John 6

John 6:1

God [is] a Spirit. Rather, “God is Spirit”. This declaration is fundamental. Since he is Spirit, he must receive spiritual worship, and is everywhere present.

John 6:2

I know that Messias cometh. Her heart had been made lighter with the great hope of the world. The words of Jesus Christ carried her thoughts to that hope. He had told her much; the Messiah would tell her all things, and give light on every dark question. She perhaps began to suspect that Jesus was the Messiah. The admission that Jesus makes, “I am he”, is the first recorded.

John 6:4

His disciples . . . marvelled that he talked with the woman. His disciples had left him alone at the well, while they went to the village of Sychar to buy food (John 4:8). They wondered that he should talk with a “woman”, and especially with a “Samaritan” woman. It was considered by the Jews indecorous to talk with a woman in public, and the rabbis held that to talk with such an inferior creature was beneath the dignity of a doctor of the law. This illustrates the state from which woman has been lifted by the Gospel.

John 6:6

A man, which hath told me all things that ever I did. He told her some things about her own life, and conscience had told her more. She felt that all was known to him, and naturally exaggerates by saying, “He told me all my life”.

John 6:9

I have meat to eat that ye know not of. “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3 Matthew 4:4 Lu 4:4). The Lord who could go forty days in the wilderness without food, in the exaltation of the soul caused by his baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit, would forget the hunger of the body also, when he was pouring out the water of life to a poor, thirsty soul.

John 6:10

Hath any man brought him [ought] to eat? They cannot think of spiritual food, heavenly manna, bread of life. Yet, long before, the prophet had spoken of this food and had said, “Ye that have no money, come, buy bread, and eat” (Isaiah 55:1).

John 6:11

My meat is to do the will of him that sent me. The Savior declares that to do the will of God is food to him. It is enjoyment and strength. It does not weary, but refreshes.

John 6:12

There are yet four months, and [then] cometh the harvest. Harvest began about the middle of April in Palestine. The time when the Savior spoke would then be about the middle of December. But the harvest of souls was ripe already. Lift up your eyes. No doubt he pointed to the Samaritans now flocking out to see him. See John 4:39.

John 6:13

He that reapeth receiveth wages. The figure is kept up. The reaper in the harvest fields receives wages, and so shall those who reap the harvest of souls; not earthly pay in money, or fame, or position, but the happiness of doing the noblest work, and beyond, the crown of life shining with stars.

John 6:14

One soweth, and another reapeth. This was a common proverb, growing out of constant human experience, true of worldly and spiritual things. How often has the patient pastor sowed, and then the evangelist has reaped in a meeting the results!

John 6:15

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour. The verb “sent” is past, and refers to some event before the present incident. The disciples had baptized multitudes, “more disciples than John” (John 4:1); so many that John’s disciples reported “all men come unto him” (John 3:26). They had baptized these (John 4:2), reaping the fruit of John’s labor.

John 6:17

So when the Samaritans were come. They insisted that he should tarry with them. A strange invitation for a Samaritan village to give to a Jew. It was also a strange thing for a Jewish teacher to accept the invitation.

John 6:18

Many more believed because of his own word. They saw and heard for themselves.

John 6:19

Know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. To the woman Jesus had said that he was the Christ. Now, by his teachings, many months before Peter’s confession, the Samaritans pronounced him the Christ, the Savior, not of Jews only, or Jews and Samaritans, but of the world.

John 6:23

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick. The Greek word translated “nobleman” is “Basileukos”, from “Basileus”, a king, and implies one connected in some way with royalty. It may have been Chuza, Herod’s steward (Lu 8:3).

John 6:24

Besought him that he would . . . heal his son. Note that: (1) The nobleman has already “faith as a grain of mustard seed” (Matthew 17:20 Lu 17:6) in Jesus; (2) that faith moves him to seek the aid of Jesus; (3) to make sure of his help he comes in person, instead of sending servants; (4) while he thought he could heal his son, he did not comprehend that it could be done unless Jesus came to where he was; (5) he thought it would be too late if the son died before his coming. His faith way very imperfect.

John 6:25

Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman, in his sore distress, had some faith, caused only by the fame of the “signs and wonders” wrought. His faith was still imperfect, far below the holy trust of the Samaritans. He is the type of a class whose belief depended on outward signs.

John 6:27

Go thy way; thy son liveth. These words were spoken like the Son of God. There was no hesitation; no doubt. The manner of the Lord at once carried conviction to the heart of the sorrowing father. Alford says: ``The miracle is a notable instance of our Savior not quenching the smoking flax, just as his reproof of the Samaritan woman was of his not breaking the bruised reed. The little spark of faith in the breast of this nobleman is lit up into a clear and enduring flame for the light and comfort of himself and his house.''

John 6:33

Jesus in Jerusalem SUMMARY OF JOHN 5: At Bethesda. The Man with the Infirmity Healed. The Jews Complain That the Sabbath Was Broken. The Jews Seek to Slay Jesus. He Rebukes Them. Jesus Predicts His Own Death and Resurrection. Also the Resurrection of All. The Testimony of John; of Moses. The Testimony of Moses. There was a feast of the Jews. Probably the second passover, attended by the Lord after his ministry began. Such is the view of Irenaeus, Eusebius, Lightfoot, Neander, Gresswell, Andrews, and Dr. Wm. Milligan.

John 6:34

There is at Jerusalem . . . a pool. Its supposed site is still shown, but is uncertain. Five porches. Shelters for the sick.

John 6:35

In these lay a great multitude. All that follows the word “withered” in the third verse and all the fourth are wanting in the best MSS, and are evidently an interpolation.

John 6:37

And a certain man was there. With many others who thought the water had a healing power. His infirmity was probably paralysis.

John 6:38

Wilt thou be made whole? Jesus observed him and asked the question to arouse his attention.

John 6:39

I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool. His answer reveals the ideas that prevailed. The water was agitated at intervals, probably by an intermittent spring, and they supposed that the first one to enter after would receive the benefit. Only one could be healed at a time. No doubt many were, even without a miracle. In nervous diseases, faith is the great healing power.

John 6:40

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Then came the command to rise and walk. He spoke with an authority that compelled obedience.

John 6:41

The man was made whole. Observe the process: (1) Christ addresses the man; (2) he commands; (3) the man “obeys”. It is the obedience of faith. (4) In the act of obedience he is healed. Christ is the healer, but he is healed by the obedience of faith.

John 6:42

The Jews. This phrase does not refer to the people, but to the authorities. John always uses it to signify, not the multitude, but the rulers. Therefore points to the fact that he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. Said unto him. The man was officially stopped and questioned. The bearing of burdens on the Sabbath was forbidden, not only by Jewish tradition, but by the law. See Exodus 31:13 Jeremiah 17:21 Ne 13:15-19.

John 6:43

He that made me whole, the same said unto me. The defense of the man is that he was ordered to do it. He knew not who had healed him.

John 6:46

Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. His own sins, thirty-eight years before, had brought on this infirmity. What was their nature we are not informed, but we know that often our fleshly ills can thus be accounted for.

John 6:47

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus. The second time he saw him he learned that it was Jesus.

John 6:48

The Jews persecute Jesus. The word “dioko” is literally rendered “pursued”. At once they hunted Jesus and attacked him. And sought to slay him. They did not at first seek to slay him. This is omitted in the Revised Version and does not appear in the old MSS. But the officials now come to Jesus to learn why he has done this act.

John 6:49

My Father worketh hitheto, and I work. The answer of Jesus to his accusers goes to the very root of the matter. The basis on which the Sabbath rested was that God had ceased his creative labors on the seventh day. Jesus shows that God’s rest was not idleness. The Father had continued his works of love and mercy. He worked in these works right on till Jesus came; “now”, says the Son, “I work as my Father works. There is no suspension on the Sabbath of works of benevolence and mercy”. The Father’s example is the pattern given to direct man.

John 6:50

Because he not only had broken the Sabbath. The Pharisees were horrified, not only at what they deemed the breaking of the Sabbath, but at the high ground on which the Lord placed his defense. But said also that God was his Father. This high claim seemed to them blasphemous.

John 6:51

Then answered Jesus. To their charge of blasphemy. He shows that there is the closest co-operation between the Father and Son. What the Father does the Son will do, even to the extent of giving life to the dead.

John 6:55

That all [men] should honour the Son. Three “for’s” occur in John 5:20-22, all stating exaltation given to the Son.

John 6:56

Hath everlasting life. The conditions of eternal life are: (1) Knowledge of the Son; (2) belief upon him; trust in him. These are necessary before he can be accepted.

John 6:57

The dead shall hear the voice. Those spiritually dead, as well as those in their graves. They shall hear, and the Son will bestow upon them eternal life. For the Son hath, by the will of the Father, life in himself and can bestow it.

John 6:59

Because he is the Son of man. He is also judge, a judge who shares the nature of the judged.

John 6:60

Marvel not at this. That he should execute judgment. Those in the graces shall hear his voice and come forth to judgment; the good, to the resurrection of life; the evil, to the resurrection of damnation; the one to life eternal, the other class to condemnation.

John 6:62

I can of my own self do nothing. Apart from the Father.

John 6:64

There is another that beareth witness of me. John is meant.

John 6:65

Ye sent unto John. See John 1:19-38.

John 6:68

I have greater witness. His works given of the Father, the Father’s voice at baptism, and the Scriptures, which are the Father’s word.

John 6:70

Have not his word abiding in you. If they had they would believe upon him of whom that word did speak.

John 6:71

Search the scriptures. Rather, as in the Revised Version, “Ye search the Scriptures” for eternal life. Yet they were full of testimony of Christ. Yet they turned away from him who is the life of whom their Scriptures spoke.