51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
I breezed past Jesus’ first “I am” without comment. But here again, he states, “I am the living bread.” These are the first passages where Jesus uses the words, “I am” to describe himself. The significance of this is often misinterpreted. Jesus is not trying to identify himself as the I AM of Exodus 3:14 as many suggest. The words “I am” are used by many people in the Bible and even the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:19). None of these uses imply anything other than identifying oneself. When Jesus uses the words “I am” in a way that is significantly different in context, then we can see that he does identify himself with Deity. Dr. Gary Manning of Talbot School of Theology suggests there are only three place where Jesus uses “I am” without a predicate to identify with Deity. [1]
In John 6:20, Jesus said, “It is I” using the same Greek words ἐγώ εἰμι, which is the Greek translation of “I Am” in Exodus 3:14. Note, he didn’t say I am … something or give his name. The “I am” stands alone. In context it is when he walked on the water, something totally other than human.
In John 5:58, Jesus said, “before Abraham was, I am (ἐγώ εἰμι).” This is the clearest claim to Deity. In context, he is saying that he is eternal, only something attributed to God.
In John 18:6-8, Jesus used the same “I am (ἐγώ εἰμι)” twice when the soldiers came to capture him in the garden. Each time the soldiers fell down. This shows that Jesus is in control of the situation, his sovereignty.
Another possible time that Jesus identifies with deity is when he spoke to the woman at the well, “Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’” (NASU). Was he saying I am the Messiah or was he saying he is I Am? The NASU translation adds the word He to the translation as indicated by being in italics because it isn’t in the Greek. The word for word translation is “Jesus I am that speaks unto you.” In context he is speaking of being the Messiah. But he is also saying that he is God and that means the Messiah is God.
Getting back to our current passage, rather than identifying with Deity, Jesus is identifying a significant role. He is the only source of true spiritual nutrition. In opposition to the Roman Catholic viewpoint that the bread and wine is physically transformed into the body and blood of Jesus but retains the appearance of bread and wine, Jesus is not telling us that we must literally eat his body to have eternal life. He is using a metaphor. The meaning is significant. It is Jesus’ attempt to show the people who had eaten with the 5,000 and were still thinking in terms of food that perishes. He is giving them a hint that he is going to give his life so that there will be salvation for those who believe in (eat) him. He has mentioned several times that he will raise people in the last day. However, they still don’t understand.
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
The Jews began to argue which implies that some of them must have understood that Jesus was using a figure of speech. However, the prevailing conclusion was that Jesus was speaking literally. They actually thought Jesus was intending to have them indulge in cannibalism., which they would naturally reject. Yet, like Nicodemus, they ask how he could do this.
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. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
Since they still don’t understand, Jesus continues to make it even harder for them to believe. He is doing exactly what he did when he spoke in parables (Matt 13:13). What Jesus is saying can only be spiritually understood. Those that are not chosen for the kingdom of God will not understand or will, like the Roman Catholics, distort the meaning.
When Jesus say that his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink, they should have realized that he is continuing his metaphor. He is repeating and saying the same thing in a slightly different way to emphasize that he is not backing down on who he is and who will have eternal life.
Remaining in Jesus and he in us is a great description of what it means to be saved. When we are in Christ, we are joined with him in his being in a way that the world cannot know. We are made alive in Christ, we are raised with Christ, we are seated in heaven in Christ, we experience God’s kindness in Christ (Eph 2:5-7). This is remaining in Christ.
Jesus remaining in us is dwelling in us through faith (Eph 3:17). He will never leave us (Heb 13:5). It is also being one with God through Jesus as Jesus explains in John 17:21-23.
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. 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.”
The Father is living, and he is the God of the living. He is the one who gives life, and he has given this ability to the Son as Jesus had previously stated in John 5:21. He is still showing the Jews that there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus.
59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
[1]https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2015/does-i-am-always-refer-to-god-in-the-gospel-of-john
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