Jn 6

Who is Jesus: The Bread of Life

Read: John 6

• Did people at the time more readily believe in signs and wonders than today? vv26&43
• v15: Why did Jesus withdraw when the crowd wanted to declare him king?
• Read again Jn 6:26-29: Why did Jesus question his followers and how? What did he suggest they should do instead?
• What was wrong with ‘working for perishable food’?
  • Did Jesus want them to withdraw from life in the present world without caring for anyone? Why not? cf Mt 6:33
  • Read Jn 12:25 Why do you think Jesus taught that in some sense we must first come to “hate” life so that we can desire and gain eternal life?

• What was Manna, and how did it point worshippers to Christ already in the Old Testament? cf Ex 16:1-5; 16:31-35.
  • In what respect does the True Bread of Life differ from the manna, v47-51?

[of the world (gr. kosmos) = for people from all nations, cf Jn 3:17. Not everybody, but whoever eats of it will have eternal life, Jn 6:51; the light of the entire world, but only whoever follows him will walk in the light, Jn 8:12]

• What does the metaphor of eating stand for? Read vv29, 35, 40, 47: what verb is repeated again and again? cf Jn 3:16 In what ways does faith in Jesus resemble eating?
  • Read v63: What does and what does it not mean to ‘eat and drink him’? Since literal ‘flesh’ is of no help, what should we think about ‘trans-substantiation’, and why was this a big deal?

• What can we learn from newborns how to eat and drink in the spiritual sense? cf 1Pet 2:2
• Why do we have to spiritually feed on Jesus, instead of anything else that may seem to satisfy?
  • What makes him unique? Jn 6:32.40, Jn 6:46, Jn 6:50.
• Do we set our priorities accordingly? ->
  • What do you work for, and how: Food that spoils, or food that endures to eternal life (v27)?

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* Jesus does not despise the inadequate offerings of bread and fish of his disciples for ministry, but honors their sincerity by adding to it what was lacking in order to give bread to all: In like manner, he uses the humble witnessing of Christians to meet the spiritual needs and hunger of multitudes who do not yet know him. And as he fed this large crowd and still filled baskets with leftovers, so he himself is more than sufficient to procure eternal life for all who internalize him in their lives like food in their bodies.