Exposition of John, Chapter 6 · Verse 23 – Verse 24
Verſe 35. And Jeſus ſaid unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me ſhall never hunger: and he that beleeveth on me ſhall never thirſt.
Chriſt returns an anſwer to this deſire to ver. 41. Wherein. 1. He deſcribes more plainly, what, and who this bread is, ver. 35. 2. He diſcovers their hypocriſie, and checks them that for not being that in reality, which here they pretend to in their deſires, ver. 36. 3. He ſheweth that his own Elect would not deale ſo with him, and ſhould be well dealt with, according as was given him in Commiſſion, ver. 37, 38, 39, 40.
In this ver. 1. Chriſt, upon occaſion of their deſire, doth declare what and who this bread of life is. He had told before the excellency thereof, and that he and his Father would give it to them who ſeek it ſincerely; Now he brings out more of his minde, declaring that he is the bread of life. 2. He doth again repeat and inculcate the way of partaking of this bread, which is by beleeving and coming to him, of which, See chap. 5.40. 3. He confirmes that he is the bread of life, and points out the excellency thereof, from an effect, which is, that the partakers of him, ſhall finde compleat refreſhment in him, for the preſerving and perpetuating of their ſpiritual life. Whence learn. 1. Chriſt is ſo tender of any deſires after himſelfe, that he will labour and take pains to make the beſt that can be, even of natural and carnal deſires, and not caſt them away at firſt, but labour to make them better, and ſet them right; Therefore doth he anſwer this carnal crew, and propound an object, to elevate their deſires. 2. A right ſight of Chriſt, and his commending of himſelfe to ſinners, is a ſpecial mean to make deſires ſpiritual, and elevate them toward him; for, he points out and commends himſelfe here, for that end. 3. Chriſt is not only the giver of that food which begets and entertains ſpiritual life, and which is moſt neceſſary, and ſhould be moſt ſweet to ſinners: But he himſelfe is the food of our ſouls alſo, who gave himſelfe to death, that he might be prepared meat for us, who by his merit doth purchaſe life, and by his efficacy, being applied, doth diſpenſe and entertaine that life; for, ſaith he, I am the bread of life, that is, who hath life in himſelfe, and who merits, begets, maintains, and perfects life, in them who embrace and apply him. And he ſpeaks of himſelfe under the notion of bread, becauſe it was bread which that carnal people was ſeeking. 4. The right way of feeding on Chriſt for the entertainment of ſpiritual life, and of finding him the bread of life, is, by faith to embrace and cloſe with him, his perſon, offices, and offers, and exerciſe our faith on him daily; for, he is the bread of life to him that beleeveth. 5. To come to Chriſt, and to beleeve in him, are all one; And he that is made ſenſible of his diſtance from Chriſt, and of the excellency and fulneſſe that is in him, and doth turn his courſe and eye toward him, and is ſtill moving on toward him, is a beleever whatever he enjoy: for, he that cometh unto me, is explained by this, he that beleeveth on me. 6. Chriſts offers unto all and every one that cometh unto him, are not faire complements, but produce real ſatisfaction; As this promiſe ſubjoyned doth teach. 7. As all they who come not to Chriſt, will eternally pine away, under the want of all ſatisfaction; So they who embrace him, ſhall finde alſufficiency in him for all wants, and that eternally; for, this bread ſatisfieth both hunger and thirſt, as in Scripture phraſe bread is put for all bodily refreſhment: And it is promiſed, he ſhall never hunger, and never thirſt. Whereby we are to underſtand. 1. That they who embrace him, though they will long after more of him, yet they ſhall never again hunger after the husks of ſinne, nor after ſatisfaction thereby to the luſts of the fleſh. 2. Albeit there will be luſtings and longings after theſe, even in them who have embraced Chriſt; Yet in ſo far as they have come to Chriſt, and are renewed, they will be rid of them. 3. They ſhall not any more pine under the deſtroying hunger of total want, though they will ſtill have an hunger of wholeſome appetite to prepare them for feeding, and have food at hand to ſupply and ſatisfie it. 4. This promiſe, of being delivered from hunger and thirſt, is but begun to be accompliſhed here, and daily going on, and ſhall be perfected hereafter, when believers ſhall enjoy compleat and total ſatisfaction throughout all eternity.
Verſe 36. But I ſaid unto you, that ye alſo have ſeen me, and beleeve not.
In this ver. Chriſt doth ſadly regrate, and diſcover their hypocriſie, and that, notwithſtanding all their faire pretences, ver. 34. yet, they were but wilful deſpiſers of him; in that, however they had not only ſeen him, but were convinced what he was, ver. 14. yet, they would not beleeve. And this he declares to be the more odious, that he had told them of it before, and yet they had not amended it. Whence learn. 1. When Chriſt is manifeſting himſelfe, by his Word or working, unto a people, then his eye is upon them, marking how they profit; So much doth he intimate unto them here. See, Ezek. 33.31. 2. Chriſt will not be deceived with faire ſhewes in a people, but can diſcover a rotten and perverſe heart, under plauſible pretences and profeſſions; for, whereas they ſeemed to be ſo earneſt, ver. 34. that there needed no more but to diſcover and offer that bread unto them, and they would embrace it; he ſheweth that it was far otherwiſe, and that it was not ignorance, or want of opportunity, but perverſeneſſe, that kept them back. 3. It is no wonder that Chriſt be much greeved with, and have many ſad complaints of unfruitful and hypocritical hearers; conſidering their deceitful hypocriſie, the great injury they do to him, by ſleighting of him, and, that they deprive themſelves of ſo ſweet advantages by him; Therefore doth he, who knew them well enough, and what a ſweet offer of life they ſleighted, break out in this ſad rebuke, the manner whereof ſheweth that it came from a grieved ſpirit. 4. As men may come a great length in conviction and knowledge, who yet do not beleeve; So whatever they attain by hearing, Chriſt will account it all nothing, if they come not to cloſe with him by faith; without which, neither is he honoured, nor do they reap profit; for, Chriſt grants they had ſeen him, and yet that avails not, ſince they beleeve not. 5. The more conviction and light men have in the matters of Chriſt and the Goſpel, their unbeliefe is the more odious; for, thus doth he aggreage their ſinne, ye alſo have ſeen me, and beleeve not. See Joh. 12.37. and 15, 22, 24. 6. It doth alſo aggravate the ſinne of unbeliefe, and prove the unſoundneſſe of men, that they have been often told of their fault, and yet do not amend it; for, this addes unto the challenge, that he had told them of it before, But I ſaid unto you, &c. And albeit we finde it not directly mentioned before, yet we are not to doubt of it, ſince he aſſerts that he had ſaid it, and we finde it inſinuate, ver. 26. where he tells them they followed him for carnal ends, even after conviction, ver. 14. 7. So long as ſinners are not aſhamed to continue in their courſes of unbeliefe, and ſleighting of Chriſt, Miniſters ſhould not weary to tell them of it, over and over again; for, ſo much doth Chriſts example teach, who having reproved this fault, doth not faile to inculcate it again.