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Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Hughes - Spirit-Aided Praying (SEE ALSO PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT) The Spirit is the One who gives life.—JOHN 6:63 The more I consider "praying in the Spirit," the more convinced I am that the majority of Christians do not know what it means to pray in this particular way. Many are content to recite prayers and know nothing of the thrill of entering a dimension of prayer in which the Holy Spirit has full control. Not that there is anything wrong with liturgical or written prayers—they can be a wonderful primer for one's spiritual pump. Many people tell me that the prayers I frame at the end of each devotion in Every Day with Jesus have sometimes helped them more than the actual notes I have written. Using written prayers can be helpful, but we must heed the apostle's exhortation to move on into that dimension which he calls "praying in the Spirit." The best description of this I have ever heard is that given by some of the old Welsh preachers, like Daniel Rowlands, Christmas Evans, and others. They describe it as "praying with unusual liberty and freedom." There is hardly anything more wonderful in the Christian life than to experience this "liberty and freedom" in prayer. I can remember the minister and elders of the church in which I was converted in South Wales saying after a prayer meeting in which there had been great liberty and power: "Tonight we have prayed in the Spirit." Have you not experienced moments when, after struggling and halting in prayer, you were suddenly taken out of yourself and words just poured out of you? At that moment, you were "praying in the Spirit." Prayer O Father, forgive me that I try to do so much in my own strength instead of learning how to let You do it in me. Teach me how to let go and let You take over in everything—particularly my praying. In Jesus' name. Amen. James Smith - "It is the Spirit who quickens; the flesh profits nothing." John 6:63 All real religion begins with the quickening of the Spirit. When we experience this . . . we begin to breathe after spiritual things; we open our eyes in a new world; we hunger and thirst after righteousness; and at length taste that the Lord is gracious. We then have . . . new thoughts, new desires, new hopes, new fears, new joys, and new sorrows. The eye fixes on Christ, the heart goes out to Christ, and the chief desire of the soul is to be like Christ. The Spirit not only quickens us at first — but all through life we need and are dependent on the Spirit's quickening. He quickens us to pray, and He quickens us in prayer. It is His quickening which puts . . . life into our graces, energy into our prayers, confidence into our expectations, and enables us to resist Satan, steadfast in the faith. If His quickening power is withheld — we soon grow dull, cold, lifeless, and inactive! We have . . . no power in prayer, no enjoyment in ordinances, no liberty in speaking to the saints, nor profit in reading God's Word. Every duty becomes a task, every privilege becomes a burden, and every cross appears insupportable! While under the quickening operation of the Spirit — we can do all things; but without His quickening — we can do nothing. Often, very often, have we to cry out from bitter experience, "My soul cleaves unto the dust; quicken me according unto Your Word!" -- Psalm 119:25 (ED: AMEN!!!) Quickening Spirit, daily quicken my soul! Dave Roper - As Popeye says, “I yam what I yam,” and what I “yam” is incompetent; my limitations are limitless. And there’s a “holy host of others standing ’round me.” Human limitation is a fact of life, a hard truth that makes life easier when we accept it. “We’re all ordinary people,” said G. K. Chesterton, “and it’s the extraordinary people who know it.” Paul agreed. He said, “We have this treasure [our ministry] in jars of clay [our humanity] to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7, emphasis added). Unaided humanity is useless; “the flesh [human effort] counts for nothing” (John. 6:63). If anything is to be done, God must do it. The people who work the works of God are those who realize their utter unfitness and overwhelming inadequacy to do the task. “We are weak in Him,” is not a platitude but a certainty. It irks us to think of ourselves so useless, but therein lies our strength. Adrian Rogers - John 6:63 The Bible is a living book. It possesses vitality. As Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart." But even though the Bible pulsates with life, it doesn't come to life in you until you assimilate it. You don't just read a cookbook, for example. You use its instructions to prepare a meal to eat. Likewise, no matter how much you may appreciate the Word of God, what good does it do you unless you assimilate it? F.F. Bruce - "The word of human beings however wise in substance or eloquent in expression cannot produce spiritual life; this is the prerogative of the Word of God." Ray
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Hughes - The silver denarius, weighing 3.8 grams, had been in use in the Roman world since 268 B.C. and continued to be used into the reign of L. Septimius Severus (A.D. 193–211). Denarii bore the head of Tabors and the inscription TI. CAESAR DIVI AVG. F. AVGVSTVS (Tabors Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus). (Ibid) NET Note on denarius - The silver coin referred to here is the denarius. A denarius, inscribed with a picture of Tiberius Caesar, was worth approximately one day's wage for a laborer. Two hundred denarii was thus approximately equal to eight months' wages. The disciples did not have the resources in their possession to feed the large crowd, so Jesus' request is his way of causing them to trust him as part of their growth in discipleship. Sufficient (714) arkeo means to be enough, to be sufficient or to be adequate with the implication of leading to satisfaction. In the passive sense arkeo means to be satisfied or contented with something. Arkeo - 8v - content(3), enough(2), satisfied(1), sufficient(2) - Matt. 25:9; Lk. 3:14; Jn. 6:7; Jn. 14:8; 2 Co. 12:9; 1 Tim. 6:8; Heb. 13:5; 3 Jn. 1:10 POSB (Borrow The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible) has an interesting comment on Philip's reply calling it a "pessimistic faith".... A pessimistic faith sees money and human resources, and that is all. A pessimistic faith … sees only the available resources. It stresses the hopelessness, stresses the impossibility of the situation, despairs of such meager resources, is swamped by the hopelessness of an answer. (Note the tone of Philip’s answer, v.7) A pessimistic faith does not see God nor the power of God. A pessimistic faith professes God and professes Christ to be the Son of God. It professes the belief that Christ has the power to meet the needs of man. It even witnesses the miraculous working of Christ in other instances. But when a problem arises, the immediate response of a pessimistic faith is to see the problem, not the power of God. It does not see the opportunity for the power of God to be demonstrated in conquering the problem and bearing a strong testimony to His name. In the crises of the problem, the power of God seems forgotten. (1) A pessimistic faith forgets God’s glorious power in the past. (2) A pessimistic faith fails to think of God’s power. It’s mind is on earthly things, not on spiritual things. It is carnal, not spiritual. (3) A pessimistic faith feels that the problem is too big for God’s power or either too little for God to be interested in. (4) A pessimistic faith fears that God’s power will fail and the person’s faith will be weakened. Therefore, the person is safer to pray weakly, “Lord, if thou will, handle this problem.” (5) A pessimistic faith fails to see God’s care and love, interest and concern, over every little thing that happens to a person. (6) A pessimistic faith gives thanks and praise to God for what one has (health, money, things) but fails to trust God for the miraculous (healing and multiplication of resources so that one can better serve and help others). (7) A pessimistic faith looks to others for help instead of looking to God and depending upon Him alone. (8) A pessimistic faith fails to see that God is glorified when He provides and meets the need. IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT IN GOD’S VOCABULARY - When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy a great quantity of bread, Philip started assessing the probable cost. Jesus wanted to teach him that financial resources are not the most important ones. We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and is not possible. Is there a seemingly impossible task that you believe God wants you to do? Don’t let your estimate of what can and can’t be done keep you from taking on the task. God can do the miraculous; trust him to provide the resources. (Barton Life application study Bible, Gospel of John - Borrow) Henry Blackaby - Giving All You Have John 6:7–9 The world does a good job of making us feel inadequate, doesn’t it? Movies are built around glamorous characters, with beautiful faces and perfect bodies. The sports world has its own standard of perfection: whoever is the fastest or the strongest is most admired. The global media keeps us up-to-date on who are the richest, smartest, and most talented people in the entire world. Then we look in the mirror, and we see ordinary written all over us. We know there are needs all around us; in fact, there are needs all around the world, but we feel hopelessly insignificant to make any worthwhile contribution. As today’s passage shows, the important thing is not what we have or what we can do, it’s who we know. Try to imagine the scene from Philip’s perspective: Jesus had been teaching the crowds for hour after hour. Jesus’ teaching was so spellbinding that no one thought to stop and make lunch. Now it was late. The teaching was finished, and the multitude was famished. Jesus turned to Philip and asked if he had any ideas on how to feed them. Poor Philip! Picture his face—his eyes like saucers, his jaw somewhere around his knees. “You’ve got to be kidding! Let them get their own dinner! We don’t even have anything to feed ourselves!” We’re told that Jesus already knew what he was going to do; he only asked Philip to test him. Apparently, Philip didn’t pass the test. How would you have responded? The Bible says the crowds were following Jesus because of the miracles he’d performed on the sick. But this was different. These people were hungry, that’s all. Would you have drawn the same conclusion as Philip: “That’s impossible!”? Perhaps you would have responded like Andrew, with tentative faith, but at least not flat doubt: “Here’s a bit of food, but it’s not much.” Both Philip and Andrew learned an important lesson that day. So did a little boy who shared his lunch. It’s not how much or how little you’ve got; it’s who’s in charge of it. Jesus not only fed the multitudes; he had leftovers! Don’t focus on how much or how little you have to offer. Just give it to Jesus and watch to see what he does with it. (Borrow The experience : a devotional and journal : day by day with God) John 6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, BGT John 6:8 λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου· KJV John 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, NET John 6:8 One of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, CSB John 6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, ESV John 6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, NIV John 6:8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, NLT John 6:8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. Andrew: John 1:40-44 Mt 4:18 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ANDREW COMES ON THE SCENE One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him - Did he go out in the crowd and look for food or did the young lad bring it to him? The text does not tell us. It is likely though that when Jesus said "Go, look" (both commands in Mk 6:38+), Andrew responded and discovered the young lad's supply. POSB on Andrew: little is said about Andrew in the New Testament, but what is said shows a faithful and humble follower of the Lord. 1. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist (Jn. 1:35–40). 2. Andrew willingly took the second place. He was one of the very first to follow Christ, and he was also one of the very first to bring another person to Christ (his own brother, Peter). However, Andrew was called to take a back seat. He was to live under the shadow of Peter. Throughout the New Testament Peter is always mentioned first, but from all indications Andrew never resented his place. To be with Jesus and to do what Jesus wanted was enough for Andrew. 3. Andrew was the man who was always bringing others to Jesus. He was the focus of attention only three times in the New Testament, and in all three cases he was seen bringing someone to Jesus: Peter (Jn. 1:41), the small boy with the loaves and fish (Jn. 6:8–9), and the Greeks (Jn. 12:22). 4. Andrew was an approachable person. He was able to approach his brother Peter without difficulty, and the small boy with the loaves and fish felt comfortable enough with him to follow him to Jesus. The Greeks also felt comfortable enough to approach Andrew first in seeking an interview with Jesus. (Borrow The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible Mk. 3:18. DEEPER STUDY # 6 Andrew: Andrew was apparently the first disciple of our Lord. He had been a disciple of John the Baptist, longing for the Messianic hope. However, when John pointed out that Jesus was the Messiah, Andrew requested an interview with Jesus. From that point on, he was convinced that Jesus was the true Messiah, and Jesus granted him a very special friendship (Mk. 13:3; Jn. 1:35–37). Jesus met his craving for the Messianic hope and enlarged his gifts of love and caring (see Jn. 1:41; 6:8–9; 12:21–22). Andrew was always helping people (Jn. 6:8–9; 12:21–22). Tradition says Andrew preached in Jerusalem and was crucified for preaching against idolatry. He was hung on a cross in the shape of an X. (Borrow The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible QUESTION - Who was Andrew in the Bible? ANSWER - Andrew in the Bible was a disciple of Jesus. Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother, and they were called to follow Jesus at the same time (Matthew 4:18). The Bible names Andrew as one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2). Like Peter, Andrew was a fisherman by trade; they made their living on the Sea of Galilee. Peter and Andrew were from the city of Bethsaida (John 1:44) on the northwest coast of Galilee (John 12:21). The call of Andrew in the Bible is a memorable story. Andrew and John were originally disciples of John the Baptist. They were present when John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:35–36), and they followed after Jesus (verse 37). Jesus noticed Andrew and John following and invited them to come spend the day with Him (verses 38–39). After spending the time with Jesus, Andrew became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, and he took action: “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (verses 40–42). Thus Andrew was one of Jesus’ first two followers and the first to bring another person to Him. Later, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when He came across Andrew and Peter, busy casting nets into the lake in search of fish. Jesus called to them: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). The Bible says that Andrew and Peter “immediately” followed Jesus, leaving their nets behind (verse 20). Andrew and Peter already knew who Jesus was, based on their contact with Him in John 1, and now when He officially calls them to be disciples, they respond. In leaving behind the family business, Andrew sets a good example for all who would follow Christ; we are all called to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), and we should not let anything get in the way of following Jesus’ call. When Jesus told Andrew and Peter they would be “fishers of men,” He promised that He would use them to save men’s souls. And that’s exactly what the apostles did. There is at least one instance in Andrew’s life, recorded in the Bible, where he was a “fisher of men.” Some Greeks approached Philip, one of Andrew’s fellow disciples, wanting to see Jesus (John 12:20–21). Philip told Andrew what the Greeks wanted, and together Andrew and Philip brought the matter to Jesus (verse 22). In bringing Greeks to Jesus, Andrew had faith that Jesus’ intention was to save all men, and he was right: Jesus responded by referencing His crucifixion, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). His death and resurrection would be the way by which all men, from all races and creeds and families, would be saved. These are the “fish of every kind” from Jesus’ parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:47–50), and Andrew was one of the first to be involved in an evangelical effort that extended beyond the Jewish people. The incident with the curious Greeks anticipated the day when God would reveal to Peter, Andrew’s brother, that all people are welcome to come to Jesus (Acts 10:1–48). GotQuestions.org John 6:9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" BGT John 6:9 ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; KJV John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? NET John 6:9 "Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?" CSB John 6:9 "There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish-- but what are they for so many?" ESV John 6:9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" NIV John 6:9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" NLT John 6:9 "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" There is a lad here who has: Mt 14:17 16:9 Mk 6:38 8:19 Lu 9:13 five barley loaves and two fish De 8:8 32:14 1Ki 4:28 2Ki 7:1 Ps 81:16 147:14 Eze 27:17 2Co 8:9 Rev 6:6 but what are these for so many people John 6:7 11:21,32 2Ki 4:42-44 Ps 78:19,41 John 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A Little is a Lot with the Lord THE AVAILABLE PROVISIONS ARE VERY SMALL Mark says Jesus commanded the disciples "“How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” (Mk 6:38+). As
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Hughes - John 6 records Jesus’ miraculous feeding of 5,000 men plus women and children. However that multiplication took place—whether as Jesus spoke those words a great mound of bread and fish formed before the thousands, or whether as the bread and fishes were passed, they were multiplied—it was a stupendous act (ED: CLEARLY IT WAS NOT BY JESUS SPEAKING A GREAT MOUND OF FISH - Mk 6:41+ SAYS "broke the loaves and He kept giving [imperfect tense = again and again] them to the disciples to set before them."). And the people loved it! A man who could do that could do anything! In their mind’s eye the masses probably saw the foot of Jesus upon the imperial eagles of the Roman legions. They could see the image of Caesar on their coins replaced with that of Jesus. Of course the people wanted Jesus to be their king. Who would not want to be subject to a man like that? (Borrow John: That You May Believe) That they were intending (were about) to come and take Him by force (harpazo - seize Him, caught up or rapture = 1Th 4:11) to make Him king (basileus) - The words were intending to (mello = at the very point of acting) indicate the process was already being formulated in the minds of the crowd. Jesus knowing what would soon happen wanted the disciples gone because they might have been taken up by the frenzy of the crowd to make Him their king and so in Mt 14:22+ and Mark 6:45+ we read that Jesus took action immediately! Immediately (eutheos) He made (anagkazo = compelled - suggesting they wanted to stay) the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. (Matthew 14:22-23+) THOUGHT- Note sequence - sent disciples away, sent crowds away and went to mountain. The tragedy is the crowd saw Jesus as their potential political king, but failed to see with eyes of faith that He had come to be the spiritual King in their hearts. Is Jesus reigning in your heart or is Sin reigning (see Ro 6:12+ and remember Jesus' words in Mt 6:24+)? Immediately (euthus) Jesus made (anagkazo = compelled - suggesting they wanted to stay) His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. (Mark 6:45-46+) THOUGHT - What is the lesson Jesus teaches in His withdrawal from the crowd? He would rather be in communion with His Father, then have the adulation of the crowd. Oh, how we need to learn daily to imitate Jesus! Warren
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Hughes - Wise missionaries know that Jesus is not essentially a materialistic Savior and are careful not to make the people dependent on their material support. But when someone else comes along with more money, many people switch their allegiance. This is a twentieth-century example of verse 26.(Borrow John: That You May Believe) Why do you seek Him? Brian Bell - Amen, Amen. A teaching technique that indicated a crucial idea from Jesus (also: Jn 6:32,47,53) Often people want the Lord to meet their physical needs but not their spiritual needs. They were like stray dogs, that if you feed them they’ll stick around, not because they love you, but because you have food! – Stop feeding them & they’re gone! They only seek God for their carnal needs to be met! Don’t seek Him for what He can do for you, but for Who He is! What about today? Why do you seek Him? (Pure motives?) For a healing? To pay the bills? In hopes to find a nice spouse? “Lord, purify my heart that I may sincerely seek you today!” Amen (281) amen is a transliteration from the Hebrew word amen which in turn is from the Hebrew verb aman = to be firm, to believe, this word conveying the idea of certainty) Amen is transliterated into Latin and English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. In fact amen has been called the best-known word in human speech. To say “Amen” confirms a statement by someone else. Renn notes that Amen "indicates the solemn affirmation of the divine will and purpose in about one-third of the nearly 150 occurrences of the term. The remaining uses of the term yield the adverbial meaning "truly." (borrow Expository dictionary of Bible words) Surely acknowledges that which is valid and binding. The OT often used "amen" at the end of a sentence (truly, surely, certainly) to confirm the preceding words and invokes their fulfillment. Only the Lord Jesus uses amen (truly) at beginning of a sentence. His "Amen" guarantees the truth of His saying and affirms His authority. Note amen occurs after the doxologies which end each of first four books of the Psalms - Ps 41:13; Ps 72:19; Ps 89:52; Ps 106:48 end with an "amen". Adam
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Hughes - Our Lord was reminding the crowd that we earn physical food by the sweat of our brow, but spiritual food is eternal life. That food does not come by work. It comes from Christ. In these verses our Lord began to elevate the people’s defective view of what life is all about. (Borrow John: That You May Believe) THOUGHT - On food that endures... "It is the incorruptible provision of the incorruptible God for the incorruptible soul of man. It is as fresh to-day as when it was baken on Calvary, and taken out of the oven of the grave on the resurrection morning. It is seasonable in the early morning of life, at midday, and in the twilight of old age. It is in season every day of the week and every month of the year. In church or in market, in palace or in cot, in prosperity or adversity this heaven-sent food is always fit for use." (James Smith) Phrase eternal life - Matt. 19:16; Matt. 19:29; Matt. 25:46; Mk. 10:17; Mk. 10:30; Lk. 10:25; Lk. 18:18; Lk. 18:30; Jn. 3:15; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 3:36; Jn. 4:14; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:39; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:40; Jn. 6:47; Jn. 6:54; Jn. 6:68; Jn. 10:28; Jn. 12:50; Jn. 17:2; Jn. 17:3; Acts 13:46; Acts 13:48; Rom. 2:7; Rom. 5:21; Rom. 6:22; Rom. 6:23; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Tim. 6:12; Tit. 1:2; Tit. 3:7; 1 Jn. 1:2; 1 Jn. 2:25; 1 Jn. 3:15; 1 Jn. 5:11; 1 Jn. 5:13; 1 Jn. 5:20; Jude 1:21 Which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal (sphragizo - see discussion below of this great word) - Son of Man was Jesus' most common self-designation and once again He identifies Himself with God as His Father. Note that this is a gift, not something one merits by works. The seal was the Father's guarantee of the authenticity and truth of Jesus and His words. Jesus had the Father's seal of approval. Brian Bell on set His seal - “It was not the signature, but the seal that authenticated. In commercial & political documents it was the seal, imprinted w/the signet ring, which made the document valid; it was the seal which authenticated a will; it was the seal on the mouth of a sack or a crate that guaranteed the contents.” (William Barclay; vol.1, pg.213) With each miracle performed, God’s authenticating seal on Christ’s life was evident to all. ILLUSTRATION - There are about five billion people on the face of Planet Earth—about five billion. What does a Big Mac cost these days? How much? Two dollars and twenty cents. All right, let’s say we get a bargain and get a Big Mac for two bucks. All right, if there were five thousand people, and you bought every one of them a Big Mac—about five billion people and you bought everyone a Big Mac—it would cost you ten billion dollars. You could spend it just like that. Three hours, they’d be hungry again. I mean, what difference does it make if people die with a full stomach, and go to hell? See, this is what Jesus is saying. He says there’s meat that perishes; and then He says there’s bread that lasts for everlasting life. (John 6:27) (Adrian Rogers - page 440) D L Moody - A double paradox: (1.) Jesus tells them to work not for the perishable food, which they could only get by work: (2.) But for the heavenly food, which they could only get by faith. Put...seal (4972 ) sphragizo from sphragis = seal, engraved object used to make a mark - denoting ownership, approval, or closure of something normally done by pressing into heated wax usually attached to a document or letter) means to set a seal upon or to mark with a seal. To mark so as to certify that something is so ("the real deal" so to speak). Seals were used to make something secure, to serve as a guarantee of the correctness of the contents, to indicate authenticity, to indicate ownership. Sacrificial animals were examined and sealed if perfect. Jars, sacks of fruit or grain were sealed. To mark with a seal as a means of identification in Greek secular writings was used to mark all kinds of animals, so that the mark denoting ownership also carries with it the protection of the owner. Wayne Detzler writes that sphragizo was "largely a commercial or business term, referring to sealing a building shut. In order to guarantee property against theft, a seal was placed on it. Or sometimes it took the form of a mark or a brand, as on livestock. When a merchant bought a sack of grain, a seal would be placed on the sack until the full payment was made. This was a guarantee of coming payment. Later the seal became a mark of royalty. Any communiqué from the crown was sealed by the king. After dabbing hot wax on the document, the king would seal it by pressing his ring into the wax. Before long, the engraved ring was called "a seal." In the religious sphere, a sacrificial lamb which was found to be suitable was also sealed, marked as suitable. In the Septuagint Greek Old Testament, a seal was a signet ring. This ring was used to indicate a sale (Jer. 32:10). Royalty also used the seal to authenticate its orders (Esther 3:10; 8:8). Though the precise word for "sealing" is not used, Isaiah 44:5 speaks of people who had "for Jehovah" tattooed on their hands as a mark of religious sacrifice (Borrow New Testament Words in Today's Language) Food (eating, rust) (1035) brosis from bibrosko = to eat) literally means something that eats ("an eating") or gnaws. The main NT use refers to the act of partaking of food (eating) (Ro 14:17, 1Co 8:4, 2Co 9:10, Col 2:16). Brosis can refer to that which one eats (In Lxx - Ge 25:28, Jer 41:20, 2Sa 19:43), and thus can mean a "meal" as in (He 12:16). Jesus uses brosis to mean food but with a figurative meaning in Jn 4:32; 6:27, 55. Friberg - (1) as an action eating (1Co 8.4); often with po,sij (drinking) (Ro 14.17); (2) as a corrosive action on metals rust, corrosion, eating into (usually taken to be the meaning in Mt 6.19, 20, though possibly a burrowing insect like woodworm is intended); as what is eaten meal (Heb 12.16) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Brosis - 10v - eating(2), food(6), meal(1), rust(2). Matt. 6:19; Matt. 6:20; Jn. 4:32; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:55; Rom. 14:17; 1 Co. 8:4; 2 Co. 9:10; Col. 2:16; Heb. 12:16 F B
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Hughes - In other words, the bread that endures unto eternal life is the bread that is freely given and that we freely receive. It comes through belief. We do not pay for it ourselves. Unfortunately, the crowd did not catch on (ED: THEY MISSED THE FACT THAT JESUS HAD GIVEN THEM PHYSICAL BREAD THAT DID NOT COST THEM ANYTHING. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS RECEIVE IT AND EAT IT. IN A SENSE THEIR EATING WAS AN ACT OF FAITH, OF TRUSTING THAT THE BREAD AND FISH WERE NUTRITIOUS, WERE FREE OF CONTAMINANTS, ETC), and the evidence of their dullness is found in Jn 6:30,31. Instead of carrying this conversation on to its consummation and understanding the deep truths, the people tried to divert and test our Lord. (Borrow John: That You May Believe) One other point that needs to be understood regarding using the word "work" is that Jesus is not referring to the good works that follow faith and demonstrate one's faith is genuine. Faith alone saves, but the faith that truly saves is not alone. See What is the relationship of faith, works, and security in salvation? | GotQuestions.org This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. -- 1Jn 3:23+ The only "work" that a man can do that is acceptable to God is to believe in Christ (cf. 1Jn 3:23+). This is the picture of a drowning man going under but raising his hand out for help (or a destitute pauper putting his hand out for a piece of bread). The point is we can do nothing to save ourselves but cry out for Jesus to save us (Like Peter did in Mt 14:30+)! That is not a work on our part that merits or earns favor with God. The "works of God" (Jn 6:28) are impossible to attain in fallen man's fleshly energy, for they require perfect obedience to God's law (Dt 27:26+; Jas 2:10+) to be acceptable to Him. Only Jesus, in His perfect humanity, was able to accomplish this, but His righteousness is imputed, reckoned or placed on the "spiritual bank account" of any and all who believe on Him apart from works (Ro 4:5+). This is possible only because He, perfectly righteous Himself, could then voluntarily and in love bear "our sins in his own body on the tree" (1Pe 2:24+). Jesus had just cautioned them to work "not for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures" (Jn 6:27). Only Christ's finished work endures. By extension, the only works of believers that will endure eternally are those wrought by continually abiding in the Vine Christ Jesus (Jn 15:5+, cf Eph 2:10+). John
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Hughes - “Jesus, we’re not really interested in all that. You did a great sign yesterday when you fed the 5,000, and now we want you to do a miracle on a par with Moses’ miracle. He fed all of Israel six days a week for forty years with bread from heaven.” To understand what they were saying and why, we need to consider Exodus 16:1-15 You can imagine, as the sun came up, the buzz of conversation as people all around the camp asked, “What is it?” “What is it?” “What is it?” A father might have said to his daughter, “Tabitha, gather some of this white stuff—you know, the whatchamacallit?” And she would say, “Sure, but what is it, Father?” We know that is what happened because verse 31 says, “The people of Israel called the bread manna,” which means “What is it?” So for the next forty years, six days a week, every morning the Jews ate “What is it?” This was the idea running through the back of the minds of the people who were confronting Jesus. Jews even had a fable that Jeremiah, at the destruction of the temple, had taken some of the manna and hidden it, and when the Messiah came, he would provide manna. So these people were saying to our Lord, “You did a great miracle yesterday. Now what we want is really a big one—bread from heaven every day!” (Borrow John: That You May Believe) A T
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Hughes - What a statement! “I am the bread of life.” It is no coincidence that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” as prophesied hundreds of years earlier by Micah 5:2. The Word became flesh, and we broke it. There is no coincidence about that either. It was all planned by the Lord, for our redemption....Apart from Christ, nothing satisfies. The best of fishing trips must be followed by another fishing trip. The most exquisite meal still leaves you hungry. C. S. Lewis said, “I cannot find a cup of tea which is big enough or a book that is long enough.” You can play the best racquetball game, be at your best, but it has to be followed by another game. You can have a great Sunday dinner, but it has to be followed by a good breakfast in the morning. You can wear the fanciest, most chic clothes, but you will have to have new clothes next year. All of these things are like a Chinese dinner—in just a few hours you are empty and ready to eat again. That is the way it is with the best things of life. Somerset Maugham dressed in his finest tuxedo and night after night played cards with the most famous people in all of the world. Dukes and duchesses sought his favor. He had the most exclusive of parties. But he found no lasting satisfaction. (Borrow John: That You May Believe) Brian Bell - If we take the 1st commandment from the neg to the poss, from “Thou shall have no other gods before me” to “Thou shall have me!” - That’s what Jesus is saying here! A T Robertson on "I am (ego eimi) the bread (artos) of life (zoe) - This sublime sentence was startling in the extreme to the crowd....here Jesus offers himself in place of the loaves and fishes which they had come to seek (Jn 6:24, 26). He is the bread of life in two senses: it has life in itself, the living bread (Jn 6:51), and it gives life to others like the water of life, the tree of life. (John 6 Commentary) What does bread do? Nourishes us and satisfies our hunger. Jesus is the spiritual bread that nourishes our soul and satisfies the deepest needs of our soul. (See below for excellent discussion by gotquestions). All occurrences of ego eimi in John - Jn. 6:20; Jn. 6:35; Jn. 6:41; Jn. 6:48; Jn. 6:51; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 8:18; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 9:9; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:14; Jn. 11:25; Jn. 13:19; Jn. 14:6; Jn. 15:1; Jn. 15:5; Jn. 18:5; Jn. 18:6; Jn. 18:8; He who comes (erchomai) to Me will (ou me = strong double negative = absolutely will; cf Jn 4:14 "never thirst" = also double negative) not hunger (peinao - spiritually) -- Obviously the Jewish crowd had come to Him physically for they were near enough to hear Him speak. But they had not come in the spiritual sense. They had not yield themselves to Him. Comes is present tense (continually, as one's lifestyle) and the middle voice indicates the individual chooses to initiate the act of coming and participates in the results thereof. Of course in our fallen flesh of Adam no man seeks after God (Ro 3:11+), so implicit in Jesus' words is that they respond to the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:8), Who will give them the desire and power to come to Jesus. They still have to make the choice to come, but they could not and would not come if God had not given them supernatural power to do so. The parallel thought is taught in John 6:37 (Father gives Me) and John 6:44 (Father...draws him) which gives us the supernatural background for why (how) any sinner would be enabled to come to Jesus. THOUGHT - Do you come to church physically, even regularly, and yet you have never truly come (in the spiritual sense) to Jesus as Savior and Lord? This is a deceptive, dangerous position to take dear reader, because you do not know the day nor the hour your life may end and it will be too late to come to Jesus (read 2Cor 6:2+). Today is the day for you to COME TO JESUS AND LIVE (play this song).
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Hughes adds a couple of other similarities - Manna was white like fallen snow, just as Christ was without blemish or imperfection. Manna was also accessible. That was one of its main virtues. When a man walked outside the camp to gather it, he had a choice. He could either tread on it or he could pick it up. We can either tread upon Jesus or we can take him as our Savior. To change metaphors, the Scriptures say Jesus can either be a cornerstone or a stumbling block. How we respond to him makes all the difference. (Borrow John: That You May Believe) Related Resources: What is conditional election? | GotQuestions.org Unconditional election - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org THE SEVEN GREAT "I AM" DECLARATIONS OF JESUS I am the Bread of life Jn 6:35, 48, 51 I am the Light of the world Jn 8:23, Jn 9:5 I am the Door Jn 10:7, 9 I am the Good Shepherd Jn 10:11, 14 I am the Resurrection & the Life I am the Way, the Truth & the Life I am the true Vine QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John. John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Bread is considered a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item. A person can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation (Exodus 16:4). All of this plays into the scene being described in John 6 when Jesus used the term “bread of life.” He was trying to get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time, Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to spare. Afterward, Jesus and His disciples cross back to the other side of Galilee. When the crowd sees that Jesus has left, they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson. He accuses the crowd of ignoring His miraculous signs and only following Him for the “free meal.” Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had come. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the water weren’t enough). They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” This is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life. Third, and very important, Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “aseity”), which is an attribute only God possesses. It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a claim to deity. Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.” This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. This invitation to come is found throughout John’s Gospel. Coming to Jesus involves making a choice to forsake the world and follow Him. Believing in Jesus means placing our faith in Him that He is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that He is the only one who can. Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:6+, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God. If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven. This is such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for] eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the only thing our sin earns us is death (Romans 6:23). There is no one who is righteous in himself (Romans 3:10). Our dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness through the Divine Transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is our Bread of Life. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - How do God’s sovereignty and humanity’s free will work together in salvation? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - It is impossible for us to fully understand the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will and responsibility. Only God truly knows how they work together in His plan of salvation. With this doctrine, probably more so than with any other, it is crucially important to admit our inability to fully grasp the nature of God and our relationship with Him. Going too far to either side results in a distorted understanding of salvation. Scripture is clear that God determines who will be saved (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2). Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us “before the creation of the world.” The Bible repeatedly describes believers as the “chosen” (Romans 8:33, 11:5; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2, 2:9) and the “elect” (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 11:7; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). The fact that believers are predestined (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5, 11) and elected for salvation (Romans 9:11, 11:28; 2 Peter 1:10) is clear. The Bible also says that we are responsible for receiving Christ as Savior. If we believe in Jesus Christ we will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). God knows who will be saved and God chooses who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. How these facts work together is impossible for a finite mind to comprehend (Romans 11:33-36). Our responsibility is to take the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). We should leave foreknowledge, election, and predestination up to God and simply be obedient in sharing the gospel. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - How does God’s sovereignty work together with free will? ANSWER - It is impossible for us to fully understand the dynamics of a holy God molding and shaping the will of man. Scripture is clear that God knows the future (Matthew 6:8; Psalm 139:1-4) and has total sovereign control over all things (Colossians 1:16-17; Daniel 4:35). The Bible also says that we must choose God or be eternally separated from Him. We are held responsible for our actions (Romans 3:19; 6:23; 9:19-21). How these facts work together is impossible for a finite mind to comprehend (Romans 11:33-36). People can take one of two extremes in regard to this question. Some emphasize the sovereignty of God to the point that human beings are little more than robots simply doing what they have been sovereignly programmed to do. Others emphasize free will to the point of God not having complete control and/or knowledge of all things. Neither of these positions is biblical. The truth is that God does not violate our wills by choosing us and redeeming us. Rather, He changes our hearts so that our wills choose Him. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). What are we to do then? First, we are to trust in the Lord, knowing that He is in control (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s sovereignty is supposed to be a comfort to us, not an issue to be concerned about or debate over. Second, we are to live our lives making wise decisions in accordance with God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5). There will be no excuses before God for why we chose to disobey Him. We will have no one to blame but ourselves for our sin. Last but not least, we are to worship the Lord, praising Him that He is so wonderful, infinite, powerful, full of grace and mercy—and sovereign. GotQuestions.org Norman Geisler - JOHN 6:35—Why are the “I AM” statements of Jesus only mentioned in John? PROBLEM: John mentions numerous times that Jesus said “I Am” (e.g., John 6:35; 8:58; 10:9; 14:6). Yet not one of these statements is mentioned in any other Gospel. Did John make these up, or did Jesus actually say them? SOLUTION: John reported accurately what he heard and saw. First of all, he was an eyewitness of the events (John 21:24; cf. 1 John 1:1). His Gospel is filled with details of geography (3:23), topography (6:10), and private conversations that betray a first-hand, first-century knowledge of the events (cf. John 3; 4; 13–17). Further, when John records events and/or conversation found in the other Gospels, he does so in substantially the same way they do. This includes the preaching of John the Baptist (1:19–28), the feeding of the 5,000 (6:1–14), Jesus’ walking on the water (6:15–21), eating the Passover with His disciples (13:1–2), Peter’s denial (13:36–38; 18:15–27), Judas’ betrayal (18:1–11), His trials (18–19), His crucifixion (19), and His resurrection (20–21). In addition, the other Gospels record some of the same types of conversation recorded in John. Matthew 11:25–30 sounds like something right out of the Gospel of John. Even Jesus’ characteristic use of “verily” (KJV), (“truly,” NASB; “assuredly,” NKJV) in John (cf. 1:51; 3:3, 11; 5:19, 24, etc.) is found in other Gospels (cf. Matt. 5:18, 26; Mark 3:28; 9:1; Luke 4:24; 18:17), though John alone doubles it perhaps for emphasis. Finally, John’s differences from the synoptics can be accounted for in several ways. First of all, John writes primarily about Jesus’ Judean ministry, whereas the other Gospels speak largely about His Galilean ministry. Second, John records many of Jesus’ private conversations (cf. chaps. 3–4; 13–17), whereas the other Gospels speak mostly about His public ministry. Third, clear “I Am” statements come usually after Jesus has been challenged and He declares His point simply and emphatically. Even so, they are not without parallel in the other Gospels, where Jesus says “I am” [the Christ] (Mark 14:62
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Hughes - Our Savior meant there must be a deep partaking of Him. How do we do that? We must live depending on Him as the Bread of life. As James