John 6:57-58 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, and the one who eats me, that one will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Jesus defines life more in verse 57. First, life comes from the Father who is life itself (5:26). All that exists and all that is living comes from the Father. Creation is not equal to God. There is no dualism between nature and God. Matter does not co-exist with God. God created ex nihilo, out of nothing. All creation derives from God the Father. The living God sent forth the Son as the Word of creation. The Son came to earth representing the Father. Although John does not record any birth narrative, he assumes the supernatural birth of Jesus who was given human life through the miracle of the Father. The phrase I live could also be another foreshadowing of Jesus’ resurrection. A sequence is shown in this verse: Father to Son to those who believe. The crucial link between the life of the Father and the eternal life of the person is Jesus. Those who believe in him will be given the from the Father.
The type of life to which Jesus refers is described at the end of verse 48 as eternal. He concludes his dialogue with the Jews by returning to the image of bread. This section of John has been traditionally called the “Bread of Life Discourse” because of how bread unifies the whole section. There is a lot of repetition of themes and words, with the inclusio of the image of bread. God sent manna to the Israelites in the desert and has sent and even greater bread from heaven in the person of Jesus. The desert manna was only temporary and only sustained physical life. The bread of Jesus’ own life provides everlasting life, the promise of which provides the hope of resurrection from the dead.
The new life is all because of Jesus (di’ eme, verse 57). His sacrifice on the cross is the open door for us to receive the gift of resurrection life. There is no life outside of him because he is the link between the Father and creation, including people. As the Word through which God spoke creation into existence, this same Word now described as Bread brings life to those who believe in him and obey his teachings, which is emphasized later.
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