John 6 - Life Application Study Bible

6:5 If anyone knew where to get food, it would have been Philip because he was from Bethsaida, a town about nine miles away (1:44). Jesus was testing Philip to strengthen his faith. By asking for a human solution (knowing none existed), Jesus highlighted the powerful and miraculous act that he was about to perform.

6:5-7 When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy a great amount 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 we know what he can and cannot do. Is there some seemingly impossible task that you believe God wants you to do? Don’t let your estimate of what can’t be done keep you from taking on the task. God can do the miraculous; trust him to provide the resources when he gives you a mission.

6:8-9 John contrasts the young boy, who brought what he had, with the confused disciples. They certainly had more resources than the boy, but they knew they didn’t have enough, so they didn’t give anything at all. The boy gave what little he had, and it made all the difference. If we offer nothing to God, he will have nothing from us to use. But if we give it to him, he can take what little we have and turn it into something great.

6:8-9 In performing his miracles, Jesus usually preferred to work through people. Here he took what a young boy offered and used it to accomplish one of the most spectacular miracles recorded in the Gospels. Jesus recognizes no barriers. Never think you are too young or too old or too anything to be of service to him.

6:13 There is a lesson in the leftovers. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If you take the first step in making yourself available to God, he will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of his Kingdom.

6:14-15 “The Prophet” is the one prophesied by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). The crowd had experienced such great power in Jesus that their hopes rose, and they were ready to try to force him to be king.

6:18 The Sea of Galilee is 690 feet below sea level, 150 feet deep, and surrounded by hills. These physical features make it subject to sudden windstorms that cause extremely high waves. Such storms would have been expected on this lake, but they were nevertheless frightening. When Jesus came to the disciples during a storm, walking on the water (three and a half miles from shore), he told them not to be afraid. We often face spiritual and emotional gales and rough waves and feel tossed about like a small boat on a big lake. Despite terrifying circumstances, if we trust our lives to Jesus for his safekeeping, he will give us peace in any storm.

6:18-19 The disciples, terrified, probably thought they were seeing a ghost or apparition (Mark 6:49). But if they had thought about all they had already seen Jesus do, they should not have been surprised by this miracle. They were frightened—they didn’t expect Jesus to come this way, and they weren’t prepared for his help. Jesus said to his disciples, “I am here” (John 6:20). His words are possibly an allusion to the name for God that God gave to Moses (Exodus 3:14). Jesus was revealing his identity to the disciples again. When we believe, we have a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears.

6:26 Jesus criticized some of the people who followed him because they were only interested in the physical and temporal benefits he offered and not the satisfying of their spiritual hunger. Many people today still use religion for the wrong reasons—to feel better about themselves, gain prestige, or even garner political votes. But those are self-centered motives. True believers follow Jesus simply because they know he has the truth and the key to life’s ultimate purpose and meaning.

6:28-29 Many people would sincerely love to know what God wants them to do. The religions of the world stem from people’s attempts to answer this question. But Jesus’ reply is brief and simple: We must believe in him whom God has sent. Pleasing God does not come from the work we do but from whom we believe. We have plenty to do to serve him, but the first step involves accepting that Jesus’ claims are true. Then we can build our spiritual lives on this foundational affirmation. Declare to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to your creator and incredibly fulfilling to you.

6:35 People eat bread to satisfy physical hunger and to sustain physical life. We can satisfy spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only with a right relationship with Jesus Christ. No wonder he called himself the Bread of Life. But bread must be eaten to sustain life, and Jesus must be invited into our daily lives to satisfy our hungry souls.

6:37-38 Jesus did not work independently of God the Father but in union with him. This should give us even more assurance of being welcomed into God’s presence and being protected by him. Jesus’ purpose was to do the will of God, not to satisfy his own human desires. When we follow Jesus, we should have the same purpose.

6:39 Jesus said he would not lose even one person whom the Father had given him. Thus, anyone who makes a sincere commitment to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior can rest secure in God’s promise of eternal life. Jesus will not let his people be overcome by Satan and lose their salvation (also see 17:12; Philippians 1:6).

6:40 Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ will be resurrected from physical death to eternal life with God when Jesus comes again (see 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

6:41 Some of the people grumbled in disagreement because they could not accept Jesus’ claim of divinity. They saw him only as a carpenter from Nazareth. They refused to believe that he was God’s divine Son, and they could not tolerate his message. Many people reject Jesus because they say they cannot believe he is the Son of God. In reality, though, it is often the demand that he makes for their loyalty and obedience that is hard for them to accept. So to protect themselves from the message, they reject the messenger.

6:44 God, not people, plays the most active role in salvation. When someone chooses to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she does so only in response to the urging of God’s Holy Spirit. God does the urging; then we decide whether to listen and believe. Thus, no one can believe in Jesus without God’s help (see 6:65).

6:45 Jesus was alluding to an Old Testament view of the messianic Kingdom, in which all people are taught directly by God (Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 31:31-34). He was stressing the importance of not merely hearing but learning. We are taught by God through the Bible, our experiences, the thoughts the Holy Spirit brings, and relationships with other Christians. Are you open to God’s teaching?

6:47 As used here, believes means “continues to believe.” We do not believe merely once; we keep on believing in and trusting Jesus, following him as our Lord and Savior day by day.

6:47-58 The religious leaders frequently asked Jesus to prove to them why he was better than the prophets of the past. Here Jesus refers to the manna that God had given their ancestors in the wilderness during Moses’ time (see Exodus 16). This bread was physical and temporal. The people ate it, and it sustained them for a day. But they had to get more bread every day, and this bread could not keep them from dying. Jesus, who is much greater than Moses, offers himself as the spiritual bread from heaven that satisfies completely and leads to eternal life.

6:51-53 How can Jesus give us himself as bread to eat? To eat living bread means to accept Christ into our lives and become united with him. We are united with him in two ways: (1) by believing in his death (the sacrifice of his body, or flesh) and resurrection and (2) by devoting ourselves to living as he requires, depending on his teaching for guidance and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power.

6:56 This was a shocking message—to eat flesh and drink blood sounded cannibalistic. The idea of drinking any blood, let alone human blood, was repugnant to the religious leaders because the law forbade it (Leviticus 17:10-11). Jesus was not talking about literal blood, of course. He was saying that his life had to become their own, but they could not accept this concept. He was predicting his death and what it would mean to all believers. The Gospel writers and the apostle Paul used the body and blood imagery in teaching about the Lord’s Supper (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

6:63, 65 The Holy Spirit gives spiritual life; without the work of the Holy Spirit, we cannot even see our need for new life (14:17). All spiritual renewal begins and ends with God. He reveals truth to us, lives within us, and then enables us to respond to that truth.

6:66 Why did Jesus’ words cause many of his followers to desert him? (1) They may have realized that Jesus wasn’t going to be the conquering Messiah-King they expected. (2) Jesus refused to give in to their self-centered requests. (3) Jesus emphasized faith, not deeds. (4) Jesus’ teachings were difficult to understand, and some of his words were offensive. As we grow in our faith, we may be tempted to turn away because Jesus’ lessons are difficult. Will your response be to give up, ignore certain teachings, or reject him? Instead, ask God to show you what his teachings mean and how they apply to you. Then persist with courage to act on God’s truth.

6:67 Jesus offers no middle ground. When he asked the disciples if they would also leave, he was showing that they could either accept or reject him. Jesus was not trying to repel people with his teachings. He was simply telling the truth and giving them a choice. The more the people heard Jesus’ real message, the more they divided into two camps—the honest seekers who wanted to understand more and those who rejected Jesus because they didn’t like what they had heard.

6:67-68 After many of Jesus’ followers had deserted him, he asked the 12 disciples if they were also going to leave. Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?” In his straightforward way, Peter answered for all of us—there is no other way. Though there are many philosophies and self-styled authorities, Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. People today want to go their own way or no way at all. They look to their own imaginations, instincts, or some intangible wisdom inside them. People look everywhere for eternal life and miss Jesus, the only source of it. Stay with him, especially when you are confused or feel alone.

6:70 In response to Jesus’ message, some people left; others stayed and truly believed; and some, like Judas, stayed but tried to use Jesus for a personal agenda. Many people today turn away from Jesus. Others pretend to follow him, going to church for status, the approval of family and friends, or business contacts. But only two real responses to Jesus are available—you either accept him or reject him. How have you responded?

6:71 For more information on Judas, see his profile.