Expository Note on John 6:32-36

Jn. 6:35 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
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.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

This chapter begins with LITERAL FOOD being provided in a miraculous manner (Jn. 6:1-17). Jesus makes a transition from LITERAL food to SPIRITUAL food in verse 27 when he rebukes them for laborously pursuing him across the Sea in order to obtain from him LITERAL food for PHYSICAL life when they should have channelled that energy in seeking him out for SPIRITUAL food for ETERNAL LIFE.

In Verse 31-35 he again uses the LITERAL food ("manna" from heaven under Moses) as a METAPHOR or analogous to the SPIRITUAL food that obtains eternal life (v. 35).

Notice that the phrases "cometh to me" and "believeth on me" are parallel phrases that obtain equal satisfaction. Just as one would partake of bread for physical sustenance, they are to metaphorically partake of Christ in coming to him by faith for eternal sustenance. Here coming to Christ is defined to mean believing on him.

However, notice that in verse 34 after Jesus identifies himself as the bread from heaven (v. 33) that they acknowledge him as "Lord" and ASK "give us this bread"

In verse 35 he tells them how to partake of him as the living bread through beleiving on him. However, in verse 36 he asserts their unbelief in spite of their request in verse 33.

They had claimed that they HAD ABILITY TO BELIEVE ON HIM provided He gave them some kind of visible miracle to justify their faith. He responds they had already seen him perform miracles and yet still remained in unbelief proving they did not have ABILITY TO BELIEVE ON HIM just as he said that such ability is "THE WORK OF GOD" (v. 29) and then continues to prove that coming to him by faith is NOT THEIR OWN ABILITY but is the Work of God as only those"

1. GIVEN first by the Father to the Son "SHALL" come - thus the work of God giving is the CAUSE for coming rather than any ability found in themselves.

2. DRAWN first by the Father is the CAUSE for coming, thus the work of God rather than any ability found in themselves is the CAUSE.

That ALL who are not drawn by the Father remain in "unbelief" and even among those who profess him as Lord and claim to be "disciples" even "from the beginning" - vv. 63-66. = Thus again proving that being given and drawn by the Father is the CAUSE for coming to Christ.


CONCLUSION: In verse 33 they ask for him to give them this bread and he stated that they did so in UNBELIEF. Therefore, a profession of faith does not equal possession of faith.

This is proven in verses 63-66 where some who already had made professions of faith still "from the beginning" of that profession remained in "unbelief" BECAUSE the Father NEVER drew them - v. 65.

There are many who remain in "unbelief" among PROFESSORS OF FAITH and they are identified by their inability to accept "hard sayings" in God's Word. That is one of the fruits of those NEVER DRAWN by the Father but yet claim a PROFESSION OF FAITH.

 

Some false professors fall away from their profession of faith while other false professors fall away from "the faith" once delivered - 1 Tim. 4:1. That is why I said rejection of truth is "one" evidence of false profession and not the only evidence.