John 6:31
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The people cleverly quote Scripture, but they omit God as the subject, implying Moses provided the manna. This subtle shift, from "God gave them" to suggesting Moses did, serves their agenda to demand a sign from Jesus that measures up to Moses' supposed works.
The crowd is pressing Jesus about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, demanding more "signs" that prove he is the Messiah. They recall how Moses provided manna from heaven for their ancestors, implying that Jesus's feeding of the five thousand was impressive but ultimately less significant than that historic divine provision. Jesus, however, will soon reveal that he offers a spiritual bread far superior to the physical manna of the past.
The crowd remembers the manna as a sign of God's provision. But are they missing the point Jesus is making?
The people recall the manna, the bread their fathers ate in the wilderness, as a sign of God's powerful intervention. They quote Psalm 78:24, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat," implying Jesus should perform a similar, earthly miracle.
However, Jesus gently corrects their understanding. He highlights that while the manna was a miraculous provision from God, it was ultimately for the physical nourishment of the Israelites. It sustained their bodies for a journey through the desert, but it couldn't provide eternal life.
Jesus contrasts this with the "true bread from heaven" that His Father gives – Himself. This heavenly bread offers spiritual life, not just temporary sustenance. The people are fixated on the physical sign of the past, while Jesus is pointing to the spiritual reality of the present.
What did people expect the Messiah to do, and how does Jesus challenge that view?
The crowd's demand for a sign is rooted in a popular expectation of the Messiah. Many Jews believed the Messiah would be a great provider, similar to Moses who miraculously fed Israel in the wilderness. They remembered the manna as a sign of God’s favor through Moses, and they wanted Jesus to replicate that grand display of power.
Their focus was on earthly provision and physical comfort. They wanted a Messiah who would fill their bellies and secure their well-being in this life. They were looking for a sign that validated their material needs and desires.
Jesus, however, is aiming much higher. He's not interested in being a dispenser of earthly bread. He's revealing Himself as the source of eternal life. By pointing to the manna, He's using their own frame of reference to show them the inadequacy of their expectations and the superior reality He offers.
Understand the original words
man · Hebrew Noun
A miraculous substance provided by God to sustain the Israelites during their forty years in the desert, symbolizing God's providential care and prefiguring the ultimate provision of Christ.
ouranos · Greek Noun
The theological concept of the place where God dwells, often contrasted with earth; it signifies the supernatural realm, divine authority, and the origin of spiritual truth.
The crowd's reference to the manna highlights their expectation that the Messiah would provide earthly, miraculous provision similar to what Moses did, contrasting sharply with Jesus's message of spiritual nourishment.
c. 1440 BC
Israelites wander in the Sinai desert
After their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites faced scarcity in the Sinai wilderness, leading God to provide manna as their sustenance for forty years.
c. 10th century BC
Psalm 78 written
This Psalm recounts God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness, including the miraculous provision of manna, referring to it as 'bread from heaven'.
c. 2nd century BC
Manna and Messiah Link
Jewish interpretations, like those found in commentaries, began to link the miraculous manna provided by God through Moses with future Messianic expectations.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus feeds the 5,000
Jesus miraculously multiplies loaves and fish to feed a large crowd, an event that prompts some to seek him for more physical sustenance.
c. AD 25-30
This passage describes the Israelites' first encounter with manna, where they ask 'What is it?' ('manna' in Hebrew) and God provides this 'bread from heaven' for them.
Psalm 78:24-25This psalm recounts God giving the manna, calling it 'grain of heaven' and 'bread from heaven,' directly echoing the language used in John 6:31.
Nehemiah 9:15This prayer mentions God providing 'bread from heaven' for His people during the Exodus, highlighting the divine provision that sustained them in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:3-4Paul refers back to the manna as 'spiritual food,' connecting it to Christ, who is the ultimate spiritual nourishment, drawing a parallel between the physical bread of the past and the living bread of today.
John 6:32-33Jesus' immediate response clarifies the significance of the manna, contrasting the physical sustenance it provided with the 'true bread from heaven' – Himself – that gives eternal life.
barnesJohn 6:31: "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
Our fathers - The Jews who were led by Moses through the wilderness. Did eat manna - This was the name given by the Jews to the food which was furnished to them by God in their journey. It means literally, "What is this?" and was the question which they asked when they first saw it, Exodus 16:14-15. It was small like frost, and of the size of coriander-seed, and had a sweetish taste li…
vincentJohn 6:31: "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
MannaProperly, the manna, referring to the familiar historic fact. A passage is cited from a Hebrew commentary on Ecclesiastes, as follows: "As the first Redeemer made the manna to descend, as it is written, 'Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you'; so the later Redeemer also shall make the manna to descend, as it is written, 'May there be abundance of corn in the earth.'"
The people cleverly quote Scripture, but they omit God as the subject, implying Moses provided the manna. This subtle shift, from "God gave them" to suggesting Moses did, serves their agenda to demand a sign from Jesus that measures up to Moses' supposed works.
The crowd is pressing Jesus about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, demanding more "signs" that prove he is the Messiah. They recall how Moses provided manna from heaven for their ancestors, implying that Jesus's feeding of the five thousand was impressive but ultimately less significant than that historic divine provision. Jesus, however, will soon reveal that he offers a spiritual bread far superior to the physical manna of the past.
The crowd is pressing Jesus about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, demanding more "signs" that prove he is the Messiah. They recall how Moses provided manna from heaven for their ancestors, implying that Jesus's feeding of the five thousand was impressive but ultimately less significant than that historic divine provision. Jesus, however, will soon reveal that he offers a spiritual bread far superior to the physical manna of the past.
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Crowd demands a sign
Following the feeding of the 5,000, some in the crowd challenge Jesus, demanding a greater sign than his multiplication of bread, invoking the memory of Moses and the manna.
"Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”" — The people cleverly quote Scripture, but they omit God as the subject, implying Moses provided the manna. This subtle shift, from "God gave them" to suggesting Moses did, serves their agenda to dem…
