Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος.
John 6:2
ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων.
John 6:3
ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.
John 6:4
ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
John 6:5
ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον· Πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι;
John 6:6
τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν.
John 6:7
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ.
John 6:8
λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου·
John 6:9
Ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους;
John 6:10 εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. ἀνέπεσαν οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι.
John 6:11 ἔλαβεν οὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκεν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον.
John 6:12 ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησαν λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται.
John 6:13 συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν.
John 6:14 οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
John 6:15 Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσιν βασιλέα ἀνεχώρησεν πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος.
John 6:16 Ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο κατέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν,
John 6:17 καὶ ἐμβάντες εἰς πλοῖον ἤρχοντο πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς Καφαρναούμ. καὶ σκοτία ἤδη ἐγεγόνει καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς,
John 6:18 ἥ τε θάλασσα ἀνέμου μεγάλου πνέοντος διεγείρετο.
John 6:19 ἐληλακότες οὖν ὡς σταδίους εἴκοσι πέντε ἢ τριάκοντα θεωροῦσιν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περιπατοῦντα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐγγὺς τοῦ πλοίου γινόμενον, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν.
John 6:20 ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε.
John 6:21 ἤθελον οὖν λαβεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ εὐθέως ἐγένετο τὸ πλοῖον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον.
John 6:22 Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ἑστηκὼς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἶδον ὅτι πλοιάριον ἄλλο οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖ εἰ μὴ ἕν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ συνεισῆλθεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ἀλλὰ μόνοι οἱ
μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον·
John 6:23 ἀλλὰ ἦλθεν πλοιάρια ἐκ Τιβεριάδος ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου ὅπου ἔφαγον τὸν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ κυρίου.
John 6:24 ὅτε οὖν εἶδεν ὁ ὄχλος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ οὐδὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐνέβησαν αὐτοὶ εἰς τὰ πλοιάρια καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ ζητοῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
John 6:25 Καὶ εὑρόντες αὐτὸν πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης εἶπον αὐτῷ· Ῥαββί, πότε ὧδε γέγονας;
John 6:26 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ με οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε·
John 6:27 ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην ἀλλὰ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἣν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑμῖν δώσει, τοῦτον γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐσφράγισεν ὁ θεός.
John 6:28 εἶπον οὖν πρὸς αὐτόν· Τί ποιῶμεν ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ;
John 6:29 ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος.
John 6:30 εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Τί οὖν ποιεῖς σὺ σημεῖον, ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμέν σοι; τί ἐργάζῃ;
John 6:31 οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον· Ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν.
John 6:32 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ’ ὁ πατήρ μου δίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν·
John 6:33 ὁ γὰρ ἄρτος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ καταβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ.
John 6:34 εἶπον οὖν πρὸς αὐτόν· Κύριε, πάντοτε δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον.
John 6:35 Εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς· ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσει πώποτε.
John 6:36 ἀλλ’ εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι καὶ ἑωράκατέ με καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε.
John 6:37 πᾶν ὃ δίδωσίν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρός με οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω,
John 6:38 ὅτι καταβέβηκα ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με·
John 6:39 τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκέν μοι μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
John 6:40 τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου ἵνα πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
John 6:41
Ἐγόγγυζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ καταβὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,
Therefore, the Jews complained about Him because He said, “I am the bread descending out of heaven.
Paraphrase: Now when the Jewish people heard this, they were outraged. They couldn’t believe they had just heard Jesus say that He was the bread coming out of heaven. Did Jesus really think He was divine?
Comments:
John 6:42
καὶ ἔλεγον· Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ, οὗ ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα; πῶς νῦν λέγει ὅτι Ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκα;
and they were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, of whom we know His father and His mother? How now does He say that He has descended out of heaven?”
Paraphrase: “Isn’t this Jesus? whose father is Joseph and His mother’s name is Mary? Why is He trying to persuade us that He has come down from heaven itself? We know where He came from; He came from Joseph and Mary. He didn’t come down out of heaven!”
Comments:
In terms of τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, see principle 18.
John 6:43
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Μὴ γογγύζετε μετ’ ἀλλήλων.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble with each other.”
Paraphrase: Then Jesus rebuked them. “Stop all this grumbling and misplaced outrage.
Comments:
See principle 22.
John 6:44
οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Paraphrase: You first need to grasp who I am before you can possibly begin to understand My teaching. No one can understand the truths I am teaching you until He first accepts the fact that I am the Messiah sent by My Father. If you come to me and embrace this truth, then you will be able to understand what I am teaching; and on the last great day of judgement, I will raise you up to sit with Me in My kingdom and to live in communion with My Father forever and ever.
Comments:
John 6:45
ἔστιν γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς προφήταις· Καὶ ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ· πᾶς ὁ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μαθὼν ἔρχεται πρὸς ἐμέ.
It has been written in the prophets, “And all shall be taught of God.” All who are hearing from the Father and learning come to Me.”
Paraphrase: This is the clear teaching of Scripture. Consider what the prophet Isaiah said, “All your children will be taught by Me.” (Isaiah 54:13)
Comments:
John 6:46
οὐχ ὅτι τὸν πατέρα ἑώρακέν τις εἰ μὴ ὁ ὢν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗτος ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα.
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the One being from God; this One has seen the Father.
Paraphrase: This, of course, does not mean that anyone has actually seen the Father in a visible form. Only the great Messiah King who comes down out of heaven has actually seen the Father.
Comments:
John 6:47
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ πιστεύων ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
Verily, verily I say to you; the one believing has eternal life.
Paraphrase: The truth is that anyone who is trusting in Me already has eternal life. He does not yet enjoy the full blessing of it, but he has it in his possession and some day will enter into the full reality of it.
Comments:
John 6:48
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς·
I am the bread of life.”
Paraphrase: Now that is why I said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) I am that Person who gives life and eternal life to all those who rely on Me to nourish them and strengthen them in this life just as we sustain our natural lives with physical bread. When a sinner commits his entire life into My hands and turns his back on all what he used to value, then they receive from Me a new life. Then I am that heavenly bread giving eternal life to all those who feed on Me.
Comments:
John 6:49
οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τὸ μάννα καὶ ἀπέθανον·
Your fathers were eating in the wilderness the manna and died.
Paraphrase: Your forefathers were given manna to eat; and for years, they survived by eating this bread. They did, however, finally die.
Comments:
John 6:50
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνων ἵνα τις ἐξ αὐτοῦ φάγῃ καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ·
This is the bread which descends out of heaven in order that anyone might eat from it and not die.
Paraphrase: Note the difference, however, between this manna which our fathers ate and the bread which I am setting before you today. Our fathers still died after eating manna; those who eat this Bread, which comes down from God in heaven, will never die. That is why I call the life which I give to them “eternal life.”
Comments:
John 6:51
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς· ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἄρτου ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ὁ ἄρτος δὲ ὃν ἐγὼ δώσω ἡ σάρξ μού ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς.
I am the living bread which descends out of heaven. When anyone might eat from this bread, he will live into the age, and the bread which I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.
Paraphrase: Now I am this bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will never die but will live on into eternity. This bread of life is My flesh which will soon be torn and broken so that everyone in all the world may have eternal life.”
Comments:
For the unusual position of δε here, see §2073.
John 6:52
Ἐμάχοντο οὖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· Πῶς δύναται οὗτος ἡμῖν δοῦναι τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ φαγεῖν;
Then the Jews quarreled with each other saying, “How is this Man able to give us His flesh to eat?”
Paraphrase: The Jews were taken aback at this statement and started arguing amongst themselves. “What is He talking about?” they said. “He’s completely crazy and out of His mind!” shouted others. “Quiet down!” some said, “let’s hear what He has to say. What does He mean by bread coming down out of heaven? or that we must eat His flesh? and what is this eternal life that He claims to offer to the world? Let’s hear Him out.”
Comments:
John 6:53
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.
Then Jesus said to them, “Verily, verily I say to you, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves.
Paraphrase: “Be sure of this,” Jesus said, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you cannot have My gift of eternal life. I am the great King whom Daniel spoke of (Daniel 7:13) and if you are not in union with Me, you have no possibility of salvation.”
Comments:
ἑαυτοῖς is a third person, reflexive pronoun but used for the second person; see the last paragraph here for an explanation.
John 6:54
ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
Those who are eating My flesh and drinking My blood have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Paraphrase: Those who are in union with Me receive from Me eternal life. This is what I keep using this language of eating My flesh and drinking My blood. I use language like this to show you the necessity of being in union with Me. Just as no person can survive without a daily intake of food, so we cannot receive eternal life apart from a union with Me. Those who have this union, I will lift up to Myself on the last great day of judgement where they shall rejoice forever in communion with Me and My Father.
Comments:
John 6:55
ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστι βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθής ἐστι πόσις.
For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
Paraphrase: The reason sinners receive eternal life from Me is because My torn and bleeding flesh really does what not even natural food can do. Our daily food cannot sustain our life forever. When anyone eats My broken body and shed blood, however, they receive a life which never fails.
Comments:
John 6:56
ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ.
Those who are eating My flesh and drinking My blood remain in Me and I in him.
Paraphrase: So then when I use these expressions “eating My flesh” and “drinking My blood” I am referring to this saving union that comes to be when anyone puts their trust in Me. They are in Me, and I am in them. They receive from Me all the blessings of salvation (John 15:5); I receive from them their sin and guilt (John 1:29; Galatian 3:13); and because of this sin, My flesh is torn and My blood is poured out unto death. (Philippians 2:8)
Comments:
John 6:57
καθὼς ἀπέστειλέν με ὁ ζῶν πατὴρ κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ὁ τρώγων με κἀκεῖνος ζήσει δι’ ἐμέ.
Even as the Living Father sent Me, and I live through the Father, and the one eating Me, that one shall live through Me.
Paraphrase: My Father is in heaven, and He has all life in Himself. He does not live because someone or something brought Him into existence. His life is eternal and self-existent. Now My Father took something of His own life and gave it into My hands. He commissioned Me to set this eternal life before the world and to call them to come and to find this life in Myself. That is why I have been proclaiming to all who will hear that if they come and eat My flesh and drink My blood, they will certainly receive this gift of eternal life which comes from My Father.
Comments:
This verse teaches God’s aseity cf Pohle.
John 6:58
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, οὐ καθὼς ἔφαγον οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἀπέθανον· ὁ τρώγων τοῦτον τὸν ἄρτον ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
This is the bread descending out of heaven, not as the fathers were eating and died. The one eating this bread will live into the age.
Paraphrase: This bread which I am offering to the world is not like the manna which our fathers ate. The manna could only sustain their physical lives; those who eat the bread of life will never die but will live forever and ever.
Comments:
John 6:59
ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐν συναγωγῇ διδάσκων ἐν Καφαρναούμ.
He said these things in the synagogue, while teaching in Capernaum.
Paraphrase: Jesus taught these things in the synagogue at Capernaum.
Comments:
John 6:60
Πολλοὶ οὖν ἀκούσαντες ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἶπαν· Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος· τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν;
Many of His disciples, therefore, hearing, said, “This word is hard; who is able to hear it?”
Paraphrase: Those who were listening to Jesus on this occasion were puzzled at His teaching. “What is He talking about?” they said to each other. “Does anyone here understand what He is saying?” “This is way over my head!” exclaimed some. Others were becoming quite irritated with Jesus and wanted Him to clarify His meaning.
Comments:
For οὗτος, see BBG 13.8.
John 6:61
εἰδὼς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὅτι γογγύζουσιν περὶ τούτου οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει;
Then Jesus, noticing in Himself that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Does this offend you?”
Paraphrase: Jesus noticed their irritation and addressed them directly, “Are you offended by what I said?
Comments:
John 6:62
ἐὰν οὖν θεωρῆτε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνοντα ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον;
When, then, you might see the Son of Man ascending where He was previously?
Paraphrase: Be sure of this. In the not too distant future, the Great Messiah-King will return to heaven. Then, I will enter into the presence of My Father where I was before I came down to this earth on My mission of salvation. (John 6:38) Then, My flesh and blood will no longer be on earth. For all that, however, it will still be true that unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you cannot have eternal life. (John 6:53)
Comments:
A reference to Christ’s preexistence; see here.
John 6:63
τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζῳοποιοῦν, ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν· τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν.
The Spirit is the Life-Giver; the flesh does not profit nothing. The words which I have spoken to you is Spirit and is life.
Paraphrase: This is why it is so critical to understand what I mean by “eating My flesh” and “drinking My blood.” There’s nothing about My physical flesh and blood that can do anything for you. In fact, when I return to heaven, my physical body and blood will no longer be here. By these terms “eating My flesh” and “drinking My blood,” I am referring to that union which only the Holy Spirit can bring between a believing sinner and Myself. It’s not a union with My physical flesh and blood, but a union with what My broken flesh and shed blood represent. The same is true of the animal sacrifices which we see every day. It’s not the body and blood of the animal that counts for anything, but the atonement which it represents. Now, in due time, I will give My life as a sacrifice for sin (Mark 10:45), and only those in union with Me will receive the benefits of this atoning sacrifice (John 15:5), a full forgiveness of all their sin (Revelation 1:5) and the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16) Now this is how you are to understand these words “eating My flesh” and “drinking My blood.” If you will take these words in this way, then you will know the power of the life-giving Spirit in your life and receive the gift of eternal life. (John 10:10)
Comments:
Note the double negative in ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν; it strengthens the force of the negation.
For ρηματα, see principle 5.
John 6:64
ἀλλὰ εἰσὶν ἐξ ὑμῶν τινες οἳ οὐ πιστεύουσιν. ᾔδει γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδώσων αὐτόν.
John 6:65
καὶ ἔλεγεν· Διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ πατρός.
John 6:66
Ἐκ τούτου πολλοὶ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ οὐκέτι μετ’ αὐτοῦ περιεπάτουν.
John 6:67
εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς δώδεκα· Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν;
John 6:68
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Σίμων Πέτρος· Κύριε, πρὸς τίνα ἀπελευσόμεθα; ῥήματα ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἔχεις,
John 6:69
καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπιστεύκαμεν καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ.
John 6:70
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Οὐκ ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς τοὺς δώδεκα ἐξελεξάμην; καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν εἷς διάβολός ἐστιν.
John 6:71
ἔλεγεν δὲ τὸν Ἰούδαν Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου· οὗτος γὰρ ἔμελλεν παραδιδόναι αὐτόν, εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα.