John 6:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

John had also said this earlier: what He knows, He speaks, "and what He has seen, of that He bears witness; and no one receives His testimony" (Jn 3:32).

Likewise Christ says: "We speak what We know, and bear witness to what We have seen, and you do not receive Our testimony" (Jn 3:11).

He does this to forestall them and to show that their unbelief does not trouble Him. He does not seek glory, and He knows their hidden thoughts, both present and future.

They had heard that they would no longer receive food. Therefore they again began not to believe. To justify their unbelief, they allege that His word is too lofty.

For this reason He says, "You have seen Me, and yet do not believe." On the one hand He points to the miracles, and on the other to the testimonies of the Scriptures.

But you, the Jews, are unworthy and therefore are not given to Me by the Father. For this reason you do not come to Me. You do not have an upright heart, so that God the Father, having loved you, might lead you to faith in Me.

By many arguments He refutes them and in every way draws them toward salvation through faith. Yet, as God, He was not unaware that they would turn back to their kindred and customary unbelief, as though acquired by upbringing. Nor would they pay any heed to Him who called them to life.

Therefore, so that they might know that Jesus was not ignorant of what some would again prove to be, or rather, so that they might know they were under divine wrath, He adds again: "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe."

He says: I foreknew and plainly foretold that you would surely remain hard. Being unceasingly devoted to the disobedience so dear to you, you would remain without share in My gifts.

But I have not lost My people because of this. "For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God of no effect?" (cf. Rom 3:3). See what follows: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."

You have seen Me, that is, you have known who I am from the testimony of John, from the signs I performed, and from the testimony of the Scriptures which I opened to you. Yet because of your malice you do not believe.

When did Jesus Christ say this to them? Probably this also was said, but not recorded.

"Good," the Jews answered, "then give us always such bread." They were asking for more than they themselves clearly understood, like the Samaritan woman when she asked for living water.

"Do you wish it? I Myself am this bread of life." Of course, this bread can be eaten only by faith.

So you see that you again come to the same conclusion. To receive life, you must believe in Me. You yourselves wish to eat the bread of life.

And this bread of life, which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, is I Myself. It can be eaten by faith.

The Jews did not expect to come to such a conclusion. Without confirmation by new miracles, they did not wish to acknowledge such a high dignity in Jesus.

Like the Samaritan woman (4:13-15), the hearers of Jesus Christ understood His words about the bread of life in a sensual sense. By this bread they meant something like the manna in the wilderness.

But Christ says: "I am the bread of life. Therefore you need not ask for this bread to be sent down. It has already been sent down to you from God, and you need only receive Him, that is, believe in Me.

Yet you have seen Me, and do not believe. But if you had faith in Me, I would impart eternal life to you. For all that the Father gives Me, all who obey the Father's grace calling them to salvation, come to Me.

With full and all-embracing love I answer this obedience to the Father's saving call. For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me.

"But I said to you," and so forth. Faith in the Lord is the necessary condition for this bread of life to be in the one who receives it unto eternal life. This is clear from the preceding words.

Yet this very condition, this faith, is absent from you, the Lord continues. He speaks generally of His hearers, and in their person of the whole people in the mass, that is, by way of generalization.

His hearers sought to see Him in order to believe (Jn 6:30). This was fulfilled. They saw Him in His majesty, in the great miracle in the wilderness, and they were struck by this majesty (Jn 6:14-15).

Yet they did not understand the miracle (Jn 6:26), and in heart they did not believe in the Wonderworker as the Messiah (Jn 6:30).

Then Jesus Christ speaks directly: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (v. 35).

In these words Jesus Christ speaks, as it were, in this way: "You ask that the bread of which I speak always be given to you.

But this depends on you yourselves. Come to Me and believe that I speak to you the truth, the truth which God has made known to Me.

Then you will not be tormented by the search for truth and for the path to the blessedness of eternal life. You will know both the truth and the way.

You will no longer suffer from the unsatisfied demands of the spirit, from the hunger of the soul. But for this you must believe that I have been sent by My Father."

Verses 35-36. "I am the bread of life." He is that bread which communicates eternal life, which all people created for eternity should desire, and which many value so little.

As He has more than once observed (Jn 6:2, 26; 5:17, 36; 3:32), people see Him and do not receive Him. They say, "Give us bread to eat," and do not make use of what is offered.

"He who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." According to the Savior's explanation, to come to Jesus is the same as to believe in Jesus. Yet faith here means faith animated by love (Jn 7:37-38).

In Jerusalem also, "many believed in His name, seeing the signs... but Jesus did not entrust Himself to their faith, because He knew all things" (Jn 2:23-24).

Here also in Galilee the Lord said: "You seek Me... because you ate the loaves and were filled" (above, v. 26).

Not all who heard the words of the Lord were appointed to salvation: "Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets. But He, the Lord, will say: I do not know you" (Lk 13:26-27).

The Lord gives Himself both to service and to suffering. This great gift will save the world, but not all: "I do not pray for the whole world," the Lord prayed, "but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours" (Jn 17:9).