The second part of John 6 is resurrection unto eternal life. Christ’s teaching on manna spiritualizes the miracle in Exodus. At first glance, it may appear as if Christ is either recreating the miracle of the manna or implying that He was present in the manna in the wilderness. Neither appear to be in view.
Manna in the wilderness certainly fed the people, however, it is clear that much more was represented in the miracle. God was calling the people to faith and obedience through the manna. The manna in the wilderness represented strength to live the daily life and survive in the wilderness. The manna also represented obedience, dedication, and consecration to God.
Still further, manna represented reaching the goal of the promised land.
Four times in John 6 Christ makes the statement that He will “raise it [or him] up on the last day.” Christ is here giving a clear assertion of the resurrection to eternal life we have through Him. Christ gives everlasting life.
Christ points out that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness and died. Yes, the manna was God’s provision, however, death was described as lying down or sleeping with their fathers. See Deuteronomy 31:16, 2 Samuel 7:12, 1 Kings 1:21, and Acts 13:36 as examples. This is not so in the New Testament.
God provided sustenance in the Old Testament, yet they all died. John 6:30 marks a very clear climax in Christ’s teaching to this point. The people asked for a sign that they may see and believe Christ as the Messiah. It is clear that they held a general idea that a resurrection would occur through the Messiah.
John Lightfoot’s commentary on John 6 and Matthew 27:52 makes reference to the belief in a resurrection at some future point. The resurrection was understood as a proof of the Messiah. Therefore, Christ introduces this teaching which spiritualizes the manna. The point Christ is making is not that He was in the manna, although He likely was. Christ refers to “true bread” in verse 32, “the bread of God” and “gives life to the world” in verse 33, and then “I am the bread of life” in verse 35.
Then, in verse 39, Christ makes the statement “that of all that He [the Father] has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” We must understand verse 39 to be a reference to our resurrection through Christ unto eternal life. Some here claim verse 39 points to predestination. However, it is resurrection which is the underlying message throughout all of these verses, not predestination.
In the Old Testament, there was an expectation that death was not the end. Thus, the righteous went to “sleep with their fathers”, implying a temporary state. Then, in Matthew 27:52-53, we read, “Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”
One of the proofs of the Messiah was the resurrection, and in Matthew 27 we have the resurrection of Christ followed by the resurrection of “the saints who had fallen asleep”.
This understanding of Christ’s teaching helps to make sense of the first half of John 6. In verses 26-27, Christ warns the people that they “seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life”.
Therefore, the sign the people requested and the sign Christ gave them is that of the resurrection. They followed Christ to that point because they ate bread and were filled. They were intrigued by the miracles Christ performed. Christ is calling them to go deeper, and He is calling them to believe unto the resurrection.
Our belief is to be centered around the goal of our future resurrection with Christ unto eternal life. Again, many people have a vague sense of belief in heaven and a general expectation of making it to heaven. Christ calls us to go far deeper with Him than just a vague or shallow sense of belief.
Was there a basis in the Old Testament for belief in the resurrection? The primary passages providing us an understanding of the resurrection include Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53:10-11, and Daniel 12:2-3. Other passages include Job 19:25-27, Psalm 49:15, Psalm 73:23-28, Isaiah 25:8, Isaiah 26:19, Ezekiel 37:1-14, and Hosea 13:14.
It is to these passages which the New Testament refers in 1 Corinthians 15:4 and Luke 24:45-46. The resurrection of Christ as Messiah was prophesied, and the resurrection of the righteous is also prophesied. This was the hope and longing of those who lived before tasting of the Messiah’s righteousness on earth.
Other Old Testament passages which are interesting to note include 2 Samuel 7:13, 1 Chronicles 17:14, and 1 Chronicles 28:7 in which God promises to establish the throne of the kingdom “forever”. Forever implies the absence of death. Then, in Daniel 7:13-18, the Messiah is prophesied and will have “an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed”. Then, in Daniel 7:18, we read, “But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.”
The proof of the Messiah is the resurrection, and this is the sign which Christ gives those who asked for a sign as an aid to belief. All those who believe and are given by the Father to Christ will be raised up at the last day. How will we know when Messiah comes? The resurrection is the proof.
How do we obtain this resurrection? We must eat of Christ and partake in His blood (John 6:51,53-58). This is where we can come back to the manna in the wilderness. The manna was a test of faith and obedience, one which Israel failed. Living the Christian life requires dependence on God for the strength and grace we need day-to-day, and arranging our lives around this dependence requires obedience.
Is it any wonder, then, that “many of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?’” Fish and loaves on the lawn, yes, please. Sacrifice my all for Christ? Hold on, now, because that is a difficult statement.
We must connect Christ’s teaching on the resurrection with His teaching on new birth. John chapters 1 through 5 are heavy on new birth for a reason. New birth is foundational to the resurrection, and new birth requires living through the Holy Spirit and not unto ourselves.
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