The People Seek Jesus

22 On the morrow, the multitude that was standing on the other side of the sea, having seen that there was no other little boat there except one—that into which his disciples entered—and that Jesus went not in with his disciples into the little boat, but his disciples went away alone, 23 (and other little boats came from Tiberias, nigh the place where they did eat the bread, the Lord having given thanks), 24 when therefore the multitude saw that Jesus is not there, nor his disciples, they also themselves did enter into the boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus;

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 and having found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when hast thou come hither?' 26 Jesus answered them and said, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were satisfied; 27 work not for the food that is perishing, but for the food that is remaining to life age-during, which the Son of Man will give to you, for him did the Father seal—'even' God.'

28 They said therefore unto him, 'What may we do that we may work the works of God?' 29 Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that ye may believe in him whom He did send.' 30 They said therefore to him, 'What sign, then, dost thou, that we may see and may believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, Bread out of the heaven He gave them to eat.' 32 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of the heaven; but my Father doth give you the true bread out of the heaven; 33 for the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' 34 They said, therefore, unto him, 'Sir, always give us this bread.' 35 And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of the life; he who is coming unto me may not hunger, and he who is believing in me may not thirst—at any time; 36 but I said to you, that ye also have seen me, and ye believe not; 37 all that the Father doth give to me will come unto me; and him who is coming unto me, I may in no wise cast without, 38 because I have come down out of the heaven, not that I may do my will, but the will of Him who sent me. 39 'And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that all that He hath given to me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day; 40 and this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who is beholding the Son, and is believing in him, may have life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day.' 41 The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;' 42 and they said, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then saith this one—Out of the heaven I have come down?' 43 Jesus answered, therefore, and said to them, 'Murmur not one with another; 44 no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; 45 it is having been written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore who heard from the Father, and learned, cometh to me; 46 not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father. 47 'Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during; 48 I am the bread of the life; 49 your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died; 50 this is the bread that out of the heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die. 51 'I am the living bread that came down out of the heaven; if any one may eat of this bread he shall live—to the age; and the bread also that I will give is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.' 52 The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us 'his' flesh to eat?' 53 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, If ye may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves; 54 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, hath life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day; 55 for my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink; 56 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, doth remain in me, and I in him. 57 'According as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, he also who is eating me, even that one shall live because of me; 58 this is the bread that came down out of the heaven; not as your fathers did eat the manna, and died; he who is eating this bread shall live—to the age.' 59 These things he said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum;

The Words of Eternal Life

60 many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, 'This word is hard; who is able to hear it?' 61 And Jesus having known in himself that his disciples are murmuring about this, said to them, 'Doth this stumble you? 62 if then ye may behold the Son of Man going up where he was before? 63 the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life; 64 but there are certain of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he who will deliver him up, 65 and he said, 'Because of this I have said to you—No one is able to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my 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.