Exposition of John, Chapter 6 · Verse 34 – Verse 35
Verſe 51. 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.
In this verſe, 1. Chriſt goeth on to ſhew the excellency of this bread which he had commended above Manna. And ſpeaking of himſelf in the firſt perſon, (whereas verſe 50. he had ſpoken of himſelf under the name of bread, in the third perſon) he declareth that he is that living bread, the partaker whereof ſhall live eternally in bliſſe with him. 2. He brings out yet more of his minde concerning this true food, by ſhewing in what reſpect he is this food; to wit, by reaſon of his incarnation, and taking on our fleſh or nature, and by his giving of this a ranſome for ſin, whence flowes the purchaſe and application of life to his own of all Nations. So that the ſenſe of this is not, that his fleſh, eaten in a carnal way, by the mouth of the body, is this living bread, nor yet that his humanity ſeparate from his Godhead gives life; for both theſe conceits are afterward refuted. But the meaning is, that Chriſts Incarnation, and taking on our nature as our kinſman, is a channel and conduit, through which the quickening vertue that is in his Godhead, is commuicate unto us; and his offering up himſelf in that nature, by his eternal ſpirit, doth purchaſe and merit that this quickening vertue be actually applied and communicate, and his ſuffering is (as it were) the preparing of him to be fit meat to us.
From the firſt part of the verſe, Learn 1. It is a point to be much and often ſtudied, that onelyonly Chriſt is the fountain and ſeeder of our ſpiritual life, leſt our hearts turne aſide to other confidences; Therefore, having ſpoken of this bread in the third perſon, he finds it neceſſary again to aſſert, I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. 2. It may confirme our faith, that Chriſt can give and preſerve ſpiritual life, when we conſider that he is not a dead creature, as Manna was, but himſelf a living Chriſt, and fountain of life; for, ſaith he, I am the living bread, &c. 3. Chriſt is not onelyonly a remedy againſt death which came by ſinne, but he giveth to his owne a life of happineſſe, which laſts eternally; for, ſo is here declared, he that eats, ſhall live for ever, to wit, in glory; for, otherwiſe reprobates ſhall live for ever in hell. 4. Chriſt muſt be applied by faith, of all theſe who would finde his vertue; for, this bread muſt be eaten, and then the eater ſhall live. 5. As Chriſt is that (and much better) to the ſoul, that food is to the body, ſo faith in applying him, hath ſome affinity with eating, as here it is expreſſed; for it is as needful to the ſoul, as eating is to the body; it muſt be the work of empty and longing ſouls, as eating is the work of hungry men; Chriſt muſt be received and united to us by faith, as meat is let down, to be turned into our ſubſtance, by eating; being thus received, he will refreſh and ſtrengthen the ſoul, as meat doth an hungry man; And, faith muſt be daily exerciſed, out of new ſenſe of want, as eating is daily renewed by reaſon of new appetite.
From the latter part of the verſe, Learn, 1. The whole world, without Chriſt, is dead in their diſpoſitions, and lying under the ſentence of death pronounced in the Law; for, ſo is here imported, in that he muſt come and give life. 2. The onelyonly remedy of this evil, and ranſome of loſt ſinners, is, the Incarnation of Chriſt, and the giving of his humane nature to ſuffer death; for, the bread is my fleſh, given for the life of the world, or, to purchaſe life to ſinners dead in ſin. In all ages of the world, even before his Incarnation, he obtained life to ſinners, becauſe of the Covenant, wherein he had bound himſelf to take on our nature, and, in it, to ſatisfie juſtice, which now he hath performed, And albeit Chriſt in his whole perſon be Mediatour, and the party engaged to ſatisfie juſtice; yet it was in his humane nature that he underwent the puniſhment, and his humane nature was ſupported therein, and his ſufferings had worth and merit, becauſe of the union of the humane nature with the Godhead in one perſon. 3. Chriſt is not onelyonly the ranſome of loſt ſinners, but the giver thereof alſo: He not onelyonly willingly offered himſelf to ſuffer, but was Prieſt as well as ſacrifice; yea, and Altar alſo; for, ſaith he, I will give my fleſh. 4. Chriſt came in the world to give, and now hath given, his life for the world; that is, for his own in it, in all ages and Nations, who are in themſelves as bad as any in the world, and many of them, of all ranks; In theſe reſpects it is ſaid, I give my fleſh for the life of the world. 5. That ſame fleſh and humane nature of Chriſt, that is offered up a ranſome to juſtice, is alſo the bread of life, for ſouls to feed upon; for, the bread is my fleſh which I will give for the life of the world. It is Chriſts ſuffering and death, from whence our life floweth, and Chriſt crucified is the carcaſſe on which ſouls feed. And it is aſcribed to his fleſh; or, humane nature, (as his paying the ranſome is alſo aſcribed to it) becauſe, however the quickening vertue and efficacy flow from the Godhead, to which his fleſh is united; yet, it is by his Incarnation and ſuffering, that this becomes food to us. 6. As Chriſt muſt not onelyonly be given a ranſome for our ſins, but alſo given and applied to us, to quicken and feed our ſouls; So Chriſt is the giver of himſelf both wayes; He gave gimſelf to the Father, to purchaſe life to his own, when many of them were not in being, far leſſe beleevers; and he doth apply himſelf unto them for life, when they beleeve; for, both theſe are expreſſed here, The bread which I will give (to wit, by way of application) is my fleſh, which I will give (by way of ranſome) for the life of the world.
Verſe 52. The Jewes therefore ſtrove amongſt themſelves, ſaying, How can this man give us his fleſh to eate?
This new point of light, which Chriſt brings forth to cleare the way of this ſpiritual feeding, occaſions a further diſcovery of his hearers; who underſtanding his words carnally, did ſtumble at them, and ſtrive among themſelves about them, that is, they did in a fighting tumultuous way expreſſe their ſtumbling one to another, or, it ſeemes that ſome underſtood him aright, or gave him charity, others took him up carnally, and ſtumbled, and ſo they fell to ſtrive. Whence learn, 1. Carnal men and misbeleevers will grow ſtill the longer the worſe, when pains are taken upon them, and they do not profit; for after misbeleeving and murmuring, they fall a brawling and contending, they ſtrove, or fought. All, or moſt part, of them were in a rage at what he had ſaid. 2. Diviſion, and ſtrife and tumult, may follow upon the doctrine of the beſt Preachers, and yet the doctrine is not to blame, but onelyonly mens corruptions; for, upon Chriſts preaching, The Jewes ſtrove amongſt themſelves. 3. Carnal misbeleevers do put a carnal ſenſe upon Chriſts ſpiritual words, and ſo do occaſion their own ſtumbling; for, this they ſtumble at, how can this man give us his fleſh to eat? They underſtand it of bodily eating, and this they cannot endure, becauſe it is inhumane to eate mans fleſh, and his owne body could not be food, that way, to all the world, far leſſe could it give life. But Chriſt meant no ſuch thing, they ſtumble on their own miſtakes; And they who aſſert ſuch a bodily eating of Chriſts fleſh, and yet do not ſtumble at it, are more brutiſh then theſe Capernaites. 4. The right way to be ſatisfied about any point of truth, or doctrine, is, to come to Chriſt himſelf in his own appointed means; And they who neglect this, are juſtly left to ſtumble in darkneſſe: for, herein they failed, They ſtrove among themſelves about it, but come not to him for reſolution.