Echoes of John 6:35-48 in the Hebrew Scriptures

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

35

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you
do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will
never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him
who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has
given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to
the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." 41 At
this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down
from heaven." 42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we
know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" 43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves,"
Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I
will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'
Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the
Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the
one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone
may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this
bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (Jn. 6:3551 NIV)
Bread is such a common metaphor in the Hebrew Scriptures that would invoke so many images.
Here are a few echoes.
18

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and
earth. (Gen. 14:18-19 NIV)
19

Blessings from God are represented by the breaking and sharing of bread. In the Melchizedek
story Abraham was blessed by the High Priest of God, the King of Salem by Melchizedek sharing
bread and wine with Abraham. Therefore, Yeshua being the bread of life brings the blessings of
God into our lives every day.
6

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of the finest flour
and knead it and bake some bread." (Gen. 18:6 NIV)

Three angels visit Abraham to tell him that God was going to bless him and his wife by giving
Sarah a baby boy even though they are both well past child bearing years. What does Abraham
do when he learns of this divine blessings? He tells Sarah to bake some bread so they can
commune with the angels.
34

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and
left. So Esau despised his birthright. (Gen. 25:34 NIV)

The birthright was considered a blessing from God which was transmitted from father to son. Esau
was born first and would receive the birthright. God intended Jacob to receive the birthright and
be a patriarch of the Jewish people. So in a way Jacob offered bread to Esau to receive the
blessing of the birthright.

17

Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. 18 He went to his
father and said, "My father." "Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?" (Gen. 27:17-18 NIV)

The Jacob/Isaac story continues with Jacob giving Isaac bread as he comes to this father to
receive the blessing from God of the birthright.
In Exodus many examples of echoes are found. In Exodus the bread becomes unleavened bread
because the haste the Hebrews had to endure to leave Egypt. The blessing from God of freedom
from slavery was broken over the breaking on un-leavened bread.
8

This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the
Israelites, as a lasting covenant. (Lev. 24:8 NIV)

Bread is sacred that it is used as a gift to God regularly on the Sabbath. The bread represents
the covenant between God and Israel. Yeshua will use bread in the same way when he tells His
disciples at the last supper about the renewal of the covenant between God and the people. The
blessings from God come to all who follow Messiah Yeshua.
There are numerous other places outside of the Torah which speaks about bread. Deuteronomy
itself has 9 references to bread being connected to Gods blessings. As you continue to search
the Scriptures the symbolism of Bread being connected to Gods blessings are numerous.