John 6:34

34. Lord This title, like the Rabbi of John 6:25, indicates a yet remaining reverence for the Feeder of the five thousand.

Give us this bread They are themselves in ambiguous suspense, arising from the Lord’s restrained language in the preceding verse. But whatever miraculous supply he has at command, they would like to receive, not transiently, like the late great repast, but permanently evermore. In his next response the Lord relieves them from this ambiguity for ever.

In the remainder of this discourse (John 6:35-71) three groups of character clearly present themselves. In the foreground are the men who have thus far replied to him, the Jews of John 6:41. With them is the present contest lace to face. In the background is a body of converts by his miracles, the disciples of John 6:60 and John 6:66. A large minority of these are shaken and carried off into the ranks of his opposers. Aside of both these, foreground and background, are the twelve, intense spectators of the scene, awhile tremulous but finally firm.

To the opposers, confronting him, Jesus declares that theirs is not the sort of character that the Father has given to him for salvation, 35-47; and (not so much for them as for his disciples, his twelve, and for us) he describes himself as the dying Saviour, who gives us life by his death, under the successive figures of bread and flesh. The bread is suggested by the miraculous feeding; the body and flesh by his bodily walking the sea.