Jesus Reveals Himself to Be the Bread of Life Jesus has claimed to share Gods prerogatives of life-giving and judgment and has demonstrated supernatural power. Now the claims in chapter 5 and the power demonstrated in chapter 6 are put in perspective through the series of teachings around the theme of the bread of life (vv. 25-59). The deeds of power are signs of something even more wondrous than the witnesses first thought, for Jesus speaks further of his role as the giver of eternal life and of how people are to share in this life he offers. The crowds response to this teaching illustrates the judgment that is taking place through Jesus ministry. In this section we also receive more revelation of the relation between the Father and the Son spoken of in the keynote address.Jesus Teaches About the Work of God (6:25-29) The crowd that had come across the lake in search of Jesus ask him, Rabbi, when did you get here? Quite often in this Gospel people call Jesus Rabbi and then do not treat him as a rabbi; that is, they do not receive his teaching. As this dialogue unfolds we see this crowd fitting this pattern. Indeed, their uncertain attachment to Jesus may be evident even in this question. We would expect them to ask how Jesus arrived, not when. By asking when they seem to assume he slipped away undetected and arrived by normal means. They have already observed something unusual about Jesus travel (v. 22), yet they are slow to believe that Jesus is unusual, too. Jesus reply, as is often the case, is neither polite nor seemingly directed to the question asked. He responds as a holy man would, revealing their own state of heart. That they are looking for him is good (cf. 1:35-39), but Jesus says there is something wrong with their motivation. The proper motivation has to do with seeing miraculous signs (semeia, v. 26). A sign is a deed that is full of significance, revealing Jesus identity and Gods saving activity in his ministry. They had seen a miracle, but it did not focus their attention on Jesus. Rather, he was seen as a means to the filling of their stomachs (v. 26). Jesus did not come to fill stomachs with food, but to fill lives with the very presence of God, as he will make clear in this dialogue. This crowd is focusing on the physical realm. In John the physical and the spiritual are interconnected, for the physical is spirit-bearing: the Word became flesh. The present dialogue will teach us this lesson very clearly. This crowd, then, is faulted not for their interest in the physical, but for lacking perception of the spiritual through and in the physical. The same problem afflicts some disciples today, since matter is still spirit-bearing. Too often we fail to have eyes to see and ears to hear the God who is present in our lives, through either the sacraments or the events of everyday life. These folk had to work hard for their daily bread, so when they found a miraculous source of food this was good news. But Jesus tries to redirect their attention: Do not work for food that spoils (v. 27). Sure, they have to work for a living, but what is their deeper vocation? Their focus is on physical food, which is temporal. Like the manna in the wilderness, it does not last long. But more profoundly, the life it nourishes is also all too brief. Our physical lives of flesh and blood are given by God, and they are significant, but they are not the whole story; this life is transitory. There is a food that endures to eternal life (v. 27); it does not rot but instead nourishes real life, divine life, life that continues on forever. Jesus is repeating what he told the Samaritan woman: Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (4:14). What do we really hunger and thirst for (cf. Mt 5:6)? What is blue chip--of highest value--in our lives (cf. Ward 1994: 23-29)? Are we like this crowd? Jesus says the crowd is to work . . . for food that endures, but he also says that this is food which the Son of Man will give you (v. 27). So it is both work and gift, concepts that have often been thought to be in opposition to one another. The Son of Man will give this food by giving his own life and also by providing a means by which we may share in that life, as he explains later. Thus, the reference to the Son of Man in this passage (cf. 6:53, 62) is part of the pattern in this Gospel in which Son of Man refers to the Messiah from heaven who brings Gods life and judgment, especially through the cross (cf. comment on 3:13). Verse 27 in the NIV does not represent the word because (gar), which is important for understanding the reason Jesus, the Son of Man, can give eternal life: the Son of Man will give you [food that endures to eternal life] because on him God has placed his seal of approval. It is not clear what in particular the Fathers seal of approval refers to. Has placed his seal is in the aorist (esphragisen), so it could refer to some particular event, such as the incarnation or the baptism (1:33-34). It is similar to the references to the Fathers bearing witness to the Son (5:32, 37; 8:18). It means that Jesus is, as it were, the authorized dealer. Constantly Jesus is reminding us, as spelled out in his keynote address (5:19-30), that he is utterly dependent on the Father. This thought is vital for understanding everything about Jesus, not least his role in giving eternal life (cf. 6:57). It is the Father, the source of all, who has given Jesus the life that he offers here (cf. 5:21, 26). The crowd next asks, What must we do to do the works God requires? (v. 28). This is an incredible question. How many Christians today reach the height of this question? For how many of us is this a burning question? How would we answer this question? Many would think of Gods work as acting morally or doing evangelism or apologetics or even worship. As important as all of these are, Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to the source from which all of these vital aspects of eternal life flow--belief in the one sent by God. Without this faith none of these activities benefit us. Our primary work is being receptive to God. All our actions and plans are dependent on the most important action--union with God in Christ by the Spirit. Ultimately it is not a matter of our working for God, but a matter of Gods living his life and doing his work through us as we trust him and align ourselves with him by his grace (see comment on 20:27-29).
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 00:14:08 +0000
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