First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange Texas

John 6:51 summarizes what Jesus has been saying since verse 32: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” The death of which Jesus speaks was the death that threaten Israel under harsh conditions in the desert, and also the separation from God represented by the sentiment that life in Egypt was preferable (see Exodus 16:3). Manna was the solution God provided in that situation, and Jesus has been interpreting the scripture to identify himself as manna.

Jesus extends his interpretation in a new way in these verses. He indicates that the life he gives is “eternal”: “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever” (John 6:51). The phrase “live forever” is a variation of John’s more common words for the gift Jesus provides, eternal life. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus asserts that he is the bringer of eternal life for those who trust in him. The manna is already a story of God’s life-giving power. Jesus uses this opportunity to clarify that the life he brings as manna is this kind of life: it extends forever.