In John 6:30-33 Jesus does not say that the children of Israel were given bread or manna from heaven by Moses. Jesus also does not say that the bread or manna that fell on the ground from heaven came from his own Father, even though the inquirers said correctly, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it has been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” However, he does say that bread came from heaven.
Confusing? Yes, and in a form that is very much like Jesus with his inimitable style designed to make us think.
Look closely:
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So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ (John 6:30-33 ESV)
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Jesus asserts a negative — the giving of the manna on the ground in the wilderness was not done by Moses; and, second, a positive — “the bread of God” which comes down from heaven is a person — Jesus himself. The heaven referred to from which the Israelites received their manna was the atmospheric heaven. It came down like the dew. But Jesus, the true bread of God, was sent from the Father out of the heaven where his Father reigns on his throne. Two heavens; two breads; two kinds of life. To disbelieve this last assertion is to not only misunderstand Christ and Christianity, but to be an unbeliever. It was precisely what most Jewish leaders refused to believe. Read again:
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Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is the Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world . . . I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:32-34).
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Speaking of himself further down in the text, Jesus again asserts, “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:58)
Eating in John 6 is “believing.” “Believing in Christ” is to accept Christ as fully trustworthy in all that he asserts, as remarkable as some of those words might seem. And it is to do so in such a way that everything is changed because they are true.
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After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:66-69)
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Eat that bread and live!