Lessons from John 6

After reading this chapter for four years, I have come up with some lessons linked with David’s Psalm (78).

To begin: “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33). Same with the manna, it came down from heaven. Jesus here tells the Jews that manna in the New Testament represents himself. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, the Jews grumbled about the bread from heaven, so too did they grumble about Jesus; they did not understand Jesus’ teaching (verse 30). About the manna which bred worms and did not last when it was kept for personal use the next day (Exodus 16:20). What does it mean for us? That things stored away and not used corrupt and one can become the enemy of God (James 4:4). But in the wilderness there was other manna which never corrupted (Exodus 16:22).This represented Jesus as the manna and container. Jesus was a man with an ordinary nature before he died (that is, mortal). We also see this when Moses was commanded to make an altar from earth and undressed stones. (Exodus 20:25). I realize that man had nothing to do with the preparation of the Christ-altar: he was not born of the will of man but of God (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35). The earth shows that Jesus was to be mortal (as was Mary), that he physically inherited human nature from Mary.

“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger ...” (John 6:35,51). On this issue Jesus refuted the Jews because he knew that their attitude was materialistic (verse 26). They were not willing to hear his teachings. That is why he said “I am the bread of life …” and told them that their fathers had manna provided in the wilderness in spite of which they rejected God (Numbers 14:1-4).

What does it mean for us? We who accept his teaching shall gain everlasting life and the hidden manna (Revelation 2:7,17). This is like the ark, which also speaks of Jesus. And we shall overcome the second death by being given the white stone; without this we should have everlasting death like the Israelites who were cut down by God (Psalm 78:31).

Jesus quotes from Psalm 78:39: “For he remembered that they were flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again” (John 6:63). What does this mean for us? The worldly are working for nothing to God and they will not go into the kingdom. We must bear spiritual fruit, as we are chosen by God (John 15:16). Looking at John 15:19, if we follow fleshly things we are not of God, but of the world. “Do not love the world or anything in it” (1 John 2;15-17). We should leave behind all fleshly things which will pass away and remember the covenant we made on baptism.

Bro Dzingai Sumberera (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe)