I am the living bread

[Dawnofhope]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

 

[exchemist]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

It's a deliberate metaphor, referencing both the episode of manna in the desert in Exodus and simultaneously prefiguring the Last Supper (institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist) and the Atonement.

St.John's gospel was written later than the synoptic gospels and is more theological and symbolic. This seems to be an example of that.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I am a non-vegetarian but not a cannibal. Thanks.

 

[wizanda]

"I Am" John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

In all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24:4-5, Mark 13:5-6, Luke 21:8) Yeshua warns about those that come after using "I Am" (G1473 G1510) statements to deceive many; when we examine the way Yeshua spoke in the Synoptic Gospels, he didn't go around making "I Am" statements about himself, he used it to refer to the God Most High.

The Gospel of John was most likely made up by the Sanhedrin to match a Jewish writing style - expounding on the Manna concept in the wilderness, and claiming j+sus to be God; yet it sounds nothing like Yeshua.

In my opinion.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I am a non-vegetarian but not a cannibal. Thanks.

Happy Birthday Aup. Thanks for letting us know you are not a cannibal.

 

[Dawnofhope]

It's a deliberate metaphor, referencing both the episode of manna in the desert in Exodus and simultaneously prefiguring the Last Supper (institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist) and the Atonement.

St.John's gospel was written later than the synoptic gospels and is more theological and symbolic. This seems to be an example of that.

I really like how you have connected what is an obvious metaphor to both Moses and the Last Supper.

 

[exchemist]

I really like how you have connected what is an obvious metaphor to both Moses and the Last Supper.

That connection crops up quite a lot in Christianity, due to the centrality of the sacrament of Holy Communion (in traditional denominations, at least).

 

[Dawnofhope]

The Gospel of John was most likely made up by the Sanhedrin to match a Jewish writing style, expounding on the Manna concept in the wilderness, and claiming j+sus to be God; yet it sounds nothing like Yeshua.

Do you any evidence to support this?

 

[wizanda]

Do you any evidence to support this?

Yes of course, the evidence is the Bible can show it to anyone with the right Bible software.

We can use Esword Bible software, and do a word search with the Strongs reference numbers (G1473 G1510) in a KJV+; that will then show all references to "I Am" statements across the Gospels, and it is clear the language is entirely different in the Gospel of John, to the way Yeshua spoke in the Synoptic Gospels.

If someone isn't adept in European languages, they might not be aware that we conjugate the words to define who it is being applied to; not purposely add it at the start of sentences to make it seem like it is God speaking.

There are 7 "I Am" statements in John where they purposely try to make it look like Yeshua spoke that way, and we can show the Sanhedrin were accusing him of it (Luke 22:70); thus Yeshua would have known that afterwards they'd corrupt his message, making him look like he was claiming to be God incarnate.

In my opinion.

 

[WonderingWorrier]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

The Bible says good stuff about eating bread and drinking wine.

But the Bible also says evil stuff about eating the flesh of people and drinking their blood.


I think Jesus understood the meaning.
Because the bread is my flesh, and the wine is my blood.

According to the groups:

Group1 - Group2 - Group3
Brass - Silver - Gold
Bread - Oil - Wine
Flesh - Bone - Blood


They are in two different groups.

Bread is flesh, and wine is blood.

Speaking of the low and the high.

 

[Brickjectivity]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

As @exchemist says 'Living bread from heaven' alludes to manna. Manna expires overnight except at week's end. You have to eat it the same day that you gather it. It is good, but it expires. By calling himself living bread he is implying that something else is expired manna, which fits into the gospel theme that the temple is destroyed because of an expiration of either the temple priesthood or the leadership of Israel or some previously good manna which has now no longer edible. The implication is that things have to change. Something must be tossed out and replaced with Jesus message. Generally the gospels argue that the destruction of the temple is for good so that there can be a better kind of temple, not that someone has done great evil and caused the destruction of the temple.

It at first seems more polite and indirect than what Jesus says when he calls very pious people 'Vipers'; but really it is the same thing. By calling someone a 'Viper' he is probably referring to them as the brazen serpent in the desert which shares the same problem as manna. I am realizing this just now as a result of this conversation. There are at least 3 similar things that share the same problem as manna: manna, the brazen serpent and the location of the tabernacle. There is some theme in the ancient scriptures about moving on to the next level, the next location, getting with the program, moving forward etc. Jesus appeals to this through calling himself 'Living bread' and through calling others 'Vipers'. To me he means (paraphrased) "The glory has moved on. Move the tent."

 

[1213]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

I think the meaning comes from the idea that people need food to stay alive. Jesus is also something that gives life, which is why he can be called "bread of life". And he gave his flesh means, he used his life for our benefit, so that we could be born anew and have life with God.

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13

It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
John 6:63

...Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

 

[WonderingWorrier]

There are at least 3 similar things that share the same problem as manna: manna, the brazen serpent and the location of the tabernacle. There is some theme in the ancient scriptures about moving on to the next level, the next location, getting with the program, moving forward etc. Jesus appeals to this through calling himself 'Living bread' and through calling others 'Vipers'. To me he means (paraphrased) "The glory has moved on. Move the tent."

These layers and groups of symbols might be able to help with communication.
I will add another layer to show.

Group1 - Group2 - Group3
Brass - Silver - Gold
Bread - Oil - Wine
Flesh - Bone - Blood
Desert - Wilderness - Mountain


Move the tent?

"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness". Psalm

 

[RestlessSoul]

He also said, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

Matthew 4:2-4

 

[Truth in love]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

It’s one of many symbols of His role in our life. (Also connects to mana and last supper as pointed out).

Good Shepard, true vine etc. each title paints a mental picture of how He helps us have eternal life.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I am a non-vegetarian but not a cannibal. Thanks.

Happy birthday Aup. Hope you have many more.

 

[King Phenomenon]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

Existence falls and rises with his death and birth.

 

[Fool]

In all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24:4-5, Mark 13:5-6, Luke 21:8) Yeshua warns about those that come after using "I Am" (G1473 G1510) statements to deceive many; when we examine the way Yeshua spoke in the Synoptic Gospels, he didn't go around making "I Am" statements about himself, he used it to refer to the God Most High.

The Gospel of John was most likely made up by the Sanhedrin to match a Jewish writing style - expounding on the Manna concept in the wilderness, and claiming j+sus to be God; yet it sounds nothing like Yeshua.

In my opinion.

this is because the name can't be taken in vain, exclusive. john 1:9 explains why. just as jesus said you are the light of the world.

 

[Fool]

He also said, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

Matthew 4:2-4

you have food for thought and food for the body.

some people hunger for the truth and knowledge; which is spiritual, or about mind.

 

[Brian2]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking;

"I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

What did Jesus mean?

John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Jesus, speaking about this to His disciples said the following:

John 6:60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Jesus is called the Word of God in John (John 1:1-3, John 1:14)
The way I understand what Jesus said about eating His flesh and drinking His blood is that if we hear Him, the words that He spoke, the Word of God from God, and believe those words and take them in and grow from them then we are eating Jesus. It is as He said, 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

The Catholic Church sees the passage as referring to the Catholic Communion where they say the bread and wine are turned into the body and blood of Jesus and that we must partake of that or we have no life in us. This is called the doctrine of transubstantiation and this was written in the Catholic Church in 1551, thus giving to the Catholic Church the power to give eternal life since they are the only ones whose priests can change the wine and bread to Jesus blood and body, or so the story goes. It is no coincidence that this doctrine was developed when the Reformation was in progress and people were leaving the RCC as they came to understand the Bible for themselves.
But of course the communion is symbolic of the last supper and the body and blood of Jesus and the New Covenant, the Passover feast being symbolic of the Mosaic Covenant.
The New Covenant is prophesied in the Old Testament and is a time when the Spirit of God is given to those who believe, thus Jesus said it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.