When the Jewish leaders heard that Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Life come down from heaven, they were furious. But their response also indicates that perhaps they knew that Jesus’ claims were indeed true. Why else would they deflect and attack Jesus’ earthly background, instead of addressing His claims directly? The Jewish leaders, and the crowd that followed Jesus, were not interested in Jesus because of who He is, but what they could get from Him. Earlier, the crowd wanted to make Jesus king. But this was to satisfy their own worldly desire to overthrow Roman rule and establish a Jewish kingdom for their own glory. This was what many of the Jewish leaders wanted as well. And when Jesus did not give this to them, they began to turn against Him.
Jesus further explained what He meant when He described Himself as the Bread of Life. In verses 48-51, Jesus emphasized that God’s provision of manna in the wilderness for the Israelites while they were wandering in the desert was a foreshadow of God’s ultimate provision for humanity through Himself. While the manna in the desert was intended to satisfy the Israelites physical hunger, those that ate it eventually died. This points to the fact that the bread of this world (whether that be wealth, power, or status) will never truly satisfy. Only Christ as the Bread of Life can satisfy our every hunger physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He invites us to partake of Himself in a relationship with Him so that we may find life everlasting.
The Jewish leaders and the crowd did not understand this. They thought that Jesus was asking them to literally eat His flesh. However, Jesus was speaking figuratively. The manna that God provided in the desert for the Israelites, and the blood of the lamb that they smeared on their doorposts during their first Passover in Egypt, all pointed to Christ’s sacrifice for us. It is through His blood that our sins are washed clean and that we can find eternal life in relationship with our Heavenly Father. For generations, believers all through the ages and all around the world have partaken of Communion to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. There is no power in the elements – the bread and the wine – in and of themselves, nor do the elements literally transform into Jesus’ actual body and blood. Historically, in places where bread and wine were not produced or easily accessible, believers often substituted the elements with whatever food and drink that was available. Communion does not have any power or significance apart from the person of Jesus Christ. It is not the act or elements themselves that have power, but it is who we remember when we celebrate Communion that has the power of life and death over us all.
Many of Jesus’ disciples, those who were not counted among the twelve Disciples, left Jesus at this point. They realized that Jesus was not going to bend to their will, their desires, or their ambitions. They had to bend to His. And this is the cost of being a true disciple of Christ. If we cannot submit to Jesus’ authority and what He says about Himself, then we will never fully know the joy and the beauty of being in relationship with Him and partaking of His goodness. However, the Disciples, for all their faults and human limitations, did acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, that He has the words of eternal life, and that His power and authority come from the Father. Even Jesus’ own brothers, those who would have been closest to Him physically, did not acknowledge that He was the Messiah and sought to send Him and His disciples away to Judea. However, Jesus does not bend to His brothers’ request. He continues to do the will of His Heavenly Father. And the Father wanted Him to remain in Galilee
Read the passage prayerfully a few times over and then answer the questions: John 6:41-7:9
Questions:
- How is Jesus the fulfillment of what God did for the Israelites during the Exodus? (v. 41-59 cf. Exodus 12:1-30, 16:1-35)
- Why did many disciples reject Jesus, including His own brothers? How are their responses similar to those of people today when they reject Jesus and the truth of who He is? (v. 60 – 7:9)
- What stands out to you about the Disciples’ response to Jesus’ question in v. 67? (v. 67-71)
Application:
- Where have you struggled in submitting to Christ’s authority and purposes for your life?
- In what ways can you praise Him for what He has done for you on the Cross?
Conclusion & Heart Prayer:
Lord, what are You saying to me? And what are You calling me to do about it?
