John 6 - NIV Quest Study Bible

See Matthew 14:13 – 21Mark 6:32 – 44Luke 9:10 – 17.Someone has said, “A test is to reveal the student to the student, not to reveal the student to the teacher.” Jesus tested Philip to reveal Philip to Philip, not to reveal Philip to Jesus. In doing so, Jesus helped Philip grow in his faith and understanding of who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish.The Prophet is the one foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15.Ruling an earthly kingdom would have sidetracked Jesus from his divinely appointed purpose of establishing the kingdom of God, which is a spiritual kingdom, throughout the entire world.See Matthew 14:22 – 33Mark 6:47 – 52.Jesus resisted performing miracles for show or to prove himself to skeptics (v. 30; Mk 8:11 – 12), but this incident strengthened the disciples’ trust in him at a time when their faith needed it. They may have been disappointed and confused because Jesus had refused to be made king (Jn 6:14 – 15). Jesus’ authority over nature sent a clear message to his disciples: he was no ordinary man.The context of this verse (vv. 26 – 29) suggests that to believe can be called work because believing was something Jesus was urging the people to do. The people were worried about temporary things like food when they needed to invest their efforts in eternal things. Believing in Jesus the Messiah is the indispensable work that leads to eternal life. Jesus wanted them to trust in God for who he is, not for the physical conveniences he could offer them. Still, to believe is more than work. Faith is a gift of God’s grace, prompted by God’s mysterious work within us (vv. 44,65).These verses make it clear that God is the initiator of our salvation. Jesus sacrificed himself because of God’s love for the whole world (3:16 – 17). God is the sovereign author of our salvation. However, human beings are still responsible for accepting or rejecting God’s gift of grace. And though the relationship between God’s sovereign choice and our responsibility to receive salvation remains mysterious from our perspective, Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient and effective for all who come to him. See the articles If God chooses us, do we really have a choice? (Eph 1:4 – 5) and Does God play favorites? (Ro 9:8 – 33).Since Jesus was in Galilee at this time (v. 59), it is possible that these Jews were not aware of the events that had taken place in Judea. Even if they were aware, one of John’s primary points was that miraculous signs, though good in themselves, were not guaranteed to inspire genuine faith in those who witnessed them (9:16; 12:37 – 44). Many Israelites saw the miracles God performed against Egypt, but they still grumbled against God later (Ex 16:2 – 9; Nu 11:4 – 6), just as these Jews were grumbling against Jesus now.Jesus alone has seen God. He alone has come from God to Earth. Therefore he alone can reveal the true character, nature and person of God, for the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Heb 1:3). We can only truly comprehend God by comprehending Jesus, and through Jesus we can know God and possess eternal life (Jn 17:3). He is the only means by which we can gain eternal life (14:6).No. Jesus was not recruiting a cult of cannibals, though Christians were later charged with such atrocities. This is an overstatement — which Jesus often used to communicate a particular truth. In this case, he was making the point that intellectual belief in him is not enough. He called the people to go further than that — to base their entire lives, their very survival, on him and his words. To “eat” and “drink” Jesus is to depend on him in every aspect of our lives (Dt 8:3). Though these verses may allude to the Christian sacrament of communion, Jesus did not introduce the Lord’s Supper and its symbolism until the night before he was crucified.This verse picks up teaching given earlier (vv. 37,44). Since the human heart is wicked (Jer 17:9) and all humans are sinners (Ecc 7:20; Ro 3:23), we are unable to submit to God on our own. God must draw us to himself (Jn 6:44) and open our hearts before we can accept the gospel (Ac 16:14).Some may have been disappointed that Jesus refused to become the conquering king they had anticipated. Others may have found Jesus’ teachings baffling or his instructions threatening. Jesus offers eternal life, but he requires his followers to accept him as their Savior and Lord. This means his agenda must become his followers’ agenda, and that is unacceptable to many would-be disciples.