1After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
The ministry of Jesus is directly connected to the Sea of Galilee. This was probably the designated name of the sea though it is mentioned infrequently. Tiberias was only named after the Emperor in a few years of Jesus’ ministry. But the crowd is seeking a miracle. 3And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.4And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
They went up to the mountain alone. Here John does not say he spoke privately with his disciples but the passover was near. John mentions the feast of the Jews, because of the non-Jewish character of his audience. These events seem to be placed in their historical setting. The Feast of the Tabernacle came later but John sets the stage for non-Jewish believers.5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Jesus saw that a great company was coming. Philip knew Jesus would do a miracle, for he sought to prove him. There was not enough bread to feed the great company of people.7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Philip explained the situation to Jesus but touching His deity Jesus knew all things. Andrew spoke of a lad with five loaves and two fishes, but he explained it is not enough. This is to set the stage for Jesus’ miracle.10And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Jesus made the men site down, but there were also women and children among them that remain unstated. But the men sat down in a number of five thousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. He gave them to His disciples and the disciples gave them to them who sat down. They distributed the loaves and fish. The great company of people was filled because of the miracle. Jesus knows that food should not be wasted so He made sure that nothing was lost. 13Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
The disciples gathered the food together and filled twelve baskets full of food. Incidentally, this was the number of the apostles. The miracle produced overflowed with food. God does behind what we ask or think.14Then 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. 15When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
The miracle testified to His deity; that is, it was a sign to everyone of who He claimed to be. The people realized he was a prophet and sought to make Him king. But Jesus perceived it and departed to a mountain alone, because they sought to take him by force. If the great company realized He was a prophet the best thing would have been to rely on Jesus when He should be declared king. Jesus departed to a mountain alone, because of the rebellion of the people; that is, His hour had not yet come.16And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. 18And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. 20But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
The disciples went to the ship to sail to Capernaum. It was dark and Jesus did not come to them, but there came a storm. They were rowing strongly but Jesus was walking on the sea and getting close to the ship but His disciples were afraid. He said, “It is I; be not afraid.” The disciples willingly received Him into the ship. The boat was brought to land by Jesus. I am not sure if this is the verse that the late Dr. Barnhouse spoke of, but he claimed that Jesus carried the ship to shore. 22The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
There was no other boat for the people but only the one of His disciples. The people realized that Jesus did not go through them. His disciples went alone in the boat until Jesus came to them and brought them to shore. 23(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) 24When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
They came to the place where Jesus had given thanks. The great company sought Jesus to Capernaum. The question is, what was there motive in seeking Jesus? Was to hear words of life, or was it to get more physical food? The Lord knows the heart.25And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
The people sought Jesus for the wrong reasons; that is, they sought him not because of who He is (e.g., God in human flesh) but because of loaves that filled them.27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Clearly the food that perishes is the physical food. But what endures to eternal life? It is the Son of Man Himself. We know Jesus gave thanks over the bread but it did not turn into Him. He is clearly saying that physical food has no spiritual worth, but the spiritual worth is in the Son. He is saying, “Do not come to Me to be filled, but the Gospel is Me Myself.” This sets the stage and refutes any view that places value on the bread then on the Lord. They asked about the works of God, but the work of God is the Spirit’s work. Everyone who believes on the Son has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit; that is, they now believe the Gospel because of the work of God within them. 30They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
The people wanted a sign but only a wicked generation seeks a sign. The bread of heaven came down to the people of old, but now there is a living bread; that is, we find out that the living bread is figurative language that tells us about Jesus Himself. They eat the bread from heaven in the days of old but perished. Only coming and believing in Jesus never perishes; however, no bread IS Jesus. But Jesus is the figurative bread; that is, He is bread from heaven and the Gospel is belief in Him.32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Moses did not have Jesus who is the bread of heaven, but Jesus is the true bread from heaven. We ought to reason that the bread is not Jesus but Jesus is the bread. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Up to this point one can’t conclude that He is referring to physical food, but bread is not a person and it can’t give spiritual life to the soul. But only the Son of Man can bring spiritual life to the soul. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The people wanted the bread like the women at the well wanted the living water, but she responded in faith and these people did not respond in faith. Jesus says He is the bread of life, because He is saying Jesus is the person you need to believe on to have eternal life. If it is physical food haven’t you hungered and thirsted after food after communion? It’s a spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst. This can only be satisfied in the Son; that is, the hunger and thirst should be after righteousness. Jesus gives us His righteousness by faith. The Father gives the Son His people, and He never casts them out. All the coming ones are the believing ones. Jesus never does something contrary to the Father’s will, but He does His will. He never loses any that are His; that is, all shall be raised up at the last day. Everyone who obeys (e.g. comes) and believes the Son has everlasting life. We are not saved by our obedience but by His imputed righteousness. 41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
The Jews had no faith to see, but instead they believed he was saying He was literal bread. Because they thought physically instead of spiritually they murmured among themselves. They did not believe He came down from heaven, but He did come from heaven in the incarnation of Christ our Lord.43Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Jesus rebukes their murmuring. The Father must draw His people to Christ and He raises up those that are His in the resurrection of the just. Everyone who believes is taught of God; that is, everyone the Father teaches comes to Christ. Jesus says that anyone who believes on Him has eternal life, because He is the bread of life. He never says that a priest must consecrate a host to transform itself into Him, but He is speaking directly to Himself in figurative language. It is beautiful figurative language. He says that the fathers of old eat the bread and are dead. He is saying it is not physical food but He Himself that gives life; that is, symbolic bread from heaven (He Himself). He says if you eat this bread; that is, if you believe and come will not perish. He says He is the living bread because He is referring to Himself in symbolic language. The figurative and symbolic language refers to Himself; that is, He is the spiritual answer but not transformed bread. He gives His flesh; that is, His body for the life of the world. The word ‘world’ here refers to everyone of His believing ones. John spoke of Jesus becoming man; that is, God took upon Himself human flesh to save sinners by the Cross. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
The Jews were thinking of the physical bread, but Jesus was speaking of spiritual food. John did not use here the physical and spiritual as interchangeable, but they were separate because the Jews thought of physical food. Now Jesus uses the physical language to point to Jesus (v. 58). We must drink His blood (e.g., coming) and eat His flesh (e.g., believing). Whosoever believes and comes to Christ and eats and drinks Him in a spiritual sense has eternal life; that is, it means believing and coming. He raises everyone up at the last day that is His in the resurrection of believers in Christ. It is the Father who sent Him so people can believe in Him; that is, anyone wishing to please God must come by faith and eat His flesh and drink His blood. Again this it is spiritual ways of saying ‘believe in Him.’59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
They did not understand the words of Christ; that is, that He is the central focus of John’s Gospel and in the Gospel of God. It is a hard saying because they were spiritually deaf, dumb and blind. 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Jesus knew their thoughts and understood their murmuring. He asked if it offended them, because the Gospel makes people offended. With the Gospel comes the offense of the Gospel, because the offense of the Gospel is life in Christ. He is speaking of His ascension, but He will come in the same way He left. Does this offend you that He is called down from heaven on Roman alters as a propitiatory sacrifice? He goes back to the spiritual side of it but rebukes the physical side of it. He is saying the same thing to them regarding the above; that is, ‘why do you come to Me for physical food when I Myself can give you life?’64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
There were people who did not believe in Christ. Jesus knew who they were that believed not in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And these people would betray him. No man can come to God unless Jesus draws them by His Spirit.66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. (John 6).
The issue of dispute stills comes down to the question, is Jesus God Incarnate and the Living Messiah? Their disbelief caused them not to walk with Jesus any more and this was the subject of their denial. His apostles did not flee or go away, but Peter knew Jesus had the words of eternal life. Here Peter declares the meaning of the whole chapter and the meaning behind the figurative language. He chose the apostles but one of them was a devil. This was to fulfill His purpose of being the Savior of His people at the Cross.
Mark 14 speaks of the institution of the last supper:
22And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. (Mark 14).
The question comes down to is the word is. We maintain that it means this represents His body that was broken for us. The blood of the New Testament is represented in the cup of His shed blood at the Cross. Jesus surely is the all-sufficient Savior who does not rely on men to pardon sin, but He relies on His finished work at the Cross once and for all. This is what communion is to remind us of; that is, His work at the Cross.
1 Corinthians 10:14-17 speaks of fleeing from idolatry but taking part in communion:
14Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
It is ironic that this verse would tell us to flee from idolatry. We learned that Rome worships the consecrated host. If we worship something that is not God, we commit idolatry; however, it also destroys people who commit this sin. 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 speaks of doing communion in remembrance of Him:
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
Matthew 26:26-28 speaks of his body and blood:
26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Luke 22:17-20 speaks of the bread and cup:
17And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Luke 24:30-35 speaks of the vanishing Jesus after he broke bread:
30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
Let us remember that Jesus’ body cannot be multiplied in different places; that is, it is His divine nature alone that is all around us but His human nature is always in one place at a time if you distinguish between the two natures without separating them. For the Definition of Chalcedon of 451 AD declares,Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.
