John 6

Chap. VI. Ver. 1—21. Jesus feedeth five thousand by miracle; then withdraws from them, and walks on the sea to his disciples.—Both these miracles having been already brought before our readers, we shall here chiefly confine ourselves to incidents, or circumstances, not before mentioned. ‘The miracle of feeding five thousand men, beside women and children, with a few loaves and fishes, is recorded by all the Evangelists: our remarks have been confined to the narrative of Matthew, (ch. xiv. 14—21.) We shall subjoin two or three more. 1. We observe, that this being just before Passover time, (ver. 4,) almost the whole population of the country was now gathering together, (particularly of the males,) and that a great part of them were at a distance from home, and had no occupation here, but to attend the feast; hearing, therefore, that a new prophet was arisen, who had wrought great miracles, they naturally thronged to see and hear him; and his miracles appeared so extraordinary, and his discourses so much superior to those of their Rabbies, that they were unwilling to separate, or leave him, notwithstanding the inconveniences of hunger and fatigue.

Jesus, however, who felt for every one’s sufferings but his own, determined at once both to satisfy their necessities, and to demonstrate his own miraculous powers. He did so; and to make the demonstration more complete, as well as to exclude all waste, the fragments were gathered up, and filled twelve baskets, which showed that the surplus only, far exceeded the food originally set before them. The people ere hereby fully convinced that he must be the Great Prophet, so long and so often predicted from the time of Moses to that of Malachi; and therefore, without consulting him, intended to take him ‘by force,’ and proclaim him Messiah the King. Our Lord Jesus, however, whose kingdom was of a very different kind from that which they contemplated, knowing their design, withdrew from them, probably while they were maturing their design, in order to spend some time in private prayer, as he was accustomed to do, both night and morning, in the lonely solitude of a mountain.

When evening came on, the disciples, by his previous direction, took shipping to cross the sea or lake of Galilee, toward Capernaum, while the people, finding themselves deserted by Jesus not returning, as they probably expected, naturally dispersed themselves to their several homes. 2. We now find the disciples embarked upon the sea, the night dark and stormy, and, what was worse than all, their Master was not with them. After rowing hard for between twenty and thirty furlongs, they at last see an object upon the water, at which they are startled, and, in their agitation, conclude it must be a spirit, which adds not a little to their terror. Their fears, however, as often ours do, prove unfounded.

It was their Master, whose care and sympathy had brought him to their aid, and immediately as he stepped into the vessel, the storm subsided, and they reached the land. On this miracle, which is also related by Matthew, immediately after the preceding, we have there offered a few observations, and shall here add only a recollection of the principal circumstances from the meditations of the pious Bishop Taylor:— “He that left his Father’s kingdom to take upon him the miseries and infelicities of this world, fled from the offers of a sind ot, and their tumultuary election, as from an enemy; and, therefore, sending his disciples to the ship before towards Bethsaida, he ran into the mountains to hide himself, till the multitude should scatter to their several habitations; he, in the mean time, taking the opportunity of that retirement for the advantage of his prayers.

But when the apostles were far engaged in the deep, a great tempest arose, with which they were pressed to the last extremity of danger…. labouring in sadness and hopelessness till the fourth watch of the night, when, in the midst of their fears and labour, Jesus came walking on the sea, and appeared to them, which turned their fears into affrightments; for they supposed it to have been a spirit. but he appeased their fears with his presence, and the manifestation who he was; which yet they desired to have see by a sign. For Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.’ ((Matthew 14:28).) The Lord did so, and Peter, throwing himself upon the confidence of his Master’s power and providence, came out of the ship, when his fears began to weigh him down, and he cried, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus took him by the hand, reproved the timorousness of his faith, and went with him into the ship; where, when they had worshipped him, and admired the divinity of his power and person, they came…. to their (desired) port immediately.

Ver. 22—40. Many of the people follow Jesus to Capernaum, who reproves them for their improper motive, and recommends himself to them as the bread of life.—Among the multitudes which followed our Lord, it must be expected that they were influenced by different motives, as are doubtless most numerous congregations in the present day. ‘Those who had formed a plan of aggrandizement, and who thought of being made ministers of state, by making him a king, were probably so much disappointed, that they followed him no farther. Those however, who were gratified by being feasted with the loaves and fishes, at free cost, followed him to Capernaum, probably expecting to be fed again in like manner.

To these our Lord now addresses himself, exhorting them to labour and strive, not for the food that perishes, but for that which endureth unto eternal life, and which the Son of man alone could give them. They now inquire, and our Lord explains what that work or labour is, which he recommends; and what that food is, which endures unto eternal life. The work of God is faith. By ‘the work of God,’ it is evident that the Jews meant, the work, or duty, which God required of them; and, by our Lord’s answer, this is stated to be faith in him, and a cordial reception of him, as the Messiah. This faith is explained as receiving him, and living upon him spiritually, as we do upon bread and animal food, naturally.

The mention of bread naturally enough reminded the Jews of the manna which their fathers ate in the desert—as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven.” ((Psalms 78:24).) That is, manna was rained upon them from the clouds; but this true “bread of heaven” was from a higher source. “Our Lord’s declaration, as I imagine, (says Dr. Campbell,) imports, that it is in a subordinate sense only, that what dropped from the clouds, and was sent for the nourishment of the body, still mortal, could be called the bread of heaven; being but a type of that which descended from the heaven of heavens, for nourishing the immortal soul unto eternal life and which is therefore, in the most sublime sense, the bread of heaven.”

But some of the Jews, for we must not suppose they were all of the same class, demand a miracle to support their faith. Perhaps these had not been at the miraculous feast on the preceding day, but had subsequently joined the party. If they had been, it confirms our Lord’s assertion, that they followed him “for the loaves and fishes,” and therefore wished for another miracle of the same nature; which is the more likely, if, as we may reasonably suppose, the miraculous bread and fishes of which they had partaken, were of the same superior favour as the miraculous wine of Cana: ((John 2:10).) But to return to our Lord’s discourse. He tells them, that the true “bread of heaven” had not only the power of maintaining, but also of giving life—“The bread of God is he (or rather that) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”

Then said they unto him, “Lord, evermore give us this bread!” By this answer, it is evident that they did not understand our Lord as speaking of a person, but, their minds probably adverted to the miraculous feast which they had enjoyed the day before, and of which they wanted a repetition. Jesus now more fully explains himself: “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Here coming to Christ is explained by believing on him; and the expression, “never hunger,” as well as “never thirst,” must be taken in the same sense as in his conversation with the woman of Samaria, (ch. iv. 14,) namely, that the spiritual appetite shall be perpetually supplied and satisfied.

Some commentators understand this of our Lord’s doctrine, and it is certain that doctrine is food to the mind; but, from the subsequent part of the discourse, we shall find that our Lord had here a reference to his death and atonement, as well as to his doctrine. Our Lord now continues his discourse more plainly, and reproves their unbelief. “I said unto you” before, namely, in ver. 26, “Ye have even seen me, and believe not;” or, as Dr. Campbell renders it more clearly, “Though ye have seen me, ye do not believe.” ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” This corresponds with the promise made to Messiah, in the 2d Psalm, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance;” and in the 110th Psalm, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” No one can truly “come to Christ, except the Father draw him.” “All that the Father draweth will come”—and “him that cometh to the Son, he will by no means cast out;” he will “lose none, but raise up” every such person to life and glory in the last day. Here, then, is the greatest possible encouragement to fainting minds. He who has invited all the miserable and distressed—“Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” ((Matthew 11:28))—will by no means reject any who come and look unto him by faith, for life and salvation. ** Jesus, we come at thy command, With faith and hope, and humble zeal, Resign our spirits to thy hand; To mould and guide us by thy will.”—Watts.

Ver. 41—58. The Jews murmur, and our Lord explains.—The more carnal part of the Jews probably now finding they were not likely to be entertained with any more loaves and fishes, began to murmur: “‘Who is this man, that talks of having come down from heaven? Is not this the son of Joseph and Mary?’ and thus they depreciate the message from the humble appearance of the messenger, notwithstanding the extraordinary miracle they had so lately witnessed. But Jesus meekly replies, I know that ‘no man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him;’ as it is written in the prophets, “They shall be all taught of God.” However humbling, and even mortifying, to proud minds it may be, this is the doctrine of both the Old Testament and the New, that ‘Salvation is of God;’ and that to his grace we are indebted for its first beginning, and final completion. Our Lord now returns to his former allegory, and speaks still more explicitly:—“The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” The blood is here mentioned in distinction from the flesh, (says a learned divine,) to denote the suffering by a violent death. “My death is equally useful and necessary to the obtaining of eternal life, as food and drink are to the sustenance of the present.”—“To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ, (says another,) denotes to receive and appropriate the blessings resulting from his bloody death—pardon of sin, and peace of mind.” Thus, under the cover of figurative language, but easy to be understood by pious Jews, accustomed to read the Old Testament, our Lord not only predicts his death, but preaches the doctrine of his atonement, as necessary to “give life unto the world,” or, in other words, for the salvation of mankind. (See Dr. J. P. Smith’s Messiah.) We are accustomed to appropriate this language to the Lord’s Supper, and very properly, as that is founded on this doctrine of atonement; but it can only refer to it prophetically, as it was not yet instituted; nor could it be intended, at that time, so to be understood. The carnal Jews, it is plain, did not understand it at all; for they murmured among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They had no idea of eating or drinking but in the grossest sense; and it is evident, in the sequel, that his own disciples knew not what to make of it. But this living upon Christ by faith, implies something more than even trusting to his atonement; it implies a daily communion with him, and a constant dependence on him, as on our daily food.

It implies, that the Holy Spirit which animated Christ the head, animates also his believing members. ‘As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” “Though Christ was dead, he ever lives; To sinners life divine he gives; And saints, to keep each grace alive, From him must constant power derive.”—Simon Browne.

Ver. 59—71. Many of the disciples of Jesus desert him; Peter’s noble profession of attachment.—The preceding discourse, we here learn, was delivered in the synagogue of Capernaum, on which occasion many of our Lord’s own disciples were offended, and murmured among themselves, saying, “This is a hard saying; who can hear (or understand) it.” As to the dialogue, or altercation, that took place, we have several similar instances recorded by the Evangelists.

(See (Matthew 12:10). (Luke 13:14). (Acts 13:45), &c.) For it seems to have been the custom to allow objectors, in certain cases, to reply to the speaker or preacher; or to ask questions, to which the speaker was expected to reply. Jesus did so in the present instance: “And what if ye shall (or should) see the Son of man ascending up where he was before?” This passage has been considered by different persons as a key to the whole of our Lord’s preceding discourse, and in that view we insert Dr. Pye Smith’s judicious paraphrase: ‘If your prejudices are so shocked by my assurance that the Messiah must go through the lowest degradation, and an excruciating death, how will your disappointment be increased when you find that, on his reassuming his pristine dignity and ascending to the throne of his glory, in the exercise of all power in heaven and on earth, he will confer on his disciples no such happiness as you desire.

He will give no provinces nor estates; no titles, riches, nor carnal gratifications. The blessings of his reign are not those of sense, but are of an intellectual and holy kind. The divine energy which accompanies the truth taught by me, is the only cause of the enjoyment of those immortal blessings: while every profession observance, or privilege, that is merely external, can be of no avail to your real and eternal happiness; nor could even the actual feeding on my flesh and blood, if so horrid an attempt were made. My doctrine teaches, and, when sincerely believed, communicates that divine energy and that real happiness.” —Smith’s Messiah.

The following words (ver. 63) have, indeed, some obscurity, but Doddridge thus explains them; “The words which I speak, they are spirit; that is, to be taken in a spiritual sense;

Notes on the verses

As rationally might the advocates of universal salvation contend for a different meaning of the word resurrection. See notes on (Matthew 25:46).

Ver. 31. My witness is not true.—Wesley, “‘Not valid.’” A man may bear a true witness concerning himself, but because it is his own, therefore is it inadmissible in evidence. See ch. viii. 13—18; also Parkhurst in Aletheia, iii.

Ver. 34. I receive not.—The Greek verb (lambano) is often used for taking in the hand, as bread or fishes. Campbell renders it exegetically, ‘I need no human testimony.’

Ver. 35. He was a burning and a shining light.—Compare (Matthew 5:14-16).

Ver. 37. Ye have neither heard, &c.—The different reading we have given above, depends merely on the insertion of two marks of interrogation; and their insertion seems to have been first suggested by Turner, of Wakefield, in Priestley’s Harmony: it is adopted and ably defended by Campbell, and by Boothroyd.

Ver. 39. Not seen his shape.—The Gr. eidos, evidently signifies any object of sight, even when no definite image has been visible; so it is used by the LXX. (Exodus 24:17). (Numbers 9:15-16); xii. 8; Compare (Deuteronomy 4:12);

Ver. 39. Search the scriptures.—The words may be read either imperatively or indicatively: our translations prefer the former; both Doddridge and Campbell the latter. But some read this also interrogatively, “Do ye search,” &c. The term search is noted by the critics as remarkably emphatic and expressive. It is a compound word, signifying, literally, to seek a bird, and is an allusion to miners in search of the precious metals: Homer uses it in reference to a lion scouring the plain, to trace the footsteps of a man who had robbed his den.

The same word is also used to denote the fidelity, perseverance, and accuracy, with which the dog traces the game, by the scent of the foot, to the very place where it is lodged.

Ver. 43. If another shall come in his own name.—Some think this refers particularly to Bar Kochba, a noted imposter in the succeeding age; but, as Doddridge observes, there were many other false [messiahs].

Chap. VI. Ver. 7. Two hundred penny-worth.—(This sum would amount to about $27.75 of our money; which appears to have been more than our Lord, and all his disciples, were worth of this world’s goods.)—Bagster.

Ver. 10. Now there was much grass.—No wonder, since it was the spring, being near the passover; and, from the plenty of grass, it would be a place much more suitable to the purpose.

This circumstance, says Paley, is plainly the remark of an eye-witness.—Bagster.

Ver. 13. And filled twelve baskets.—It is scarcely possible to imagine a more wonderful proof of the creative power of Christ, than was here displayed. The loaves were of the small kind, common in the country; and the fishes were also small; and yet, after the 5000 were fed, twelve times as much, at least, remained, as they at first sat down to!—Bagster.

Ver. 16. Went over the sea toward Capernaum.—We read “other side,” as we read it; but Campbell remarks says, “to the other side.”

Now these places were all on the same side of the lake with Tiberias, and might all be travelled by land;—but, 1. They wished to avoid any of the people following them. 2. They were sailors, and had got their boat, and therefore preferred going by water; but a storm arising, instead of Bethsaida, they were driven farther, even to Capernaum. The term, other side, seems equally applicable to the other end. Doddridge understands it, of the other side of a creek, near Bethsaida.

Ver. 19. About five and twenty furlongs—That is, between three and four miles.

Ver. 22. None other boat.—The same vessel is in ver. 17 called a ship—shows what humble ships these were. It is evident they had both sails and oars.

Ver. 23. From Tiberias.—Tiberias was a celebrated city of Galilee, on the western shore of the lake to which it gave name, so called because built by Herod Agrippa in honour of the Emperor Tiberius, distant 30 furlongs from Hippos, 60 from Gadara, 120 from Scythopolis, and 30 from Tarichea. It is still called J’abaria, or Tabbareeah, by the natives, is situated close to the edge of the lake, has tolerably high but ill-built walls on three of its sides, flanked with circular towers, and is of nearly a quadrangular form, according to Pococke, containing a population estimated at from 2000 to 4000 souls.

Ver. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth.—This is a precept very liable to be abused by idle people, as in the following instance from an ancient writer:—‘A certain brother came to the Convent of Mount Sinai, and finding the Monks all at work, shook his head, and said to the Abbot, “Labour not for the meat that perisheth—Mary chose the best part.” “Zachary,” said the old Abbot to his servant, “give the brother a book, and show him into a cell.” There sat the Monk alone all day long.

At night, wondering that nobody had called him to dinner, he goes to the Abbot. “Father,” (says he,) “don’t the brethren eat to-day?”—“O yes,” replied the Abbot, “they have eaten plentifully.” “And why” (added the Monk) “did you not call me?” “Because, brother,” (replied the Abbot,) “you are a spiritual man, and have no need of carnal food. For our parts… we are obliged to eat, and therefore we work.”…. “Pardon me, father, I perceive my mistake.”—“I do,” subjoined the old man; “but remember, Martha is as necessary a Christian as Mary.”’—Claude’s Essay.

Him hath God the Father sealed—That is, ratified his mission by the power of working miracles.

Ver. 32. Moses gave you not that bread from heaven.—Campbell, “Not the bread of heaven.”

He observes—‘Here, though the difference in expression is but small, the difference in meaning is considerable.” ‘The expression, “bread from heaven,” seems to “point only to the place from which the manna came. The pronoun that, which is quite unwarranted, conduces much to this appearance.”

Ver. 33. He which cometh down from heaven.—Doddridge and Campbell “That which descendeth from heaven.” The latter says, “Let it be observed, that (ho artos) to which this participle (descendeth) refers, is of the masculine gender, and, by consequence, susceptible of the interpretation I have given it…. The request in the next verse shows that he was not yet understood, as speaking of a person.”

Ver. 37. Shall come to me.—Doddridge renders it, “will come;” because (adds he) “I would not lead any in mere dependence on a translation, to build a weak argument on the word shall, which it is well known has sometimes been done.”

I will in no wise.—Doddridge, “By no means.” The original is very emphatical.

Ver. 39. This is the Father’s will which hath sent me.—Campbell remarks, the word patros, (father,) is wanting in several MS. versions and fathers, and is omitted by Mill, and other critics. He therefore reads, “This is the will of him that sent me;” as in the next verse.

Lose nothing.—Doddridge and Campbell, “Lose none,” referring to persons.

Ver. 40. Every one which seeth the Son.—Campbell, “recogniseth,” Doddridge, “who views the Son with an attentive eye.”

But both are foreign to the Scripture style: we should rather render it, “who looketh to the Son,” See ch. iii. 14, 15.; including, perhaps, to the brazen serpent.

Ver. 42. Whose father and mother we know—i.e. we know his mean extraction and education.

Ver. 51. And the bread.—[This was one of the things which the Jews expected from the Messiah, as we learn from Midrash Koheleth, “Rabbi Berekiah in the name of Rabbi Isaac said, As was the first Redeemer, so also shall be the latter. The first Redeemer made manna descend from heaven, as it is said in (Exodus 16:4), ‘And will rain bread from heaven for you.’ So also the latter Redeemer shall make manna descend, as it is said, (Psalms 72:16), ‘There shall be [a] perpetuating [supply] in the earth,” &c.] Bagster.

Ver. 62. His flesh.—Boothroyd and others, think this is a custom of feasting on their sacrifices.

Ver. 53. Except ye eat the flesh.—The Rhemish annotators absurdly apply this passage to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (or of the Mass, as they call it,) though that was not instituted till just before his death.

Ye have no life.—Campbell, “Not life;” i.e. spiritual life.

Ver. 57. As the living Father hath sent me.—Campbell, “As the Father liveth who sent me.”

Ver. 61. Doth this offend you?—Campbell, “scandalize you?”

Ver. 62. Ascend up where he was before.—Doubtless in heaven, from whence he came.

Ver. 70. One of you is a devil.—Campbell, “A spy.” Locke, “An informer, or false accuser;” all which characters apply to Judas.

Ver. 71. That should betray him.—Campbell, “For it was he who was to betray him.” Doddridge, “Had thoughts of betraying him;” which, he thinks, Judas now began to entertain. From this awful circumstance it has been justly inferred, that the Almighty does foresee what we call future contingencies, even those most dependent on the human will: “But his foreknowledge causes not the fault, Which had no less proved certain unforeknown.”