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John 6:38
ESV For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
NIV For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
NASB For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
CSB For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
NLT For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.
KJV For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
NKJV For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

What does John 6:38 mean?

The people are struggling to understand Jesus' teachings. He has recently attempted to explain that His miracles are meant to point towards a greater truth. Rather than focus on material things, the people ought to be emphasizing eternal, heavenly things. In the same way, the bread provided by Jesus is only meant to be a sign, like the manna provided by Moses. That sign should point people towards the "Bread of Life," a person sent by God (John 6:27–33), so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life (John 6:40).

Once again, Jesus claims that He has "come down from heaven" (John 6:33). From the perspective of Jesus' critics, this is blasphemy, and will be part of their criticisms of Him during His arrest. Not only is this audacious, but it would be depraved for a normal man to claim. Yet this is the primary theme of the gospel of John: that Jesus Christ is God incarnate (John 20:31).

In this verse, Jesus also makes an additional reference to His obedience to God the Father. As part of the Trinity, Jesus Christ is God the Son. So, His will and the will of the Father are always in alignment. And yet, as a fully human man, Christ also experienced the temptations and emotions of a physical person (Hebrews 4:15). Part of His sinless example to us is His willingness to obey God, no matter the consequences (Mark 14:36), and no matter the personal cost (Philippians 2:8). In the context of this discussion, Jesus is also pointing out that the ministry He has been given comes from God and ought to be recognized as such.
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