John 6:22-59 | What's the connection?

There are three major connections I want to highlight in this section. The first is the main theme John is getting at throughout His whole epistle. Jesus is better. As Jesus is comparing Himself to the manna in the wilderness, there is a major draw to the light in which Jesus compares Himself. Consider it this way. We may be going through a trial where it is just one thing after another. As we relate to someone in Scripture, who do we tend to turn towards with repeated trial? Job! I have heard probably hundreds of people compare the trial they are going through to that of Job's. "Oh man it is just like Job. One after another! I'm losing everything. I feel like Job." A trend I have recognized in a lot of people is how they will often conclude the comparison. "My trials are no where near Job's trials," or "I'm definitely not as righteous as Job was." Usually when we compare ourselves to major biblical figures, we place ourselves lower on the roster than them. Jesus does not do that. He places Himself higher. John wants us to make this connection of Jesus being better.

The second connection is that of the immediate context. I talked about this context when we were going through the section on Jesus feeding the 5,000. That was not just a random miracle for the purpose of feeding the people. He was attaching a physical example to a spiritual reality. The bread that they partook of is like that bread in the wilderness. It is of Him. That is the foundation for this entire discourse.

Lastly, I want to look at the connection Jesus is drawing us to. He is highlighting how He is that better manna. Their ancestors ate of the manna in the wilderness and died. But those who partake of Jesus will live. We simply must not respond as those in the wilderness did.

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
-Numbers 21:5

We must instead recognize that Jesus is enough.

What connections are you making?