by Stan Feldsine (www.tojesusbeallglory.com)
Matthew 14:1-2 - Confusion About Who Jesus Was
Mat 14:1-2 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, (2) and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
The Herod mentioned here is Herod Antipas the tetrarch, who was the son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great died a couple years after the birth of Christ. A "tetrarch" originally meant someone who ruled a fourth of a kingdom, but later it became a title for a ruler who was of a lower rank than a true king.
Herod Antipas had a half-brother named Phillip, and Phillip and Herod Antipas each ruled a part of the kingdom, and each were referred to as "Herod".
Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee and received regular reports of the activities of Jesus and John. Herod was a convert to Judaism who did not follow the faith. So he was aware of Jewish Law, but did not observe it.
Herod Antipas actually thought that Jesus was John the Baptist now risen from the dead. Some of the people in the area also came to this conclusion.
Mar 6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
Rumors were swirling, and some thought Jesus was Elijah or a prophet of the Old Testament sort. All these rumors were causing Herod some distress, and so he had set out to determine if this person was indeed a resurrected John the Baptist.
Luk 9:7-9 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, (8) others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. (9) But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.
Matthew 14:3-12 - The Account of the Death of John the Baptist
Mat 14:3-12 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, (4) for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." (5) Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. (6) On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much (7) that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. (8) Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." (9) The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted (10) and had John beheaded in the prison. (11) His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. (12) John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
We now take a look back at the account of John's death that led to Jesus being mistaken for a risen John the Baptist.
As we learned earlier, Herod Antipas had a half-brother Herod Phillip. Phillip was formerly married to Herodias, who was now living with Herod Antipas, which was against the Jewish Law. John was calling this out to Herod and Herodias repeatedly, and aggravated them to no end.
Mar 6:18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
John was revering to the following laws. Law against Antipas for marrying his brother's wife:
Lev 18:16 "'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.
Lev 20:21 "'If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.
Law against Herodias for marrying her uncle:
Lev 18:12-14 "'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative. (13) "'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. (14) "'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
Lev 20:19-20 "'Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible. (20) "'If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.
All this enraged Herodias who didn't want her sin called out.
Mar 6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
Herod, however, didn't want to kill John, for he considered him "a righteous and holy man", and he rejected John and wanted to protect him. He liked to listen to him.
Mar 6:20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Herod had some fear preventing him from killing John as well, as the people considered him to be a prophet, and killing him could start riots. So Herod had him locked in prison in an attempt to silence him. John had been put into prison soon after Jesus started His ministry.
Mat 4:12, Mat 4:17 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. (17) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
So for some time now, Jesus had been preaching the gospel of the kingdom while John was in prison. We now come to the present time and the event where Herod is tricked into having John killed at the request of Herodias.
It turns out the event was a birthday party at which Herodias and her daughter Salome was in attendance. The daughter, who was around 12 or 13 years old, had pleased Herod Antipas and the guests with a display of dancing. She please Herod so much that he offered to grant her any request up to half of his kingdom.
Mar 6:21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
Mar 6:22-23 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." (23) And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
The daughter, not knowing what to ask for, consulted with her mother Herodias. Herodias saw her chance to get vengeance upon John for calling out her sin and told her daughter to ask for John's head on a platter immediately.
Mar 6:24-25 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered. (25) At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
Herod had agreed with an oath to grant the girl's wish in front of all his guests, and could not back down. So he sent an executioner to bring John's head.
Mar 6:26-28 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. (27) So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, (28) and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.
Jesus's disciples, hearing about this, came and took John's body and laid it in a tomb.
Mar 6:29 On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
It is interesting to see how bent on revenge Herodias was. It caused her to pass over the chance of gaining half of Herod's kingdom just to get John's head, a man who was already in prison.
Mar 6:25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
Herod's response is interesting too. He would rather kill a man he knew to be righteous then break an irrational oath, because of the dinner guests.
Mar 6:26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.
This was a quite and unseemly end to such a significant life, not unlike that which many of today's ministers experience. They go out quietly without much notice from the world.
Matthew 14:13-21 - Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Mat 14:13-21 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. (14) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (15) As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." (16) Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (17) "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. (18) "Bring them here to me," he said. (19) And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. (20) They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (21) The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
In our timeline now the Jewish authorities had committed the unforgivable sin of rejecting the King and His Kingdom. Jesus has now turned in His public teachings to parables for those that have ears to hear. Jesus turns from authenticating His right to rule as King through miracles and healing and turns His focus to training and preparing the disciples for their ministry and the persecution that they will endure in the near future.
Also to be considered is that Herod Antipas had beheaded John the Baptist, and it was not unlikely that Herod Antipas would also want Jesus dead. Jesus began to avoid situations and environments in which opposition was likely to get Him killed prematurely.
Mat 14:5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
In this situation, rather than retreating to a territory under the rule of Herod Antipas, Jesus withdrew to Bethsaida, which was a predominately Gentile city under the rule of Herod Phillip. This is the first of four trips into the less populated Gentile cities for the remainder of His ministry.
Luk 9:10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
Jesus determined to use this gathering of 5000 men plus women and children to teach His disciples about the nature of the ministry they were being given, and to instruct them on the ability of Jesus to meet all manner of needs through them. Note that the story of the feeding of 5000 is predominately a record of Jesus's discussion with His disciples.
Jesus's words were designed to convey to the disciples their inadequacy and dependence on Him to supply the needs of the people. As a result they would learn to call on Him. These are the last days of the Mosaic Covenant and the Law, and serve to introduce life with the Holy Spirit who was soon to be sent to His people.
Mat 14:15-16 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." (16) Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
Mar 6:37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
The disciples learned from this miracle that they would be involved in feeding people spiritually as the Lord provided to them. When they ran out then they would pray and ask the Lord for provisions. He would supply them, and they would do the feeding.
Mat 14:17-19 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. (18) "Bring them here to me," he said. (19) And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
One of the lessons that Jesus was conveying about the ministry of the disciples is that "It is not the job of the sheep to look for food, rather it is the job of the shepherd to feed the sheep." (Fruchtenbaum, Yeshua Vol 2).
Three lessons learned:
In was the disciples responsibility to feed the people
They were incapable of doing this themselves
They were to feed the people that which Jesus provided.
The motivation on the part of Jesus to heal their sick was compassion. They were referred to as "sheep without a shepherd", due to their confusion resulting from the conflict between what Jesus was teaching and what the religious leaders were teaching. While the Pharisees taught the oral law, Jesus expounded the truth about the Kingdom of God and now the mystery kingdom.
Mar 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Luk 9:10-11 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, (11) but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
Joh 6:2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
In spite of the confusion the crowds continued to follow Jesus everywhere he went, even as the religious leaders rejected Him. The people though were following Jesus because He was feeding and healing them more so than because they accepted the King and Kingdom.
Joh 6:26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Matthew 14:22-23 - The Offer to be King
Mat 14:22-23 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. (23) After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
After the feeding of the 5000 Galileans Jesus sends His disciples ahead of Him to the other side of the sea. His intention was to dismiss the crowds Himself and send them home.
John adds detail to this event showing that after the feeding of the 5000 the people desired to forcibly make Jesus King because of the miracle sign they had seen.
Joh 6:14-15 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." (15) Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
The "Prophet who is to come into the world" was the prophet foretold in Deuteronomy. Jesus saw though that their motivation was being fed physical food.
Deu 18:15-18 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. (16) For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." (17) The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. (18) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
When Jesus sat that they intended to try and make Him King, he retreated up the mountain to pray.
Three reasons Jesus rejected their offer to make Him king.
The leadership of Israel had already rejected Jesus and the Kingdom and would not allow Him to be made King.
These Galileans were intending to make Him king of Galilee, but prophecy foretold that Jesus would rule from Jerusalem.
Psa 2:6 "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain."
The Galileans were motivated by physical needs, and like the idea of being fed without having to work for it.
Matthew 14:24-27 - Jesus Walks On Water
Mat 14:24-27 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. (25) Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. (26) When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. (27) But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
Once again the disciples find themselves in a boat in some bad whether. And once again they find themselves completely dependent upon the Lord in this as well as every situation. The training that the disciples are undergoing is preparing them for their future ministries. The primary lesson is that they are to rely on the Lord for their every need.
The disciples, who had been sent ahead in a boat without Jesus were at sea for some 9 hours. The wind from the storm was pushing against them and they were struggling to get to the other side. As they were rowing they were distressed by the waves, which seemed to be rising against them.
Jesus saw them struggling from the land, and began to walk out in their direction. Interestingly, Jesus was walking right past them, and did not stop and talk to them until they saw Him and cried out in fear thinking He was a ghost, perhaps the angel of death!
Mar 6:48-50 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, (49) but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, (50) because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
The lesson that the disciples were to learn from this, as part of their training, was that they must call upon Him for help in any situation.
Once they realized that it was Jesus, the were relieved and invited Him into the boat.
Matthew 14:28-33 - Peter Walks On Water
Mat 14:28-33 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." (29) "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (31) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (32) And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. (33) Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Peter called out to Jesus and said that if this "ghost" was Jesus, that Jesus should call him out into the water himself. Jesus called him, and as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. At some point Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at his circumstances, and lost his focus. He "looked at the wind and was afraid".
It was as Peter was "beginning" to sink that he cried out for help. Peter had beginning faith, but needed to persist with ending faith in spite of what was going on around him.
Jesus of course reached out to hold him up, but Peter missed an opportunity to grow his faith even more. The lesson is that while we begin in faith, we must continue in faith. He started out believing but allowed doubt to come in.
Another lesson to learn from this event is that when Jesus answers prayer and calls someone out in faith He does not remove the obstacles that are in the way. They generally will remain, and Jesus will guide us around or through them, not eliminate them. In Peter's case, the wind and waves persisted even as Jesus called him out to Himself.
After Peter was rescued by Jesus, Jesus climbed into the boat, and Mark records what had happened. After having just experienced the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, the disciples simply did not understand what was going on and their hearts were hardened, as we evidenced by their fear in the boat.
This is a case of having a good understanding of the theology, knowing that Jesus was God, but bad application, not learning to depend upon Him. The disciples were fearful when they should have trusted.
Peter is not to be looked down on for having small faith. He is the only one that got out of the boat to go to Jesus, and he is the only one who walked on water.
Matthew 14:34-36 - Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
Mat 14:34-36 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. (35) And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him (36) and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
When Jesus entered the boat with the disciples, they were immediately on the shore of Gennesaret. The people who were in the area where they moored recognized Jesus and they promptly when all over the area telling people that Jesus was here, and the people began to bring all the sick to Him.
Many of those who gathered had great faith, as seen in their asking to just touch His tassels so that a healing could take place. All who touched His tassels were healed.
John 6:22-25 - The Bread of Life (1)
Joh 6:22-25 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. (23) Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. (24) Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. (25) When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
John adds details that Matthew did not include that show what occurred after the feeding of the 5000 and the disciples departure to the other side of the sea. We will study through this to see a more record of events, and to learn what Jesus meant by His being the "Bread of Life".
This discourse is a good example of Jesus speaking in parabolic terms that the hearer must have eyes to see and ears to hear in order to understand what Jesus means by what He says. This discourse shows the blindness of the people who rejected Jesus as Messianic King.
After the feeding of the 5000, Jesus had His disciples get into a boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of the sea. Jesus remained behind to dismiss the crowd that had just been fed.
As the disciples made way across the sea to Gennesaret, they encountered resistance due to a storm, and Jesus had walked out on the water out to them. When Jesus arrived at the boat, Peter called out to Jesus, and Peter walked on the water to Jesus. Afterwards, they arrived at Gennesaret.
The next day, the crowd of 5000 believed that Jesus was still with them somewhere, since there was only one boat available, and Jesus had not left on that boat. After some time, the crowd realized that Jesus was not there and got in boats of their own and went searching for Him. They eventually found Him on the other side of the sea and asked Him when He had arrived there.
John 6:26-34 - The Bread of Life (2)
Joh 6:26-34 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. (27) Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (28) Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (29) Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (30) So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (31) Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (32) Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (34) "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread."
Jesus did not answer the question the people asked Him, and instead brought up their motives for following Him. They were looking for Him because He had physically fed them, not because they were interested in spiritual blessings.
Speaking in parabolic terms, He instructed them to look for spiritual food, not physical food. They had rejected Him as Messiah along with the spiritual blessings that would have come with that, and yet still followed Him around seeking the physical blessings of His miracles and healings.
The Jewish people were aware of the prophecies dealing with the Messianic Kingdom and were expecting that Kingdom to be established imminently. Just a few are here: (Isa 2:1-4, Isa 11:6-9, Eze 34:25-29, Isa 65:17-21, Isa 35:5-10). Jesus and John had been telling the people that the Kingdom was at hand, and had been validating His authority as the King of that Kingdom, but the religious leaders has outright rejected Jesus as King.
Isa 2:1-4 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: (2) In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. (3) Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Isa 11:6-9 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. (7) The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. (8) The infant will play near the cobra's den, the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest. (9) They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Eze 34:25-29 "'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. (26) I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. (27) The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. (28) They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. (29) I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.
Isa 65:17-25 "See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. (18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. (19) I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. (20) "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. (21) They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. (22) No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. (23) They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. (24) Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (25) The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD.
Isa 35:5-10 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. (6) Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. (7) The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. (8) And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. (9) No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, (10) and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Now Jesus is speaking in parables to the people, and the offer of the Kingdom has been postponed, yet the people were still looking for the physical benefits of of the Kingdom while rejecting the spiritual benefits.
The point of what Jesus is telling the people is that in order to experience the benefits of the Kingdom, they must accept the King. There is no life outside of Jesus, Acceptance of Jesus is the only path to spiritual blessing. He is speaking this in a parabolic manner, and the people are not understanding it. They are telling Jesus "always give us this bread", but they are rejecting the very bread that Jesus is offering them, that of Himself, Jesus is telling them, "I am the bread of life.".
John 6:35-40 - The Bread of Life (3)
Joh 6:35-40 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (36) But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. (37) All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (38) For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (39) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. (40) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
The Bread of Life is ingested spiritually. In the same way that physical bread nourishes our physical body, spiritual bread nourishes us spiritually. Physical bread gives physical life, spiritual bread gives spiritual life.
Jesus said "I am the bread of life". He has come to earth and although He has not taught it yet, He is presently on a course to the cross. One aspect of this parable is that Jesus has "come down from heaven" to go to the cross and thereby provide life to all who call on Him, which is the will of the Father (Joh 6:51).
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
This new life that Jesus is speaking to the people about is "eternal" (Joh 6:27), originates from the Father in heaven (Joh 6:32-33), is a satisfying life (Joh 6:35) and will lead to an eternal and heavenly resurrection life (Joh 6:39-40).
Jesus indicates in this passage that He will complete the mission He was sent here to earth for.
John 6:41-42 - The Bread of Life (4)
Joh 6:41-42 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." (42) They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
Joh 6:52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus is telling the people that this new life is available to everyone, but the appropriation of these spiritual blessings is through Himself alone. The people did not understand this. They were unable to distinguish between the physical bread they were following Jesus around for and the spiritual bread that Jesus was offering them instead. Their lack of understanding was causing them to start grumbling and complaining.
They were admonished to work for food that does not perish, not the food that does perish (Joh 6:27). When asked what sort of work they should do, Jesus answered that by saying that their work was to believe in Jesus as the Messianic King they were awaiting.
Jesus was speaking with the awareness of the full spiritual impact of His words, but the people were hearing it with the awareness of nothing but the physical aspects of bread and eating. They discussion back and forth emanated from two completely different worldviews. This was the consequence of Jesus' rejection as Messiah and Jesus' determination to speak in parables so those without eyes and ears to see and hear would not understand.
John 6:43-51 - The Bread of Life (5)
Joh 6:43-51 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. (44) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. (45) It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. (46) No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (47) Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. (48) I am the bread of life. (49) Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. (50) But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. (51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
The Jews that Jesus was speaking were told to stop grumbling. This is the same people who grumbled when God provided physical bread (manna).
Exo 16:2-4 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (3) The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." (4) Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
John 6:52-59 - The Bread of Life (6)
Joh 6:52-59 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (53) Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (54) Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. (56) Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. (57) Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (58) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." (59) He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Jesus did not waver in His determination to speak in parables. He told them flat out that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, and that His flesh and blood were real food. This was incomprehensible to the unbelievers who were listening.
The spiritual meaning that Jesus was speaking is perfectly understandable to those who believe. To eat His flesh and drink His blood meant to believe that He was the Messianic King sent by God. Those who believed that Jesus was the Messianic King had eternal life.
Just as food eaten is taken into the body and becomes part of the body, so does believing that Jesus is the Messianic King cause Jesus to become a part of us, and us a part of Him.
Note at this point Jesus has not spoken of His death, burial and resurrection. The content of faith, what a person was to believe at this point in Jesus' ministry was to believe Jesus was the Messiah.
Joh 6:28-29 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (29) Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Soon the content of faith would change to include belief that Jesus had died, was buried and resurrected.
John 6:60-63 - The Bread of Life (7)
Joh 6:60-63 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" (61) Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? (62) Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! (63) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life.
Attention now turns to the larger group of disciples, who are also having difficulty understanding Jesus' parable, and are joining in the grumbling.
Jesus is asking them how they are going to believe in His Ascension if they can't believe what He is saying about Himself being the bread of life. This is a critical issue, for if they are to have eternal life, they must understand, accept and believe that He was the Messianic King.
John 6:64-71 - The Bread of Life (8)
Joh 6:64-71 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. (65) He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them." (66) From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (67) "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. (68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (69) We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God." (70) Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (71) (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
This discourse lead to many disciples to leave Jesus, no longer walking with him.
Joh 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Jesus here asks the 12 if they will also leave. Peter replies that they have nowhere else to go.
Joh 6:67-68 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. (68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Judas began down the road to apostasy when Jesus started this discourse.
Joh 6:70-71 Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (71) (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
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