The Bread Given for the life of the World
The Bread Given
In my last post, I showed how the crowd went from asking Jesus about what they were obligated to do to gain the bread that endures to eternal life, to the next step of asking to see the work that Jesus would do. The purpose of the work is to bring the crowd to faith in Jesus. We stopped in verse 33 where Jesus said that the bread is to give life to the world. Did the crowd understand that they too were a part of the world to whom the bread was given? This post will take apart John 6:34-36.
The request of the crowd
The crowd asked Jesus for the bread which was being offered. There was no sign that the crowd viewed Jesus’ words as exempting them from receiving what He was giving. Their words were clear. Let’s look carefully at the words of the crowd. The crowd said:
John 6:34 (NASB) Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
Why did the crowd say give “us” this bread? They said these words because they knew what the term “world” meant as Jesus used it in that context. Jesus said that the bread was for “the life of the world.” The use of the term “world” by Jesus was not said in a limited context, and the crowd believed that they could ask for this special bread… so they asked.
John 6:34 (NASB) Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
By using the term “give” and not “pay”, the crowd understood Jesus to be saying that the bread was something to be granted.
The crowd also said:
John 6:34 (NASB) Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”