John 6:22-51

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as the heavenly provision that provides eternal life; of which the elect will receive. The crowds who saw Jesus multiply the food sought Him for another free meal (John 6:22-26), but Jesus directed them to work for spiritual food which He would offer (John 6:27).  The crowd asked what they could do to work the works of God (John 6:28), and Jesus explained the work of God is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29).  The unbelieving crowds asked Jesus for a sign to authenticate Himself and mentioned the manna Moses provided for Israel in the wilderness as a sign that validated his divine calling (John 6:30-31).  Jesus corrected their faulty theology and revealed that God the Father provided the manna for the Israelites in the wilderness and then speaks of the true manna from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:32-33).  When the crowds asked for this bread, Jesus pointed to Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:34-35).  Eating the bread is a picture of faith in Christ, in that one receives and benefits that which is provided freely by another.  But the crowds did not believe (John 6:36), and Jesus explains that only those whom the Father gives to Him will come to Him and receive eternal life and resurrection life (John 6:37-40).  The unbelieving Jews failed to understand Jesus’ divine origins, perceiving Him only as human (John 6:41-42).  Jesus rejects their grumblings and again reveals that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, and such a one will believe in Jesus and receive eternal life (John 6:43-51).