_CHRIST FEEDETH FIVE THOUSAND MEN WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES. THEREUPON THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE MADE HIM KING. BUT WITHDRAWING HIMSELF, HE WALKETH ON THE SEA TO HIS DISCIPLES: REPROVETH THE PEOPLE FLOCKING AFTER HIM, AND ALL THE FLESHLY HEARERS OF HIS WORD: DECLARETH HIMSELF TO BE THE BREAD OF LI... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS— That is, some time after: for St. John passes by a great many transactions related by the other evangelists; and perhaps would not have given this narrative, had it not been for preserving a remarkable discourse of our Saviour, which, though of great importance, has been omitted... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PASSOVER, A FEAST OF THE JEWS,— This is generally supposed to be the third passover of our Lord's public ministry. The evangelist probably mentions this to shew the time of the year, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAITH UNTO PHILIP,— Our Lord addresses himself to Philip particularly, because, he was a native of Bethsaida, and best acquainted with that country. See Ch. John 1:44 and on Luke 9:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS HE SAID TO PROVE HIM:— To try what idea he conceived of his divine power, as well as to give him an opportunity of observing more attentively what followed.... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO HUNDRED PENNYWORTH OF BREAD— As much as could be purchased for 200 denarii, which amounts to about six pounds five shillings of our money. The mention of that sum seems to intimate that their whole stock amounted to no more. See Mark 6:37.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THERE WAS MUCH GRASS— This circumstance of the _grass_ shews, that the miracle of the loaves happened in the month of February or March, when the grass is in its perfection in Syria; and to this agrees what we are told John 6:4. It is observable, that in computing the number of persons fed at th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS,— St. Matthew and St. Mark say simply that _he blessed,_ ευλογησε, which most commentators refer to the loaves and fishes, because St. Luke says expressly, ευλογησε αυτους; _he blessed them._ Some, however, put a different sense upon the words. They apprehend, that our L... [ Continue Reading ]
GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS— Though Jesus was entirely free from worldly cares, and from all anxiety about futurity, he did not think it unworthy of him, on this occasion, to order his disciples to take care of the broken pieces of meat left by the multitude. The reason mentioned by him for their doing... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THOSE MEN, WHEN THEY HAD SEEN, &C.— This vast multitude of people finding their hunger removed, and spirits recreated, as well as their taste delighted by the meal, were absolutely sure it was no illusion: as St. John expresses it, _they had seen the miracle,_ so could not entertain a doubt, or... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS THEREFORE PERCEIVED— The people thus fed by miracle were unspeakablyastonished; for indeed it was wonderful to see the food extending itself among their hands. In the height of their transport, they proposed to _take Jesus by force, and make him a king,_ that is to say, to constrain him t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN EVEN WAS NOW COME— We observed on John 6:11 that the whole of this miraculous transaction was over by five o'clock in the afternoon; which may be collected from the circumstance here mentioned, namely, that when the disciples departed some time after the dinner, the second evening approache... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENTERED INTO A SHIP,— Christ's order was, that the disciples should go to Bethsaida, as St. Mark informs us; but the wind becoming contrary, as we shall see immediately, they were obliged to sail towards Capernaum. St. John therefore describes the voyage, not as it was intended, but as it actual... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN THEY HAD ROWED, &C.— Probably when they found the wind so violent, their were afraid of being shipwrecked, if they came near the shore; and therefore, having perhaps sailed awhile before the wind they now rowed out to sea; for as they must have been several hours at sea, one can hardly imagi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY FOLLOWING, &C.— Notwithstanding Jesus had ordered the people to go home after he had sent his disciples away, they did not leave the desart mountain. It seems they took notice that no boat had come thither, but the one belonging to the disciples; and because Jesus did not go with them, they... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SEEK ME, NOT BECAUSE YE SAW THE MIRACLES, &C.— "Ye are not come after me, because ye were convinced by my miracles of the truth of my divine mission, and are now disposed to hearken to my doctrine, but _because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled._ Having been once fed, you expect that I wi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THEY—WHAT SHALL WE DO, &C.— The metaphors of meat and drink being very familiar to the Jews, and frequently used in their writings to signify wisdom, knowledge, and grace, (see Proverbs 9:1. Isaiah 55:2.) they might easily have understood what Jesus meant by the meat enduring to everlastin... [ Continue Reading ]
_THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD,_— The Jews having their minds filled with the notion of the great empire which the Messiah was to erect, expected, no doubt, that Jesus would have bidden them first rise against the Romans, and vindicate their liberties, and then, by the terror of fire and sword, establish... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA, &C.— By extolling the miracle of the manna, by calling it _bread from heaven,_ and by insinuating that it was Moses's miracle, the Jews endeavoured to disparage Christ's miracle of the loaves, which they affected to despise as no miracle in comparison of the former. It was... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, EVERMORE GIVE US THIS BREAD.— It is reasonable to imagine, as we have observed a little before, that the people who now heard our Lord were of different characters: many of them, no doubt, were obstinately perverse, heard him with prejudice, and wrested all his words; but others of them might... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I SAID UNTO YOU, &C.— He next turned his discourse to those of his hearers who did not possess that ingenuousness of mind which the former had expressed: "You ask me to shew you a sign, that you may see and believe me, John 6:30 but I must inform you, that you have seen me,—seen my character and... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME, &C.— For the explication of these words it must be noted, 1st, That to believe in Christ, and to come to him, is the same thing. Compare John 5 John 6:38 with John 6:40. So John 7 John 6:37 with John 6:38. Again, John 6:35 of this chapter, _He that cometh to me shall n... [ Continue Reading ]
I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, &C.— "I came not to act according to the bent of human passions, which lead men to return whatever injuries are done them; and therefore I will not instantly leave off exhortingthose who at first reject me. Neither will I inflict immediate punishment on them; but I will bear... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS IS THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, &C.— "My Father's will, which I am come to publish, is, that all who, being convinced of their need of me, and of my sufficiencyfor their help, look by faith to me, and perseveringly depend upon me, as the true Messiah, for a whole salvation, shall be made p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS THEN MURMURED, &C.— Thus Jesus placed the character of the Messiah in a light very different from that wherein his hearers had been accustomed to view it; and taught them, that instead of the temporal blessings which they expected from him, they were to receive none but spiritual benefits.... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN CAN COME TO ME, EXCEPT THE FATHER—DRAW HIM, &C.— In explaining this passage, we will, _first,_ shew the propriety of our Lord's answer; _secondly,_ give a plain and full explication of it; and, _thirdly,_ confirm that explication by some remarks: I. There is some difficulty in perceiving the... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT THAT ANY MAN HATH SEEN THE FATHER,— "When I speak of men's hearing and learning of God, I donot mean that they can see the Deity personally, and be taught of him in the manner that a scholar is taught of his master. No man hath seen the Father personally, except the Son, whom the Father hath sen... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA— Our Lord next drew a comparison between himself, considered as the bread from heaven, and the manna which Moses provided for their fathers in the desart, and which they admired so greatly. "Those who thus regard me," said he, "as the bread of life, will receive far more i... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE LIVING BREAD— Because it was a matter of infinite importance to his hearers, that they should form a just notion of his ability to save them, and believe in him as the Redeemer of the world, our Lord affirmed the third time, that he was himself the living bread which came down from heaven,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS THEREFORE STROVE— All the terms made use of by our Lord on this occasion, were such as the Jews had been accustomed to interpret figuratively; for which reason they might easily have understood them: nevertheless, taking them in a literal sense, they were astonished beyond measure, and _fel... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS SAID, &C.— Our Lord, knowing how unreasonable his hearers in general were, did not think fit to explain himself more particularly at this time; but persisting in the same figurative way of expressing himself, he repeated and affirmed more earnestly what he had asserted before. His meaning... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSO EATETH MY FLESH,— "Whoso thus feedeth upon me by living faith, has the principle of eternal life implanted in him, and, if faithful unto death, shall enjoy it, because I will raise him up at the last day; _For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed._ They are the true nutriment... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELLETH IN ME, AND I IN HIM,— "We are most intimately connected together in the closest union, communion, and friendship; and therefore whatever blessings I can bestow, whether by my own power, or by my intercession with the Father, or by the influences of my Spirit; my faithful friends shall enjoy... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE LIVING FATHER HATH SENT ME, &C.— "As it is my meat and drink to do the will of the Father, who is the fountain and author of life and happiness; as I nourish and delight my mind, as man, with the punctual execution of all the orders that he gave me when he sent me into the world; so _he that... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THAT BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN, &C.— "If you attend to these important hints which I have given, you may in general know what I meant, by saying, as I have done, _This is the bread that came down from heaven;_ a kind of bread, infinitely superior to the manna, both in its nature and efficacy; fo... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS SAID HE IN THE SYNAGOGUE,— It is very probable that these discourses were introduced after prayer, and the reading of the law. We are not to wonder at the dialogue which passed here; there are many other instances of disputes which Christ and his apostles had with the Jews in their syna... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY THEREFORE OF HIS DISCIPLES, &C.— As our Lord had a great number of disciples at large, who often attended his ministry, and made a profession of his name; so many of them, whose hearts were not right with him, were highly offended at what he had said about his being the bread that came down fro... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH THIS OFFEND YOU?— "Are you offended, because I said my flesh is bread, and that it came down from heaven, and that you must eat my flesh and drink my blood, in order to your having eternal life?—What if ye shall see me ascend up into heaven bodily, where I was before? Will not that convince you... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH,— As a key to his former discourse, our Lord added, "As in the human frame, it is the indwelling spirit which quickens every part of it; and the flesh, how exactly soever organized and adorned, if separate from that, profits nothing, but is an insensible and inactive... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JESUS KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING— Our Lord insinuates, that he _knew_ who would believe in him among the vast multitude of his auditors; and more particularly, that he knew who would continue his disciples among those who had professed themselves such, even from their first attending him; and that... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SAID I UNTO YOU— "Because I knew that there were false-hearted pretenders among you, therefore, for your conviction and caution, and for distinguishingreal from nominal believers, I told you before (John 6:44.) that no man can savinglybelieve in me, unless my Father draw him by his Spirit,... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THAT TIME MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES, &C.— This sermon was in all its different branches so offensive to the Jews, that many of them who till now had been our Lord's disciples, finding by the general strain of it, that their ambitious carnal views were to be utterly disappointed,went out of the syna... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THE TWELVE, &C.— On occasion of this great apostacyamong the disciples, our Lord, for the trial of the faithof the twelve apostles, and to give them a proper opportunity of professing it, said, in an affectionate and moving manner to them, See how many have forsaken me! will ye... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED—HAVE NOT I CHOSEN YOU TWELVE, &C.?— "The opinion of my character and mission, which thou, O Peter, hast expressed in thine own name, and in the name of thy brethren, is just: however, I know, that you are not all agreed in this confession; _for one of you is a devil,_ a malicious info... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SPAKE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT— Though our Lord did not at that time think fit to mention Judas, the evangelist adds this gloss, to shew, that no other disciple was suspected. Jesus called Judas a _devil,_ because he would be an apostate and traitor: so likewise in reproving St. Peter, who had expressed... [ Continue Reading ]