The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – G074 The Lord Jesus Heals in Gennesaret, The Bread Of Life and the Living Bread

Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G074 The Lord Jesus Heals in Gennesaret
The Bread Of Life and the Living Bread
Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 6:53-56; John 6:22-59

Download PDF:
https://od.lk/f/MV8zNDIwMDQxMDhf
https://od.lk/fl/MV8xODI0MzMzNl8

Please share this website with all your friends and family members. Thank you, and God bless.

All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 14:34-36

34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all that were diseased;

36 And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Mark 6:53-56

53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him,

55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard He was.

56 And whithersoever He entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole.

John 6:22-59

22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone;

23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

25 And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath *God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of *God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of *God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.

30 They said therefore unto Him, What sign shewest Thou then, that we may see, and believe Thee? what dost Thou work?

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of *God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.

39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41 The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of *God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of *God, He hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

59 These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.

In this lesson, we will learn about a very important teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. He summarized this teaching in two sentences: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48), and “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51a). But first, let us study the healing of the sick by the Lord Jesus Christ in Gennesaret.

Matthew 14:34-35

34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all that were diseased;

Mark 6:53-55

53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him,

55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard He was.

“When they were gone over” or “when they had passed over” refers to the moment immediately after the Lord Jesus and Peter stepped into the boat from walking on the sea, when the wind calmed, the waves settled, and the boat reached the shore.

“The land of Gennesaret” is located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It’s a fertile, crescent-shaped area, about 4 km wide and 6 km long. The populated area is the town of Gennesaret, situated about 5 km south of Capernaum and about 5 km north of Magdala.

We can understand that the boat docked on the shore of Gennesaret. By then, it was just daybreak, and the people there recognized the Lord Jesus. Therefore, they sent word to the surrounding regions, possibly as far as Capernaum and Magdala, to report the news and bring the sick to the Lord. Those who were severely ill and unable to walk on their own were carried on beds.

We can also understand that the reputation of the Lord Jesus for healing diseases and casting out demons had spread everywhere throughout the land of Canaan at that time. Wherever the Lord Jesus went, He healed all those who were sick and possessed by demons. However, afterwards, there were still people who were sick and people who were demon-possessed. This is the reality of the world since mankind fell into sin. Even those who had been healed by the Lord Jesus or from whom demons had been cast out could still become sick again or be possessed by demons again, even more severely, if they did not repent of their sins and did not believe in and accept God’s salvation (Matthew 12:45; John 5:14).

Saying this does not mean that God’s people will not get sick. The Apostle Paul and Epaphroditus were once sick to the point of death. God’s people can become ill due to not maintaining bodily hygiene, not being moderate in their lifestyle, and not giving up things that are harmful to the body, such as addiction to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. God’s people can also become ill due to sin, especially by contracting infectious diseases through fornication. God’s people can also suffer from illnesses caused by demons, as Satan once inflicted on Job’s body.

Throughout history, countless of God’s people have been ill and often not healed by the Lord. Many of God’s people have died of sickness. This is because it was the Lord’s will for them to suffer from illness. The important thing when we fall ill is that we call upon the Lord for healing. If the Lord does not choose to heal us supernaturally, we can use medicine and seek help from doctors. For the Lord Himself taught: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matthew 9:12; Luke 5:31). If the Lord does not use medicine or doctors to heal us, we still thank Him and joyfully accept the suffering and illness that the Lord allows to happen to us. For we live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; II Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 10:38). We know and believe that: “all things work together for good to them that love *God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Matthew 14:36

36 And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Mark 6:56

Perhaps the story of the woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years but was healed just by touching the hem or the border of the Lord’s garment in faith had spread everywhere (Matthew 9:20; Luke 8:44). Therefore, this time, when the Lord Jesus came to Gennesaret, those who were sick asked His permission to just touch the hem or the border of His garment. All the sick who touched the Lord’s garment were healed.

Of course, it wasn’t the hem of the Lord’s garment that had the power to heal those who touched it. Instead, it was their faith in the Lord’s healing power, demonstrated by touching the hem of His garment, along with their prayer for healing, that caused the Lord to heal them. Similarly, later on, when handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched the Apostle Paul were placed on the sick or demon-possessed, they were healed. But the Scripture clearly states that it was God who performed these extraordinary miracles through Paul (Acts 19:11-12).

John 6:22-24

23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

“The next day” is the following day, when the Lord Jesus and His disciples arrived in Gennesaret.

“The other side of the sea” is the shore opposite Gennesaret, on the southern side of Bethesda, where the Lord Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying bread and fish to feed more than 5,000 people.

The crowd that the Lord had fed with bread and fish was dismissed by the Lord the previous evening. The next morning, they returned to look for Him but couldn’t find Him. They remembered that the previous evening, the Lord’s disciples had gone down to the boat to cross to the opposite shore, but the Lord had not boarded the boat. At that time, they wanted to leave that place and cross to the opposite shore to find the Lord, but there were no other boats available except the one that the Lord’s disciples had used.

Shortly after, a few boats from Tiberias stopped at their location, and they boarded these boats to go to Capernaum. Tiberias is a city located south of Gennesaret. These were probably passenger and cargo boats, traveling from Tiberias to Bethsaida and then from Bethsaida to Capernaum. The crowd probably thought that the Lord and His disciples had returned to Capernaum, so they went there to look for Him.

John 6:25-27

25 And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath *God the Father sealed.

According to verse 59, the “other side of the sea” mentioned in verse 25 is actually the shore of Capernaum. We can understand that after the Lord Jesus had healed the sick in Gennesaret, He and His disciples went to Capernaum. A journey of about 5 km.

The crowd knew that the previous evening, the Lord Jesus had not gone down to the boat with the disciples. But at that time, He was already in Capernaum with the disciples. Therefore, they were surprised and asked Him: “Rabbi, when camest thou hither?” Rabbi was a title used by Israelites to address teachers of the Old Testament Scriptures at that time. It means: My great one, My honorable one; in a broader sense: My teacher, the guide of my life. This was the title that the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples not to let people call them (Matthew 23:8). In fact, only Christ is truly worthy of this title.

The Lord Jesus did not answer their question but spoke directly about what He knew about them. Whenever He needed to emphasize the truth He was about to reveal, the Lord Jesus often began His sentence with the word “amen,” which is translated as: truly or verily. He knew clearly that the crowd was looking for Him, not because of the miracle He had performed, which should lead them to acknowledge Him as Christ, believe in His teachings, and obey His call to repent. But they were looking for Him, hoping He would provide for their physical needs. The previous evening, they had intended to make Him king. Their hearts were not directed towards the truths He taught but only towards enjoying material needs. They were not focused on heavenly things, which are eternal. They only focused on earthly things, which will quickly pass away. The Word of God teaches God’s people that they should set their minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2-5).

The Lord Jesus’ call to the crowd about working means not to do anything according to their own will but to do what *God wants them to do. Works done according to one’s own will can only bring temporary, fleeting benefits. Works done according to ^God’s will always bring benefits that last eternally, which is eternal life. Eternal life is the state of living forever in happiness in *God’s Kingdom (Revelation 22:1-9); in contrast to eternal death, which is eternal suffering in hell, separated from the face of *God and His glory (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

The noun “food” literally means nourishment for the physical body; figuratively, it means the grace of *God that nourishes the spiritual body, which is the spirit, along with the self, which is the soul.

“Son of Man” is “son of mankind,” a self-designation used by the Lord Jesus to affirm that He is fully human, born of humankind. He is the One who gives resurrection and eternal life to those who believe in Him and remain faithful until death.

“…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10b)

In ancient times as well as today, a seal is used on a document to certify that it is recognized by the person applying the seal. *God has placed His seal on the Lord Jesus by entrusting God the Spirit to Him without measure, meaning without limitation (John 3:34), to acknowledge Him as the Christ promised in the Scriptures, sent into the world by *God to preach about God, and to carry out the work of redeeming mankind.

John 6:28-29

28 Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of *God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of *God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.

The crowd eagerly asked the Lord Jesus what they should do to perform the works of *God. The Lord Jesus’ answer is an eternal truth: “This is the work of *God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

The first “work” that *God wants a person to do is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ believe and follow all of His teachings.

Believe that He is the Son of *God, He is the Christ, that is, the Savior of mankind, given by *God to humanity. By faith, receive His salvation.
Believe that He is God incarnate as a human, fully God, and also fully human. By faith, worship Him and serve Him.
Believe that one is sinful for having violated *God’s Ten Commandments and needs to repent to receive *God’s forgiveness. By faith, forsake all sinful acts.
Believe that Christ had to die as a sacrificial offering to atone for one’s sins. By faith, do not seek salvation outside of Christ’s death.
Believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is coming, and only those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. By faith, eagerly live according to Christ’s example and remain faithful until death.
Believe that Christ is the resurrection and eternal life. He will grant resurrection and eternal life to those who believe in Him. By faith, do not fear death, and do not hesitate to suffer for the Lord’s name.
Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to *God except through Him. By faith, do not accept any teaching that does not align with God’s Word.

Only after a person genuinely believes in and accepts Christ can they do other works of *God. These are the good works that *God has prepared in advance for those who sincerely believe in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).

John 6:30-31

30 They said therefore unto Him, What sign shewest Thou then, that we may see, and believe Thee? what dost Thou work?

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

The crowd had seen so many miracles performed by the Lord Jesus. They had seen all those with illnesses or demon possessions healed by Him. Just yesterday, they witnessed with their own eyes the Lord Jesus performing a miracle, multiplying bread and fish from five barley loaves and two small fish, feeding over 5,000 people, and still having 12 baskets full of leftovers. They themselves had eaten that bread and fish. Yet they still demanded that the Lord Jesus perform a miracle to prove He was the Christ, the Son of *God, the Savior given by *God to mankind.

They themselves brought up the event when their forefathers had been given food from heaven in the wilderness, which was manna, as a suggestion for the Lord Jesus to perform a similar miracle.

John 6:32-33

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of *God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The Lord Jesus explained to them that the manna their forefathers ate did not come from heaven. This means that, regardless of how it was made, it was only physical food, created by *God in this material world. It could only nourish the physical body. If kept too long, it would spoil, like any other physical food.

Meanwhile, they were facing the true food from heaven, which was God incarnate as a human, offering them salvation and eternal life. They only needed to believe in Him to receive eternal life.

The noun “bread” is used to generally refer to physical food that nourishes the physical body. But it was used by the Lord Jesus to refer to Himself, used by *God to nourish the spiritual body of mankind, which is the spirit, and the self of mankind, which is the soul. When the spirit and soul are alive, the physical body receives resurrection and lives eternally. Therefore, the Lord Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven, giving life to the world.

John 6:34-36

34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not.

The crowd still thought of a bread similar to manna, so they kept asking the Lord Jesus to always give them that bread. Therefore, the Lord Jesus summed it up in one statement: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” The Lord Jesus wanted them to understand that He was not talking about physical food and life but about spiritual food and life. Spiritual hunger is the lack of a holy life to produce holy deeds, so one keeps sinning. Spiritual thirst is the lack of holy vitality, so one keeps craving sin.

Coming to the Lord Jesus means believing in Him and following His teachings. The holy, sinless physical body of the Lord Jesus had to bear the punishment for all sins committed by human bodies. Therefore, those who believe in Him have their physical bodies united with His physical body. Dying and rising again with Him, their physical bodies become holy to live a holy life, producing holy works that please *God. The holy, sinless blood of the Lord Jesus was shed to cleanse the sinful nature in anyone who believes in Him. Thus, His holy life force pours into their spirit and soul, so they no longer have sinful desires but only desire spiritual things from heaven.

John 6:37-38

37 All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.

The grace of salvation from *God is given to all of mankind.

“For *God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

He is:

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

But only those who sincerely repent of their sins and believe in His salvation will be given by Him to Christ. And when *God has given them to Christ, Christ will never cast them out of *God’s Kingdom.

Christ came into the world to fulfill *God’s will, as outlined in John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:4. Each individual has the freedom to choose: they may sincerely believe in Christ, thereby accepting *God’s salvation and receiving eternal life, or they may reject Christ, thereby rejecting *God’s salvation and facing eternal destruction in hell.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of *God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

The large crowd followed the Lord day after day, witnessing many miracles He performed. Yet they did not believe in Him. They were not seeking salvation and the righteousness of *God. They were only seeking the satisfaction of their fleshly desires.

John 6:39-40

39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Lord Jesus’ statement implies that anyone who sincerely repents of their sins and believes in *God’s salvation is given by *God to the Lord Jesus to become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, which the Lord Jesus will rule. The Lord Jesus will never allow that person to be lost. Even though their physical bodies may undergo death, the Lord Jesus Himself will resurrect them on the day He comes to take the Church out of the world. This will be the final day of the Church age on earth.

The person who sees the Lord Jesus and believes in Him receives eternal life. The word “seeth” here does not refer to seeing with physical eyes, but to seeing with the eyes of the spirit, an understanding through the spirit. The word “believeth” here does not merely mean acknowledgment but also acting on what has been acknowledged. What good is it if a patient believes in the doctor but does not take the medicine prescribed by the doctor?

John 6:41-42

41 The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

We see that John no longer refers to the crowd as “the people” but instead as “the Jews.” This is because the Holy Spirit wanted to emphasize the pride and hardness of hearts of the Israelites.

The verb “murmured” means to speak in a low voice, expressing complaints, dissatisfaction, or opposition. They murmured about the Lord Jesus because He claimed to be “the bread which came down from heaven.” They knew His origins well. They were familiar with His family. To them, He was merely the son of a carpenter, and He Himself was a carpenter. So how could He claim to have come down from heaven?

From a human perspective, their reasoning was entirely logical. However, human reasoning cannot explain the things of God. Even the miracle of the Lord Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish to feed them was beyond their understanding, so how could they comprehend that He had come down from heaven?

Faith about God and faith in God are gifts from *God, not the result of human reasoning. Humanity cannot prove God’s existence on its own. We believe that *God grants everyone faith in Him and faith in the Lord. Only those who humble themselves and receive this gift will have faith.

Faith about God is the belief that there is an Absolute Supreme Being who exists by Himself and is the Creator of all things. He grants humanity knowledge of Him and His works through the Holy Scriptures.

Faith in God is when, after believing that God is real, the believer completely entrusts their life into God’s hands and lives according to His Living Word, which is the Holy Scriptures.

Therefore, the gift of faith is given to all, but salvation is only granted to those who receive this faith and live according to it.

John 6:43-46

43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of *God, He hath seen the Father.

The Lord Jesus knew they were murmuring about Him, so He told them not to do so. He affirmed that only those whom *God has given to Him and drawn to Him can come to Him and belong to Him. Once again, He assured them that He would raise up those who belong to Him on the last day.

The Lord Jesus referenced ideas from Isaiah 54:13 and Jeremiah 31:34 to confirm that everyone is taught about *God. Those who have heard about *God and have a heart to seek and learn about Him will come to the Lord Jesus. Later, the Apostle Paul affirmed that the knowledge of *God has been given to everyone, but the choice to believe in and obey *God lies with each individual.

Romans 1:18-23

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of *God is manifest in them; for *God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew *God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible *God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Although the knowledge of *God is revealed in the spirit of each person, no one has seen *God directly. Except for visions, such as those seen by the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22), no one has had a direct sight of *God. However, the Lord Jesus, in the person of God the Word (John 1:1-2, 18), has seen *God.

John 6:47-51

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Once again, the Lord Jesus affirms and emphasizes the eternal life that those who believe in Him will receive. He is the life, so anyone who believes in Him will live. His life is the life of God. This life has authority over the death of the physical body, ensuring that the bodies of those who believe in Him will not only be resurrected after death but also transformed into glorious, immortal bodies.

The Lord Jesus identifies Himself as the bread of life, meaning He is the living substance that brings life to those who believe in Him, just as physical food sustains the physical body.

He also identifies Himself as the living bread, indicating that He is the source of life. All life in creation comes from Him. Those who believe in Him will receive His own life, which is eternal life.

The Lord Jesus recalls the event when the Israelites ate manna for 40 years in the desert, but they all eventually died. Although manna was a miraculous food provided by *God for the Israelites, it did not come from heaven and was not the bread of life. Similarly, the loaves that the Lord Jesus multiplied for the crowd of over 5,000 were not from heaven and were not the bread of life. However, the Lord Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven. He is the bread of life, so that those who believe in Him will be resurrected. He is the living bread, so that those who believe in Him will have eternal life.

The statement “man may eat thereof, and not die” implies that physical death has no power over that person. Even if physical death occurs to his body, it will still be resurrected. Spiritually, the person will no longer be separated from *God but will live joyfully in Him.

We need to remember the following: Physical death is the separation of the body from the soul and the spirit. Spiritual death is the separation of the entire person, the soul, the spirit, and the body, from *God. Eternal death is when the spirit returns to *God, but the soul and the body remain forever separated from *God and suffer in hell.

When the Lord Jesus says, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” He means that the life *God gives to humanity is the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus. His physical body had to suffer and die to bear the punishment for humanity’s sins. Those who believe that Christ died in their place for their sins are freed from the penalty of sin. Their physical bodies are united with the body of Christ, becoming holy and used by *God to do good works, bringing them eternal life.

The phrase “eating the bread” has a literal meaning of taking physical food into the body to sustain physical life. In a metaphorical sense, which the Lord Jesus uses, it means accepting His sacrificial death for the atonement of sins. This acceptance leads to *God’s forgiveness, cleansing from sin by the Lord Jesus, receiving holy spirit from the Holy Spirit, and living a holy and eternal life during one’s remaining days on earth and in the Kingdom of Heaven.

John 6:52-56

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.

With their pride and hardness of heart, the Israelites could not understand the Lord Jesus’ words. They argued among themselves about the meaning of His statement, interpreting it literally as eating His flesh. However, the Lord Jesus used a metaphorical meaning to refer to accepting His sacrificial death, believing that His physical body endured death as an offering for humanity’s sins.

Eating the flesh of the Lord Jesus means believing in His physical death as the atonement for human sin. This faith unites the believer’s physical body with the body of Christ, making it holy and capable of living a sanctified life and performing good works. This faith is expressed through eating unleavened bread to remember Christ’s death. The unleavened bread symbolizes the pure, sinless body of Christ that was broken as a sacrificial offering for humanity, becoming true food that grants resurrection life to those who believe.

Drinking the blood of the Lord Jesus means believing in His innocent blood that was shed to cleanse the sinful nature of those who trust in Him. This faith unites the believer’s life with the life of Christ, cleansing their soul and spirit from sinfulness and leading them to no longer desire sin but to desire the things of God. This faith is expressed through drinking grape juice to remember Christ’s death. Grape juice symbolizes the pure, innocent blood of Christ that was shed for the purification of humanity, becoming the true drink that grants eternal life to those who believe.

One who eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is one who believes in His sacrificial death, becoming united with Him both physically and spiritually. This person becomes one with the Lord, much like a wild branch grafted into the holy vine. They are in Christ, and Christ is in them.

To be in Christ means to trust in the Lord, obey Him, and live according to His Word. Christ being in that person means His life is within them, making them a member of His body through which He acts.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of *God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The image of the vine and the branches illustrates the union between a person and Christ. Just as a branch is in the vine and draws its life from it, a person who is in Christ is similarly united with Him. Christ being in the person is like the life of the vine flowing into the branch. This mutual indwelling signifies a deep and vital connection, where the believer is nourished and sustained by Christ, and Christ works through the believer.

John 6:57-59

57 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

59 These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.

The Lord Jesus frequently referred to *God as “Father” because, from a human perspective, He was conceived by *God in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He also called *God the “Living Father” because *God is the self-existent and eternal God.

*God sent the Lord Jesus into the world to preach about God and to carry out the work of redeeming humanity. The life of the Lord Jesus in His human form came from and is sustained by *God. This life also provides the power for Jesus to complete the redemption of humanity.

Those who “eat the flesh” of the Lord Jesus, meaning they sincerely believe in His sacrificial death, allowing their physical bodies to be united with His body, will also receive life from the Lord Jesus and live eternally with Him. This life also empowers them to live a holy life and fulfill the good works that *God has prepared for them.

In the past, for 40 years, *God provided the Israelites with manna as food through a miracle. However, manna was not the bread from heaven and did not have the power to grant resurrection and eternal life to those who ate it.

The Lord Jesus is the source of life from heaven; came to sustain humanity, grant resurrection, enable a holy life, and provide eternal life.

The resurrection includes both physical and spiritual aspects. Physical resurrection is when the body of a believer is rejoined with their soul and spirit. Spiritual resurrection is the restoration of the entire person, the soul, the spirit, and the body, into communion with God.

A holy life is one that trusts in, obeys God, and lives according to His Word, the Scriptures, producing the good works that *God has prepared for each person.

Eternal life is to live forever in glory and happiness with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us continue to receive the bread of life, which is also the living bread given to us by our loving Father *God. May our daily holy life be a fragrant offering of thanks to Him.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
08/10/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.