Wisdom Wednesday: Wisdom in John’s Gospel Part 5 (of 8)
Chapters 6 and 7 – The Teaching of Jesus
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.–John 6:35 (NASB 95)
In this series, we continue to examine the wisdom of God, presented throughout the Gospel according to John. In the previous parts of this series, we saw the emphasis on Who Jesus was (chapters 1-3), the spiritual truth He brought (chapters 3 and 4), and how He validated His claim to be God’s Son (chapter 5).
In chapters 6 and 7, we see that Jesus’ teaching was sometimes difficult to comprehend and yet, amazing in depth and clarity, leading some to wonder, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” (John 7:14).
The Gospel Introduced -In chapter 6, Jesus fed the five thousand (6:1-14), and the people said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (6:14). Then John recorded how Jesus walked on water in the Sea of Galilee and rescued the disciples in their small boat and then reappeared ahead of them in Capernaum (6:15-25). There, Jesus gave an extended message to the crowd in the synagogue, recognizing their interest was in Him because He gave them the loaves of bread to eat. So, he told them to work for food that “endures to eternal life” (6:27), which is the bread out of heaven that God the Father has given to give life to the world (6:32-33).
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (6:35–40).
In these passages (vv. 26-40), we see the depth of His message as he moves from physical hunger to spiritual hunger:
- God the Father provides the true bread of heaven (v. 32).
- This food endures (remains) to eternal life – it is eternal (v.27).
- Work (Spend your life) for the eternal food–not food that perishes (vv.27; 35).
- Jesus is the food (bread) of (eternal) life (vv.35-36, see again in v.48,51).
- To eat this food is to believe in Jesus, as the One from the Father, to do His will, and to give life to the world (v.33).
- The will of the Father is that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and Jesus will raise him up on the last day (v.40).
The Confusion of Some and Belief by Others -But this straightforward message was neither understood nor believed by the people in the synagogue; they grumbled (complained) (v. 41) and argued (v. 52). John even recounts how some of Jesus’ followers complained and left Him (v. 66). Yet Peter, apparently speaking for the 12, confessed that “we have believed” in Jesus (vv. 68-69).
Teaching the Gospel in Jerusalem -In Chapter 7, John continues Jesus’ renewed teaching in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, where the people were still complaining about His earlier teaching weeks before 85 miles up north in Galilee (7:11-14). Jesus taught in the temple and people were astonished (v.14). He continued:
- His teaching is not His own, but from the Father (v. 16)
- And anyone who seeks God’s will genuinely, will know that His message is true (v. 17).
- Do not make judgments about His message based on superficial appearance (of following the Law) but make judgments based on genuine righteousness before God.
- And finally–speaking directly–You do not know the Father that sent Me (and you do not recognize Me); but I know the Father because He sent Me.
And More Confusion in Jerusalem–The crowd was divided about Jesus’ message, just as they were up north in Galilee. The wise believed and the foolish wanted to capture Him (vv. 40-52)
Jesus concluded his visits to the temple by returning to the simple metaphor of hunger and thirst, again: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (7:37–38).
Editors note: In regards to the biweekly video session, it has been postponed,. Unlike previous weeks, we don’t have a wide range of questions this time around. So there’s still time to ask me questions. Feel free to drop me an email or comment below. Email would be preferred, though