John 6:59 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

NIV: He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

NASB: These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

CSB: He said these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

NLT: He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

KJV: These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

NKJV: These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

The previous day, Jesus performed His most public miracle, the only one recorded in all four Gospels: the feeding of thousands. In the morning, the crowds travelled across the narrow Sea of Galilee and found Jesus in Capernaum. The earlier portion of this dialogue probably occurred in the streets of Capernaum near the harbor (John 6:24). During this conversation, however, Jesus has repeated several points (John 6:35; 6:48; 6:51). The crowd has also gone from seeking Jesus (John 6:24), to complaining about His teachings (John 6:41), to outright fighting (John 6:52).

This verse specifically refers to the synagogue in Capernaum. At some point during the conversation, Jesus presumably moved from the open streets to the synagogue, which would have allowed for easier back-and-forth between various people. Details such as this suggest that many conversations recorded in Scripture are essential summaries, not necessarily word-for-word transcripts. The idea that the Bible often records the "true voice," rather than each and every literal word, is known as ipsissima vox.

John 6:52–59 describes Jesus' closing remarks during this public discussion of His ministry and mission. In prior passages, He has declared Himself to be the ''Bread of Life,'' resulting in no small controversy. The people have gone from seeking, to complaining, to fighting. During this discourse, Christ clarified the symbolic ''Bread of Life'' by pointing to Himself, foreshadowing His own crucifixion. Since the people are resistant to the idea of Jesus as a spiritual Messiah, they are hung up on the physical idea of Jesus' ''flesh.'' As Jesus continues to explain His role in salvation, most of those following Him will choose to walk away, as shown in the last verses of chapter 6.

In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small lunch, 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 from Him 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/6/2024 11:30:01 AM