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Getting back to the original question we have to ask so what does it matter about what family
line Jesus is from. Perhaps the question is about what authority did Jesus have to create new
Midrash about the Scriptures? For Jesus to sit with a rabbi and discuss Scripture, like he did in
Lukes Gospel, was definitely permissible. Rabbis were trained and ordained by other Rabbis.
The questioners wanted to know who Jesus studied under and by what ordination (credentials)
does he speak. Even today we ask for credentials from our pastors and most guest speakers.
The answer to the credentials question is I am the bread of life. This symbolism tells the people
Jesus is God incarnate. The bread of life is a reminder of any echoes in the Hebrew Scripture
especially the time Israel travelled in wilderness of Sinai for 40 years. God provided bread in the
form of manna for the people. So in order to survive in life you need to be connected to the Bread
of Life.
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Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you
do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him
who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has
given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to
the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." 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. 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. 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." (Jn. 6:3551 NIV)
Bread is such a common metaphor in the Hebrew Scriptures that would invoke so many images.
Here are a few echoes.
18
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and
earth. (Gen. 14:18-19 NIV)
19
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Blessings from God are represented by the breaking and sharing of bread. In the Melchizedek
story Abraham was blessed by the High Priest of God, the King of Salem by Melchizedek sharing
bread and wine with Abraham. Therefore, Yeshua being the bread of life brings the blessings of
God into our lives every day.
6
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of the finest flour
and knead it and bake some bread." (Gen. 18:6 NIV)
Three angels visit Abraham to tell him that God was going to bless him and his wife by giving
Sarah a baby boy even though they are both well past child bearing years. What does Abraham
do when he learns of this divine blessings? He tells Sarah to bake some bread so they can
commune with the angels.
34
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and
left. So Esau despised his birthright. (Gen. 25:34 NIV)
The birthright was considered a blessing from God which was transmitted from father to son. Esau
was born first and would receive the birthright. God intended Jacob to receive the birthright and
be a patriarch of the Jewish people. So in a way Jacob offered bread to Esau to receive the
blessing of the birthright.
17
Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. 18 He went to his
father and said, "My father." "Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?" (Gen. 27:17-18 NIV)
The Jacob/Isaac story continues with Jacob giving Isaac bread as he comes to this father to
receive the blessing from God of the birthright.
In Exodus many examples of echoes are found. In Exodus the bread becomes unleavened bread
because the haste the Hebrews had to endure to leave Egypt. The blessing from God of freedom
from slavery was broken over the breaking on un-leavened bread.
8
This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the
Israelites, as a lasting covenant. (Lev. 24:8 NIV)
Bread is sacred that it is used as a gift to God regularly on the Sabbath. The bread represents
the covenant between God and Israel. Yeshua will use bread in the same way when he tells His
disciples at the last supper about the renewal of the covenant between God and the people. The
blessings from God come to all who follow Messiah Yeshua.
There are numerous other places outside of the Torah which speaks about bread. Deuteronomy
itself has 9 references to bread being connected to Gods blessings. As you continue to search
the Scriptures the symbolism of Bread being connected to Gods blessings are numerous.
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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. (Jn. 6:42-43 NIV)
6
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was
the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the
LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should
grumble against us?"
(Exod. 16:6-7 NIV)
5
The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant
grumbling against you by the Israelites." (Num. 17:5 NIV)
GRUMBLING! The Jews grumbling against Jesus is echoed in the Hebrew Scriptures in mainly
two places (I listed one of the verses in each section). In Johns Gospel Jesus declares himself
as the divine Messiah, God incarnate. Therefore, the echo of grumbling is clearly against God. In
the book of Exodus and Numbers the Israelite grumble and Moses told them they are grumbling
against God. They werent happy about some aspect of life in the wilderness (hunger). But what
happens if you grumble against God? That is a key to understanding this passage in a Hebraic
manner.
The Exodus passage is an excellent echo to this John passage:
2
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites
said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots
of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to
starve this entire assembly to death." (Exod. 16:2-3 NIV)
The people in the wilderness grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they were hungry and
in the wilderness without food. The people complained because if they remained slaves to
Pharaoh in Egypt they would have grain to bake bread. To grumble against the leadership God
ordained is a grumble against God.
So what did God do? He quieted their noise by sending them bread from heaven.
4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people
are to go out each day and gather enough for that day (Exod. 16:4 NIV)
So the bread they need to keep themselves alive was provided by God. A lesson to learn is God
will send us what we need to survive.
In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. (Exod. 16:4
NIV)
God also tested the people to see if they truly believed in Him and would follow His instruction.
God gave the people a couple of very simple rules about collecting the manna.
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Turning back to the John narrative, we see the Jews who grumbled against God were sent manna
in the form of Gods Son Jesus, the bread of life from Heaven. Also a test was given. The Scripture
doesnt define the test but it is easy to figure out the test. Will the Jews follow Jesus, the bread of
life, or not. Many did follow Jesus and many didnt. A difference in this test with Jesus is the Bread
of Life is always available even to those who deny Jesus as God incarnate at first (I know this first
hand).
Our God is love and grace. God showed love and grace to Israel in the Wilderness after the
Exodus even though they complained. No matter how much they complained God took care of
them. God sent Jesus as the bread of life was sent to his contemporaries, the complainers, and
Jesus will always be available even though they complain. One may not want God in ones life
however, God is always there.
In Methodism we call this Prevenient Grace. Gods love through the Holy Spirit is always with us
no matter how much we grumble!
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Something for the Refrigerator for the week beginning Sunday August 9, 2015
Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you
do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him
who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has
given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to
the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." 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. 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. 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." (Jn. 6:3551 NIV)
Contemplation Questions: Can you grumble to God?
Commentary: Grumbling against Jesus caught my attention so looked for places in the Scripture
where grumbling again God might be. The Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai grumbled against
Moses and Aaron several times. Since Moses and Aaron were Gods chosen leaders then they
were grumbling against the Lord God. Grumbling against Jesus is also grumbling against God.
How did God respond in Exodus? He showered manna on them. Manna? Bread! So when there
was grumbling against God what did God send. Jesus! The bread of life.
A wonderful thing about God is no matter how much we may grumble God is always there! So go
ahead and grumble. Biblically it is OK.
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A
B
C
B
A
In this diagram C is the center point. Chiasms can go much deeper than three levels and can be
only two levels
A
B
A
Think of the structure of a chiasm this way:
Observation/fact/belief
Observation/fact/belief
Gods revelation
Observation/fact/belief
Observation/fact/belief
For the inductive thinker the chiasm offers the data available then offers the conclusion. For the
deductive thinker the chiasm offers the conclusion then the data. It is a combination of inductive
and deductive reasoning. Take a look at a chiasm. I structured the chiasm so you can see the
levels and the repetition (John 6:37-46 NIV):
A
37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the
will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none
of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
B 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in
him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."41 At
this the Jews there began to grumble about him
C because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
B
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. 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.
A 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.
We have an inductive reason for Jesus being the bread that came down from heaven.
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37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the
will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none
of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
B 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in
him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."41 At
this the Jews there began to grumble about him
C because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
Now we have a beautiful artistic inductive process. All who come to Jesus will belong to him
forever. All who come to Jesus will be granted eternal life which will be granted at the last day.
Therefore, Jesus is the bread that came down heaven. The bread from heaven is a metaphor
used throughout the Bible symbolizing all we need to live is given to us by God.
Now for the deductive reasoning. Lets start with:
C because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
B
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. 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.
A 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.
In conclusion, the idea of inductive/deductive reasoning in the chiasm has been demonstrated.
The emphasis the author of Johns Gospel was to insure we know Jesus is the bread of heaven.
Inductive then deductive reasoning is the structure of the chiasm.
John 6:35-51
1. The Quest to understand Jesus Words
2. Artistic Literature
Chiasm
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35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will
never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I
told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father
gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him
who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none
of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my
Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." 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. 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. 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." (Jn. 6:35-51 NIV)
A 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I
will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will
but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent
me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the
last day. B 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last
day."41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him C because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven." B 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. 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. A 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.
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. (Jn. 6:35 NIV)
Why repetition?
3. Main Theme
4. Echoes
What is an echo?
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am
the bread that came down from heaven." (Jn. 6:41 NIV)
LINKS:
http://revdrmichaelkoplitz.wordpress.com
Blogs for John 6:35-51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TbIW7VMuwU&feature=youtu.be
VLOG for the Exegetical Perspective of John 6:35-51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvIY1M6ia4Q&feature=youtu.be
VLOG for the Theological Perspective of John 6:35-51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWNQM-umhX8&feature=youtu.be
VLOG for the Homiletical Perspective of John 6:35-51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PnqJEVho6k&feature=youtu.be
VLOG for the Pastoral Perspective of John 6:35-51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYzcrwvV4yw&feature=youtu.be
Sermon summary of John 6:35-51
https://versal.com/c/crnfhi
Versal course for John 6:35-51
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