NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 21
John 6:37
1782
even though you have seen me. 37However,
those the Father has given me will come
to me, and I will never reject them. 38For I
have come down from heaven to do the will
of God who sent me, not to do my own will.
39And this is the will of God, that I should
not lose even one of all those he has given
me, but that I should raise them up at the
last day. 40For it is my Father’s will that all
who see his Son and believe in him should
have eternal life. I will raise them up at the
last day.”
41Then the people began to murmur in
disagreement because he had said, “I am
the bread that came down from heaven.”
42They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Jo
seph? We know his father and mother. How
can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining
about what I said. 44For no one can come
to me unless the Father who sent me draws
them to me, and at the last day I will raise
them up. 45As it is written in the Scriptures,
‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone
who listens to the Father and learns from
him comes to me. 46(Not that anyone has
ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent
from God, have seen him.)
47“I tell you the truth, anyone who be
lieves has eternal life. 48Yes, I am the bread
of life! 49Your ancestors ate manna in the
wilderness, but they all died. 50Anyone
who eats the bread from heaven, however,
will never die. 51I am the living bread that
came down from heaven. Anyone who eats
this bread will live forever; and this bread,
which I will offer so the world may live, is
my flesh.”
52Then the people began arg uing with
6:37-40 Jesus’ mission in the world is
sure to succeed. God sent Jesus (6:38)
and calls people to follow him (6:37,
44). Those who come to him are secure
in Jesus’ promise that he will not reject
them or lose them (6:39).
6:37 those the Father has given: God
moves in people’s hearts, bringing
them to Jesus.
6:41-42 When Jesus identified himself
as the true bread . . . from heaven,
the crowd faced a decision. people:
Literally Jewish people; also in 6:52.
Isn’t this . . . the son of Joseph? They
stumbled because their familiarity with
Jesus made his claims seem outlandish.
6:43-51 Stop complaining: Rather than
defending himself against their complaint (6:42), Jesus turns to the problem
of their spiritual receptivity. Those who
love the Father and listen to him will
believe in Jesus.
each other about what he meant. “How can
this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.
53So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, you cannot have eter
nal life within you. 54But anyone who eats
my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise that person at the last
day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my
blood is true drink. 56Anyone who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood remains in me,
and I in him. 57I live because of the living
Father who sent me; in the same way, any
one who feeds on me will live because of me.
58I am the true bread that came down from
heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not
die as your ancestors did (even though they
ate the manna) but will live forever.”
59He said these things while he was teach
ing in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60Many of his disciples said, “This is very
hard to understand. How can anyone ac
cept it?”
61Jesus was aware that his disciples were
complaining, so he said to them, “Does this
offend you? 62Then what will you think if
you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven
again? 63The Spirit alone egives eternal life.
Human effort accomplishes nothing. And
the very words I have spoken to you are
spirit and life. 64But some of you do not
believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the be
ginning which ones didn’t believe, and he
knew who would bet ray him.) 65Then he
said, “That is why I said that people can’t
come to me unless the Father gives them
to me.”
6:45 in the Scriptures: Literally in the
prophets. Isa 54:13.
6:49-50 Jesus connected the manna of
the Exodus with himself, then pointed
out a major difference: The Israelites remained mortal and they all died, whereas
the bread from heaven (Jesus himself)
provides eternal life (6:47, 51, 58).
6:51 this bread . . . is my flesh: The gift
that brings life is now unveiled. On the
cross, Jesus offered his flesh for the life
of the world.
6:53-58 eat the flesh . . . drink his
blood: Jesus answered the question the
people asked (6:52). His words hinted at
the Lord’s Supper yet to come (see Luke
22:19). Since “flesh and blood” was
a Jewish idiom for the whole person,
Jesus might have been calling people
to consume him fully by completely
believing in him. Some Christian traditions see the bread as Christ’s literal
6:37
John 10:28-29;
17:2, 24
6:38
John 4:34; 5:30
6:39
John 10:28-29; 17:12;
18:9
6:40
John 12:45
6:41
John 6:33, 35, 51, 58
6:42
Luke 4:22
John 7:27-28
6:44
Jer 31:3
John 6:65; 12:32
6:45
*Isa 54:13
Jer 31:33-34
1 Thes 4:9
Heb 8:10-11
6:46
John 1:18; 5:37; 7:29
6:47
John 3:15-16, 36
6:48
John 6:35, 41, 51, 58
6:51
John 10:10-11
Heb 10:10
6:54
John 6:39-40, 44
6:56
John 14:20; 15:4-7;
17:21-23
1 Jn 2:24; 3:24
6:57
John 5:26
6:58
John 6:31
6:62
John 3:13; 17:5
Acts 1:9-11
Eph 4:8
6:63
John 3:34
Rom 8:2
1 Cor 15:45
2 Cor 3:6
1 Pet 3:18
ezoopoieo (2227)
Rom 4:17
6:64
Matt 26:23
John 13:11
flesh broken for us and the wine as his
literal blood poured out for us. Receiving communion means no less than
embracing Jesus’ life-giving sacrifice.
6:60-61 Jesus’ language (6:53-58) was
shocking, offensive (see Gen 9:4-5), and
hard to understand for his disciples,
just as it was to the crowd. Were they to
take him literally? How would they eat
his flesh? Jesus’ answer is in 6:63.
6:63 The essence of Jesus’ gift is found
in the Holy Spirit alone, not in human
effort (literally the flesh). Life and understanding come through the gift of the
Spirit (see 14:15-20; 20:21-22). True life
can be found only when the Holy Spirit
infuses human life. To “eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink his blood”
(6:53) involves a spiritual rather than a
physical act (see note on 6:53-58).
6:65 people can’t come to me unless the
Father gives them to me (see 6:44): Only
