Sunday School 1 Aug 2021: John 6

 


As happens every three years, in the summer of Lectionary Year B, starting last Sunday and through August 22, our gospel reading is from John chapter 6, which contains what is often called "the bread of life discourse". Unlike the synoptics (although the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and on the Plain in Luke, might be called such), the Gospel katà Iōánnēn, according to John, has several instances in which the evangelist, writing some sixty to ninety years after the Resurrection, gives several long verbatim quotations of Jesus, itself a regular question and challenge in Sunday School class, which scholars term "discourses". They are teaching event speeches, like a professor's lecture, rather than just short encounters.

Rather than have a session about it each of the five Sundays, I'm proposing that we look at it this once, in part to condense, and in larger part so folks know what is going on when the odd snippet is read as the climax of the Liturgy of the Word these several Sundays away from Mark (our regular gospel for Year B).

John 6 is quite "special" in that it contains two major features of John's gospel (the writer is anonymous, but by tradition is called John, which I think is mistaken identity):

    the SIGNS, and

    the I AM sayings.

My proposal for our August 1 class is to talk about both of these major features, and also to characterize John's entire Gospel so that we "get it" in the same sense that we "get" the Gospel according to Mark. That is, we know Mark's "agenda", which is the message that he wishes to communicate to his audience, and how he intends to move, convince, and inspire them. John also, as indeed every writer, has agenda, his message and his means of telling it convincingly. 

If all goes as usual, folks will begin to gather in the parish library (down the yellowing brick road, past Smith Pavilion, through the double doors in the one-story building at the east end) after eight o'clock worship. Madge will set up for live-streaming, and class will convene at 9:15. We'll have an hour of fun, and then adjourn at 10:15. Basically, it's for adults, 18 and over, and the senior end is nearing age 90. As I say, come one, come all, come early, come on time, come late, all are invited and welcome. Hot coffee and some sort of snack are always on the counter, help yourself, pick up the handout, find a seat at the long table, and join us!

BTW: for folks who may want to check it out ahead of time, our handout for Sunday, August 1st is below, John 6 plus various material, scroll down.

Incidentally, an afterthought, there is a popular view that Wikipedia, and using Wikipedia, tells one's lack of sophistication and intelligence. That's absurd: don't be!!! The material on Wikipedia is quickly available, and much of it is thorough and from well qualified scholars; my main caution about using Wikipedia is to make sure I have confidence in what's being said, and if I am uneasy, to check several other sources. 

Tom+

  

Jesus Returns To Galilee And Feeds The 5000

1 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee— of Tiberias[a]. 2 And a large crowd was following Him, because they were seeing the signs which He was doing on the ones being sick. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and was sitting there with His disciples. 4 And the Passover, the Feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus, having lifted-up His eyes and seen that a large crowd was coming to Him, says to Philip, “From where may we buy bread in order that these ones may eat?” 6 Now He was saying this testing him. For He Himself knew what He was going to do. 

7 Philip answered Him, “Loaves worth two-hundred denarii[b] are not enough for] them, in order that each onemay receive a little bit”. 8 One of His disciples— Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter— says to Him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people fall-back [to eat]”. And there was much grass in the place. So the men— about five-thousand in number— fell back [to eat]. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves. And having given-thanks, He distributed them to those reclining-back [to eat]— likewise also from the fish— as much as they were wanting. 12 And when they were filled, He says to His disciples, “Gather the left-over fragments so that nothing may be lost”. 13 So they gathered, and filled twelve baskets of fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those having eaten. 14 Therefore the people, having seen the sigh which He did, were saying that “This one is truly the Prophet[c] coming into the world”. 15 Then Jesus, having known that they were about to come and take Him away-by-force in order that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain, Himself alone.


Jesus Walks On Water To Capernaum

16 Now when it became evening, His disciples went down to the sea. 17 And having gotten into a boat, they were going to the other side of the sea, to Capernaum. And darkness already had come, and Jesus had not-yet come to them. 18 And the sea was becoming aroused from a great wind blowing. 19 So having rowed about twenty five or thirty stades[d], they see Jesus walking on the sea and becoming near the boat. And they became afraid. 20 But the One says to them, “I am[e] the One. Do not be afraid”. 21 So they were willing to take Him into the boat. And immediately the boat came-to-be at the land to which they were going.


The Crowd Follows Him There

22 On the next day the crowd standing on the other side of the sea saw that there had not been another small boat there except [the] one, and that Jesus had not entered into the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other[f] small-boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate the bread, the Lord having given-thanks. 


24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they got into the small boats, and went to Capernaum seeking Jesus.


Jesus Says, Work For The Food Leading To Eternal Life, Which The Son Will Give You

25 And having found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when have You come here?” 26 Jesus responded to them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you— you are seeking Me not because you saw signs[g], but because you ate of the loaves-of-bread and were filled-to-satisfaction. 27 Do not be working for the food which is perishing, but for the food which is remaining to[h] eternal life— which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father certified[i] this One”.


The Work God Requires of You Is To Believe In The One Sent Forth By God

28 So they said to Him, “What may we be doing in order that we may be working the works of God?” 29 Jesus responded and said to them, “This is the work of God: that you be believing in the One Whom that One sent-forth”.



My Father Is Giving You The True Bread From Heaven, Which Came To Give Life

30 So they said to Him, “What then do You do as a sign, in order that we may see it and believe You? What thing do you work? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it has been written [in Ps 78:24]: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”. 32 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but My Father is giving you the true Bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the One coming[j] down from heaven and giving life to the world”.


I Am The Bread of Life Come From Heaven. He Who Believes In Me Has Eternal Life

34 So they said to Him, “Master, give us this bread always”. 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one coming to Me will never hunger, and the one believing in Me will never ever[k] thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have indeed seen Me[l], and you are not believing. 37 All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and I will never[m] throw outside the one coming to Me. 38 Because I have come down from heaven not in order that I may be doing My will, but the will of the One having sent Me. 39 And this is the will of the One having sent Me: that as to all that He has given to Me, I will not lose anything from it, but I will raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father: that everyone seeing the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day”.


I Am The Living Bread From Heaven: Eat And Live Forever. The Bread Is My Flesh

41 Then the Jews were grumbling about Him because He said, “I am the bread having come down from heaven”. 42 And they were saying, “Is this One not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say that ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus responded and said to them, “Do not be grumbling with one another. 44 No one is able to come to Me unless the Father having sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It has been written in the prophets [in Isa 54:13]: ‘and they shall all be taught ones of God’. Everyone having heard from the Father and having learned, comes to Me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One being from God; this One has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you— the one believing has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. 50 This is the bread coming down from heaven in order that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread having come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And indeed the bread which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh”.


My Flesh Is True Food; My Blood Is True Drink. Partake And Live Forever

52 Then the Jews were fighting with one another, saying, “How can this One give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless[n] you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one eating My flesh and drinking My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true[o] food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one eating My flesh and drinking My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me forth, and I live because of the Father, indeed the one eating Me— that one also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread having come down from heaven; not as the manna the fathers ate and died. The one eating this bread will live forever”. 59 He said these things in a synagogue while teaching in Capernaum.


These Words Are Spirit And Life. But Some of You Disciples Do Not Believe

60 Then many of His disciples, having heard, said, “This statement is hard[p]. Who can hear[q] it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples are grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man going up where He was formerly? 63 The Spirit is the One giving-life. The flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe”. For Jesus knew from the beginning who the ones not believing were, and who the one who will hand Him over was. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you that no one is able to come to Me unless it has been granted to him from the Father”.


From This Time, Many of His Disciples No Longer Followed Him

66 From this time, many of His disciples went back, and were no longer walking with Him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You also are not wanting to go-away, are you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we have believed, and have come-to-know that You are the Holy One of God”. 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is the devil?” 71 Now He was speaking-of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. For this one, one of the twelve, was going to hand Him over.


Footnotes

[a] John 6:1 This is the Roman name for this Sea.

[b] John 6:7 One denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer.

[c] John 6:14 That is, the one like Moses, Deut 18:15-19.

[d] John 6:19 That is, 2.9 to 3.5 miles or 4.6 to 5.6 kilometers; about half way across.

[e] John 6:20 That is, It is I.

[f] John 6:23 Or, However, small-boats.

[g] John 6:26 That is, saw signs and want to know what they signify. They merely want the earthly benefit.

[h] John 6:27 Or, into, for.

[I] John 6:27 Or, attested, set His seal on. This is the meaning of the signs.

[j] John 6:33 Jesus is referring to Himself. But grammatically this can also mean ‘the bread coming’, which is how the hearers took it, as seen next.

[k] John 6:35 Or, at-any-time.

[l] John 6:36 That is, seen Me in action, seen God certify Me by signs, v 27.

[m] John 6:37 Or, by-no-means.

[n] John 6:53 Rather than soften or explain v 51b, Jesus emboldens it. He makes no attempt to resolve their fighting, but inflames it even more. A more shocking, repugnant, and Law-violating phrase for a Jew can hardly be imagined. In response to their desire to force Him to be king (v 15), Jesus is forcing them to a decision concerning His true nature and mission.

[o] John 6:55 Or, genuine, real. It produces true life.

[p] John 6:60 Not hard to understand, but hard to accept, offensive, harsh, objectionable.

[q] John 6:60 That is, accept and obey.


Translation: Disciples Literal New Testament 


SIGNS. On the contents of the Signs Gospel, Fortna (Robert Fortna's The Fourth Gospel and Its Predecessor) states: "the following deeds of Jesus, less the Johannine insertions they now contain, would have comprised the bulk of signs: changing water into wine (2:1-11), healing an official's son (4:46-54) and a lame man (5:2-9), feeding the multitude (6:1-14) - probably together with crossing the sea (6:15-25), giving sight to a blind man (9:1-8), and raising Lazarus (11:1-45). (Some would also include the catch of fish now found at 21:1-14.) An articulated series emerges from the reconstruction, not merely a gather of miracle stories, and a few other passages are also to be included: part of chap. 1 (at least the gathering of the first disciples in vv 35-49) as introduction and, as conclusion, 20:30-31a, and perhaps also parts of 12:37-41.”


SIGNS. Throughout the gospel until 12:37-38, and again in 20:30-31, the miracles are presented as intending to call forth faith: 2:11; 4:53; 6:14; 7:31; 11:45, 47b-48; 12:37-38; 20:31. Whereas in the synoptic gospels the emphasis is on faith as the prerequisite for miracles (e.g., Mark 6:5-6), here in the gospel of John miracles induce faith.


The Purpose of This Book John 20:30

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.


I AM SAYINGS. There are seven or eight “I am” statements in John’s Gospel – depending on how you count them. The seven are:

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).

The eighth “I am” statement is found in John 8:58, 58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”


Art: Bread of Life painting by Jerry Bates Watercolor, acrylic, pastels (c.a. 2013?)


Wikipedia Book of Signs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


In Christian scholarship, the Book of Signs is a name commonly given to the first main section of the Gospel of John, from 1:19 to the end of Chapter 12. It follows the Hymn to the Word and precedes the Book of Glory. It is named for seven notable events, often called "signs" or "miracles", that it records.[1]


Contents

There is a widespread scholarly view that the Gospel of John can be broken into four parts: a prologue, (John 1:-1:18), the Book of Signs (1:19 to 12:50), the Book of Glory (or Exaltation) (13:1 to 20:31) and an epilogue (chapter 21).[1]


John 20:30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.


It is this indication by the author of the gospel that the signs are selected, which leads to the examination of them as a sequence of seven.


Seven Signs[edit]

The seven signs are:[2][3]

  1. Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 - "the first of the signs"
  2. Healing the royal official's son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54
  3. Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-15
  4. Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14
  5. Jesus walking on water in John 6:16-24
  6. Healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-7
  7. The raising of Lazarus in John 11:1-45

The seven signs are seen by some scholars and theologians as evidence of new creation theology in the Gospel of John, the resurrection of Jesus being the implied eighth sign, indicating a week of creation and then a new creation beginning with the resurrection.[4]


Other seventh signs[edit]

Some disagree with this list of seven signs. John Marsh and Stephen Smalley, amongst others, have suggested six initial signs (seeing the walking on the water as part of feeding the 5000, rather than a separate sign in itself), and that the seventh sign is the crucifixion of Jesus and the resurrection appearance to Thomas (20:26-29).[5] Anthony T. Selvaggio replaces walking on water with the cleansing of the Temple because John 2:18 includes the word "sign".[6]


Eighth sign[edit]

Others, such as John Hutchinson[7] and E. W. Bullinger, have emphasized a sequence of eight signs, concluding with the miraculous catch of fish in John 21:1-14.[8




Wikipedia: Gospel of John. Structure and content


Many scholars see four sections in John's gospel: a prologue (1:1–18); an account of the ministry, often called the "Book of Signs" (1:19–12:50); the account of Jesus' final night with his disciples and the passion and resurrection, sometimes called the Book of Glory (13:1–20:31); and a conclusion (20:30–31); to these is added an epilogue which many scholars believe did not form part of the original text (Chapter 21).

However, Richard Bauckham lists many scholars who argue against John 21 as having been added later. He himself states : “In my view he Gospel (John) now ends as it was always intended to end. Nothing has been subsequently added.”

  • The prologue informs readers of the true identity of Jesus, the Word of God through whom the world was created and who took on human form;[31] he came to the Jews and the Jews rejected him, but "to all who received him (the circle of Christian believers), who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God."
  • Book of Signs (ministry of Jesus): Jesus calls his disciples and begins his earthly ministry. He travels from place to place informing his hearers about God the Father in long discourses, offering eternal life to all who will believe, and performing miracles which are signs of the authenticity of his teachings, but this creates tensions with the religious authorities (manifested as early as 5:17–18), who decide that he must be eliminated.
  • The Book of Glory tells of Jesus's return to his heavenly father: it tells how he prepares his disciples for their coming lives without his physical presence and his prayer for himself and for them, followed by his betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion and post-resurrection appearances.
  • The conclusion sets out the purpose of the gospel, which is "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."
  • Chapter 21, the addendum, tells of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances in Galilee, the miraculous catch of fish, the prophecy of the crucifixion of Peter, and the fate of the Beloved Disciple.


Lectionary Year B 2021


July 25 Proper 12 John 6:1-21


August 1 Proper 13 John 6:24=35


August 8 Proper 14 John 6:35, 41-51


August 15 Proper 15 John 6:51-58


August 22 Proper 16 John 6:56-69