At the start of every school year, I see parents bring their children to commence school for the first time. It is not an easy time for parent or child, but what I see happen is one student meets another student, and that initial connection is based on a meeting. Over time, the students get to know each other more and more. Some will become great friends knowing each other well.
This is how we sometimes meet Jesus. We do not know God, but God’s son comes to us, and through him we get to know him, and the Father.
In our reading today, we find ourselves in a part of the Gospel where Jesus is revealing more of who he is, by explaining the relationship of what they have seen and heard to the story of Israel.
This section is part of the I am the bread of life statement which we find in verses 35. We will touch on this, but next week will look directly at this idea.
- The Jews rebelled against Jesus (41-43)
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.
Jesus has just fed five thousand people (vv. 1-15), (as well as many other miraculous actions) but the crowd failed to see the significance of the miracle and cared only for the free lunch. Jesus has offered to meet their deepest needs, but they cannot see beyond their bellies.
Those that grumble are called the Jews, and we need to be mindful that such a term represented a large number of ideas and people groups. Sometimes in the scriptures, it will switch to particular groups among the community, but the term Jews relates to people around them, to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the zealots, the baptisers and others. Each of these groups because of their history, as well as their ambition could create all number of issues when Jesus spoke of heavenly things.
But in this passage, they are placed together, and the word grumbled or murmured is placed with them. This reading is a prompt for us to remember another time when a multitude of Israel grumbled, and this was the time of Moses in the desert.
Jesus’ claim though is something beyond our understanding. How does one come down from heaven, and who alone but God could do this.
Jesus’ is stretching his listeners understanding, and they are aware of the earthly family of Jesus. They may see him as thinking more highly of himself than he should, but also again, those among the Jews who know their scriptures would know that God in the Pld Testament story of the exodus came in power. God appears as a pillar of smoke or a pillar of fire, large, visible, loud. Not quietly coming to earth in a small town in a backwater in the roman empire.
The phrase of coming down from heaven appears a number of times, indicating that understanding this will helps us understand who Jesus is and what he is called to do.
This idea is a big idea, and one that tells us of the uniqueness of Jesus, but also that sometimes the things of God are so much greater than we can hope to fully understand. That is why John emphasizes the word believe.
- A person must be drawn to God (44-46)
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.
The Jews thought that they were all chosen by God by virtue of their physical, natural birth. Jesus made it clear that God must draw them before they can come to God. Everyone who responds to the Father will respond to the Son.
Many today that think there might be an afterlife, judge themselves as good people. They will always have someone in mind who they think is worse than them, that they are not like. Many assume as long as their good deeds outweigh their bad, they will be alright. This works-based assumption lies at the heart of many, even in the church.
Christianity of the bible teaches us that God calls us to himself, he never forces us. But that the action of salvation commences with God and finishes with God. That I am a Christian is nothing I can boast in about myself, it is in Christ I boast about. Why am I a Christian, and yet others in my extended family are not? Does it mean I am better than them? No way. It is by God’s grace, and it should be all the more I am praying for my family and friends that they would come to know God’s grace. The things of God are so much greater.
- To Believe on Christ (47-51)
47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
We read this staggering statement with two main thoughts in mind. First, what it means to “believe” in the sense Jesus meant; that is, to trust in, rely on, and cling to. It is a trusting love. Second, we think of the astounding nature of this claim. No other prophet or holy man of the Bible ever said such a thing; “Believe in me and find everlasting life.”
Jesus shows us that this bread is him, and the life he will give at the cross will give eternal life for those who believe. When he compares to what has gone before we see it is a shadow of what is to come.
John’s gospel is full of participles at this point to indicate what is happening. That the ‘Bread’ Jesus came from heaven, a once activity, and that those who believe are nourished by the bread (a continuous action) in an ongoing way.
As a Christian goes through life, having been saved by God’s grace, they are continually nourished by the bread of Heaven for their journey home.
Amen