John 6 - Holman KJV Study Bible

6:1-71 The feeding of the crowds (cp. Matt. 14:13-23; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17) is yet another of ­Jesus' messianic "miracles" (see note at 2:11), aligning ­Jesus with God's provision of manna to wilderness Israel through Moses (6:30-31). In response to the people's demand that He perform a sign greater than Moses' signs at the exodus, ­Jesus claimed to be the "bread of life" that provides spiritual nourishment for all who believe in Him (eat and drink of Him). This controversial statement proved to be a watershed moment in ­Jesus' ministry, because many of His followers abandoned Him at this point (v v. 60-66). But the twelve, through Peter their spokesman, reaffirmed their allegiance (v v. 68-69).

6:1 After these things again indicates the passing of an indefinite period of time (5:1)—up to half a year. Herod Antipas founded Tiberias, the largest city on the sea of Galilee, in honor of his patron, the Roman emperor Tiberius (a.d. 14–37). Toward the end of the first century the name was applied to the sea.

6:3 Mountain may not refer to a specific mountain. It could designate the hill country east of the lake, known today as the Golan Heights (Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46). Like other rabbis, ­Jesus sat to teach (Matt. 5:1; Mark 4:1; 9:35; Luke 4:20).

6:4 This is the second of three passovers mentioned by John, and the only one ­Jesus spent in Galilee (see note at 2:13).

6:5 The crowd apparently walked several miles around the north side of the lake and caught up with ­Jesus and the disciples. Philip would be the natural choice for ­Jesus' question since he, like Andrew (v. 8) and Peter, was a native of nearby Bethsaida (see note at 1:44). ­Jesus' question echoes Moses' query in the wilderness: "Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people?" (Num. 11:13). Other parallels between John 6 and Num. 11 are the people's grumbling (Num. 11:1; John 6:41,43); the description of the manna (Num. 11:7-9; John 6:31); the reference to the eating of "flesh" (Num. 11:13; John 6:51); and the overabundance of the provision (Num. 11:22; John 6:7-9).

6:7 A penny was literally a denarius. Two hundred would be roughly eight months' wages for a common laborer (12:5; Matt. 20:2).

6:9 Lad may refer to a kid, a teenager, or even someone in his early twenties. The same word is used to refer to young Joseph in Gen. 37:30. Barley was common food for the poor (the well-to-do preferred wheat bread); the fishes were probably dried or preserved, perhaps pickled. In a similar account, Elisha fed 100 men with 20 barley loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44).

6:10 The men numbered about 5,000, plus women and children (Matt. 14:21), totaling perhaps as many as 15,000 people. Much grass may allude to the messianic age (10:9-10; Ps. 23:2).

6:11 A common Jewish thanksgiving prayer was, "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

6:12 ­Jesus' words echo Ruth 2:14 "She did eat, and was sufficed," and had some left over. ­Jesus took the same care in providing for those whom the Father gave Him (10:28-29; 17:11-12,15).

6:13 The number of baskets may allude to ­Jesus' symbolic restoration of the 12 tribes of Israel.

6:14 The reference to the prophet alludes to Deut. 18:15,18 (see notes at 1:19-21 and 7:40-41).

6:16-24 ­Jesus' walking across the sea of Galilee may echo Job 9:8 (LXX) where God is said to walk on the waters.

6:16-17 The disciples ventured to row the six or seven miles from the east shore to Capernaum on the northwest.

6:19 They had rowed about three or four miles—about halfway to Capernaum.

6:20 It is I may have overtones of epiphany (cp. Exod. 3:14; see note at John 6:35,48). The statement may allude to Ps. 77:16,19, describing God's manifestation to Israel during the exodus.

6:21 The reference to the boat reaching the shore immediately may allude to Ps. 107:23-32 (esp. v v. 29-30).

6:23-24 Tiberias was and is the chief city on the western side of the lake (see note at v. 1), several miles to the south of Capernaum.

6:25 The other side refers to the area in or around Capernaum (see note at v cp. v. 23-24; v. 59).

6:27-29 People misunderstood ­Jesus' statement and asked about the works God required. ­Jesus said the only "work" required by God is faith in the Messiah. On sealed, see note at 3:33.

6:30-59 Again, the people misunderstood. They demanded a sign as evidence of ­Jesus' claims (cp. 1 Cor. 1:22). ­Jesus pointed to the significance of the "miracle" He had just performed—the feeding of the crowd (cp. 2:18). This revealed people's stubbornness, which led many of ­Jesus' disciples to leave (6:60-66) and prompted John to indict the Jews for unbelief at the close of ­Jesus' public ministry (12:37-40).

6:31 This verse links exodus and Passover motifs with ­Jesus as the Prophet like Moses and the expectation that God would again provide manna in the messianic age. The OT reference seems to involve several passages, with Ps. 78:23-24 being most prominent (Exod. 16:4,15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 105:40).

6:35,48 I am the bread of life is the first of ­Jesus' seven "I am" sayings in John. Subsequently He said He is "the light of the world" (8:12; 9:5); "the door" of the sheep (10:7,9); the "good shepherd" (10:11,14); "the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "the way, the truth, and the life" (14:6); and "the true vine" (15:1). ­Jesus also referred to Himself as "I am" (6:20; 8:24,28,58; 18:5), a clear allusion to God's identification as "I am" (Exod. 3:14).

6:37,44 ­Jesus affirmed the twin themes of election and perseverance of the saints, prominent topics in John's Gospel. Those predestined by God will come to ­Jesus, and ­Jesus will preserve His own. No one can come to ­Jesus apart from the Father's drawing him. These themes continue in the good shepherd discourse (10:28-29) and ­Jesus' final prayer (17:6,9,11-12).

6:40 On ­Jesus' promise of everlasting life, see note at 3:16-18.

6:41,43 The murmuring of the Jews highlights the parallel between Jews of ­Jesus' day and wilderness Israel (cp. Exod. 16:2,8-9; Num. 11:4-23; see note at John 6:5).

6:42 People showed no awareness of ­Jesus' virginal conception (Matt. 1:18-25). They objected to ­Jesus' claim of descent from heaven since He was clearly human and was, they believed, conceived in the standard way (4:44).

6:44 On the "raising up" ministry of ­Jesus, see note at 12:32.

6:45 While ­Jesus' ministry fulfilled the prophetic vision that one day all people would be taught of God (Isa. 54:13), this applied only to those who were drawn by the Father and who came to believe in ­Jesus as Messiah.

6:53-56 The Hebrew idiom "flesh and blood" refers to the total person, so Jesus is insisting on complete commitment to Him.

6:63 Unaided by the spirit, human reason cannot discern spiritual truth. The Jews wrongly believed study of Scripture (see note at 5:39) and doing "works of the law" (see note at 6:27-29) were sufficient for spiritual understanding.

6:67 This is the first reference to the twelve in John's Gospel. Their existence and appointment are assumed from the testimony in the Synoptic Gospels. See notes at 1:43 and 15:16.

6:68 To whom shall we go may refer to transferring allegiance to another rabbi (cp. 1:35-37).

6:71 Judas likely was the only non-Galilaean among the twelve.