41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. (John 6:41-59 KJV)
Rejected by His Own
What offended the people was Christ’s claim that he came down from heaven (John 6:41-42). “How can he say he came down from heaven?” they asked. They had heard of angels descending but never a man, ignoring the signs that he was more than human.
Their stated objection was their familiarity with his background: “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose parents we know?” They assumed Joseph was his true father and dismissed him based on what they thought they knew. Viewing Christ as merely human leads to rejecting his authority and the salvation he offers.
Having already said that faith is the work God requires (John 6:29), Jesus continues teaching about believing in him. To believe is to come to him (John 6:35, 37, 44-45)—not just to hear his words, but to turn to him personally, forsaking whatever stands in the way. It is also to feed on him (John 6:51), taking him in with eagerness, just as the Israelites received manna. He becomes the soul’s nourishment, giving strength and life.
Believers who come to Christ will never hunger or thirst (John 6:35). Earthly provisions satisfy only for a moment, but Christ offers complete and lasting fulfillment. They also receive eternal life (John 6:47). Those who ate manna still died, but the one who eats this bread will not die (John 6:49-50). The manna was temporary; Christ is the true bread from heaven that brings everlasting life (John 6:51). He doesn’t just prolong life—he grants unending joy. Though the body dies, Christ will raise it on the last day (John 6:44).
Jesus also gives reasons to believe. Though some saw him and still didn’t believe (John 6:36), faith isn’t produced by sight alone. True belief comes through the Spirit. He offers two great assurances.
First, all who come to Christ will be welcomed (John 6:37). He will never reject those who turn to him, no matter how weak or unworthy. He promises to receive, keep, and never forsake them.
Second, those the Father gives to Christ will come (John 6:37). This speaks both to the sorrow of unbelief and the comfort of God’s plan. Even if many reject Jesus, those chosen by God will believe.
The elect are those the Father gives to the Son—not just their souls, but all that comes with them: their service, gifts, and lives (Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:20). This giving is ongoing (Psalm 2:8; Isa 49:8, 53:12), and the result is certain: “They will come to me.” Even if they are far off, they will be brought in (Amos 9:9).
How does this happen? Jesus explains that it is through divine teaching (John 6:45-46). The prophets wrote, “They will all be taught by God” (Isa 54:13; Jer. 31:34). To believe in Christ, one must be taught by God—receiving both the knowledge of what to believe and the ability to believe it. Human reason is not enough. God enlightens the mind and persuades the heart. Everyone truly taught by the Father comes to Christ (John 6:45). If someone does not come, it shows they haven’t truly learned from God. Faith is always the fruit of divine instruction.
Jesus clarifies that no one has seen the Father (John 6:46). We don’t receive this teaching through physical sight, like Moses did, but through spiritual means. Only Christ has seen the Father. He alone fully knows God, and through him we receive all truth.
Besides enlightening the mind, God also changes the will. Human nature resists God, so grace is needed to draw people to Christ. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). The Jews grumbled at Jesus’ teaching. He told them, “Stop complaining among yourselves” (John 6:43). Their resistance was not due to lack of evidence, but corrupt hearts.
This drawing is not coercion but a gracious transformation of desire. God works in us so that we come willingly and joyfully. “Draw us, and we will run after you.” No one can come to Christ without this divine work. As we need God to breathe, we also need him to believe.
The Father is the one who draws people to the Son, and those he draws will be raised on the last day (John 6:44). This promise appears repeatedly in the chapter, showing the certainty of God’s work from beginning to end. If he will raise us at the last day, we can trust him to sustain us now.
Jesus then makes clear what part of himself is the bread of life: “The bread that I will give is my flesh” (John 6:51). To believe in him is to eat that flesh and drink his blood (John 6:53-58), continuing the metaphor.
The Jews misunderstood this (John 6:52), thinking he meant literal cannibalism. But he was speaking of giving his body in death. Others, like the Roman Catholic Church, have misunderstood it too—claiming the bread and wine become Christ’s actual flesh and blood, contrary to reason and the nature of sacraments. Some think receiving communion before death guarantees heaven, which is false assurance.
Rightly understood, his flesh and blood refer to his sacrifice as Messiah. He gave his life for the world—as a ransom and to secure eternal life. His body and blood represent all the blessings of redemption: forgiveness, adoption, access to God, and eternal life. They are called his flesh and blood because they were purchased by them and nourish the soul like rich food (Isa 25:6; Psalm 63:5; Jer. 31:25-26).
To eat his flesh and drink his blood means to believe in him. Like eating and drinking, faith involves hunger for Christ, receiving him personally, delighting in him, and drawing strength from him. Just seeing food does nothing—we must make Christ our own, as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). This faith unites us to Christ and draws life from him.
Jesus valued this image so much that he later chose bread and wine as symbols of his death and its benefits. These became sacraments of grace. He emphasizes the necessity of feeding on him: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Without spiritual appetite for Christ, we have no spiritual life. We cannot live without receiving life from him.
The benefits are union with Christ—“Whoever feeds on me… abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:56). Just as food becomes part of our body, faith joins us to Christ. We share in his life and he in ours.
We also receive eternal life. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54)—life now and forever (John 6:58). We live by him, as he lives by the Father (John 6:57). Life flows from the Father to the Son, and through the Son to us (John 1:16; Col. 3:4).
Finally, we’re told this teaching happened in the synagogue at Capernaum (John 6:59). This shows Jesus taught publicly and fearlessly, open to all. The account is credible, witnessed by many, and available for examination.