In this passage, Yochanan reveals Himself as the Bread of Life, emphasizing that He is essential for spiritual sustenance. He faces the skepticism and grumbling of his listeners, who struggle to comprehend the nature of His identity and mission, demonstrating the challenge of faith in accepting divine truths.     

⁴¹ At this, Judeans began grumbling about Him because He said, “I am the bread which has come down from Heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Yeshua Ben-Yosef? We know his father and mother! How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

The references to the Jews’ complaints highlight the parallel between the Jews of Yeshua’s day and wilderness Isra’el. The Israelites complained about the first bread giver, Moshe. Now they gripe against the second giver, Yeshua. People showed no awareness of Yeshua’s virginal conception (Matityahu 1:18-25). They objected to Yeshua’s claim of descent from Heaven because He was clearly human and, they believed, conceived in the standard way.

⁴³ Yeshua answered them, “Stop grumbling to each other! ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father – the One who sent me – draws him. And I will raise him up on the Last Day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by Adonai.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – He has seen the Father.

Yeshua made no attempt to correct their ignorance, other than to rebuke their grumbling and point them to God’s drawing and teaching ministry. They are not in a position to judge Him. Without God’s help, any assessment of God’s Messenger will be faulty. No one can come to Yeshua or believe in Him without divine help. People are so ensnared in the quicksand of sin and unbelief that unless God draws them, they are hopeless. This drawing of God is not limited to a few. Yeshua said, “I … will draw all men to Myself” (12:32). This does not mean that all will be saved but that Greeks (i.e., Gentiles; 12:20) as well as Jews will be saved. Those who will be saved will also be resurrected (cf. 6:39–40).

⁴⁷ Yes, indeed! I tell you, whoever trusts has eternal life: ⁴⁸ I am the bread which is life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the man in the desert; they died. ⁵⁰ But the bread that comes down from heaven is such that a person may eat it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Furthermore, the bread that I will give is my own flesh; and I will give it for the life of the world.” ⁵² At this, the Judeans disputed with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Yeshua contrasts the manna in the wilderness and the bread from Heaven. Only the latter can provide eternal life. Yeshua’s flesh refers to His body on the cross given for sin. Such talk raised the questions from His audience.

⁵³ Then Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life – that is, I will raise him up on the Last Day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in Me, and I live in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live through the Father, so also whoever eats me will live through me. ⁵⁸ So this is the bread that has come down from heaven – it is not like the bread the fathers ate; they’re dead, but whoever eats this bread will live forever!” ⁵⁹ He said these things as he was teaching in a synagogue in K’far-Nachum.

The Hebrew idiom “flesh and blood” refers to the total person. Nowhere is Yeshua’s teaching more shocking than here. Eternal life comes from eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

Many Talmidim Desert Yeshua

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of His talmidim said, “This is a hard word – who can bear to listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Yeshua, aware that his talmidim were grumbling about this, said to them, “This is a trap for you? ⁶² Suppose you were to see the Son of Man going back up to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life, ⁶⁴ yet some among you do not trust.” ⁶⁴ yet some among you do not trust.” (For Yeshua knew from the outset which ones would not trust him, also which one would betray him.) ⁶⁵ “This,” He said, “is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has made it possible for him.”

⁶⁶ From this time on, many of His talmidim turned back and no longer traveled around with Him. ⁶⁷ So Yeshua said to the Twelve, “Don’t you want to leave too?” ⁶⁸ Shim‘on Kefa answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the word of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have trusted, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Yeshua answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is an adversary.” ⁷¹ (He was speaking of Y’hudah Ben-Shim‘on, from K’riot; for this man – one of the Twelve! – was soon to betray him.) ^[1]

Navigating faith in public life can prove challenging, especially when others make assumptions about your beliefs. Just as Yeshua faced misunderstanding in John 6:41-71, when you encounter skepticism, take a moment to listen actively to the concerns of those around you. Respond thoughtfully by asking questions that encourage further dialogue rather than shutting down the conversation. By understanding their perspective, you demonstrate Yeshua’s love and open avenues for discussing your beliefs more effectively.

In our next post, we will continue to explore the Gospel of Yochanan.

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[1] Yochanan 6:64–71.