22 The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there , except one , and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat , but that His disciples had gone away alone . 23 There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks . 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there , nor His disciples , they themselves got into the small boats , and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus .
25 When they found Him on the other side of the sea , they said to Him, " Rabbi , when did You get here ?" 26 Jesus answered them and said , "Truly , truly , I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs , but because you ate of the loaves and were filled . 27 "Do not work for the food which perishes , but for the food which endures to eternal life , which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father , God , has set His seal ."
28 Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do , so that we may work the works of God ?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God , that you believe in Him whom He has sent ." 30 So they said to Him, " What then do You do for a sign , so that we may see , and believe You? What work do You perform ? 31 " Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness ; as it is written , ' HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT .' " 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly , truly , I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven , but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven . 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven , and gives life to the world ." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord , always give us this bread ." 35 Jesus said to them, " I am the bread of life ; he who comes to Me will not hunger , and he who believes in Me will never e thirst . 36 "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe . 37 " All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly e not cast out. 38 "For I have come down from heaven , not to do My own will , but the will of Him who sent Me. 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 . 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 ." 41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said , "I am the bread that came down out of heaven ." 42 They were saying , " Is not this Jesus , the son of Joseph , whose father and mother we know ? How does He now say , ' I have come down out of heaven '?" 43 Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves . 44 "No one can come to Me unless e the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day . 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. 46 " Not that anyone has seen the Father , except the One who is from God ; He has seen the Father . 47 "Truly , truly , I say to you, he who believes has eternal life . 48 " I am the bread of life . 49 " Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness , and they died . 50 "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven , so that one may eat of it and not die . 51 " 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 ." 52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another , saying , "How can this man give us His flesh to eat ?" 53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly , truly , I say to you, unless e you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood , you have no life in yourselves . 54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life , and I will raise him up on the last day . 55 "For My flesh is true food , and My blood is true drink . 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 "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. 58 "This is the bread which came down out of heaven ; not as the fathers ate and died ; he who eats this bread will live forever ." 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum .
60 Therefore many of His disciples , when they heard this said , " This is a difficult statement ; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus , conscious e e that His disciples grumbled at this , said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble ? 62 "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before ? 63 " It is the Spirit who gives life ; the flesh profits nothing ; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life . 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe ." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe , and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying , "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless e it has been granted him from the Father ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 6:22-65
Commentary on John 6:22-27
(Read John 6:22-27)
Instead of answering the inquiry how he came there, Jesus blamed their asking. The utmost earnestness should be employed in seeking salvation, in the use of appointed means; yet it is to be sought only as the gift of the Son of man. Him the Father has sealed, proved to be God. He declared the Son of man to be the Son of God with power.
Commentary on John 6:28-35
(Read John 6:28-35)
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls. Coming to Jesus, and believing on him, signify the same. Christ shows that he is the true Bread; he is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the spiritual life. He is the Bread of God. Bread which the Father gives, which he has made to be the food of our souls. Bread nourishes only by the powers of a living body; but Christ is himself living Bread, and nourishes by his own power. The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and comforting to a believer as ever it was. He is the Bread which came down from heaven. It denotes the Divinity of Christ's person and his authority; also, the Divine origin of all the good which flows to us through him. May we with understanding and earnestness say, Lord, evermore give us this Bread.
Commentary on John 6:36-46
(Read John 6:36-46)
The discovery of their guilt, danger, and remedy, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, makes men willing and glad to come, and to give up every thing which hinders applying to him for salvation. The Father's will is, that not one of those who were given to the Son, should be rejected or lost by him. No one will come, till Divine grace has subdued, and in part changed his heart; therefore no one who comes will ever be cast out. The gospel finds none willing to be saved in the humbling, holy manner, made known therein; but God draws with his word and the Holy Ghost; and man's duty is to hear and learn; that is to say, to receive the grace offered, and consent to the promise. None had seen the Father but his beloved Son; and the Jews must expect to be taught by his inward power upon their minds, and by his word, and the ministers whom he sent among them.
Commentary on John 6:47-51
(Read John 6:47-51)
The advantage of the manna was small, it only referred to this life; but the living Bread is so excellent, that the man who feedeth on it shall never die. This bread is Christ's human nature, which he took to present to the Father, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world; to purchase all things pertaining to life and godliness, for sinners of every nation, who repent and believe in him.
Commentary on John 6:52-59
(Read John 6:52-59)
The flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purchased by the breaking his body, and the shedding of his blood. Also, because they are meat and drink to our souls. Eating this flesh and drinking this blood mean believing in Christ. We partake of Christ and his benefits by faith. The soul that rightly knows its state and wants, finds whatever can calm the conscience, and promote true holiness, in the redeemer, God manifest in the flesh. Meditating upon the cross of Christ gives life to our repentance, love, and gratitude. We live by him, as our bodies live by our food. We live by him, as the members by the head, the branches by the root: because he lives we shall live also.
Commentary on John 6:60-65
(Read John 6:60-65)
The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spirit of God all forms of religion are dead and worthless. He who made this provision for our souls, alone can teach us these things, and draw us unto Christ, that we may live by faith in him. Let us apply to Christ, thankful that it is declared that every one who is willing to come unto him shall be made welcome.