v.1-9
Background of this passage: (1) (BKC) The barley loaves recall the Prophet Elisha’s feeding of 100 men with 20 barley loaves (2 Kings 4:42–44). But here was One far greater than Elisha. (2) the Passover: (PNTC) The Jewish Passover celebrated the exodus from Egypt. Intrinsic to the celebration was the slaughter of a lamb in each household, which then ate it...the sacrifice of the lamb anticipates Jesus’ death, the Old Testament manna is superseded by the real bread of life, the exodus typologically sets forth the eternal life that delivers us from sin and destruction (3) the second meaning of Passover (PNTC) the Passover Feast was to Palestinian Jews what the fourth of July is to Americans...It was a rallying point for intense, nationalistic zeal. This goes some way to explaining the fervour that tried to force Jesus to become king
Reflection: 腓力和安德烈都是在第一章出現過, 安德烈原本是約翰的門徒, 因為約翰見證說耶穌是神的羔羊, 所以他們就跟隨了耶穌, 並且他還找著自己的哥哥西門去跟隨耶穌, 說我們遇見彌賽亞了. 腓力也是一樣, 他跟從耶穌, 並且找著拿但業, 告訴他, 耶穌就是在先知書上所寫的那一位. 但是六章可以看到, 當耶穌問他們餅的事情, 他們兩位都沒有去找耶穌去解決問題. 腓力用計算的方法, 然後覺得不夠, 大概就是放棄了. 西門找著一個孩童, 但是最後還是說, 這是不夠的. 那麼耶穌在第六節要試驗腓力, 究竟祂希望門徒怎麼做呢? 我想如果他們真的相信耶穌就是他們口中所說的彌賽亞, 應該去求耶穌, 祂能夠從前把嗎哪給200萬的以色列人吃, 現在為什麼不能夠賜給這五千多人呢? 我們自己是否一樣呢？我們是否嘴巴只是說我們相信神, 但是有問題的時候從來都不去找祂呢?你在事奉中經歷失敗嗎?有否去求神幫忙呢?還是就這樣放棄算了?你是否疲倦乏力呢?有否想過重神可以重新得力呢?
v.10-15
Common misunderstanding v.14-15: (PNTC) The reference is to Deuteronomy 18:15–19 and the promise of a prophet like Moses..Doubtless Jesus’ provision of so much bread to so many people in a wilderness area prompted some to think of Moses’ role in providing manna...Against some contemporary commentators, it is important to note that John does not argue that the people are wrong in this judgment, but only in their estimate of its significance. Their attention was focused on food (v. 26) and victory (v. 15)—not on the divine self-disclosure mediated through the incarnate Son, not on the Son as the bread of life, not on a realistic assessment of their own need.
Reflection: 從登山寶訓開始, 我們就知道, 神的國非常重視人裏面的靈命, 不只是外面的行為. 所以當耶穌做了這個神蹟之後,眾人看出他就是那要到世上來的先知,就來強迫他作王, 但耶穌沒有馬上接受他們, 成為他們的王, 把神的国帶到世上, 反而他退到山上v. 14-15. 這讓我想到當人知道耶穌是王的時候, 需要有相應的內心的反應. 就是要醒察自己在神面前是一個怎樣的人? 好像尼哥底母, 耶穌對尼哥底母說, 人必須要重生. 今日我知道耶穌是誰, 也承認他就是彌賽亞, 但我的內心有改變嗎？耶穌看重人心裏的意念和動機, 我相信耶穌的意念和動機是正確的嗎? 或者我們去事奉神的意念和動機也是正確的嗎?
v.16-21
Background: (BKC) 6:16–17. According to Mark 6:45, Jesus compelled His disciples to get into the boat and go to Bethsaida while He dismissed the crowds. From Bethsaida they went on toward Capernaum. Both villages are at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. His disciples went down to the lake, for the land is hilly and high on the east side. As they got out on the lake, the sun went down and the wind picked up. Jesus was up in the hills praying while watching them in their toil (Mark 6:45–48).
Climax: Jesus walked on the lake and the disciples were frightened. Why did Jesus walk on water? The disciples were in danger because it was dark and they were in the middle of the lake when the strong wind was blowing. In v.20-21, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.
Obviously, the purpose of Jesus was to rescue them, not to frighten them.
Reflection: 當門徒在海上有危險的時候, 耶穌為何選擇在水面上行走,而不用另一隻船,划過去呢？我想是因為他愛門徒的心逼切. 今天,當我面對危險的時候, 我相信神也是如此,有一個迫切的心,去幫助我們. 如果天地萬物的主,也如此的愛我們,还有什麼可以讓我們害怕的呢?
v.22-31
Background: (NET) The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus’ disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26–27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30–31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.
Reflection:27節,耶穌就重複提到"勞力. " 包括衆人坐船去找耶穌v. 22-25. 他們從湖的一頭去另外一個城市, 花時間,花精神去找耶穌, 但是26節耶穌指出他們找耶穌動機不對. 27節說, 只是他們只是為那必壞的食物努力, 即是說這些食物只是暫存的東西. 那麼我每天費很多氣力做的事情, 是暫存的呢?還是有永恆價值的呢? 如果我們看看自己的時間表, 一天裏面用了多少時間使用在沒有永恆價值的東西上呢?
v.32-40
Main point: To respond to the group in Capernaum about the manna Jesus told them that the manna is only a shadow of the real deal: “my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven” v.32. Jesus is the “true bread” in a sense that people would not get hungry or thirsty again. He satisfies our life v.32-35. Not only that every single person who has Jesus as their satisfaction for life will enjoy Him eternally v.36-40 because we will survive the final judgment v.39-40.
Reflection: 耶穌告訴衆人, 不是摩西給他們的糧食, 乃是天父賜給他們的. 祂用到現在式告訴他們, 天父現在就把真糧賜給你們, 真糧就是指耶穌, 真的意思就是說祂是從神來的, 能夠賜生命, 得到祂我們就會得到永遠的滿足 v. 35. 而且我們和他的關係是永遠的,祂不會丟棄我們. 這個給人最終極的滿足, 36節至40節. 所以真的意思, 就是帶給我們終極的滿足.
今天我們相信了耶穌, 應該明白什麼是真實的東西. 不是摩西那種摸得着, 看不見的, 叫做真, 而是我們得到永遠的滿足, 這個才是真.
這個星期有時會想念上個星期 VBC見到的小孩子, 我想很多這個世界上面的關係也是如此, 雖然有時在一起很快樂, 但是我們也不能永遠在一起. 唯有神是能夠永遠與我們在一起, 有了与祂這一個穩固的關係, 我們的心就可以有永遠的滿足.
v.41-59
Main point: (1) How did Jesus handle opposition? The Jews started to complain about Jesus v.41-43 and then they were hostile to Jesus v.52 argued with one another v.52. (In v.61 even the disciples were complaining and got offended by the hard saying of Jesus). Instead of smoothing things out Jesus just started the cold fact: people can only come to Jesus when they hear and learn from the Father v.44-45. (BKC) This “teaching” of God refers to His inner work that disposes people to accept the truth about Jesus and respond to Him. Everyone who listens to and learns from God will come to and believe in Jesus.
Jesus also helped them to realize that by insisting to receive more manna v.30-31 will only lead to death. This will help to shake their own beliefs and come to consider what Jesus offered. (2) What does eating His flesh and drink His blood mean? (NET) v.54 Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him). (3) 3 result of eating His flesh and drinking His blood (NET) Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood produces (i) eternal life and (ii) the promise of resurrection at the last day. (iii) Here [in v.56] the same process of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of ‘possessing eternal life’ and of ‘residing in Jesus’ are virtually interchangeable.
Reflection: V. 56吃我肉喝我血的人常在我裏面, 我也常在他裏面. 57 永活的父怎樣差我來, 我又因父活著, 照樣吃我肉的人也要因我活著.
v. 57 是说到相信耶穌的人就有一個永遠的生命. v. 56而這個生命也是一個相交的開始, 常在主裏面,主也常在我們裏面. 今天我相信了耶穌, 有了耶穌的生命在我裏面, 我如何與他相交呢? 我每天有否花時間安靜, 讀經, 禱告, 享受與神相交的時刻呢?又或者當我們做決定的時候, 有否先問過主? 又或者當我們考慮人生方向的時候, 有否尊重神的命令和旨意呢?
v.60-65
Main point: If we read this passage backward we see that only those that the Father allowed come to Jesus (or believe) v.64-65. However, this did not exclude the responsibility of humans. People need to listen to the words of Jesus. His words are spirit and life v. 63. Jesus stated this to confront His followers (disciples) v.60, because they thought that Jesus words are difficult v.20 and they were offended v.61.
Definition of “difficult” saying v.60: (BDAG) pert. to causing an adverse reaction because of being hard or harsh, hard, harsh, unpleasant.
What words of Jesus were difficult or offending? (PNTC) (1) They were more interested in food (v. 26), political messianism (vv. 14–15) and manipulative miracles (vv. 30–31) than in the spiritual realities to which the feeding miracle had pointed. (2) They were unprepared to relinquish their own sovereign authority even in matters religious, and therefore were incapable of taking the first steps of genuine faith (vv. 41–46). (3) In particular they were offended at the claims Jesus advanced, claiming to be greater than Moses, uniquely sent by God and authorized to give life (vv. 32ff., 58).
Reflection:第六十節, 他的門徒中有好些人聽見了就說： 這話甚難誰能聽呢？ 一方面這些門徒他們自己也不接受耶穌的話, 所以耶穌在六十一節說他們是厭棄他的話. 就是他們不能放棄原本的想法, 去接受耶穌的教導. 另一方面這些人也怕耶穌的話這麼難接受, 還有人會來聽嗎？ 他們恐怕群眾不會再跟隨耶穌, 就是說他們害怕做一為真理而孤獨的人. 今天我們有這個害怕嗎? 我們害怕把福音傳出去之後, 就沒有朋友嗎？ 我們害怕在教會裏講的太高調, 不會很多有肯聽嗎?又或者當我們去選擇一個教會的時候, 我們只選擇一些人多的教會呢? 如果我告訴你, 在美國信耶穌的人越來越少, 你的兒女在學校是基督徒也變成是少數,將來他們會受到欺負, 你還會相信主嗎?
v.66-71
Question: Why did Jesus mention about His election v.70 when Peter gave Him the perfect answer in v.68-69? Literal translation of v.70, “Is it not I Myself you the 12 selected?” The relationship of “I” and “you” is emphasized. Why? (PNTC) 6:70. Nevertheless, Peter’s way of expressing himself appears somewhat pretentious, as if he and his fellows are a cut above the fickle ‘disciples’ who have turned away, superior at least in insight. Indeed, Peter’s words might almost be taken to mean that he is doing Jesus a favour. But Jesus will not allow even a whisper of human pretensions. Ultimately, the Twelve did not choose Jesus; he chose them...Even there, the one catastrophic failure amongst the Twelve was not unforeseen. One of them was [the] diabolos...salanderer or Satan.
Reflection:當門徒中多有人退去的時候, 彼得就代表其他12个使徒給了耶穌滿分的答案, 告訴祂, 說他們不要離開. 但是, 耶穌卻說這個不是彼得自己的功勞, 乃是因為是耶穌揀選了他們十二個人 v. 68-70. 有時我也一樣, 以為自己在聖經的知識上, 已經考了滿分, 應該無械可擊. 但是, 耶穌卻要彼得（也要我） 謙卑的看待自己. 你有這樣的知識豈不是因為耶穌揀選了你嗎? 不是你有什麼了不起的地方. 最近和朋友交談, 神讓我在她身上也看到我和她有一樣的缺點, 就是很喜歡教訓人, 有時這個態度反而讓人不會接受, 所以, 今天看了這個經文讓我從心裏謙卑, 才能被主使用.
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