Chapter 6:26-40 Words to the People

6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

ye seek Me not because ye saw the miracles; of feeding so large a number with so small a quantity of food, and of healing them that needed it. Not but that they did regard the miracles of Christ, and concluded from thence He must be that prophet that was to come; but then they had a greater respect to their own worldly interest, and their carnal appetites.....but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled; they regarded their own bellies more than the honor and glory of Christ.

6:27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.
Labor not for the meat which perisheth - Meaning either food for the body, which is perishing; its virtue is perishing; man cannot live by it alone, nor does it last long; but for that which endureth unto everlasting life - either the grace of Christ, which, as meat, is quickening and refreshing, strengthening and supporting, and which causes nourishment and growth, and by virtue of which work is done; and this springs up unto everlasting life, and is inseparably connected with it; and particularly the blessings of grace, such as sanctification, adoption, pardon, and justification: or the Gospel.

6:28 Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

That we might work the works of God? - That is, Divine works, or such as God can approve.

6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.
The grandest work that any man can do is to believe on the Savior whom God has sent.

6:30 They said therefore unto Him, What sign shewest Thou then, that we may see, and believe Thee? what dost Thou work?

What strange questions for them to ask when He had amazed them with His wonderful works.

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 - 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.

6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Moses gave you not that bread from heaven - Our Lord refutes the argument of the Jews, by proving:
1. That it was not Moses, but God, who gave the manna.
2. That this bread was not the true bread, but was merely a type of it.
3. That God had given them now a bread infinitely more excellent.
4. That Himself is that heavenly nourishment of which He spake, and who was typified by the manna in the desert.
To show that Himself was the true bread from heaven, He proves two things:
1. That His doctrine was the true nourishment of the soul.
2. That He would give His body for the life of the world.

6:33 For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The Bread of God is Jesus Christ Himself.

6:34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

Lord, evermore give us this bread - that is so divine and heavenly, and has such a quickening virtue in it: these words are said by them either seriously, 

and to be understood of bread for their bodies, 

of which they imagined Christ was speaking; 

and from sensuality in them who followed Him for the loaves; 

and from a covetous disposition, 

being desirous of being supplied 

with such excellent food without charge; 

and from idleness, 

to save labor and pains in working for it; 

and from a vain desire of the continuance of this earthly life, 

being willing to live for ever, and therefore would have this bread evermore.

6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and He that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Hear this, poor starving people; the wants of your soul can all be met by Jesus Christ. 

6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not.
How the Savior brings the truth home to these people, and He might do the same to some of you. You pray, “Give us this bread;” and He replies, “I have given it to you, yet you have not eaten it. You have seen Me, you have heard Me, you know Me, and yet you do not believe on Me.”

6:37 All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

And him that thus cometh to mM, I will in nowise cast out - I will give him pardon, holiness, and heaven, if he endure to the end.

6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.

Not to do Mine own will - I am come, not to act according to human motives, passions, or prejudices; but according to infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy.

6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which he hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

See how the salvation of Christ reaches right to the end of all things. You and I may die; but though we lie a while in the grave, the salvation of Christ will preserve us, to raise us up again at the last day.

6:40 And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise Him up at the last day.
and I will raise him up at the last day - Christ will be the efficient cause, as well as He is the exemplar, the earnest, and first fruits of the resurrection of the dead; 

He will indeed raise all the dead by His power.

Chapter 6:15-25 Jesus Walks on the Water

6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Of the irregular zeal of some of Christ's followers; nothing would serve but they would make Him a king.
First, It was grounded upon a mistake concerning the nature of Christ's kingdom, as if it were to be of this world, and he must appear with outward pomp, a crown on his head, and an army at His foot; 

 Right notions of Christ's kingdom would keep us to right methods for advancing it. 

Secondly, It was excited by the love of the flesh; they would make Him their king who could feed them so plentifully without their toil, and save them from the curse of eating their bread in the sweat of their face. 

Thirdly, It was intended to carry on a secular design; they hoped this might be a fair opportunity of shaking off the Roman yoke, of which they were weary.

 Thus is religion often prostituted to a secular interest, and Christ is served only to serve a turn.

6:16 And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea,

The last of the evenings, when night was coming on; for the first of the evenings took place before they sat down to eat.

6:17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
Then it was very dark. Ah, my dear friends, perhaps you know what it is to be in trouble, and to mourn an absent Lord. 

This is a direful description of a specially dark night for the disciples: “It was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.”

6:18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
And the sea arose - Swelled, and was tumultuous and raging; the waves mounted up, and tossed the ship to and fro:
by reason of a great wind that blew - which agitated the waters of the sea, and lifted up the waves; which storm seems to have arose after they had set sail, and were got into the midst of the sea.

6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
walking upon the sea - as on dry land: though it was so stormy and boisterous, that the disciples, though in a ship, were in the utmost danger, yet He upon the waves, was in none at all; 

by which action He showed Himself 

to be the Lord of the sea, 

and to be truly God.

6:20 But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
He called out aloud unto them, not coming with any intention to fright them, but to save them.

6:21 Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

Immediately the ship was at the land - How far they were from the place at which they landed, when our Lord came to them, we know not. But the evangelist seems to speak of their sudden arrival there as extraordinary and miraculous.
No sooner was Jesus with them than they were where they wanted to be. 

The presence of Christ works wonders for us, 

we are soon at our haven when the Lord of heaven comes to us.

6:22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone;

saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto His disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples were gone away alone; from whence they concluded, that since there was only that boat, and Jesus did not go into it, but that the disciples went off without Him, that He must be therefore somewhere on shore, and not far off, and they hoped to find Him in the morning; 

wherefore it was very surprising to them, 

when they found Him at Capernaum, 

when, and how He got there.

6:23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias - A city by the sea side, built by Herod, and called so in honor of Tiberius Caesar;

6:24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there - At the sea side, at the usual place of taking boat; and having reason to think he was not on that side of the lake, but was gone from thence:

6:25 And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 

They found Him on the other side of the sea - Note, Christ will be found of those that seek Him, first or last; 

and it is worth while to cross a sea, 

nay, to go from sea to sea, 

and from the river to the ends of the earth, 

to seek Christ, if we may but find Him at last. 

These people appeared afterwards to be unsound, and not actuated by any good principle, and yet were thus zealous.