Often, when we feel something is crucial, we find ourselves repeating it—sometimes saying the same thing over and over—because we’re trying to make sure the point is understood. Our kids love to remind us that we sound like broken records, but we know it’s for their own good!

John does the same in his writings, but with a deeper purpose. Under the guidance of God, he emphasizes a message that is of utmost importance, one that directly contrasts with some religious teachings. He wants us to understand the truth, even if it challenges the norms or expectations we’ve been taught.

• John 6:35 – “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
• John 6:48 – “I am the bread of life.”
• John 6:51 – “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

The metaphor of “bread” is central to this chapter, symbolizing the eternal life that comes through faith in Jesus. It’s important to understand that Jesus doesn’t dwell in us simply because we eat a wafer, but because we have put our faith in Him—the Son of God, who died and was resurrected. Through that faith, we receive the true bread of life and the life of Jesus Himself, as He says in John 14:20: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” This spiritual union with Christ, through faith, is the source of eternal life.

• John 6:26 – “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
• John 6:32 – “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.”
• John 6:47 – “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.”
• John 6:53 – “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

The phrase “Very truly I tell you” highlights the significance of what Jesus is saying, often introducing a profound spiritual truth. Jesus declared that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” When we place our faith in these truths, we are set free. Believing in falsehoods, however, leads to bondage. Truth has the power to set us free, while error holds us captive.

• John 6:33 – “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
• John 6:38 – “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”
• John 6:41 – “At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.'”
• John 6:42 – “They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I came down from heaven?”'”

Jesus repeatedly emphasizes His divine origin, stressing that He has come from heaven, sent by the Father. His purpose in coming is clear: to announce to the world that anyone who comes to Him and believes in Him will receive eternal life. And for those who are born again, He promises to take them back to heaven, where they will be with Him forever.

• John 6:35 – “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
• John 6:40 – “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:47 – “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.”

Belief in Jesus is the key to receiving eternal life, and this truth stands at the heart of the Gospel, both in the book of John and throughout the entire Bible. When the disciples asked Jesus, “What is the work you want us to do?” He replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” In other words, faith in Jesus is not just the foundation of our salvation—it is the work that God desires from us. Through this belief, we receive the eternal life He offers.

• John 6:39 – “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:40 – “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:54 – “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

The “last day” in the Bible refers to the final day of human history, when Jesus will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, and to establish God’s eternal kingdom. This theme is woven throughout the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of John, the teachings of Jesus, the writings of the Apostle Paul, and in the book of Revelation. One vivid description of the last day is found in Revelation 20:11-15, where John writes:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

This powerful imagery reminds us that the last day will bring the final judgment, where the eternal destinies of all people will be sealed. For believers, it will be a day of hope, ushering in the fullness of God’s kingdom. But for those who reject Christ, it will be a day of eternal separation from God. This is why we must share the message of Jesus with our family, friends, neighbors, and anyone else—because the stakes are eternal, and we want everyone to experience the hope and life that comes through Him.

• John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:65 – “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

Jesus emphasizes the divine initiative in salvation, highlighting that it is the Father who draws people to Him. This can sometimes be misunderstood, as if God arbitrarily chooses individuals for salvation or damnation. However, the Bible clarifies that God’s call to salvation is extended to all through the gospel, and it is through belief in the truth—not by works—that we are saved. As Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14:
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The concept of predestination in the Bible isn’t about God choosing individual people for salvation or condemnation, as is sometimes assumed. Rather, it refers to God’s sovereign plan for the salvation of nations. Specifically, God predestined that the gospel would first go to the Jewish people and then to the Gentiles. This is evident in Romans 11, where Paul explains that although many Jews rejected the gospel, the message was extended to the Gentiles. However, Paul also reveals that after the full number of Gentiles has come in, God will turn His attention back to Israel, bringing salvation to them as well. As Paul writes in Romans 11:25-26:

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.”

Therefore, predestination refers not to individual salvation, but to God’s plan for the Jewish and Gentile nations. Once the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, God will turn His focus back to Israel, fulfilling His promises to them. We can be thankful that God not only calls us to salvation but enables us to respond through the work of the Holy Spirit, who draws us to faith in the truth of the gospel.

• John 6:53 – “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
• John 6:54 – “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• John 6:55 – “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.”
• John 6:56 – “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.”
• John 6:58 – “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Jesus uses the metaphor of eating His flesh and drinking His blood to symbolize a deep, spiritual union with Him, which is essential for eternal life. This metaphor also connects directly to the practice of communion, where we take the bread and the cup to remember that Christ lives in us and that we have been forgiven all our sins. Again, this isn’t about physically consuming Jesus’ body, but about believing in His death for the forgiveness of our sins and His resurrection to receive victory over spiritual death. Through faith in Him, we receive new life. This truth is emphasized in passages like John 3:16, 3:36, 5:24, and 6:40, which highlight the importance of believing in Jesus to receive eternal life.

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