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 Setting - The discourse is introduced by vs. 22-24, an
awkward segue that provides movement from the previous day’s events and the new
setting of Capernaum.
Q/A -the crowds offer an awkward question in the Greek text; the
"when did you come here?" question is literally, "when have you been
here." It is q question that is a cross between, "When did you get here?"
and "How long have you been here?" Theologically, however, the meaning is much
deeper-it is a question of Jesus’ origins, a favorite theme in John (cf. 7:28). As
Brown states, "the mention of the Son of Man and the bread from heaven would
constitute a theological answer to how Jesus had come here." [1]
Everlasting Life - Jesus speaks in John’s gospel of eternal life
not so much as a future reality nor as an endless time lime of life beyond death. Rather,
eternal life is a powerful metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God. [2]
What Are The Works of God? - Vs. 28-30: performing the works of God =
performance of some specific, measurable act (28, 30). Jesus’ response indicates that
works = faith in God (vs. 29, cf. 4:34).
 Think of double-entendre
used in speech discourse. The meaning that occurs at two levels creates the tension, the
irony, and sometimes the humor of the literary or verbal conversation. Recall such a
conversation that you’ve had recently that may shed some light on this lesson’s
use of double-meaning in the discourse between Jesus and the crowds concerning bread and
eternal life.
Which of the five senses is most important to you in worship? How
do the senses work together to create meaning at the Table? Through the proclamation?
 This lesson would provide an
opportunity to explore how eucharist appears in the Gospels. You might want to describe
where the last supper event occurs in the life of Jesus. In the synoptic gospels, not only
does it come at the close of the ministry of Christ, but it is front and center among the
actual upper room events. In John things are very different. The teaching about paraclete,
the prayer for unity and/or footwashing is at the core of the Last Supper.
Yet in this lesson we have John’s vision of eucharist. For the Johannine
community, all of Jesus’ life rather than a specific event, institutes the sacrament
of the eucharist. Jesus says that he is the food that gives life, not manna, and in the
eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood (6:53-56), believers share fully in
eternal life. [3]
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[1] Raymond E. Brown, Anchor Bible, Vol. 29 (NY: Doubleday, 1966), page 263.
[2] The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), page 1919.
[3] Ibid, page 1920.
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