John 6:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

NIV: At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

NASB: So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, 'I am the bread that came down out of heaven.'

CSB: Therefore the Jews started complaining about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

NLT: Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.'

KJV: The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

NKJV: The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”

According to the early verses of this chapter, the crowd seeking Jesus found Him in Capernaum (John 6:24). Most likely, this means out in the streets near the harbor. In the latter verses of this passage, Jesus is explicitly said to be speaking in a synagogue (John 6:59). At some point, the conversation seems to have moved from an open, public forum to a more personal debate. This verse suggests one reason the conversation might have shifted to a smaller, more private environment.

Jesus' claims are all controversial: that good works cannot save (John 6:29), that only belief in the Son of Man results in eternal life (John 6:35, 44), and that He has come down from heaven (John 6:38). The Greek term describing the people's reaction is egongyzon, which means "to mutter, to complain, or to grumble." This is not a new activity for the people of Israel, who have a long history of "grumbling" when God does not follow their preferred plan (Exodus 15:24; Numbers 14:2).

After seeing His political popularity rise enormously, Jesus' recent teaching is beginning to grate on the people. This, of course, only goes to prove the point Christ made when the crowds first arrived in Capernaum: their interest is not in truth, but in entertainment and handouts (John 6:26).

John 6:41–51 uncovers the true motivation of the crowd following Jesus: selfishness. This passage is part of a long dialogue where Christ clarifies the meaning of His miracles. Jesus has just explained that He, Himself, is the ''Bread of Life'' which people are meant to seek. In response, the people complain amongst themselves. Jesus will give further explanation of what He means by claiming to be the ''Bread of Life.'' This will make the crowd even more agitated, as the people move from seeking, to complaining, to outright argument.

In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small meal, leaving more left over than He had to begin with. At first, the crowd is amazed and they enthusiastically praise Jesus. After sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee and rescuing them from a storm by walking on the water, Jesus once again addresses the crowd. This time, He emphasizes the spiritual lesson behind His prior miracle. In response, most of those who had been praising Jesus turn away in disappointment.

John chapter 6 occurs some months after the events of chapter 5, bringing the narrative to about one year prior to Jesus' crucifixion. As with the rest of the gospel of John, the purpose is not to repeat information from the other three Gospels, but to focus on Jesus' status as God incarnate. This chapter continues to expand the list of Jesus' miraculous signs and the witnesses to His divine nature. Here, Jesus also gives the first of seven ''I am'' statements found in this gospel. Chapter 7 will once again skip ahead to a major public step in Jesus' path to the cross.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.