a similar expression." (John 6 Commentary) John
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Ryle - For a solid body to walk on the face of the water as on dry land, is an entire suspension of what are called the laws of nature. It was, of course, as easy for Him by whom the waters were first created to walk upon them as to create them. But the whole proceeding was so entirely supernatural, that we can thoroughly understand the disciples being “afraid.” Nothing is found to alarm human nature so much as being suddenly brought into contact with anything apparently supernatural and belonging to another world, and especially in the night. The feelings called forth on such occasions, even in ungodly and irreligious men, are one of the strongest indirect proofs, that all men’s consciences recognize an unseen world. (John 6 Commentary) Gotquestions - why did they not recognize Jesus? The answer is they were not looking for Him. Had they been waiting by faith, they would have known Him instantly. Instead, they jumped to the false conclusion that His appearance was that of a ghost. The point is this: fear and faith cannot live in the same heart, for fear frequently blinds the eyes to the presence of the Lord. THOUGHT - Someone has written that fear is unwarranted where Jesus is present. Ponder that thought beloved. From the beginning to the end of our lives He is present. His Name at His birth (Mt 1:23+) was Immanuel "God with us." His promise before He left to ascend to His Father was "Lo, I am (present tense) with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mt 28:20). Do you believe Jesus' words? If I am honest, there are many times in my life when the winds and waves of adversity seemed like they would overwhelm me and sadly, I for the moment forgot the promises of His presence and His power. Lord, help us all to seize the words of truth "with you always even to the end" of our lives, so that we might fight by faith fearlessly through the many storms that assail each of us. In Your Name and for Your glory. Amen Henry
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Ryle comments on the veracity and importance of seeing this as a miracle, not a mirage or a misunderstanding by the disciples (that what they really saw was Jesus walking on the shore!)... If the disciples were “in the midst of the sea,” and two or three miles from shore, how could they possibly have seen our Lord walking on the shore? If it was “dark” when these things happened, it stands to reason that they could not distinguish anyone on shore, even supposing that they were not two miles off. If there was a heavy gale blowing, and the waves were rough, it is absurd to suppose that they could hold a conversation with anyone walking on shore. The plain truth is that it requires far more faith to accept such improbable and preposterous explanations as these, than to take the whole account simply as we find it, and to believe that a real mighty miracle was wrought.—Unless men are prepared to say that Matthew, Mark, and John, wrote accounts of the events of this night, which are incorrect, and not trustworthy, it is impossible for any honest and unprejudiced person to avoid the conclusion, that a miracle took place.—Of course, if Matthew, Mark, and John give incorrect accounts, and are not to be trusted here, they are not to be trusted anywhere, and all their records of our Lord’s doings and sayings become utterly worthless. This unhappily is the very result to which many would be glad to lead us. From denying all miracles to downright infidelity is nothing but a regular succession of steps. If a man begins with throwing overboard the miracles, he cannot stop logically till he has given up the Bible and Christianity. (John 6 Commentary) Alan Carr - Drawing near - He was already there: Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 1. In the darkest hour - Phil. 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 2. The thing they feared most brought him to them - Our need is evidence of His supply in waiting, and the guarantee of His presence! Phil. 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. God is committed to you! 3. When all possibility of human help was removed - John 6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. (Ill. 3 or 4 miles!); Heb. 11:1 God demands that He receive all the glory - Isa. 42:8; Ex. 20:5) 4. He came in His own time - God is seldom early, but He is never late! John Stevenson - I believe that there was something in the boat that should have comforted the disciples. There were 12 baskets of leftovers which bore mute testimony to the power and the compassion of God. When they looked at those 12 baskets, they should have realized that the God who provided for the needs of the multitudes would not fail to provide for them in the midst of this storm. We are guilty of the same thing. We have been blessed by the Lord in an abundant way. But when the storm comes, we forget. That is why we are instructed to remind one another. The world says, “Drink and forget your troubles.” Jesus says, “Drink and remember.” This storm was no accident. It started when the disciples got out into the middle of the Sea. It ended when Jesus got into the boat with the disciples. It had a script. It was there for a purpose and when that purpose was accomplished, the storm stopped. Storms are not very pleasant. They can be frightening. They are loud and wet and uncomfortable. But your storm is not an accident of nature. God has ordained your storm. It is His storm. He has a reason for it, even if you do not know what that reason is. And when that reason has been fulfilled, then your storm will end. Now I want to ask you a question. Why did Jesus come walking on the water? It is more than that He merely wanted to get to the other side. It is to teach the disciples something. But what is it? It is not to teach the disciples how to walk on water. They never learn to walk on water after this and most people running around today claiming to be able to perform miracles have problems with this one. (ED: SEE JOEL OSTEEN WALKING ON WATER...WELL, SORT OF) Jesus walks on water to prove to the disciples that He can. He can always do the impossible. Why do they need to know this? Because He is going to send them out to do the impossible, too. He is going to commission these very ordinary men to go out and make disciples of all men in every land. Impossible! They are not natural born leaders. They are not even seminary graduates. But they will accomplish the impossible. With God, all things are possible. Why do you need to know this? Because God has called you to do the impossible. He has called you to leave a clean life in a dirty world. He has called you to be a faithful witness of Him. He has called you to be Christ to the world. And He has shown you that this is possible because He is with you. John 6:20 But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." BGT John 6:20 ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε. KJV John 6:20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. NET John 6:20 But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." CSB John 6:20 But He said to them, "It is I. Don't be afraid!" ESV John 6:20 But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." NIV John 6:20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." NLT John 6:20 but he called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here! " NRS John 6:20 But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." NJB John 6:20 but he said, 'It's me. Don't be afraid.' NAB John 6:20 But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." YLT John 6:20 and he saith to them, 'I am he, be not afraid;' It is I: Ps 35:3 Isa 41:10,14 43:1,2 44:8 Mt 14:27-31 Mk 6:50 16:6 Rev 1:17,18 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 14:27+ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Mark 6:50+ for they all saw Him and were terrified (tarasso literally shaken or stirred up). But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." John 16:33+ “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage;(present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) I have overcome the world.” "I AM" ARRIVES BRINGING PEACE IN THE STORM! But He said to them, "It is I" - It is I is the phrase "ego eimi" What is the significance? This is the Name of God in His self disclosure to Moses from the midst of the burning bush in Lxx of Ex 3:14+. In short, it is the same as saying “the I AM is here” or “I, Yahweh, am here.” Surely Jesus utterance of these great words would have had a calming effect! When the Lord gave the Great Commission, He also gave the reassuring promise (Matt. 28:20), “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” That was David Livingstone’s verse as he endured countless hardships in the 19th century, trying to open the interior of Africa to the gospel. He said (A Frank Boreham Treasury, compiled by Peter Gunther p. 106), “On those words I staked everything, and they never failed! … It is the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor, so there’s an end of it!” When we experience Jesus’ presence in the middle of life’s storms, it calms our fears. -- Steven Cole Bruce Barton - The literal reading for “It is I” is “I am” (Greek, ego eimi); it is the same as saying “the I AM is here” or “I, Yahweh, am here” (see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the “I AM,” came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. Their need was real; their fear was real. But in the presence of Jesus, fear can be dismissed. (Life application study Bible, Gospel of John - Borrow) John Heading - In John 18:6, the same identifying title ("I Am") caused fear in the officers who fell backwards, but here this title brought peace. In Luke 24:39, the words “it is I myself” removed fear from the troubled hearts of the apostles, as on Patmos when John was revived by the announcement, “I am the first and the last” (Rev 1:17). (What the Bible Teaches - John) Steven Cole on It is I - “It is I” is literally, in Greek, “I am.” Some commentators say that this is the only way that a person could identify himself in Greek, so Jesus is not claiming to be Yahweh, who identified Himself to Moses as “I am” (Exod. 3:14+). But perhaps John, in light of his overall purpose, wants his readers to at least see a hint of this here. It is obviously Jesus’ point in John 8:58, where He says, “Before Abraham was born, I am.” Because of who He is, Jesus’ presence with us gives us comfort.
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Ryle says " Our Lord’s tenderness for His disciples’ feelings appears beautifully here. No sooner does He see fear than He proceeds to calm it. He assures them that the figure they see walking on the deep is no spirit or ghost,—no enemy or object of dread. It is their own beloved Master. His voice, well-known as it must have been, would, of course, help to calm their fears. Yet even that was not enough till Peter had said, “If it be thou, bid me come to thee.” The practical remark has often been made, that many of the things which now frighten Christians and fill them with anxiety, would cease to frighten them if they would endeavour to see the Lord Jesus in all, ordering every providence, and overruling everything, so that not a hair falls to the ground without Him. They are happy who can hear His voice through the thickest clouds and darkness, and above the loudest winds and storms, saying, “It is I; be not afraid.” It may be noted here that there seems to be no feeling or passion to which Christians are so liable as “fear.” There is none, certainly, against which our Lord so often exhorts His disciples. “Fear not:—be not afraid:—let not your heart be troubled:” are very common sayings of His. (John 6 Commentary) (See How to Handle Fear) We learn to know the value of Christ’s company, when we have it, by the discomfort we experience when we have it not. -- J C Ryle Rogers says - Now He didn't mean "I am of good cheer." He's saying don't be afraid, cheer up, I Am the Great I AM. That's literally what this word says in the Greek, I Am. "I Am" is the sacred name for deity. When Moses said, "Who shall I say sent me?" Yahweh said, "You tell them I AM sent you." "I was in existence when this wasn't even a vapor." The wind and the waves must obey their Master. Not "was" or "will be." He is always the Jesus of the here and now. The contemporary Christ. The Lord has always been "is" and always will be "is." He is the "I Am" in the midst of your storm. Your problems are but the pavement that brings Him to you. Your storm is a super highway. This speaks of His provision. This is an unfinished sentence. You fill in the blank. ("I Am _______.") "In Him we are complete." He is all that you will ever need. Not only is He necessary, He is enough. He is the great I AM. I found this, "To the Artist, He's altogether lovely. To the Architect, He's the Chief Cornerstone. To the Banker, He's the hidden treasure. To the Baker, He's the living bread. To the biologist, He is the life. To the builder, He is the Sure Foundation. To the doctor, He is the Great Physician. To the educator, He's the Great Teacher. To the farmer, He's the Lord of the Harvest. To the florist, He's the Rose of Sharon. To the geologist, He's the Rock of Ages. To the Jurist, He's the righteous judge. To the jeweler, He's the pearl of great price. To the lawyer, He's the advocate. To the publisher, He's the good tidings of great joy. To the philosopher, He's the wisdom of God. To the preacher, He's the Word of God. To the sculptor, He's the Living Stone. To the statesman, He's the Desire of All Nations. To the theologian, He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. To the traveler, He is the New and Living Way. To the sinner—that's us, folks—He's the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. To the Christian, He's the Son of the Living God, the Savior, the Redeemer and Lord. He is the Great I AM.
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Ryle - We learn from these words, that Christ’s offers to sinners are wide, broad, free, unlimited, and unconditional. We must take care that we do not spoil and hamper them by narrow statements. God’s election must never be thrust nakedly at unconverted sinners, in preaching the Gospel. It is a point with which at present they have nothing to do. No doubt it is true that none will come to Christ but those who are given to Him by the Father. But who those are that are so given we cannot tell, and must not attempt to define. All we have to do is to invite every one, without exception, to come to Christ, and to tell men that every one who does come to Christ shall be received and saved. To this point we must carefully stick. And the one who comes (erchomai) to Me - Don't miss the mysterious (to me) juxtaposition of God's sovereignty in our salvation (Father gives) and human responsibility which is clearly indicated by the two verbs will come...comes (See discussion above). Comes (erchomai) is in the present tense (continually comes) and the middle voice (we initiate the action and participate in the results). Note however there is a qualifier regarding this description of middle voice in this context. Yes we "initiate" the action to come. Yes it is a decision of our will to choose to come. But we would not initiate the action to come or decide to come unless the Holy Spirit had enabled us to do so. This is quite mysterious to me for we do not come to Jesus as robots but as men and women who make a choice of our free will to come and yet that choice is somehow energized by the Holy Spirit. Does this make sense? In my finite human mind, I cannot resolve this interaction of God's part and our part, and therefore I choose to believe it and wait for eternity future when this might be explained to us (but then again it might be one of the secret things of the LORD - Dt 29:29+). Brian Bell - There is a giant “Welcome mat” in front of Jesus’ house. Wipe your sins on the mat & come on in! :)
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Ryle - The expression “I will in no wise cast out,” implies this. It is a very powerful form of negation. “So far from casting out the man that comes to me, I will receive him with joy when he comes. I will not refuse him on account of past sins. I will not cast him off again because of present weaknesses and infirmities. I will keep him to the end by my grace. I will confess him before my Father in the judgment-day, and glorify him for ever. In short, I will do the very opposite of casting him out.” ILLUSTRATION - Adrian Rogers - There was a charming young lady: beautiful, talented, the life of the party in London. She was a pianist, a composer, a singer. She had everybody charmed that night because of her beauty, her grace, and her talent. She was playing and singing at the piano. But there was a minister there that night whose name was César Malan. And César Malan approached this young lady whose name was Charlotte Elliot. And he said to her: “My dear, you are graceful and charming and beautiful. But God has impressed me to tell you tonight that without Jesus Christ you are as lost as the worst harlot in London.” She took offense. He said, “Now, don’t take offense.” He said, “I’m not trying to insult you. I’m trying to tell you, Charlotte Elliot, that you need Jesus Christ. You need to be saved.” She left that glittering party, went up to her room, and tried to sleep. Ten, eleven, twelve, one, two in the morning—no sleep. At two in the morning, she arose and wrote for the first time words that many of us have said many times since that time: Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. —CHARLOTTE ELLIOT And Charlotte Elliot was born again. Cast out (throw, send, drive, take, put) (1544) ekbállō from ek = out + bállō = to cast, throw, drive) means to cast, throw out often with the idea of force (Mt. 8:12; 15:17; 25:30; Acts 16:37, 27:38; Lxx - Lev. 14:40). To throw out of an area or object, throw out, jettison (Mt 21:39 Acts 27:18). Frequently used of casting out demons (Mt 7:22, Mt 8:16, 31,9:34, 10:1, etc). Used of casting or throwing unbelievers into outer darkness (hell). In Luke 6:22 ekballo means to scorn one's name ("cast it out" so to speak). Mark 1:12 "Immediately the Spirit impelled Him (Jesus) to go out into the wilderness." Uses of ekballo in John's Gospel - Jn. 2:15; Jn. 6:37; Jn. 9:34; Jn. 9:35; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 12:31 = Satan will be cast out! Related Resources: How can I have assurance of my salvation? | GotQuestions.org What are some Bible verses about assurance? | GotQuestions.org
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Ryle - The expression, “I came down from heaven,” is a strong proof of the pre-existence of Christ. It could not possibly be said of any prophet or apostle, that he “came down from heaven.” It is a heavy blow at the Socinian theory that Christ was nothing more than a man. Not (ou = absolutely not) to do My own will (thelema), but the will (thelema) of Him Who sent Me - The Father's will was that the Son be the perfect Lamb (Jn 1:29+, cf Jn 4:34+), even as He Himself testified "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45+) Jesus will elaborate on the Father's will in the next passage. Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God; Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod. -- Marv Rosenthal
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Ryle - We have in these words the doctrine of the final perseverance of true believers. It seems hard to imagine stronger words than these to express the doctrine. It is the Father’s will that no one whom He has given to Christ should be lost. His will must surely take effect. True believers may err and fall in many things, but they shall never finally be cast away. The will of God the Father, and the power of Christ the Son, are both engaged on their side. We have in these words abundant comfort for all fearful and faint-hearted believers. Let such remember that if they “come” to Christ by faith, they have been “given” to Christ by the Father; and if given by the Father to Christ, it is the Father’s will that they should never be cast away. Let them lean back on this thought, when cast down and disquieted;—“It is the Father’s will that I should not be lost.” THOUGHT - Do you lack assurance of salvation? If you have truly believed in the Bread of Life, you can be absolutely sure that you will be saved to the uttermost and forever! Who is more powerful than the Creator Christ Jesus? No one. Who is more faithful than Jesus? No one. He has the omnipotent power to keep you eternally safe and secure. Let this truth be like a soft pillow for your head when you lay down at night. When I was about 7 years old, I was very afraid when it got dark and would pray "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to keep; If I should die before I 'wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take." I was not a believer at the time. Now I do not need to pray that prayer for I have no fear and no doubt that He will never lose me and He will take my soul to be with Him the moment I die! Brian Bell - Lose nothing - Jesus believes in the assurance of the believer! Take his word for it! This is Eternal security, sometimes called the “Perseverance of the saints”; more appropriately called, the “Preservation of the saints” (i.e. God preserves us!) Ps.145:20 The LORD preserves all who love Him But all the wicked He’ll destroy But raise it up (anistemi) on the last (eschatos) day - Raise up clearly refers to the resurrection and in context it refers to a resurrection of life, not judgment. While all who have ever lived and died will be resurrected, "and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (referring to the Great White Throne Judgment in Rev 20:11-15+)(Jn 5:29+) (See also Order of the Resurrections) What/When is the last (eschatos) day? First note that it is a key time phrase in John - with the exception of Jn 7:37 John's six other uses are all eschatological (referring to a future event) and surely all refer to the same event. The event Jesus refers to is His return and the climax of God's plan for mankind. (Note "Last day" should be distinguished from the similar phrase "The Last Days") John 6:39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. John 6:40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 7:37 (THIS IS NOT AN ESCHATOLOGICAL USE) Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. John 11:24 (THIS INDICATES THE JEWS HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAST DAY) Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” John 12:48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. J C Ryle - We have in these words the Father’s will that all Christ’s members shall have a glorious resurrection. They shall not only not be lost and cast away while they live: they shall be raised again to glory after they die. Christ will not only justify and pardon, keep and sanctify. He will do even more. He will raise them up at the last day to a life of glory. It is the Father’s will that He should do so. (See also First and Second Resurrections) Future security is the natural extension of present protection. The God Who watches over us now will continue to do so until “the last day.” - Cornerstone Biblical Commentary QUESTION - Perseverance of the Saints - is it biblical? ANSWER - Perseverance of the saints is the name that is used to summarize what the Bible teaches about the eternal security of the believer. It answers the question, “Once a person is saved, can he lose his salvation?” Perseverance of the saints is the P in the acronym TULIP, which is commonly used to enumerate what are known as the five points of Calvinism. Because the term “perseverance of the saints” can cause people to have the wrong idea about what is meant, some people prefer to use terms like “preservation of the saints,” “eternal security,” or “held by God.” Each of these terms reveals some aspect of what the Bible teaches about the security of the believer. However, like any biblical doctrine, what is important is not the name assigned to the doctrine but how accurately it summarizes what the Bible teaches about that subject. No matter which name you use to refer to this important doctrine, a thorough study of the Bible will reveal that, when it is properly understood, it is an accurate description of what the Bible teaches. The simplest explanation of this doctrine is the saying: “Once saved, always saved.” The Bible teaches that those who are born again will continue trusting in Christ forever. God, by His own power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, keeps or preserves the believer forever. This wonderful truth is seen in Ephesians 1:13-14, where we see that believers are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession, to the praise of His glory.” When we are born again, we receive the promised indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that is God’s guarantee that He who began a good work in us will complete it (Philippians 1:6). In order for us to lose our salvation after receiving the promised Holy Spirit, God would have to break His promise or renege on His “guarantee,” which He cannot do. Therefore, the believer is eternally secure because God is eternally faithful. The understanding of this doctrine really comes from understanding the unique and special love that God has for His children. Romans 8:28-39 tells us that 1) no one can bring a charge against God’s elect; 2) nothing can separate the elect from the love of Christ; 3) God makes everything work together for the good of the elect; and 4) all whom God saves will be glorified. God loves His children (the elect) so much that nothing can separate them from Him. Of course this same truth is seen in many other passages of Scripture as well. In John 10:27-30, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." Again, in John 6:37-47, we see Jesus stating that everyone who the Father gives to the Son will come to Him and He will raise all of them up at the last day. Another evidence from Scripture of the eternal security of a believer is found in John 5:24, where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Notice that eternal life is not something we get in the future but is something that we have once we believe. By its very nature, eternal life must last forever, or it could not be eternal. This passage says that, if we believe the gospel, we have eternal life and will not come into judgment; therefore, it can be said we are eternally secure. There is really very little scriptural basis that can be used to argue against the eternal security of the believer. While there are a few verses that, if not considered in their context, might give the impression that one could “fall from grace” or lose his salvation, when these verses are carefully considered in context it is clear that is not the case. Many people know someone who at one time expressed faith in Christ and who might have appeared to be a genuine Christian who later departed from the faith and now wants to have nothing to do with Christ or His church. These people might even deny the very existence of God. For those who do not want to accept what the Bible says about the security of the believer, these types of people are proof that the doctrine of eternal security cannot be right. However, the Bible indicates otherwise, and it teaches that people such as those who profess Christ as Savior at one time only to later walk away and deny Christ were never truly saved in the first place. For example, 1 John 2:19 says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out from us, in order that it might be made manifest that they all are not truly of us." The Bible is also clear that not everyone who professes to be a Christian truly is. Jesus Himself says that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-22). Rather than proving we can lose our salvation, those people who profess Christ and fall away simply reinforces the importance of testing our salvation to make sure we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) and making our calling and election sure by continually examining our lives to make sure we are growing in godliness (2 Peter 1:10). One of the misconceptions about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is that it will lead to “carnal Christians” who believe that since they are eternally secure they can live whatever licentious lifestyle they wish and still be saved. But that is a misunderstanding of the doctrine and what the Bible teaches. A person who believes he can live any way he wants because he has professed Christ is not demonstrating true saving faith (1 John 2:3-4). Our eternal security rests on the biblical teaching that those whom God justifies, He will also glorify (Romans 8:29-30). Those who are saved will indeed be conformed to the image of Christ through the process of sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11). When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit breaks the bondage of sin and gives the believer a new heart and a desire to seek holiness. Therefore a true Christian will desire to be obedient to God and will be convicted by the Holy Spirit when he sins. True Christians will never “live any way they want” because such behavior is impossible for someone who has been given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). Clearly, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does accurately represent what the Bible teaches on this important subject. If someone is truly saved, he has been made alive by the Holy Spirit and has a new heart with new desires. There is no way that one that has been “born again” can later be “unborn.” Because of His unique love for His children, God will keep all of His children safe from harm, and Jesus has promised that He would lose none of His sheep. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints recognizes that true Christians will always persevere and are eternally secure because God keeps them that way. It is based on the fact that Jesus, the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), is able to completely save those whom the Father has given Him (Hebrews 7:25) and to keep them saved through all eternity.
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Ryle - These words are repeated, I believe, in order to make it sure that a glorious resurrection shall be the portion of every one that only “looks” at Christ and believes, as well as of those who enjoy the “assurance” that they are given to Christ and shall never be cast away. The humblest believer shall be raised again by Christ at the first resurrection, and eternally glorified, just as certainly as the oldest saint in the family of God....Let us mark what abundant comfort there is in this verse for all doubting, trembling sinners, who feel their sins and yet fancy there is no hope for them. Let such observe that it is the will of God the Father, that “every one” who looks at Christ by faith may have everlasting life. It would be impossible to open a wider door. Let men look and live. The will of God is on their side. John Heading on the last day - It is an all-embracive term, including the time when the redeemed will be raised (used by the Lord four times in this discourse, Jn 6:39, 40, 44, 54, and by Martha, Jn 11:24), and also the time of the judgment of the unsaved at the great white throne (John 12:48). Scripture never confuses the first resurrection with the second raising that leads to “the second death” in Rev 20:6; Rev 21:8. Another expression, “the last days”, used by Paul in 2Ti 3:1, refers to the end period of the present church (What the Bible Teaches - John) Beholds (observes) (2334) theoreo from theaomai = to look at closely or attentively or contemplatively - even with a sense of wonder; cp theoros = a spectator) (Gives us English = theater, theorize) usually refers to physical sight but can also refer to perception and understanding. It means to gaze, to look with interest and purpose, to carefully examine with emphasis on or attention to details. To behold intensely or attentively. Our English word scrutinize conveys this sense, for it means to examine closely and minutely. To observe something with sustained attention, be a spectator and includes the thought of coming to the understanding of something. Theoreo in some contexts can include the idea of to behold with amazement. For example, in Mark 5:15 theoreo is not translated merely "see" but "observe" for as
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Ryle - Until the Father draws the heart of man by His grace, man will not believe....The nature of man since the fall is so corrupt and depraved, that even when Christ is made known and preached to him, he will not come to Him and believe in Him without the special grace of God inclining his will, and giving him a disposition to come. Moral suasion and advice alone will not bring him. He must be “drawn.” This is no doubt a very humbling truth, and one which in every age has called forth the hatred and opposition of man. The favourite notion of man is that he can do what he likes, repent or not repent, believe or not believe, come to Christ or not come,—entirely at his own discretion. In fact man likes to think that his salvation is in his own power. Such notions are flatly contradictory to the text before us. The words of our Lord here are clear and unmistakeable, and cannot be explained away. This doctrine of human impotence, whether man likes it or not, is the uniform teaching of the Bible. The natural man is dead, and must be born again, and brought to life. (Ephesians 2:1.) He has neither knowledge, nor faith, nor inclination toward Christ, until grace comes into his heart. Man never of himself begins with God. God must first begin with man. And this beginning is just the “drawing” of the text....It is a drawing which a Father effects through the man’s own will, by creating a new principle within him. By the unseen agency of the Holy Ghost, He works on the man’s heart, without the man himself knowing it at the time, inclines him to think, induces him to feel, shows him his sinfulness, and so leads him at length to Christ Every one that comes to Christ is so drawn. In another note Ryle says "This is, no doubt, a very humbling truth, and one which in every age has called forth the hatred and opposition of man. The favorite notion of man is that he can do what he likes—repent or not repent, believe or not believe, come to Christ or not come—entirely at his own discretion. In fact, man likes to think that his salvation is in his own power. Such notions are flatly contradictory to the text before us. The words of our Lord here are clear and unmistakable and cannot be explained away…. Man never of himself begins with God. God must first begin with man. And this beginning is just the “drawing” of the text." Colin Kruse - In the Old Testament God ‘draws’ people to himself with ‘unfailing kindness’ (Jer. 31:3; cf. Hos. 11:4). Here, however, the Father draws people to his Son, and unless he does so no-one can come to him. (Borrow The Gospel According to John : An Introduction and Commentary) R C H
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Ryle puts it (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels), “We may eat the Lord’s Supper, and yet not eat and drink Christ’s body and blood. We may eat and drink Christ’s body and blood, and yet not eat the Lord’s Supper.” The main problem with the Catholic and Orthodox view of transubstantiation (the communion elements actually become Christ’s body and blood) is that it takes literally words that were obviously meant as symbolic. True, Jesus said (Matt. 26:26), “This is My body.” But He also said (John 10:9), “I am the door.” John 15:1, “I am the true vine.” Nobody takes those statements literally. Jesus clearly meant them symbolically. There are other reasons for rejecting the view that the communion elements actually become the body and blood of Jesus. But it’s obvious that Jesus’ words in John 6 to these unbelieving Jews, spoken at least one year before He instituted the Lord’s Supper, have nothing to do with that ordinance. True, there are parallels that we can draw between the Lord’s Supper as later instituted and Jesus’ words here. As Colin Brown puts it (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology [Zondervan], 2:535), “John 6 is not about the Lord’s Supper; rather, the Lord’s Supper is about what is described in John 6.” By comparing parallel verses in John 6, we can determine what Jesus meant by the metaphor of eating His flesh and drinking His blood: Flesh (4561) sarx is used 147 times in the NT and a simple definition of sarx is difficult because sarx has many nuances (e.g., some Greek lexicons list up to 11 definitions for sarx!). Flesh of a living creature is the primary meaning in John 6 where it is a keyword - Jn. 6:51; Jn. 6:52; Jn. 6:53; Jn. 6:54; Jn. 6:55; Jn. 6:56; Jn. 6:63 and all uses refer to the flesh (body) of Jesus except Jn 6:63 where it is used for that which is merely external or only apparent, in opposition to what is spiritual and real (cf Jn 8:15; 1Co 1:26; 2Co 5:16; Eph 6:5; Col 3:22; Phile 1:16) Friberg - flesh; (1) literally, as the muscular part that covers the bones of a human or animal body flesh (1Co 15.39); (2) by synecdoche, the physical body as a whole body, flesh (Acts 2.31); (3) as a human being person, man (of flesh and blood) (Jn 1.14); (4) euphemistically, as the seat of the sexual or procreative drive flesh (Jn 1.13); (5) as relating to the earthly sphere of existence human or mortal nature, earthly descent, blood relation (Ro 4.1); ethnic group, race (Ro 11.14); (6) as distinguishing the corruptible from the incorruptible part of man corporeality, earthly life, physical limitation (1Co 7.28; Col 1.22); (7) in a negative sense, the external side of life as an object of trust flesh (Php 3.3); kata. sarka from a (purely) human point of view, by human standards, as far as outward circumstances are concerned (Jn 8.15; 2Co 11.18); (8) in an ethical sense in Paul's epistles; (a) as a sinful and sensual power tending toward sin and opposing the Spirit's working flesh (Ro 7.25; Gal 5.17 ), opposite pneuma (spirit); (b) as life apart from the Spirit of God and controlled by sin in its expressions flesh (Ro 7.5; 8.9) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Sarx in John's Gospel - Jn. 1:13; Jn. 1:14; Jn. 3:6; Jn. 6:51; Jn. 6:52; Jn. 6:53; Jn. 6:54; Jn. 6:55; Jn. 6:56; Jn. 6:63; Jn. 8:15; Jn. 17:2; A Feast of Love I am the living bread that came down from heaven. John 6:51 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 6:47–59 In the Danish film Babette’s Feast, a French refugee appears in a coastal village. Two elderly sisters, leaders of the community’s religious life, take her in, and for fourteen years Babette works as their housekeeper. When Babette comes into a large sum of money, she invites the congregation of twelve to join her for an extravagant French meal of caviar, quail in puff pastry, and more. As they move from one course to the next, the guests relax; some find forgiveness, some find love rekindled, and some begin recalling miracles they’d witnessed and truths they’d learned in childhood. “Remember what we were taught?” they say. “Little children, love one another.” When the meal ends, Babette reveals to the sisters that she spent all she had on the food. She gave everything—including any chance of returning to her old life as an acclaimed chef in Paris—so that her friends, eating, might feel their hearts open. How has God satisfied your hunger? What might it look like for you to give sacrificially? Jesus, thank You for giving Your body and blood for us. Eat This Bread Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel. —Micah 5:2 Today's Scripture: Matthew 26:20-30 Christmas isn’t the time of year when our thoughts naturally turn to the Last Supper—or what the Jews called Passover. But that particular Passover is critical to Christmas. After breaking bread and giving it to His disciples, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Matt. 26:26). Breaking bread was a traditional part of Passover, but adding “this is my body” was a striking departure from the familiar liturgy. The disciples must have been bewildered. Later the meaning became clear. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means “house of Bread.” He was laid in a manger—a feeding trough. He once said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh” (John 6:51). The prophet Micah indicated that One born in Bethlehem would rule over Israel (5:2). But not until Jesus came did anyone realize the uniqueness of this Kingdom. Christ’s rule would not be imposed upon anyone; it would be imparted to those who accepted this new citizenship. Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me, Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me; Give me to eat and live with Thee above, Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love. —Lathbury Only Christ the Living Bread can satisfy our spiritual hunger. John 6:52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" BGT John 6:52 Ἐμάχοντο οὖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· πῶς δύναται οὗτος ἡμῖν δοῦναι τὴν σάρκα [αὐτοῦ] φαγεῖν; KJV John 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? NET John 6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" CSB John 6:52 At that, the Jews argued among themselves, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" ESV John 6:52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" NIV John 6:52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" NLT John 6:52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked. NRS John 6:52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" NJB John 6:52 Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' NAB John 6:52 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" YLT John 6:52 The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us his flesh to eat?' began to argue: John 6:41 7:40-43 9:16 10:19 How: John 3:4,9 4:11 Ac 17:32 1Co 2:14 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries OPEN CONTENTION AT THOUGHT OF CANNIBALISM! Then - This is a time sensitive word and in this context marks progression in the narrative. Recall that earlier the Jews were grumbling and now they are arguing. Soon they will be leaving! The Jews (Ioudaios) began to argue (machomai) with one another - The verb for argue (machomai) depicts a violent argument breaking out. Argue is in the picturesque imperfect tense depicting a back and forth argument, arguing again and again. What a picture of this large crowd gesticulating back and forth! They surely knew Jesus was not calling for them to be cannibals, but they could not grasp His metaphorical meaning so they had word fights! Jesus was speaking spiritual truth, but they did not have eyes or ears to understand and were still thinking He was speaking literally which to them was absurd! This theme of failure of the Jews to understand Jesus' spiritual truths is repeated throughout John (Jn 6:42; Jn 3:4, 9; Jn 4:11-12; Jn 9:16; Jn 12:34). When one is without spiritual perception, spiritual truth makes no sense, but seems like nonsense! -- 1 Corinthians 2:14+ A T Robertson on began to argue - imperfect (inchoative) middle of machomai, to fight in armed combat (Acts 7:26), then to wage a war of words as here and 2 Tim. 2:24. They were already murmuring (John 6:41), now they began bitter strife with one another over the last words of Jesus (John 6:43-51), some probably seeing a spiritual meaning in them. There was division of opinion about Jesus in Jerusalem also later (John 7:12, 40; John 9:16; John 10:19)....The mystical appropriation of Christ by the believer (Gal 2:20; Eph 3:17) they could not comprehend. D A Carson - The Jews began to argue sharply among themselves. The verb (emachonto) is very strong. Any dullard could see that Jesus was not speaking literally: no-one would suppose Jesus was seriously advocating cannibalism and offering himself as the first meal. But if his language was figurative, what did he mean? Perhaps one argued for this view, another for that, all of them repeating the same literal, unintelligent question to get at the point: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (Borrow The Gospel according to John or see The Gospel According to John scroll up and down for more text) William MacDonald on the Jews (Ioudaios) - Their thoughts were unable to rise above the things of this life. They did not realize that the Lord Jesus was using physical things to teach spiritual truths. (Borrow Believer's Bible Commentary) Jewish New Testament Commentary (borrow) - Because of what Yeshua said here the grumbling (v. 42) quickly became disputing (v. 52), then a hard word they couldn't bear to listen to (v. 60), and finally an insuperable barrier for many of his talmidim (Hebrew for disciple) (not merely his casual hearers), who turned back and no longer traveled around with him (v. 66). Dods comments that “They differed in their judgment of Him. Some impatiently denounced Him as insane; others suggesting that there was truth in His words.” Saying, "How can this man give us His flesh (sarx) to eat (esthio) - We are reminded of Nicodemus' literalistic response in Jn 3:4, 9, but here the Jews are expressing "scornful disbelief" ("this man" is contemptuous - cf how they addressed Him in Jn 6:42) in contrast to the attitude of Nicodemus. What does their question say about their understanding of Jesus' words? Clearly their understanding is fleshly (natural) regarding Jesus' "flesh"! It is as if they thought Jesus was calling them to be cannibals! While literal interpretation of the Scripture is the preferred approach, in this context it was not! They were interpreting Jesus' figurative language literally resulting in misinterpretation! They had failed to see Jesus line of reasoning in the previous passages. They are still thinking of their bellies, but, on the other hand, none of them wanted to be a cannibal! They could not understand because they had become dull and could not see, hear or understand spiritual truth (see Mt 13:15, Jn 12:40).
João 6
Ryle comments on 6:44 (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:385): Our Lord … desired to magnify their danger and guilt and to make them see that faith in Him was not so easy an affair as they supposed. It was not knowledge of His origin alone, but the drawing grace of God the Father which they needed. Let them awake to see that, and cry for grace before it was too late. The general lesson of the sentence … is one of vast importance. Our Lord lays down the great principle: “That no man whatsoever can come to Christ by faith, and really believe in Him, unless God the Father draws him so to come and inclines his will to believe.” The nature of man since the fall is so corrupt and depraved that even when Christ is made known and preached to him, he will not come to Him and believe in Him without the special grace of God inclining his will and giving him a disposition to come…. This is, no doubt, a very humbling truth, and one which in every age has called forth the hatred and opposition of man. The favorite notion of man is that he can do what he likes—repent or not repent, believe or not believe, come to Christ or not come—entirely at his own discretion. In fact, man likes to think that his salvation is in his own power. Such notions are flatly contradictory to the text before us. The words of our Lord here are clear and unmistakable and cannot be explained away…. Man never of himself begins with God. God must first begin with man. And this beginning is just the “drawing” of the text. So Jesus is saying to them (in Jn 6:44), “I know why you’re grumbling. I know why you don’t believe in Me. You’re got a desperate problem that only God can solve. You cannot come to Me unless the Father draws you.” He’s stripping them of their proud spiritual self-confidence, which is the opposite of trusting in Christ for salvation. B. Unbelieving skeptics need to realize their inability to come to Christ apart from the Father’s powerful drawing. Some who argue that God does not force Himself on anyone, but that we all must make our own decision to believe in Jesus, say that God’s “drawing” means that He woos sinners, much as a young man woos a woman to decide to marry him. But the Greek word is used in John 21:6,11 of the disciples dragging the net full of fish into the boat and then to the shore. They didn’t woo those fish to please decide to jump into the net and then to cooperate by wiggling their way onto shore! The word is also used of Paul and Silas being dragged to the authorities in Philippi after they cast the demon out of the slave girl (Acts 16:19). And, Paul was dragged out of the temple by the angry mob in Jerusalem (Acts 21:30). Obviously, they weren’t “wooing” him! Leon Morris (Borrow The Gospel according to John p. 371, note 110) points out that there is always the idea of resistance with the use of this verb, but that there is not one example in the New Testament where the resistance was successful. He says, “Always, the drawing power is triumphant, as here.” A. W. Pink (Christ in the Capernaum Synagogue John 6:41-59) describes this drawing: It is the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the self-righteousness of the sinner, and convicting him of his lost condition. It is the Holy Spirit awakening within him a sense of need. It is the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the pride of the natural man, so that he is ready to come to Christ as an empty-handed beggar. It is the Holy Spirit creating within him a hunger for the bread of life. Note that the drawing of which Jesus speaks here is effectual. It results in the sinner actually coming to Jesus in saving faith. Jesus states in 6:44 that He will raise up the one who is drawn to Him on the last day (Jn 6:40 shows that He means, “raise up to eternal life”). And, in 6:45 Jesus reinforces that this is effectual when He says, “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” It is the same unbroken chain of redemption that Paul outlines (Rom. 8:29-30): “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Jesus makes a third point here: C. Unbelieving skeptics need to realize that the Scriptures are the only source for the truth about Jesus that leads to salvation (Jn 6:45). John 6:45: “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” Jesus is referring to Isaiah 54:13 (and perhaps also to Jeremiah 31:34) to show these proud skeptics that their own Scriptures supported Jesus’ point in Jn 6:44. The “all” in the quote refers to true believers, as the second half of the verse shows. God draws all whom He draws to believe in Jesus by teaching them through His Word. The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to open blind eyes to see the beauty of Jesus so that formerly resistant sinners are drawn to Him. You can know that you’ve been taught of God when you lay aside all self-confidence and come in faith to Jesus as the Savior of whom all Scripture speaks. Again, Jesus is stripping these proud skeptics of their own intellect or power of reason as the basis for salvation. If someone can reason his way to salvation, he will take pride in his reason. But Jesus is saying that the truth about Him is contained in God’s written Word and that no one has the mental capacity to understand that truth unless God teaches it to him. As John the Baptist said (John 3:27), “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” Or, as Jesus told Peter after he made his famous confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:17), “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” If you’re proud of your spiritual knowledge, even if you are truly born again, you don’t know what you think you know. Genuine spiritual knowledge always humbles you in the presence of God and causes you to wonder why He ever chose to reveal Christ to your soul. The more you know, the more you realize how little you really know. Thus Christ witnessed to these skeptics by confronting their attitude and by stripping them of all spiritual self-confidence. 3. Christ witnessed to skeptics by pointing them to faith in Himself as their only hope of eternal life (Jn 6:46-47). Briefly, there are two points here: A. Christ witnessed to skeptics by showing them that He is the only one through whom we can know the Father (Jn 6:46). John 6:46: “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” This repeats the truth that John stated in the prologue (1:18), “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Jesus is the only one who can reveal and mediate the Father to us (Luke 10:22; John 14:6, 9). We cannot come to the Father through mysticism, philosophy, or human reason. We can only come to the Father through Jesus. B. Christ encouraged skeptics with the promise that whoever believes in Him has eternal life as a present possession (Jn 6:47). John 6:47: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” (The earliest manuscripts omit “in Me” after “believes.”) By again saying, “Truly, truly” (6:26, 32), Jesus was calling their attention to His next words. He is describing those who have eternal life: They believe in Him. I agree with D. A. Carson (Borrow The Gospel according to John, p. 294), Notwithstanding the strong note of predestinarian thought in the preceding verses, this is an implicit invitation to believe, and an implicit warning against unbelief. In this context, it strips the would-be disciple of all pretensions, of all self-congratulation, of all agendas save those laid down by Jesus himself. Those who believe … cannot approach Jesus as if they are doing him a favor …. They must believe—but they do so on his terms, and by his grace. “Believes” is a present participle, which indicates that we don’t just believe in Jesus at the point of salvation, but as an ongoing, daily matter. The moment you believe you have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus says of His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:28), “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” That invitation extends to you. You don’t have to put your brain on the shelf to believe in Jesus. But you do have to confront your arrogant, grumbling, skeptical attitude. You do have to be stripped of all self-confidence that you are able in and of yourself to make a rational decision to come to Christ. There is more than sufficient apostolic testimony to the truth about Jesus. But to come in faith to Him, you must cry out to the Father to do a sovereign work of grace in your heart. He must draw you to Jesus. Conclusion C. H.
João 6
Ryle puts it (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels), “We may eat the Lord’s Supper, and yet not eat and drink Christ’s body and blood. We may eat and drink Christ’s body and blood, and yet not eat the Lord’s Supper.” The main problem with the Catholic and Orthodox view of transubstantiation (the communion elements actually become Christ’s body and blood) is that it takes literally words that were obviously meant as symbolic. True, Jesus said (Matt. 26:26), “This is My body.” But He also said (John 10:9), “I am the door.” John 15:1, “I am the true vine.” Nobody takes those statements literally. Jesus clearly meant them symbolically. There are other reasons for rejecting the view that the communion elements actually become the body and blood of Jesus. But it’s obvious that Jesus’ words in John 6 to these unbelieving Jews, spoken at least one year before He instituted the Lord’s Supper, have nothing to do with that ordinance. True, there are parallels that we can draw between the Lord’s Supper as later instituted and Jesus’ words here. As Colin Brown puts it (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology [Zondervan], 2:535), “John 6 is not about the Lord’s Supper; rather, the Lord’s Supper is about what is described in John 6.” By comparing parallel verses in John 6, we can determine what Jesus meant by the metaphor of eating His flesh and drinking His blood: B. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood refer to believing in or appropriating personally His death on the cross as your only hope for eternal life. Note these parallels: In John 6:40, Jesus says, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” The requirement for eternal life is to behold the Son and to believe in Him. The promised results are that a believer has eternal life and Jesus will raise him up on the last day. In Jn 6:54, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” These are exactly the same results as in Jn 6:40, but instead of beholding the Son and believing in Him, Jesus substitutes eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Since things equal to the same thing are equal to each other, eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood refer to believing personally in His death on the cross as your only hope for eternal life. Why would Jesus use such graphic language as eating His flesh and drinking His blood to describe believing in Him? Perhaps one reason is that He was making it clear to these Jews who wanted Him to be a political Messiah that He wasn’t that kind of Messiah. He came the first time to give His life as an offering for our sins. He will come the second time as the conquering King to rule in power and judge the nations (Rev. 19:15). But the first time, He was the Passover Lamb of God (John 1:29), offered up so that His blood would protect those who applied it to their lives. The Jews were very familiar with eating the Passover lamb. By shocking them with this graphic language and applying it to Himself, those who were true seekers for eternal life would be jarred into realizing that their main need was not for a Messiah to give them literal bread, but for one to give them the bread of eternal life. They needed Jesus as their Passover Lamb. In Jn 6:51, Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” By giving His flesh, Jesus was referring to His upcoming death. No one took His life from Him; rather, He gave it on His own initiative (John 10:18). Also, the bread analogy pictures death. As Jesus says (John 12:24), “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” To make bread, the grain of wheat had to die. Then, the fruit of the grain had to be plucked, crushed, and made into flour before it was baked into bread. Even so, Jesus had to die in order to be the bread that gives eternal life to those who eat it in faith. Pink suggests that “eating” looks back to Adam and Eve. Their eating the forbidden fruit plunged the human race into sin and judgment. Now, eating Christ, the “tree of life,” liberates us from the curse that came on us with Adam’s fall. Perhaps another reason that Jesus uses the graphic language, especially the part about drinking His blood, is that it puts the offense of the cross in full view. Drinking or eating blood was highly offensive to a Jew (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 7:26-27). But when they start arguing among themselves about how “this man” (probably a derogatory term) can give them His flesh to eat (John 6:52), which was offensive enough, Jesus doesn’t explain it in less offensive terms. Rather, it’s like He pokes them in the eye by adding to eating His flesh the gross picture of drinking His blood! But the Bible is clear (Heb. 9:22), “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Have you ever thought about how bloody the Jewish religion was, with the slaughter of bulls and goats and rams? We got a little glimpse of that when we visited our daughter and her family in a Muslim area of Central Asia, where they were slaughtering sheep on the sidewalk as we walked by. It isn’t pretty! But to be the complete and final sacrifice for our sin, Jesus’ blood had to be shed. If Jesus is just your moral example, but not your sacrificial Lamb, then He is not your Savior from sin. So, to be clear: Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood refer to believing in and personally appropriating His death on the cross as your only hope for eternal life. Thus, C. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood are how you gain eternal life. This is not just a matter of how to have a happier life. It’s a matter of eternal life or eternal death. In Jn 6:49-51, Jesus contrasts the manna, which only fed the people physically for a while and then they died with Himself as the living bread that came down out of heaven to give eternal life to people through His flesh. Religious rituals cannot not bring eternal life to anyone. Apart from Jesus’ sacrificial death, He cannot be the bread that gives eternal life to us. So to gain eternal life, you must eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood, which primarily means, to believe in Him personally. But let’s think about the eating and drinking analogy further so that we understand what saving faith means (Pink develops some of these points). First, eating is a necessary response to a felt need. You eat when you feel hungry and you drink when you feel thirsty. If you go long enough without eating or drinking, you will die. But, the world feeds us with all sorts of things that mask our true hunger and thirst. It feeds us with money and possessions and sex under the illusion that these will satisfy us, but those things get left behind at death. Sometimes the world deceives us with legitimately good things, like family and friends, to make us feel full and happy. But the best family and friends will not do us any good when we stand before God at the judgment. Those are not true food. Jesus says (Jn 6:55), “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” The Holy Spirit has to impress on us the vanity of life apart from God and convict us of our true guilt before God so that we will hunger and thirst for the eternal life that only Jesus can give. Second, eating and drinking only benefit you when you actually eat and drink. It doesn’t do you any good to smell a good meal or to analyze it chemically or to write flowery poems about how wonderful it is. You’ve got to eat it. Also, it must be personal. I can’t eat it for you. Your parents can’t eat it for you. You must eat your own food. In the same way, you have to appropriate Christ for yourself by faith. You must not only believe that He is the Savior. You must believe that He is your Savior. You must trust in His death on the cross as the penalty for your sins. You must receive or appropriate Him into your innermost being, just like you eat food and drink water to live. Feeding on Jesus by faith is necessary for eternal life. 2. Feeding on Jesus by faith is necessary for temporal sustenance. In Jn 6:56, Jesus states, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” Here Jesus mentions the intimate union that takes place between Him and the one who feeds on him by faith. (He will explain this further to the disciples in Jn 15:1-11.) The Greek verb for “eats” is a present participle, looking at the ongoing, close relationship between Jesus and the one who feeds on Him. When you eat food, it literally becomes a part of you. When you feed on Christ by faith, you become more like Him and you enjoy a close relationship with Him. Also, in Jn 6:57 Jesus emphasizes the intimacy that we enjoy with Him: “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.” J. C. Ryle explains (ibid., 3:404), It is as though our Lord said: “Just as the Father sent Me into the world to be born of a woman and take the manhood into God—and even though I am among you as man, I live in the closest union and communion with God—even so the man that by faith feeds his soul on my sacrifice for sin shall live in the closest union and communion with Me.” In a word, the union between Christ and the true Christian is as real and true and close and inseparable as the union between God the Father and God the Son. The implication here is that we should eat often. Most of us eat three meals a day, sometimes with snacks in between. If you were a prisoner of war, you might survive on a cup of rice or a piece of bread and some water every day. But if you survived, you would come out of that camp emaciated, weak, and vulnerable to disease. To be healthy, you have to eat nutritious food several times a day. Also, it is helpful to eat at regular times. Don’t wait until you’re starving to eat, but eat at set times. Dietary experts say that breakfast is the most important meal not to skip. Likewise, it’s spiritually healthy to spend at least a short time each morning feeding your soul on Christ. I’m not a morning person, so it’s hard for me. But I set my alarm a half hour earlier than I need to and spend that time reading God’s Word and often praying it back to Him. One final thought: You can’t overeat when it comes to feeding on Jesus! When we sit down to a holiday feast, it all tastes so good that it’s easy to eat more than you should. But with Jesus, you can eat and eat and eat, and it won’t adversely affect your health. In fact, the more of Jesus that you feed on, the healthier you will be! Thus, feeding on Jesus by faith is necessary for eternal life and for temporal sustenance. 3. Feeding on Jesus by faith is necessary for temporal and eternal satisfaction. In Matthew’s account (Mt 14:20) of the feeding of the 5,000, he says, “And they all ate and were satisfied.” There is a satisfaction factor about eating, isn’t there? That’s why we overeat—because it tastes so good and it’s pleasurable. Good bread nourishes and sustains life, but also it’s enjoyable. To smell bread baking in the oven and then to butter and eat a warm slice—ah! Even so, feeding on Jesus by faith is enjoyable in this life and it will continue in His eternal presence, where, as David exults (Ps. 16:11), “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Conclusion Yet, as John Calvin laments (Calvin’s Commentaries), “How few are there who are satisfied with Christ alone!” How about you? Are you satisfied with Christ alone? Do you feed on His death for you as your only hope of eternal life? Do you feed on Him daily in His Word as nourishment for your soul? Do you enjoy all that He is for you, both now and for eternity? If not, the answer is fairly simple: Change your diet! Application Questions Biblically, what is the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper? How can we keep it fresh when we repeat it so often? A Christian tells you, “I try to read the Bible every day, but it often seems so dry and boring.” How could you help him? I mentioned two reasons why Jesus may have used such graphic language that He knew would shock His hearers. Can you think of any other reasons? Discuss: Should you read the Bible and pray as a regular discipline even when you may not feel the delight? How can you keep the “delight” factor burning strong? John 6:60-71 The Antidote to Spiritual Defection, Part 1 If you’ve been a Christian for a while, you’ve known people who professed faith in Christ, who seemed to follow Him for some time, but then they fell away. In some cases, they have even served in the ministry. I’ve known pastors, including the pastor who baptized me, who have left the ministry, turned away from the Lord, and lived as unbelievers. Often, the cause of spiritual defection is moral failure, as it was with my former pastor. In other cases, the defection may be due to unresolved doubts or unanswered hard questions about the Bible, such as: How do you resolve the seeming contradictions in the Bible? How can you reconcile the creation account with modern science? How can a loving and powerful God permit all the evil that goes on in the world? If God loves everyone, why doesn’t He let them all hear the gospel? If God is sovereign, then aren’t we just a bunch of robots with no free will? We could go on and on with the difficult issues that cause some to defect from the faith. But let’s bring it a little closer to home: If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you have faced difficult issues that have challenged your faith. Maybe it was some of the hard questions that I just mentioned. Or, maybe you prayed for something that seemed to be in God’s will and for His glory, but He did not answer favorably. Perhaps you trusted some promise in the Bible, but it didn’t work out the way that you had expected. Maybe you’ve had to suffer some illness that has greatly hindered your ability to serve the Lord. Perhaps a spouse or Christian friend betrayed you. Maybe your children, whom you love sacrificially and taught God’s ways, have rejected both God and you. How do you handle these kinds of hard trials and disappointments? What do you do when those you love turn away from Christ? In short, how do you persevere in your faith when you encounter things in the Bible or in your own experience that don’t make sense? What is the antidote to spiritual defection? Our text reports the aftermath of Jesus’ feeding the 5,000 and His discourse in the synagogue in Capernaum on being the bread of life (Jn 6:60): “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?’” Jesus’ reply to their grumbling (in Jn 6:61-65) did not placate them (Jn 6:66): “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” Also, John twice (Jn 6:64, 70-71) mentions Judas, one of the twelve, who would soon betray Jesus. So there were many spiritual defections among those who had professed to be disciples of Jesus, including Judas. But in contrast, when Jesus asks the twelve (Jn 6:67), “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Peter gives a great reply (Jn 6:68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” So we have here the antidote to spiritual defection: Persevering faith in God’s Word and in God’s Son is the antidote to spiritual defection. In Hebrews 10:36, the writer tells his readers, who were enduring severe trials as Christians and were tempted to go back to Judaism, “You have need of endurance.” Then he proceeds to give them an entire chapter that shows how the saints of old endured by faith. We need faith in God’s Word and faith in His Son if we want to persevere and not fall away. In this message, I can only deal with faith in God’s Word. We’ll look at faith in God’s Son next time. 1. Persevering faith in God’s Word is the antidote to spiritual defection. But to begin, we need to acknowledge: A. There are hard truths in God’s Word that must be submitted to, even if you don’t understand or like them. The Jews in John 6 had eaten the miraculous bread and fish. As a result, they sought out Jesus after He returned to Capernaum, but they sought Him for the wrong reason. They wanted a political Messiah who would provide freedom from Rome’s yoke, peace, and prosperity. But they stumbled over Jesus’ claim that He was the bread of life that came down out of heaven (Jn 6:35, 41). They knew Him as the young man that grew up in Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary. So they couldn’t accept His claim to have come down out of heaven. Jesus confronted their grumbling and told them that they were unable to come to Him unless the Father drew them (Jn 6:43-44). He proceeded to emphasize repeatedly that He was the bread out of heaven and that He would give His flesh for the life of the world (Jn 6:48-51). But this caused more grumbling (Jn 6:52): “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” In response (6:53-58), Jesus didn’t back off, but in graphic language He told them over and over that they must not only eat His flesh, but also drink His blood to have eternal life. This led to the response of many of His disciples (Jn 6:60), “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” As good Jews, they were grossed out over the thought of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood. They thought that their Jewish religion and heritage were good enough to commend them to God. They didn’t see their need for a Savior from sin, who had to die as their Passover lamb. So they grumbled. But Jesus didn’t back off. He was saying, “You must trust in My sacrificial death on your behalf.” Note that they didn’t come to Jesus with teachable hearts, saying, “Lord, we’re confused. Can you help us understand?” Rather, John says (Jn 6:61) that Jesus was conscious that they were grumbling at His teaching, implying that it was among themselves. But He doesn’t soften His earlier statements or explain things to them, because they didn’t have teachable hearts, seeking to understand these truths that they didn’t like so that they could obey. Rather, they were sitting in judgment on Jesus: “He’s that kid from Nazareth, whose parents we know! How can He gross us out with all this talk about eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Our views are what normal people think; it’s Jesus who is crazy!” In the same way, I’ve seen people who get offended by something that I say, but they never come and talk with me to get the matter cleared up. They don’t want to change their minds or learn new things from God’s Word. They don’t have a teachable heart in submission to God’s Word. Rather, they sit in judgment on what they heard, leave, and go find a pastor who agrees with them. If you come to God’s Word with that kind of attitude, you won’t grow in your walk with God. You may not like what the Bible says about God sovereignly choosing some for salvation and passing over others, but Jesus repeatedly teaches that in this chapter and it’s taught from Genesis to Revelation. The starting place for growing in the Lord when His Word confronts you with things you don’t like is to humble your heart before the Lord and ask Him for understanding. If you reject it because you don’t like it, you’re sitting in judgment on God’s Word and you won’t grow. This applies to many difficult areas where the Bible goes against our culture or against our preferences: the role of women in the home and in the church; homosexuality; sexual purity; divorce; hell; etc. But if we accept only the parts of the Bible that fit with what we like, then we’re not following Jesus as Lord, but rather ourselves as lord. We’re just using certain parts of the Bible that we agree with to support our own biases. To be a Christian is to submit to the teachings of Jesus and Jesus believed in God’s Word as truth (John 17:17). But, how do we submit to hard truths? B. To submit to hard truths, we must be born of the Spirit. In Jn 6:63, Jesus says to these fair-weather disciples, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” Jesus here confronts the root problem of these grumblers: They were not born again. Jesus’ opening words to Nicodemus were (Jn 3:3), “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In other words, “All your religious learning and religious activities are incapable of getting you into heaven. You need the new birth.” Jesus explains further (Jn 3:6): “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” In 6:63, Jesus is teaching the same thing: “The Holy Spirit imparts life to dead sinners. Human religious effort will not get you into heaven. Apart from the new birth, you can never understand why it is necessary to eat My flesh and drink My blood.” As we saw in our last study, eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood mean that we must trust His sacrificial death on our behalf as the only way to have eternal life. But Jesus confronts these fair-weather followers (6:64), “But there are some of you who do not believe.” The Spirit had not given them new life and so they did not believe. The crowd thought that Jesus’ words were hard (Jn 6:60), but actually, He says (Jn 6:63), His words “are spirit and are life.” This means (D. A. Carson, borrow The Gospel according to John p. 302) that His words “are the product of the life-giving Spirit,” and “rightly understood,” Jesus’ words in the discourse that He just gave are the source of life for the one who believes. Carson adds, “One cannot feed on Christ without feeding on Christ’s words, for truly believing Jesus cannot be separated from truly believing Jesus’ words (Jn 5:46-47).” The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to impart new life to sinners so that they can understand it (James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Cor. 2:14). A. W. Pink ( (Christ and His Disciples John 6:60-71)) points out the balance in John 6:63-64: “It is the Spirit who gives life,” points to God’s sovereignty. He must impart new life to us. But, “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” are addressed to human responsibility: we must believe Jesus’ words, as Jn 6:64 shows: “But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus was pressing on these superficial disciples the need to truly believe in Him. In Jn 6:64, John adds, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.” This anticipates Jn 6:70-71, “Jesus answered them, ‘Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?’ Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.” The defection of these “disciples” and of Judas shows us how hard the human heart is and how desperately we need God’s sovereign grace and the new birth. These disciples had seen Jesus and yet did not believe (Jn 6:36). Jesus had chosen Judas as an apostle. He was with Jesus for three years. He saw His miracles and heard His teaching. He was friends with the other apostles, with whom he could discuss the things of God. He went out on a mission and saw God work miracles through him. Yet he did not believe and he was lost! C. To submit to hard truths, we often must go against our cultural and religious backgrounds by confronting our preconceived ideas. These superficial disciples were grumbling because they could not imagine a Messiah who would give His flesh for the life of the world (Jn 6:51). Their view of Messiah was that He would conquer Israel’s enemies and usher in an age of peace and prosperity, not that He would die. Also, “the world” meant Gentiles, and they didn’t like the idea of Messiah including those “dogs” in the kingdom! And their religion said that it was abominable to drink blood, but this carpenter from Nazareth who claimed to have come down from heaven was saying that to have eternal life, they needed to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Wasn’t being a good Jew enough to get them into heaven? So all of these things confronted their culture and religion and went against their preconceived ideas of Messiah and His kingdom. Jesus asked these unbelieving “disciples” (Jn 6:62), “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?” He was confronting their mistaken expectations. They thought that the Messiah would remain forever to reign (Jn 12:34). But here Jesus was talking about giving His flesh and drinking His blood. Later, He talked about being lifted up (Jn 12:32). After the cross, He would be raised from the dead and ascend again into heaven. Just before His ascension, even His loyal disciples asked (Acts 1:6), “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” They still thought that He might set up His earthly kingdom at that time. They needed to confront their preconceived ideas and submit to God’s plan for Jesus to ascend to the Father and to return to reign at a later time. I think that in part, wrong expectations about Jesus were why Judas betrayed Jesus. At first, he thought that Jesus would set up His earthly kingdom and he (Judas) would be one of the top officials in that reign. He liked that idea. He could get into sitting on one of the twelve thrones of Israel, reigning with Jesus (Matt. 19:28). But to his alarm, Jesus seemed fixated on dying! That didn’t fit Judas’ vision for the future! When we begin to follow Christ, most of us have many wrong expectations and preconceived ideas about Him and the Christian life. Some of those ideas come from our cultural or religious backgrounds. Some may come from the “pitch” we heard for the gospel: “Come to Jesus and He will give you peace, joy, and an abundant life.” While that statement is true, it may not be true in the sense that we envisioned. He may give us peace, joy, and an abundant life in a prison cell where we are tortured and eventually killed because of our faith. Ask John the Baptist or the pastor in prison in Iran about that “abundant life”! Thus, we’ve acknowledged that there are hard truths in God’s Word that we need to submit to. To submit to them, we need the new birth from the Holy Spirit. And, we often must go against our cultural and religious backgrounds by confronting our preconceived ideas. D. To submit to hard truths, we must accept that God is sovereign, even over evil and unbelief. Jesus again brings up to these unbelieving “disciples” the truth that He stated in Jn 6:44, which was also implicit in Jn 6:37. He says (Jn 6:65), “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As we saw when we studied Jn 6:37,44, each time that He states this truth, it’s in response to unbelief or skepticism. In Jn 6:36, He tells His critics, “You have seen Me, and yet do not believe.” Then He immediately adds (Jn 6:37), “All that the Father has given Me will come to Me.” In Jn 6:43, Jesus confronts their grumbling about Him and then adds (Jn 6:44), “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him.” Here, Jesus again confronts their unbelief (Jn 6:64) and then adds (Jn 6:65), “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” Then, in Jn 6:70 Jesus again mentions His sovereignty in choosing the twelve in the face of Judas’ impending betrayal. What’s the point of this repeated cycle of unbelief countered by God’s sovereignty? As I explained when we studied Jn 6:37-40, Jesus is showing us that we can take comfort in God’s sovereignty even over the forces of evil and unbelief. If you’re not careful, the spiritual defection of your close friends or loved ones can be contagious. You can easily start thinking, “If he was such a strong Christian and he fell away, maybe I should re-examine my faith.” Or, if evil people do bad things to you, you can begin to wonder, “Where is the sovereign and loving God? Why didn’t He protect me from their evil deeds?” (See Matt. 11:2-3.) But Jesus shows repeatedly in this chapter that even when people who saw His miracles and heard His teaching reject Him, it has not thwarted God’s sovereign plan in the slightest. The flaky disciples turned away from Jesus because God had not drawn them or granted for them to come to Him (6:44, 65). Judas, one of the twelve, was chosen as an apostle even though Jesus knew from the beginning that he would betray Him (Jn Jn 6:64). So even if difficult things happen to you, even if close friends betray you or turn away from the Lord, God is still the sovereign God “who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). He still “does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Da 4:35). You can persevere in faith when you accept that God is sovereign, even over evil and unbelieving people. And yet they are responsible for their unbelief and will come under God’s judgment if they don’t repent. E. When you submit in faith to the hard truths of God’s Word, you gain the foundation for certain knowledge. In the face of this widespread defection by these professed followers, Jesus turns to the twelve and asks (Jn 6:67), “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Wow, what a question! The way the question is stated indicates that Jesus did not expect them to say, “Yes, we’re out of here, too!” He said it to test their faith. Peter, speaking for the group, gives the great confession (Jn 6:68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” We need to wait until next week to look more closely at this confession. But for now, I want to look at the part where he says, “We have believed and have come to know.” The terms are roughly synonymous, but the order is important. First, we believe and then we come to know. The world says, “Seeing is believing,” but God’s Word tells us, “Believing is the way to seeing.” Hebrews 11:3 affirms, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Faith yields understanding, or knowledge. Faith is not a blind leap in the dark, because our faith is based on God’s testimony to His Son through trustworthy eyewitnesses. But this means that you will never attain complete knowledge apart from believing. The main reason people do not believe in Christ is not because they have intellectual problems with God or the Bible, even though they claim that’s the reason. They do not believe because they love their sin and they don’t want to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It’s only after we believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord that we will come to the full assurance of knowing that He is the Holy One of God. Conclusion Next time we’ll look at persevering faith in God’s Son as the antidote to spiritual defection. But for now, note that there are three groups represented in our text: (1) There are those who were initially interested in Jesus and followed Him until He started teaching some things that they didn’t like. Then they defected. (2) There are those, represented by Judas, who seem fully committed to Jesus. Judas kept up such a good front that the other disciples did not suspect that he was the betrayer. But his life ended in tragic rejection of Christ. (3) There are those, like Peter, who submit with persevering faith even to the hard teachings, because they know who Jesus really is and they’re committed to follow Him. Which group are you in? Your perseverance unto eternal life depends on being in that third group. Make sure that your faith is in God’s Word and in His Son! Application Questions How does spiritual defection fit in with the perseverance of the saints? Can true Christians lose their salvation? Note that Jesus not only tolerated the truth of God’s sovereignty; He rejoiced greatly in it (Luke 10:21-22). How can we develop the same attitude toward difficult truths? What are some of the hard truths in the Bible that run counter to our culture? How can we identify and embrace these truths? What Scriptures support that God is sovereign over evil and yet not responsible in any way for it? John 6:60-71 The Antidote to Spiritual Defection, Part 2 Steven Cole It’s always distressing for pastors when people leave the church. It’s one thing if they get involved in another church where God’s Word is taught, but it’s grievous if they move to a liberal church or drop out of church completely. While I realize that we always have room to improve and that we should try to learn from the reasons why people leave the church, at the same time I take comfort in the fact that Jesus lost people who at first professed to be His disciples. At the start of John 6, Jesus has 20,000 people singing His praises after He fed them the loaves and fish. By the end of John 6, He has twelve, and one of them is a traitor! Maybe Jesus needed to read some books on how to grow your ministry! Things weren’t looking good! Probably the twelve were deflated. Earlier, it seemed like Jesus was on the brink of widespread success. The wave of popular support was building. The people wanted to make Jesus king (Jn 6:15). Wasn’t that God’s plan, for His Messiah to reign over Israel? But then Jesus’ shocking comments about eating His flesh and drinking His blood drove away almost everyone. And then He asks the twelve (Jn 6:67), “You do not want to go away also, do you?” So we’re looking at the problem of spiritual defection and how to avoid it. The overall message is: Persevering faith in God’s Word and in God’s Son is the antidote to spiritual defection. Last week we saw: 1. Persevering faith in God’s Word is the antidote to spiritual defection. A. There are hard truths in God’s Word that must be submitted to, even if you don’t understand them. B To submit to hard truths, we must be born of the Spirit. C. To submit to hard truths, we often must go against our cultural and religious backgrounds by confronting preconceived ideas. D. To submit to hard truths, we must accept that God is sovereign, even over evil and unbelief. E. When we submit in faith to the hard truths of God’s Word, we gain the foundation for knowledge. This week our focus will be on how persevering faith in God’s Son is the antidote to spiritual defection. But, first, note: 1. There are many things other than God’s Son in which to put your faith, but they all will fail. Peter asks the haunting question (Jn 6:68), “Lord, to whom shall we go?” I’ve often thought about that question when I’ve encountered difficult issues. Before you turn away from Jesus because of hard truths or difficult circumstances or disappointed expectations, stop and ask yourself, “Lord, to whom shall I go?” There just aren’t a lot of other viable options. Comfortable religion will ultimately fail if you turn to it. These fair-weather disciples who couldn’t handle Jesus’ statements about eating His flesh and drinking His blood as the requirement for eternal life went back to their Jewish heritage and religion. They thought that being the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and following the Jewish religious rules and ceremonies was good enough. They had hoped at first that Jesus would be the Messiah who would deliver them from Roman rule and usher in an age of peace and prosperity. But, when they heard His shocking teaching about giving His flesh for the life of the world and the need to eat His flesh and drink His blood, they just turned back to the religion that they always had known. That was a comfortable option for them, but it was spiritually ignorant and stupid because it ignored the serious reality of their sin and guilt before the holy God and their desperate need for a Savior. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and guilt, you realize that no amount of religion or good deeds on your part can atone for your many sins. You realize that your best deeds are worthless as a defense against your true guilt before God (Isa. 64:6). John Owen (The nature and causes of apostasy from the gospel p. 90) comments on those who turn away from Christ: If they had had a true conviction of their need of Christ and had experienced his power in meeting that need, why do they now forsake him? A person who has been truly convinced of his need of Christ for forgiveness and salvation and has, as a result, received him by faith will never forsake Christ. To be truly convinced of our need of Christ, we must first be convinced of the nature, guilt, pollution, power and punishment of sin, for he came to save us from our sins. Money and power will ultimately fail if you turn to them. John twice mentions Judas (Jn 6:64, 70-71) in the context of these disciples who turned away from Jesus. Later (Jn 12:6) John explains that Judas was in charge of the disciples’ money box and that he used to steal from it. Arguably, Judas had accepted the invitation to become an apostle because he saw it as a good career move. If Jesus was the promised Messiah who would conquer Israel’s enemies and reign on David’s throne, then being in the inner circle meant financial security and powerful influence. But when Judas heard Jesus talking about giving His flesh for the life of the world and how the Jewish leaders would put Him to death and how those who followed Him must take up their cross and die, he started backpedaling. That wasn’t what he had signed up for! So he betrayed Jesus for the measly sum of 30 pieces of silver. When he realized that he had betrayed innocent blood, he threw the silver down in the temple and went and hanged himself (Matt. 27:3-5). Money and power never bring us into right standing with God. They fail all who trust in them for satisfaction. Education, saving the environment, the arts, sexual pleasure, drugs, and alcohol will ultimately fail if you turn to them. These are some of the things that King Solomon tried (Eccl. 2:1-16) to alleviate the vanity of life (he didn’t know about drugs, but he did try alcohol, and he probably would have smoked some marijuana if he had known about it!). But his conclusion was (Eccl 2:17), “So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.” Some of the things he did are legitimate enterprises in the proper sphere and in balance, but none of them provide eternal life. So it’s not wrong to do well in your career and to provide adequately for your family. It’s not wrong to run for public office and use your power to better society. It’s not wrong to help save the environment as a good steward of God’s creation. It’s not wrong to study and learn all that you can. But the point is, if you put your faith and effort in anything other than Jesus Christ, it will evaporate the second you stand before God for judgment. Even legitimate things will be vanity if your faith is not in Christ to save you from your sins. But that leads to a question: If all else fails us at death and death is 100 percent certain, why do people turn away from Christ to these vain things? 2. Many wrong reasons can lead you to put your faith in things that never can save. (C. H. Spurgeon develops some of these in his sermon, “A Mournful Defection,” on John 6:67, 1877) More could be added, but here are nine: 1) You don’t like some teaching or commandment in the Bible. These “disciples” turned away from Jesus because they found His teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood to be difficult (6:60). Also, they stumbled over His teaching that He had come down from heaven (6:41-42), which implies His divine preexistence. They knew Him as the son of Joseph and Mary. They had watched Him grow up. So His implicit claim to deity grated on them. They also didn’t like Jesus’ repeated statements (6:37, 44, 65) that they were unable to come to Him unless the Father drew them. After all, they were good Jews, not Gentile dogs. They followed Moses and the Law. So they didn’t like Jesus’ assertion that they were spiritually unable to come to Him. It implied that they were helpless sinners! How dare Him say such a thing! There are many today who profess to be disciples of Jesus but they don’t like certain doctrines or commands in the Bible. They don’t like the doctrine that God predestines some, but not all, for salvation. They don’t like the doctrine that He will punish the unrepentant in hell for all eternity. Some don’t like the doctrine of the Trinity. Others don’t like the biblical teaching on the role of women or homosexuality or sexual purity. So they turn aside from the only Savior to things that they like. But those things can never save. 2) You stupidly forget the certainty of death so that you live for immediate pleasure in these few, uncertain years, rather than for lasting pleasure in light of eternity. These people wanted a lifetime supply of bread, but they were not laboring for the food that endures to eternal life (6:27). They wanted Jesus to be their king if He would usher in an age of peace and prosperity, but not if He had to die to atone for their sins. But if we start thinking that more stuff and a better house and career success and a comfy investment portfolio will bring ultimate satisfaction, our priorities are wrong. We fall into the trap of Solomon, Judas, and Demas, who deserted Paul because he loved this present world (2 Tim. 4:10). 3) You are frightened by the prospect of rejection or persecution. The recipients of the Letter to the Hebrews were tempted to return to their former Judaism because they were suffering for their faith as Christians. Perhaps one reason for Judas’ defection was that he wanted to be on the good side of the Jewish religious leaders. But when he saw that Jesus was always clashing with them and that to be Jesus’ follower would mean alienation from the Jewish leaders, he decided to ingratiate himself with them by betraying Jesus. 4) You think that following Jesus will rob you of “the good life.” Many young people fall into this trap. They think that if they follow Jesus, they’ll have to give up everything enjoyable and fun and start doing all sorts of things that sound perfectly dreadful. I used to worry as a teenager that if I yielded my life to the Lord, He would send me to some jungle to live as a missionary. But it finally dawned on me that if He is a loving and all-wise Father, He would only ask me to do what would be for my ultimate good. 5) You allow trials and difficulties to grow into disappointment with Christ. Like Judas, you think that “signing up” with Jesus means financial prosperity and the abundant life. But then you realize that the “abundant life” may include persecution and martyrdom, so you turn away to other things. 6) You get busy with other things that crowd out the most important thing. Seeking after the Lord and walking with Him require time and effort. But we’re all prone to drift into other things that fill our time: TV, computer games, sports, social networks, and many other things can easily crowd out seeking first God and His kingdom. 7) You are too lazy and undisciplined to keep Christ first in your priorities. Paul tells us to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). By definition, discipline means denying yourself some immediate gratification for a more worthwhile long-range goal. It implies that the long-range goal won’t happen by default if you kick back and cruise through life doing what feels good. If you don’t want to drift away from Christ, you have to confront your laziness and discipline yourself for godliness. 8) You sin, which causes your thinking about Christ to become muddled. Following Christ is a rational decision based on the evidence about who He is and what He did for us on the cross. But the problem is, sin is always irrational and it causes us to become mixed up in our thinking. Sin skews our judgment and causes us to make other wrong choices to cover up or justify our sin. 9) You don’t grasp the supremacy and excellence of Christ. You don’t see what Peter saw, that Jesus is the only one worth following. Where else or to whom else can you go that even begins to compare with Jesus? That leads us to the main point: 3. Persevering faith in God’s Son is the antidote to spiritual defection. Peter sums it up (Jn 6:68-69): “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” We could be here all day and then some if we were to catalog the many wonderful qualities of Jesus Christ, but here are four: A. Jesus Christ alone has words of eternal life. Life is extremely short and uncertain, but eternity is forever. Jesus is the only one who came from heaven to earth to tell us how to go to heaven when we die and to provide the atonement for sin that we need in order to stand in God’s holy presence. Jesus put it in perspective (Matt. 16:26), “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Think about the shortness of life, the certainty of death, and the reality of eternity and you will not defect from Jesus Christ. B. Jesus Christ alone is the Holy One of God. (The King James Version’s, “You are the Christ, the Son of God,” is based on inferior manuscript support. The copyist was trying to harmonize John 6:69 with Matt. 16:16.) “The Holy One of God” is an unusual designation for Jesus. It only occurs one other time in the New Testament, when a demon-possessed man in the synagogue in Capernaum addressed Jesus with this title (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). In the Old Testament, it is used of Aaron (Ps. 106:16). “Your Holy One” is used of Messiah (Ps. 16:10). But Isaiah often refers to the Lord as “the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; etc.). Leon