John 6:30–31, 35–36, 41–47, 66–69

Bible Studies for Life
Professor of Philosophy, Howard College of Arts and Sciences, Samford University

Show Me the Proof
John 6:30–31, 35–36, 41–47, 66–69
The apostle Paul suggests that Jews seek signs and Greeks search for wisdom (1 Cor. 1:22). Such a distinction might well be extended to include all humanity; that is, every one of us desires either some experience of a literal event to verify our faith or some persuasive rational argument that proves that our doctrines are correct. This week’s lesson addresses this situation, especially from the perspective of looking for signs in order to corroborate beliefs.

Many People Want Proof (30–31)
One cannot read Chapter 6 without some ironic laughter. The people who request that Jesus give them a sign that verifies His claim to be Messiah overwhelm the reader with their ignorance.

Consider the context. They have just experienced a feeding miracle whereby Jesus multiplies a little food and serves dinner to over 5,000 hungry individuals. Indeed they probably still have crumbs of bread on their robes and the taste of fish on their lips when they have the audacity to ask Jesus for a sign and the arrogance to dictate what sort of sign He should give them. They want a feeding miracle. Specifically they want a Mosaic sign, an event similar to Moses’ feeding the Hebrews with manna in the wilderness. If Jesus can be a Moses to them and give them what they want, they will believe. But Jesus has just done that very thing. They ask to see a sign, which when given to them a short time before, they were unable to see.

Proof Does Not Yield Faith (35–36, 41–42)
Jesus straightforwardly tells the crowd that they have seen His messianic works, that they have just witnessed a sign that validates His claim to be the Holy One of God and that they still did not believe. They asked for a Mosaic miracle, received it and yet still failed to recognize that Jesus is not just another Moses but is superior to Moses, is actually the one whom Moses writes about in the Law. Jesus confesses His superiority to Moses by naming himself the “Bread of Life,” the bread that comes down from heaven, whose spiritual sustenance results in an eternal end to hunger. In other words, Moses may have announced the bread from heaven but Jesus is that bread from heaven. Jesus’ confession, however, evokes grumbling from the religious leaders, who criticize His claim to be from God. One could identify this as another Mosaic reference, since the Israelites also grumbled constantly against Moses during their wilderness wandering.

Faith is a Work of God (43–47)
Jesus tells the grumblers they should open their minds to allow the Father to draw them to faith. If they will allow God to implant the internal word of testimony in their hearts (5:38), they will experience the gift of eternal life. If they will but consider the possibility that through the signs and teachings of Jesus the Father desires them to hear a saving word, the Spirit will awaken faith in them. The sign that they have heard such a saving word will be that they come to Christ and believe in Him as the revelation of the Father.

Faith Believes Without Proof (66–69)
Here again one finds another instance of people misunderstanding Jesus because they fail to take Him as speaking symbolically. Playing off of the metaphor “I am the bread of life,” Jesus states that only those who eat His flesh and drink His blood may find eternal life (6:54).

Many disciples who interpret Jesus literally think that He is prescribing some sort of cannibalism and find it difficult to accept His statement. Eventually they depart and follow Him no longer. When He asks the Twelve Apostles if they, too, will abandon Him, Peter responds in a way that indicates that he has a better sense of what Jesus is trying to say. He tells Jesus that the Twelve will not depart, that they know of nowhere else to go because only He has the words of life. Although Jesus’ words sometimes seem provocative and difficult to comprehend, Peter is convinced by faith that Jesus is the Holy One of God and speaks a message of eternal life and hope.