Friday of the Third Week of Easter (April 23, 2021) Joh 6:52-59

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

John Gill

The Jews then disputed among themselves—Fell to cavilling and disputing one among another; some understanding Christ, and others not; some being for him, and vindicated what he said; and others being against him, and who were the majority, objected,

Saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”—Which is to be understood, not physically, but as morally impossible and unlawful; since, with the Jews, it was not lawful to eat the flesh of any creature alive, and much less the flesh of man; for the Jews understood Christ of a corporeal eating of his flesh, being strangers to a figurative or spiritual eating of it by faith, in which sense he meant it.

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” JOH 3:4, 9

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. MAT 5:18

54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

John Gill

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood—Spiritually by faith, as explained in the preceding verse:

Has eternal life—The principle of spiritual life, which is evidently implanted in him, as appears from his eating and drinking; and is a durable and lasting principle: grace is an incorruptible seed; every part of it is abiding and permanent; and it is itself the beginning, pledge, and earnest of everlasting life, and is inseparably connected with it: moreover, such have eternal life itself, not only in Christ their head, but in themselves: they have a right into it, and a meetness for it: and may be assured of it, as if they were personally possessed of it, from their election to it; the security of it in Christ; from the grace they have received, which is the beginning of glory; and the earnest of it in themselves:

And I will raise him up on the last day—To enjoy it in soul and body (see Gill on Joh 6:39-40).

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever! PSA 22:27

Rashi

The afflicted shall eat at the time of our redemption in the days of our Messiah.

May your hearts live forever—I will say all this before them.

55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

John Gill

For my flesh is true food—Not in a corporeal, but in a spiritual sense; and the same is said of his blood:

And my blood is true drink—That is, they are both “truly” meat and drink, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions render it; or are “true” meat and drink, as the Arabic version: in opposition to what was typical meat and drink; as the manna in the wilderness, the water out of the rock, the flesh and wine at the passover, the meat and drink offerings under the law, or any other meats and drinks under that Passover, the meat and drink offerings under the law, or any other meats and drinks under that dispensation; and which, though not when Christ said these words, yet now are abolished, being unprofitable, and not to be fed upon. Moreover, these phrases may denote the reality, substance, and solidity of that spiritual food believers have in Christ, in opposition to the imaginary food of sensual sinners, who feed on ashes and bread of deceit; and to that of self-righteous persons, who spend their labour and money for, and live upon that which is not bread, even upon their works of righteousness; and to the superficial tastes of hypocrites and formal professors; and to the charge of enthusiasm; and even to the outward elements of bread, and wine, in the Lord’s supper, since instituted; and as it may be attended upon by persons destitute of the grace of God. And these words may also be expressive of the virtue, efficacy, and excellency of this food, it being soul quickening, nourishing, strengthening, satisfying, and delightful food, as well as spiritual and savoury; not to carnal persons, or outward professors, but to new born babes, and true believers; and which, by them, may be had, and to the full, and that in due season, even every day, and is what will abide for ever.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. JOH 15:1

56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

John Gill

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood—In the sense above given (see Gill on Joh 6:53);

Abides in me, and I in him—There is a mutual indwelling of Christ, and believers; Christ is the habitation, or dwelling place of his people: there is a secret dwelling in Christ; so the elect of God dwelt in the heart, and in the hands, and arms of Christ from everlasting; and as members in their head in election grace; and representatively in him, as the mediator of the covenant; and they secretly and safely dwelt in him, when all mankind fell in Adam; and when he was on the cross, in the grave, and now he is in heaven; all which is owing to his own love, his Father’s gift, and to secret union to him. But there is an open dwelling in him in time, which is here meant: God’s elect, as in their natural state, are without Christ, and lie open to the law and justice of God; the Spirit of God convinces them of this state, and directs them to flee to Christ, as a city of refuge; when they find him a stronghold, a place of defence, and a proper dwelling for them, where they resolve to abide, and do abide; and where they dwell safely, peaceably, comfortably, and pleasantly; and from which dwelling place they will never be turned out. Likewise, the saints are the habitation or dwelling place of Christ; he dwells not in their heads and to tongues, but in their hearts, and by faith; which is here expressed, by eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; and which, though it is not the cause of Christ’s dwelling here, yet is the means or instrument by which men receive him into their hearts, and retain him, and have communion with him; for he dwells in believers, not in such sense as he dwells in the world, by his omnipresence, and power; or in the human nature, by hypostatical union to it; but by his Spirit, and by faith, which is an instance of wonderful condescending grace, and is owing to union to him, and is expressive of communion with him, and is what will continue for ever.

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations. PSA 90:1

Megillah 29a:8

Rava interpreted a verse homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psa 90:1)? This is referring to the synagogues and study halls. Abaye said: Initially, I used to study the law in my home and pray in the synagogue. Once I heard and understood that which King David says: “Lord, I love the habitation of your house” (Psa 26:8), I would always study the law in the synagogue, to express my love for the place in which the divine presence resides.

Rashi

A prayer of Moses—Moses recited all the eleven psalms from here to (ch. 101) “Of David, a song.” Corresponding to them, he Moses blessed eleven tribes with eleven blessings, in (Deu 33): “And this is the blessing.”

You have been our dwelling place—Heb. מעון, an abode and a refuge in which to enter. That is what you have been for us.

In all generations—From time immemorial, for you preceded all.

20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John Gill

In that day you will know—The things they should know, or the objects of knowledge are,

That I am in my Father—In his bosom, in union with him, partaker of the same nature, perfections, and glory with him, and equal to him:

And you in me—That they were in union with him as the branches in the vine, and as the members are in the head, and how they were loved in him, chosen in him, righteous in him, risen with him, and made to sit together in heavenly places in him:

And I in you—Formed in their hearts, living in them, dwelling in them, as in his temples, and filling them with grace and glory. The knowledge of these things promised, designs a more clear and distinct knowledge of them; something of them was known already, but not so perfectly as should be hereafter; and this does not suppose that these unions between the Father and Christ, and between Christ and his people, shall then begin to be; for as the union between the Father and the Son is as eternal as themselves; so the union between Christ and his people, as he is the head and representative of them, is as early as his investiture with the office of a mediator, and his suretyship engagements for them, which were from eternity; and are the ground, and foundation of his being in them, and they in him in the effectual calling; nor does it suggest that they shall begin to be known; only that they shall be known in a more perfect manner: the time when this will be, is “in that day”: meaning either when he should “live” in the body again, be raised from the dead, when he should he declared to be the Son of God with power, when it would appear, that he had the same power with the Father, by raising himself from the dead, and when he would rise as a public head representing them, for their justification, and they should see themselves justified and discharged in him; or the day of “Pentecost,” when “the Spirit of truth,” he promises to pray for, should come to them in an extraordinary manner, and lead them into the knowledge of these things; or the last day, the resurrection morn, when, by virtue of union to Christ, the saints shall rise and “live” with him for ever, and shall have a perfect knowledge of these several unions; see Joh 17:21, 23-24.

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” JOH 14:20, 23

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation— PSA 18:47

Rashi

The Lord lives—He who does all this for me.

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. JOH 5:26

58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

John Gill

This is the bread that came down from heaven—That true bread, the bread of God, the bread of life, living bread; meaning himself, as in Joh 6:32-33, 35, 48, 50-51;

Not like the bread the fathers ate, and died—This is bread of a quite different nature from that; that was only typical bread, this true; that was the bread of angels, but this is the bread of God; that came but from the air, this from the third heaven; that men ate of, and died; but whoever eats of this, lives for ever; see Joh 6:49; as follows:

Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever—(See Gill on Joh 6:51).

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

John Gill

Jesus said these things in the synagogue—Openly and publicly, in the place of divine worship, where the Jews resorted for that purpose:

As he taught at Capernaum—His own city, and where there was a synagogue, into which he often went and taught his doctrines, and wrought miracles; see Mat 3:13; 8:5, 14; 9:1-2; 12:9.

1 Does not wisdom call?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

Rashi

Does not wisdom call—Does not the law announce for you the things mentioned below in this section?

2 On the heights beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

Avodah Zarah 19a:12

The Gemara mentions a similar contradiction. It is written with regard to the law: “On the heights” (Pro 8:2), and it is written in the continuation of the verse that the law is “beside the path.” This contradiction is resolved as follows: Initially, a person studies the law in a private location, on the heights, but ultimately he will spread his knowledge, beside the path, in the public realm.

3 beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: PRO 8:1-3

Rashi

In front of the town—Heb. קרת, the ceiling above the gate, where people sit.

She cries—Heb. תרנה, she cries, and what does she say? “To you, O men, I call.”

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, LUK 4:31