Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar 1/61

Contributor - Rev. J. Van Oostveen

Title - Youth Page

Topic - Youth

John 6 :25-40

The crowd in surprised joy find Jesus whom they call Rabbi. This title is given to a scholar or teacher. Here the use of it by the crowd shows something of confusion in their minds. After the feeding of the five thousand they said that Jesus was the expected prophet. Then they wanted to make him king by force. And now they address him as Rabbi.

Jesus sees through all this excitement and confusion. He does not answer their question about when he came to the other side of the Sea. But he tells them that they came not because of the sign they saw, but because they had a free meal. They ate of the loaves. It is neither the prophet, nor the king, nor the teacher that they want. They are wondering whether there would be another "eating of the loaves".

We ought not to be over-critical about these Galileans, for no doubt they were the poor peasants who never had enough to eat and to wear. And so the drive for better living was very much with them. This is so much like the Samaritan woman who was interested in having a supply of water so that it would not be necessary for her to go constantly and draw water from the well.

The evangelist sees that Jesus does not brush these people aside, but Jesus takes hold of these people where they are and leads them to where they ought to be. And so the conversation develops about bread, two kinds of bread: the one that lasts only a little while, perishes, and the other that lasts forever, abides.

Jesus uncovers an ever-present urge which all of us have. We have desires for things which we may call creature comforts. Your class could well take note of the "drives" in many people. What is it that people want most? And what is it that people need most?

6 : 27. Since it was bread that the crowd wanted, Jesus uses this natural desire to point up a spiritual counterpart. He says that there are two kinds of bread: bread which after it is used perishes, and bread which use does not destroy but it remains for eternal life. Jesus would not deny bread for the body. Indeed, he taught us to pray for our daily bread. His point is that everyone should see the difference between "perishing" bread and "permanent" bread. And if one wants the bread that lasts into eternal life, Jesus is the one who can give that kind of bread, because God the Father has set his seal on Jesus. The setting of the "seal" means that God has placed his credentials, his approval on Jesus. This may refer to the baptism voice as given in the synoptic gospels, "Thou art my beloved Son: with thee I am well pleased" (Mk. 1:11). In the Gospel of John this seal or attestation of God may be the descent of the dove upon Jesus at his baptism by the Baptist (1 :32-34).

6:28-29. The crowd asks Jesus what works of God - works is plural, so the KJ - they must do. They want to do something for God so that in return God will give them the bread which abides to eternal life. Here we see the most common idea among the Jews about working for their reward. If they carefully keep all the requirements of the law, the messianic age will soon appear. So the people of the Qumran community believed. They were the ones who founded a community near the Dead Sea and lived a severe and strict life while they waited for the Messiah to come.

Jesus says that there are no works to be done, but rather the work here singular of God is being done. This work is being done in Jesus whom God has sent. This is the work that gives the true bread which continues into eternal life. The way to get this bread is "that you believe in him whom he has sent". This bread cannot be bought, nor earned, for it can only be received by faith. This is an obedient trust and reliance in Jesus.

Let us ask ourselves a question at this point. Is our religion something we work for, or is it something in which we place our trust?

6:30-34. "What sign do you do that we may see, and believe you?" It appears that they had already forgotten the "sign" of the feeding of the five thousand the previous day.

Back of this request for a sign lies what was generally believed about the Messiah who was to come. He would be a second Moses in that he would bring down from heaven the miracle of manna even as Moses did in the wilderness. The crowd refers to the Scripture, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." There is no exact Old Testament passage for this. It may be this: "Thou didst give them bread from heaven for their hunger" (Neh. 9 :15), or "He rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven" (Ps. 78:24). The story of bread raining from heaven is told in Ex. 16 . 4 5 The second Moses would do something as great as the first Moses did. So the hopes of the Jews were expressed.

In v. 32 Jesus gives a very important answer that requires a careful explanation. I think that two meanings are involved in the complete understanding of it. The first is that Jesus says it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven but it was God who gave that bread. The second explanation is that Moses gave the bread in the wilderness, but the TRUE bread is given by the Father. As the conversation develops Jesus tells them that he is that true bread.

Let us review what has been said. The crowd wants Jesus to give a sign to demonstrate that he was the Messiah. Moses demonstrated that he was sent by God by giving the manna. That was the sign. Jesus here says that he does not have to give a sign, for he IS the sign. He is the bread which God has sent from heaven.

6 : 33-34. In verse 33 Jesus speaks to the crowd with words that can be taken up in two different ways. And I think that Jesus did this purposely in order to see what the crowd would answer. These two ways are clearly seen in the KJ and the RSV. The KJ has "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven." This says that Jesus is the one who comes down from heaven. The RSV has "For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven." This says that the bread comes down from heaven. The Greek original allows either translation. Jesus wanted to see how the people would understand this. Would they think about him, or about bread? The next verse tells us. They thought about bread, and they thought about bread in the sense of having a supply for the rest of their lives. This is just like the request of the woman at the well, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw" (4: 15).

Our evangelist often points up one of his minor themes. It is one of pathetic amazement that the people dit not recognize Jesus as God's Son sent to them from heaven. He told us about this in the prologue, "He came to his own home and his own people received him not" (1 : 11). The evangelist in doubt was amazed here that the people missed the meaning of Jesus here. They did not want him, 'but bread.

I suppose that you will agree with me that we and all people are slow to catch the inner meaning of the Gospel. All of us have primary interests in bread, the bread that perishes. If it is difficult for people who have interests in the Gospel to have true interest in spiritual bread, how much more difficult it must be for those who have no interest at all. What would you suggest as a means to create ore interest for yourself in them deeper matter of our faith? How would you awaken interest in things of the spirit in others?

6: 35-40. Jesus now declares that he is the bread of life. And it is strange that the people see and yet do not believe. Why do they not come? It is because only those whom the Father gives o Jesus are the ones who will come. This says two things: God is not working in those who refuse to believe, and those who come to faith in Christ are moved by God to come. No one comes on his own power.

Since Jesus says that he is doing only the will of his Father, he declares that those who come to him in faith he will never lose. They stay with him always. Even death shall not separate anyone from Christ, for Christ will raise him up in the last day.

The summary of our lesson is in verse 40. Every one who sees and believes and some will believe seeing (20 : 29) - has eternal life, a present reality. And that which the believer now has in Christ will be his in the life beyond death.

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