John 6:41-58

NOTE: There is controversy over whether this is "eucharistic" teaching or a demand for dedication.


41. Therefore the Jews murmured concerning him that he said " I am, the bread which is coming out heaven." 

John 6:41 π =Egovgguzon ou\n oiÔ =Ioudaiæoi peri… aujtou: o{ti ei«pen` e∆gw◊ ei∆mi oJ a⁄rtoß oJ kataba˝ß e∆k tou: oujranou:,  Here the Jews murmuring like with Moses in Wilderness, LXX same verb. It is an onomatopoetic word like cooing of doves or buzzing of bees. Less arguing with one another and more murmuring against what Jesus said. (Robertson).
And they said, "Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph? Do we not know the father and the mother? How now does he say that he has come down out of heaven? 

John 6:42 kai… e“legon` oujc ou|tovß e∆stin =Ihsou:ß oJ uiÔo;ß =Iwshvf, ou| hJmeiæß oi“damen to;n pate√ra kai… th;n mhte√ra~ pwÇß nu:n le√gei o{ti e∆k tou: oujranou: katabe√bhka~ One thing to note here it sounds as if the town folk knew of Joseph and it sounds like he is still alive. Further, the term carpenter is also used for mason. They have a large synagogue in Capernaum all of stone. 
JJJJJesus answered and said to them, do not murmur with one another.

John 6:43 a˙pekri√qh =Ihsou:ß kai… ei«pen aujtoiæß` mh; gogguvzete met= a˙llhvlwn.
For no one is able to come to me except the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up in the last day. 

John 6:44 oujdei…ß duvnatai e∆lqeiæn provß me e∆a˝n mh; oJ path;r oJ pe√myaß me eÔlkuvsh≥ aujtovn, ka˙gw˝ a˙nasthvsw aujto;n e∆n th≥: e∆sca◊th≥ hJme√ra/. This elkuse(i) aorist subjuctive is used among other things as a moral drawing. Notice that the Father initiates the salvation? Maybe a little Calvinistic. Free will is still at play I would add. Christ is defining salvation as commitment level. Not just believing in Him but "continually partaking of him".
It is written in the prophets, "and they all will be taught of the Lord." All who hear and learn from the father come to me. 

John 6:45 e“stin gegramme√non e∆n toiæß profhvtaiß` kai… e“sontai pa◊nteß didaktoi… qeou:` paÇß oJ a˙kouvsaß para˝ tou: patro;ß kai… maqw˝n e“rcetai pro;ß e∆me√. All who hear.
Not that a certain one has seen the father, except the who is from God, this one has seen the father.  eoraken, is the perfect - reduplication. 2 oo = w  

John 6:46 oujc o{ti to;n pate√ra eÔw◊rake√n tiß ei∆ mh; oJ w€n para˝ tou: qeou:, ou|toß eÔw◊raken to;n pate√ra
Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes has ever lasting life.. 

John 6:47 a˙mh;n a˙mh;n le√gw uJmiæn, oJ pisteuvwn e“cei zwh;n ai∆w◊nion.
I am the bread of life.

John 6:48 =Egw◊ ei∆mi oJ a⁄rtoß th:ß zwh:ß. Another "I am" from John. Brown claims exegesis of Greek for emphasis but still strangely connects it to the Exodus "I am" of LXX. Since so much of this conversation is OT orientated, it seems naturally connected to Exodus xv. In fact older theologian (1930"s) Miss Guilding claims this event happen around the Passover and traces the Jewish lectionary for this time to be from Exodus iii to xvi and first parts of Genesis. She shows remarkable parallels in Jesus' discourse (Brown, Anchor).
Your fathers ate manna in the desert and died.

John 6:49 oiÔ pate√reß uJmwÇn e“fagon e∆n th≥: e∆rhvmw/ to; ma◊nna kai… a˙pe√qanon` Interestingly Jesus does not include himself in their lineage. YOUR fathers, Not OUR fathers. His Father of course is God. Subtle connection with heaven in following verse.
This one is the bread which came out of heaven, that a certan one can eat and never die.

John 6:50 ou|tovß e∆stin oJ a⁄rtoß oJ e∆k tou: oujranou: katabai√nwn, i”na tiß e∆x aujtou: fa◊gh≥ kai… mh; a˙poqa◊nh≥. 
I am the living bread  which comes down out of heaven. If certain one may eat of this bread he lives into eternity, and also the bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

John 6:51 e∆gw◊ ei∆mi oJ a⁄rtoß oJ zwÇn oJ e∆k tou: oujranou: kataba◊ß` e∆a◊n tiß fa◊gh≥ e∆k touvtou tou: a⁄rtou zhvsei ei∆ß to;n ai∆wÇna, kai… oJ a⁄rtoß de… o}n e∆gw˝ dw◊sw hJ sa◊rx mouv e∆stin uJpe…r th:ß tou: kovsmou zwh:ß. "I am". Conditional phrase. Also 2 attributive the bread the living It is not only the bread of life but the living bread, subtle change from zous to zon, present participle.
The Jews argued with one another saying,"How is this one able to give to us the (his) flesh to eat?"

John 6:52 π =Ema◊conto ou\n pro;ß a˙llhvlouß oiÔ =Ioudaiæoi le√gonteß` pwÇß duvnatai ou|toß hJmiæn dou:nai th;n sa◊rka (aujtou:) fageiæn~ 
Therefore Jesus said to them, "truly, truly I say to you, except you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourself. 

John 6:53 ei«pen ou\n aujtoiæß oJ =Ihsou:ß` a˙mh;n a˙mh;n le√gw uJmiæn, e∆a˝n mh; fa◊ghte th;n sa◊rka tou: uiÔou: tou: a˙nqrw◊pou kai… pi√hte aujtou: to; ai»ma, oujk e“cete zwh;n e∆n eÔautoiæß. The difficulty here pointed out by Brown is the OT reference to these phrases, "eat my flesh" and "drink my blood" are all in reference to polemical phrases about the enemy or trash talk, and a name for Satan, "flesh eater". This verse is also used for giving Eucharist to infants
The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him on the last day. 

John 6:54 oJ trw◊gwn mou th;n sa◊rka kai… pi√nwn mou to; ai»ma e“cei zwh;n ai∆w◊nion, ka˙gw˝ a˙nasthvsw aujto;n th≥: e∆sca◊th≥ hJme√ra/. Death and life connection. 'Jesus has here presented to this Galilean multitude the central fact of his atoning death for the spiritual life of the world.' Robertson.
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

John 6:55 hJ ga˝r sa◊rx mou a˙lhqhvß e∆stin brwÇsiß, kai… to; ai»ma◊ mou a˙lhqhvß e∆stin povsiß. brosis equal to broma (a thing eaten) therefore - food.
The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

John 6:56 oJ trw◊gwn mou th;n sa◊rka kai… pi√nwn mou to; ai»ma e∆n e∆moi… me√nei ka˙gw˝ e∆n aujtw/Ç. 
And also the living Father sent me and I live through the Father, and the one who eats me this one also will live through me.

John 6:57 kaqw˝ß a˙pe√steile√n me oJ zwÇn path;r ka˙gw˝ zwÇ dia˝ to;n pate√ra, kai… oJ trw◊gwn me ka˙keiænoß zhvsei di= e∆me√. Few places in the NT where Father is described as "living".
This one is the bread which came down out of heaven, just as the fathers ate and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever - into eternity.

John 6:58 ou|tovß e∆stin oJ a⁄rtoß oJ e∆x oujranou: kataba◊ß, ouj kaqw˝ß e“fagon oiÔ pate√reß kai… a˙pe√qanon` oJ trw◊gwn tou:ton to;n a⁄rton zhvsei ei∆ß to;n ai∆wÇna. 
These things he said in the synagogue teaching in Capernaum.