John Chapter 6: Agape Bible Study Link and Handout

Agape Bible study link to Chapter 6 commentary

Link to Agape Handout: Was the Last Supper a Sacrificial Sacrifice?

Click on the Read More Link for the Chapter 6 Handout.

HANDOUT CHAPTER 6
The Public Seven Signs of Jesus in St. John’s Gospel

#1 2:1-11	The sign of water turned to wine at the wedding at Cana
#2 4:46-54	The healing of the official’s son
#3 5:1-9	The healing of the paralytic
#4 6:1-14	The multiplication of the loaves to feed the 5,000
#5 9:1-41	The healing of the man who was born blind
#6 11:17-44	The raising of Lazarus from the dead
#7 2:18-20*	The Resurrection of Jesus that will be fulfilled in 20:1-10

*this sign is prophesized by Jesus in 2:18-20 but not fulfilled until chapter 20.

The miracle when Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee and calms the storm is a private revelation for the Apostles which again identifies Jesus as the prophet “greater than Moses” [Deuteronomy 18:18]. During the Synagogue Sabbath liturgy the next day the congregation will sing the Song of Victory which commemorates Moses’ miracle at the Sea of Reeds [Red Sea; see Exodus 15:1-21]. One can imagine how singing this hymn affected the Apostles who had witnessed Jesus’ “sea miracle” the night before the Sabbath worship.

Here is a breakdown of the significant verbs used in the “Bread of Life Discourse”:

• trogo = chew, gnaw, as and animal eats.
• phago = to eat, consume food.

Notice when Jesus speaks of Moses and the children of Israel eating manna in the wilderness He uses one verb and when He is speaking of eating His body He uses the other verb. Phago = normal verb for “to eat”; trogo = to crunch or devour as an animal eats—a shocking choice of words to His 1^st century AD audience.

Verse 49	“Your fathers ate [ephagon] manna in the desert and they died”
Verse 50	“… that a person may eat [phage] it and not die”
Verse 51	“Anyone who eats [phagon] this bread will live forever…”
Verse 52	“How can this man give us his flesh to eat [phagein]?”
Verse 53	“If you do not eat [phagethe] the flesh of the Son of man…”
Verse 54	“Anyone who does eat [trogon] my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life..”
Verse 56	“Whoever eats [trogon] my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me…”
Verse 57	“whoever eats [trogon] me will also draw life from me..”
Verse 58	“..it is not like the bread our ancestors ate [ephagon]..” “but anyone who eats [trogon] this bread will live forever.”