The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 411

Yet thl' be~t things of this lire arc fading nnd perishing. 2. He p,·oclaims the essential ~periority and indispensablenll$S of" the food which endut·eth in life eternal." (t) 'l.'his 1s a permanent principle of life; it is eternal lifo itself. (2) We are to work for it; n?t that our salvation is of works, but our work is limited to the appropriation of the gift o_ffered for our acceptance. Our work would be in vain without this gift. Fnith supplies all t_hat is involved in this gift. (3) It is the gift of Jesus-" which the Son of man shall give unto you." We nrc s:1ved eutircly by grace. Jesus grnnts faith nnd repentance, and through these nll the blessings of redemption, (i) Jesus is specially cons~cmtod to this work-" for him bath the Father, God, sealed." (a) The Father nppomted him to be the Saviour of his people; (b) he approved him by the Spirit's descent upon him, and n voice from lieaven declared him to be his beloved Son; (c) he sealed him as such by miraculous signs. What security for his salvation is thns possessed by every believer ! III. THE HUMAN SIGN IN TIIE ACT OF SALVATION. "This is the work of God, that ye belieye on him whom he bath sent." The Jews asked what works of God should they do as conditions precedent to their receiving this gift. 1. They were seel,:ing for life, 'llot by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law. They imagined there was some ~igher work yet to be done than any commanded by the Law· of Moses, 2. Our Lord points to faith as the 01;7y work to be done. "This is the work of God, that ye belie,e on him whom he hnth sent." It is the work of God (1) because God demands it; (2) because God gives it; (3) because God approves of it-" without faith it is impossible to please God;" ( 4) all other works are acceptable only when done in faith-" faith is the life of works; works are the necessity of faith." 3. Our Lord points to the true Object of faith. "Him whom he bath sent." (1) It is the Messiah, sent by the Father as Mediator between God and man. (2) Jesus is not only to be an Object of intellectual belief, but of the heart's strongest trust. (3) The faith in question is not to be a mere single act, establishing a contact with the Redeemer, but a continuous state of faith. Vers. 30-33.-The nrnure of the gift from heaven. The Jews demanded ••a sign from heaven." L Timm DEM.A?-."D Fon A FRESH Mil\ACLE. "What sign then dost thou do, that we may see, and believe in thee? what dost thou work?" 1. They thought they were entitled to demand a frll$h miracle, much in advance of the miracle at Bethsaida Julias; because that was, after all, not so remarkable as the miracle of the manna in the wilderness. "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; ns it is written, He did give them bread from heaven to eat." 2. They still evidently understood the higher benefit :promised by =r L()'f'd as material, and not spiritual. 3. They meant, by their seeing and believing in Ohrist, to reduce faith to a mere matter of sight-a. mere belief of truth in the testimony of their senses. They were quite unspiritual in their conceptions. II. OUR LoRD's ANSWER TO THEIR DEMAND. He corrects their misapprehensions. 1. He asserts that it was not Mosll$, but God, who fed the people with manna. "Moses gave you not the bread from heaven." It was a truly Divine work to feed two millions of people in the desert from day to day. Therefore there could be no comparison between Moses and Christ. 2. He asserts that the Bread he speaks of is not material, but spiritual. "But my Father giveth yon the true Bread from heaven. For the Bread of. God is he who cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." (1) Mark; how gradually our Lord passes from figure to reality. The Jews think of bread like manna; Jesus speaks of himself, though he has not yet directly done so. (2) The' Bread from heaven was true Bread, because it satisfied the deepest wants of man's· nature. It had true life-giving, life-upholding virtue. 3. le was continuous in its supply of man's wants. ., It cometh down from heaven." 4. Jt was not limited to one people, but offered to the whole race of man. The age of Jewish partic11la.rism was past. Vers. 3!-40.-The diverge= between the thoughts of Jesus and those of the .Tews. A rupture wRB clearly at hand. The people had hopes of merely material bfcssing. I. THE JEws ASK FOR THE BREAD FROM BEAVEN. "Lord, evermore give us this bread." 1. They ask for a continuous eupply of it. 2, Their demand betl"ays a en. v1. 1-71.] 'l'IlE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOUX 27!)