v. 21: His disciples were “willing to take” Jesus “into the boat” (vv. 17a, 21a). Just at this moment the crisis is brought to an end – a “happy end” in the sense: “All’s well that ends well”. He and His disciples were on board in a safe place and “immediately”522 they “reached at the land” (cf. Psalm 106:30 [LXX]) at “Capernaum” (v. 17b).
2.3.5 Jesus’ Discourse about the “Bread of Life” from Heaven (vv. 22–59523)
- The Setting (vv. 22–25a524)
Who: Jesus, (His disciples), the people (5,000 men) who Jesus fed (vv. 22, 24)/“the Jews” (vv. 41, 52)/ “the world” (in Greek “kósmos” in vv. 33, 51), their fathers (vv. 31a, 49, 58c), God the FATHER (vv. 27, 32, 37, 39–40), Moses (v. 32), the prophets (v. 45)
Where: (the synagogue at) Capernaum (vv. 24, 59) – note also the place (properly “Tabgha”) where Jesus fed 5,000 (v. 22) and Tiberias (v. 23)
When: “on the next day” (v. 22a) in the context of verse 4 “near the Passover” – note this is also “near the … Sukkot” (John 7:2)
Verses 22–25 are transitional525 verses to bridge/link the scenic-dialogical526 stories of Jesus’ multiplication of five loaves and two fish and the feeding of 5,000 men in verses 1–15 and His walking on the water in verses 16–21 with His discourse about the “Bread of Life” in verses 25b–58/59.
v. 22: The Fourth Evangelist relates that “the crowd” who “had eaten the bread” (v. 23b) “looked for”527 (vv. 24e, 26c) “Jesus” and “(His) disciples ( )” “on the next day” (in Greek “tē epaúrɩon” in v. 22a and 1:29, 34, 43 and in 12:12). The people “saw” (in Greek “horáo” in vv. 22a, 24b)/realized that “His disciples” (v. 22c) “had gone away” by “boat” (in Greek “ploɩárɩon” in vv. 22b, 23a, 24c and “ploῖon” in vv. 17a, 19c, 21a, b, 22c) and “Jesus” and the “disciples” were “not there” (v. 24b) “near the place” (v. 23a2) of their feeding.
Verse 23 sums up the multiplication of 5,000 and their feeding in the words as follows: “They had eaten the bread” (vv. 5f, 11c–12a, 13c, 23b) “( ) /after/ the Lord” (cf. 20:2, 13, 18, 20, 28[; 21:7, 12]) “(had given thanks)” (vv. 11b, 23c and Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23528).
v. 24: In this way, the people crossed from the east “seaside” (in Greek “péran” in vv. 1a, 17b, 22a, 25a) to the west side by “boats” (vv. 23a; 24c) and they also came to “Capernaum” (in Greek “Kapharnaoúm” in vv. 17b, 24d, 59 and in John 2:12; 4:46) and
v. 25a: “found” – note the pair of the verbs “seek/look for” in verses 24e, 26c and “find” in verse 25a or, for example, John 7:34–36529; Matthew 7:7–8; Luke 11:9–10; 15:8 – Jesus (cf. Mark 1:37) there – not by boat.
- Part I: The Crowd and Jesus (vv. 25b–40530)
The first part of the discourse is a discussion in the form of questions by the Jewish people (cf. vv. 25c, 28b–c, 30b–31c, 34b) and the answers of Jesus (cf. vv. 26b–27d, 29b–d, 32b–33b, 35b–40d).
+ First Dialogue between the Crowd and Jesus (vv. 25b–27)
v. 25b–c: The CROWD from the east side of the sea and some from Tiberias asked Him: “Rabbi, when531 ( ) /did/ You come/get (here)?” The title “rabbi”532 emphasizes the introductory circumstantial question; their questions (cf. vv. 28b–c, 30b–31c) express their expectation (cf. v. 34b) in the dialogue in verses 25–40 about the eating of bread during His feeding of 5,000 (cf. vv. 1–15) as a physical nourishment and His viewpoint of “the Bread of Life” as the spiritual, sacramental nourishment between Jesus and the people who look for Him.
v. 26: Jesus introduces the topic of the multiplication and of the bread and the feeding of the 5,000 a day later with the typical introductory phrase “amen, amen, I tell you” (vv. 26b, 32b, 47a, 53b and Numbers 5:22; Nehemiah 8:6) of self-revelation/manifestation. Jesus criticized the people who followed Him only for the physical “signs” respectively temporal benefits. He is against performance/show/event catchers (cf. vv. 2b, 14a–b, 30b–c and John 2:18; 3:2; 7:31; 11:47; 12:18, 37). The Fourth Evangelist informed about seven “signs” in the so-called “Book of signs”533 (cf. 1:19–12:50). The two keywords “to eat”534 and “bread”535 are the terms of Chapter 6.
v. 27: JESUS introduces an alternative in the form of a correction536 (“not … but” in v. 27a, b1): Perishable, spoilt food in a literal sense (cf., for example, Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 6:25–26; Luke 12:22–24) versus537 enduring, lasting and His real “food” (in Greek “brõsɩs” in vv. 27a, 55a and in John 4:32) which gives “eternal life” (in Greek “zoè aɩónɩos”538 in vv. 40c, 47b, 54b, 68c and in 4:14) in the metaphorical level539. The “giver”540 (cf. v. 35b–c) of this food is the “Son of Man”541 (cf., for example, vv. 27c, 53c, 62a) through “God”.
+ Second Dialogue between the Crowd and Jesus (vv. 28–29)
v. 28: Jesus makes statements which are misunderstood by the (Jewish) people and then further clarified by Him (cf. vv. 28b–c, 30b–d, 41a–d, 52a–b). So, for example, the verb and catchword “work” (in Greek “ergázomaɩ” in v. 27a) is the aim of their second question in regard to “works of God” (in Greek “tà érga toũ theoũ” [plural] in v. 28c and 5:36; 9:3 – “tò érgon toũ theoũ” [singular] in v. 29b) in the sense of the – more qualitative and less quantitative – doing of human beings in God’s mind (cf. 1 John 3:23542).
v. 29: The Fourth Gospel is a book for our faith in Jesus Christ (cf. John 20:30–31) “whom (God) has sent” (cf. vv. 29d, 57a and John 3:34; 5:36, 38; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3, 8, 18, 21, 23, 25; 20:21; 1 John 4:9–10, 14). Therefore everyone has to decide for or against saying YES (cf. vv. 35d, 47b, 68–69) or NO to Him (cf. v. 36c). This decision is especially described in the Fourth Gospel in a positive way543 or in a negative way544. “Faith” (in Greek “pɩsteúo” [= to believe] in vv. 29c, 30c, 35d, 36c, 40b, 47b, 64b, d, 69a) is basically believing in the person of Jesus as the Christ and as the Saviour/Redeemer (cf. John 3:17; 4:42; 1 John 4:14).
+ Third Dialogue between the Crowd and Jesus (vv. 30–33)
vv. 30–31: The CROWD focuses the discussion about the “seeing” (in Greek “horáo”) of His “doing” of a “sign” (vv. 2b, 14a–b, 30b and John 2:18; 7:31; 11:47; Matthew 12:38; Luke 23:8) in the end on the example of the shower of “manna” (in Greek “mánna” in vv. 31a, 49, 58c and Hebrews 9:4; Revelation 2:17) “in the desert545” according to Exodus 16,4, 15; Nehemiah 9:15;