The Book of John provides a profound and rich insight into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) offers a structured approach to studying this Gospel, facilitating a deeper understanding of its messages. BSF John Lesson 6 Day 5 explores key themes and events in the ministry of Jesus. On Day 5 of this lesson, participants delve into specific passages that reveal more about Jesus’ mission and his interactions with people.
Table summarizing key verses and themes from BSF John Lesson 6:
| Verse | Content | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| John 6:1-2 | “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.” | Following Jesus for His miracles |
| John 6:5-6 | “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” | Testing of faith |
| John 6:10-11 | “Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” | Miraculous feeding |
| John 6:19-20 | “When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.'” | Jesus’ power over nature |
| John 6:26 | “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.'” | True motivation for seeking Jesus |
| John 6:35 | “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'” | Jesus as the Bread of Life |
| John 6:40 | “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” | Promise of eternal life |
| John 6:51 | “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” | Jesus’ sacrificial offering |
| John 6:60 | “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?'” | Challenge of accepting Jesus’ teaching |
| John 6:68-69 | “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.'” | Peter’s declaration of faith |
Understanding the Context of BSF John Lesson 6 Day 5
Historical Background
The Gospel of John was written to provide evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him, people might have life in His name (John 20:31). Chapter 6 takes place during a time when Jesus’ popularity was growing due to His miracles and teachings.
Key Themes
In John 6, Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the 5,000, walks on water, and delivers the Bread of Life discourse. These events are pivotal in revealing His divine nature and mission.
The Bread of Life Discourse
Setting the Scene
After feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fish, Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee. The crowd followed, eager for more miracles and teaching.
Jesus’ Teaching on the Bread of Life
In Capernaum, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).
Reaction of the Crowd
Initial Reception
The crowd was initially intrigued by Jesus’ miracles but struggled to understand the deeper spiritual implications of His teaching.
Misunderstanding Jesus’ Message
Many were fixated on physical bread and missed the spiritual nourishment Jesus offered. They grumbled, questioning how He could claim to come down from heaven.
Deeper Meanings in Jesus’ Words
Spiritual Sustenance
Jesus emphasized that the bread He offered was not like the manna their ancestors ate, which was temporary. He was offering eternal sustenance.
Eternal Life
Jesus further explained, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:54). This pointed to the sacrificial nature of His mission.
The Disciples’ Response
Confusion and Doubt
Even among His disciples, Jesus’ teaching caused confusion. Many found it hard to accept and left, unable to grasp the full meaning.
Peter’s Declaration of Faith
Peter, however, affirmed his faith, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). This declaration highlighted the recognition of Jesus as the source of eternal truth and life.
Personal Reflection
Applying the Bread of Life Teaching Today
In today’s context, Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life calls us to seek spiritual nourishment from Him. It challenges us to look beyond our physical needs and desires, focusing instead on our spiritual growth and eternal life through faith in Christ.
The Gospel of BSF John Lesson 6 Day 5
John 1:1-2: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”
John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 4:13-14: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'”
John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
BSF John Chapter 6: Feeding the Five Thousand
John 6:1-2: “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.”
John 6:3-4: “Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.”
John 6:5-6: “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”
John 6:7-9: “Philip answered him, ‘It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?'”
John 6:10-11: “Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.”
John 6:12-13: “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”
John 6:14-15: “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
Jesus Walks on Water
John 6:16-17: “When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.”
John 6:18-19: “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.”
John 6:20: “But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.'”
John 6:21: “Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”
The Bread of Life Discourse
John 6:22-24: “The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.”
John 6:25-26: “When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.'”
John 6:27: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:28-29: “Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'”
John 6:30-31: “So they asked him, ‘What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
John 6:32-33: “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'”
John 6:34-35: “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'”
John 6:36-37: “But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
John 6:38-40: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.'”
John 6:41-42: “At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?'”
John 6:43-44: “‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ Jesus answered. ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.'”
John 6:45-46: “‘It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.'”
John 6:47-48: “‘Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.'”
John 6:49-51: “‘Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.'”
John 6:52-54: “Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.'”
John 6:55-57: “‘For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.'”
John 6:58-59: “‘This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’ He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.”
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
John 6:60-61: “On hearing it,
many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, ‘Does this offend you?'”
John 6:62-63: “‘Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.'”
John 6:64-65: “‘Yet there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.'”
John 6:66-67: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.”
John 6:68-69: “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.'”
John 6:70-71: “Then Jesus replied, ‘Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!’ (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)”
Conclusion BSF John Lesson 6 Day 5
The Bread of Life discourse in John 6 is a profound teaching that reveals Jesus as the spiritual sustenance essential for eternal life. While many struggled to understand, those who accepted His words found the path to true fulfillment and eternal life. Reflecting on this passage encourages believers to deepen their faith and reliance on Jesus.
FAQs
What is the significance of the Bread of Life?
The Bread of Life signifies Jesus as the essential sustenance for our spiritual life, offering eternal nourishment and life through faith in Him.
How can we relate Jesus’ teachings to our daily lives?
Jesus’ teachings encourage us to seek spiritual fulfillment through Him, prioritizing our relationship with God over material needs.
What did Peter’s response signify?
Peter’s response signified a profound recognition of Jesus as the source of eternal life and truth, reaffirming his commitment to follow Him.
Why did some disciples leave after this teaching?
Some disciples left because they struggled to understand and accept the deeper spiritual meaning of Jesus’ words, focusing instead on literal interpretations.
How can this passage strengthen our faith?
Reflecting on this passage can strengthen our faith by reminding us of the importance of spiritual nourishment through Jesus and encouraging us to trust in His promises of eternal life.