John 6:31

Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. OUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA IN THE DESERT; AS IT IS WRITTEN, HE GAVE THEM BREAD FROM HEAVEN TO EAT - insinuating the inferiority of Christ's miracle of the loaves to those of Moses: q. d., 'When Moses claimed the confidence of the fathers, "he gave them bread from heaven to eat" - not for a few thousands, but for millions and not once only, but daily throughout their wilderness journey.'...

31._Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness. _Thus we see that Christ put his finger on the sore, when he told them that they came like brute beasts to fill their belly; for they discover this gross disposition, when they demand a Messiah by whom they are to be fed. And as to the magnificent terms in which they extol the grace of God in the_manna, _they do this cunningly, in order to bury the doctrine of Christ, by which he condemned them for immoderate desire of corruptible food; for they contrast with it the magnificent title bestowed on the _manna, _when it is called _heavenly bread _But when the Holy Spirit bestows on the _manna _the honorable appellation of _the bread of heaven_, (Psalms 78:24,) it is not with this intention, as if God fed his people, like a herd of swine, and gave them nothing more valuable; and, therefore, they are without excuse, when

28-35 Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls. Coming to Jesus, and believing on him, signify the same. Christ shows that he is the true Bread; he is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the spiritual life. He is the Bread of God. Bread which the Father gives, which he has made to be the food of our souls. Bread nourishes only by the powers of a living body; but Christ is himself living Bread, and nourishes by his own power. The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as str...

Verse 31. _OUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA IN THE DESERT_] Their argument seems to run thus: Thou hast, we grant, fed five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes; but what is this in comparison of what Moses did in the desert, who for forty years fed more than a million of persons with bread from heaven: do something like this, and then we will believe in thee, as we have believed in Moses....

OUR FATHERS - The Jews who were led by Moses through the wilderness. DID EAT MANNA - This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, “What is this?” and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste like honey. It fell in great quantities, and was regarded by the Jews as proof of a continued miracle during forty years, and was incontestable evidence of the interposition of God in favor of their fathers. The manna which is sold in the shops of druggists is a different substance from this. It is obtained from the bark of certain trees in Armenia, Georgia, Persia, and Arabia. It is procured, as resin is, by making an incision in the bark,

EXPOSITION JOHN 6:1 2. _Christ declares himself to be the Sustainer and Protector of the life of which he is the Source_. JOHN 6:1 (1) _The supply of human wants illustrated by a well known _"_sign_" _of power_. Chronological difficulties beset our treatment of this miraculous narrative with its varied consequences and results. Many curious and even violent measures have been resorted to with a view to solve them. Some have supposed that John 5:1. and 6. have been inverted in order, and that thus the presence of our Lord in Galilee, mentioned in...

OUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS,.... Which was a sort of food prepared by angels in the air, and rained down from thence about the tents of the Israelites; it was a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground; it was like a coriander seed, and the colour of it was the colour of bdellium: it was so called, either from מנה, "to prepare", because it was prepared, and got ready for the Israelites; or from the first words that were spoken upon sight of it, מן הו, "what is it?" for they knew not what it was: and this the Jewish fathers fed upon all the while they were in the wilderness, till they came to Canaan's land, and they only; it was food peculiar to them: "our fathers did eat"; and so the Jews f observe on those words in Exodus 16:35: "and the children of Israel did eat manna forty years"; the children of Israel, ולא אחרא, "not another". And the chil

John 6:1. _After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him,_ They had been hearing him all day, and he had withdrawn a little from them, but they pursued him up the hill, and I doubt not that as they toiled up the hill they showed their faintness and their weariness, which led the Saviour to see how much they needed refreshment. John 6:5. He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The Feeding of the Five Thousand Men. (John 6:1 .)_ 2. The Attempt to Make Him King, (John 6:15 .) 3. The Stormy Sea. “It is I, be not afraid.” (John 6:16 .) 4. The Discourse on the Bread of Life. The Food of the Believer. (John 6:22 .) 5. The Falling Away of Disciples. (John 6:60) 6. Peter's Confession. (John 6:67 .) The events which are recorded in this chapter happened at the Sea of Galilee, the sea of Tiberias. John exclusively uses t

THE DESIRE FOR A SIGN: THE TRUE MANNA. After raising their expectations He had refused to go forward. In answer to their surprise at finding Him so soon across the lake He tells them why. Their hopes are confined to the material. They must seek the higher food, which leads to true life. They ask what they are to do. Believe in God's Messenger. But He has refused to act as God's Messiah. By what sign will He justify His claim to their faith? Will He give the new manna from heaven which Messiah was expected to give? (_Cf._ Apoc. Baruch, 298, The treasure of manna shall again descend from on high.) They quote Psalms 78:24. That points, Jesus replies, to God, not Moses, as the Giver. He is fulfilling His promise. The Son is the true manna, food of the higher life of man (Philo, He calleth the Divine word, eldest of things that are, Manna). But for their unbelief the gift would be theirs,...