As part of the fourth gospel's continuing efforts to disclose Jesus' identity so that people might believe, the "bread of life" discourse is crucial. Jesus distinguishes the "living bread" from all other human attempts to nourish body and soul. Not even the manna gathered in the wilderness can compare to the eternally nutritious power of the true bread of heaven.

Chapter six begins with two of the most startling and impressive "signs" Jesus ever delivered: feeding five thousand hungry listeners with a mere five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, and an aquatic stroll toward a boat-load of astonished disciples sailing three or four miles out from shore. The supernatural character of these two signs is obvious and yet was apparently not universally convincing.

After once more being tracked down by the crowd, Jesus is questioned in a manner that reveals these would-be disciples' confusion and hesitancy to believe. Verses 22-24 serve as an awkward transition between the miraculous "signs" and the "bread of life" discourse that follows. The literary unevenness of these verses suggests that John, or a later scribal editor, found it difficult to gracefully connect these signs stories with the discussion about them. Some have also argued that John is fitting together his "signs" source with another, more discursive source.

Verse 25 begins with the people using a common title to address Jesus: "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Although in this direct context the question seems to recall Jesus' early arrival on the other side of the lake by walking upon the water, there is no grammatical reason not to read into this query deeper questions of Jesus' origin and identity. Since it is Jesus' identity and the faith it should evoke that form the nucleus of this discourse, it is not unreasonable to suppose John intends the double-entendre here. Where has Jesus come from? How did he come to be among the people at that time and that place?

Jesus' first response to the crowd is an authoritative rebuke. The use of "truly, truly" (NRSV "very truly") signals any Johannine reader that Jesus is now speaking with divine power. In verse 26 Jesus first scolds the voracious crowd for what he suspects as their true motive for following him the proverbial free lunch. They have eyes only for their stomachs. They see only the bread and seek not Jesus but another free meal-ticket. The "bread" which fed the 5,000 is clearly distinguished from the "signs." Signs in this context seem to indicate a perception by faith of the miraculous acts Jesus performs a perception which is of far greater importance than the miraculous action itself.

Jesus' chastisement continues in verse 27 as he introduces this "bread of life" discourse. Jesus distinguishes between "the food that perishes" and the "food which endures for eternal life." The term "endures" (menein) is one of John's favorite words to describe the essence of the relationship between true believers and God. The sense of these words thus implies that in this true food one experiences authentic faith and a fulfilled life. The gospel writer will reveal in a few verses that this food is none other than Jesus himself (v.35).

Verse 27 also introduces a uniquely Johannine distinction between work and faith. The Johannine use of the term used here for work ergazomai strongly suggests working or laboring, but not at all earning. This food that endures is worth every labor for it, but John qualifies this "work" theme and separates it from any notion of "earning" by stressing that the Son of Man gives the gift of eternal life. John's distinction between working and earning insures that while eternal life must be actively sought by people who desire it, in the end it is freely given by the Son of Man. This "beyond our grasp" but not "beyond our gain" nature of eternal life is further emphasized by John's use of the term "Son of Man," an eschatological name that links eternal life to the eschaton. The "seal" mentioned here is not specifically defined by John's text, but the accrediting seal of God's authority upon Jesus emphatically stresses and calls to mind the true Sonship of Jesus.

The NRSV further blurs the fuzzy connection between what Jesus states in verse 27 and what the people ask in verse 28. The NRSV now translates ergazomai as "do" instead of "labor" or "work."

Literally this text asks how the people shall "work for the works of God." While John's text accents how crucially important it is that people seek the "gift" of salvation freely offered, this query in verse 28 demonstrates widespread failure to grasp the true nature of salvation. Faith-seeking is the work we are called to perform.

Jesus' response (v.29) makes it clear that faith is the only "work" that matters in seeking eternal life. The close connection in John's theology between faith and actual deeds or "work" is demonstrated by the fact that the fourth gospel writer never uses pistis faith as a noun, only as a verb. Faith, for John, is never some accomplishment. It is always an ongoing process. Living in faith is our true work.

Instead of pursuing the meaning behind Jesus' response, the crowd in verses 30-31 now request another sign some proof-positive that would take the risk out of believing and having faith. Jewish musings on the Messiah's return often referred to the great signs that their new "King" would work before his people. By bringing up the manna fed to the fleeing Israelites in Exodus 16, the crowd thinks it has forged a solid link between messianic wonders and Jesus' words about the food of eternal life. They want a decisive "kingly" act that will extinguish all reasons for doubt or unfaith.

Once again Jesus' response "truly, truly" (NRSV "very truly") signals the announcement of an authoritative statement. Verse 32 actually carries a double inference. Jesus' words distinguish Moses the Hebrew leader from God, who Jesus calls "my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven." The manna did not come from Moses, it came from God. But Jesus' words also imply that the manna Moses supplied which was sent from heaven was not "the true bread from heaven." This "true bread" is distinguished from all else for it alone "gives life to the world."

The Johannine crowd's response in verse 34 is one of typical misunderstanding. Gluttony, not faithfulness, inspires the people to ask for this bread "always" as a never-ending food supply. It is a classic moment: the crowd surrounding Jesus knows what it wants, knows it is in dire need, but persistently identifies wrong solutions to solve the desperate human condition.

In verse 35 Jesus utters the first of his profound "I am" statements, clearing away any ambiguity clouding the crowd's perceptions of verses 25-34. Jesus offers seven such "I am" declarations throughout John's gospel ("bread of life," 6:35; "light of the world," 8:12, 9:5; "door of the sheep," 10:7,9; "good shepherd," 10:11,14; "resurrection and the life," 11:25; "the way, the truth, and the life," 14:6; "the true vine," 15:5) with each addressing what it is Christ does for humanity.

Jesus declares himself the "bread of life," a slightly different title than the "bread of heaven" discussed in verse 33, and a title that recalls more of the qualities of the "food that endures for eternal life" (v.27). Finally, Jesus now itemizes hunger and thirst, those common weaknesses, the shared frailty of all humanity, as that which will be filled and overcome by the presence of Jesus, the true bread. As the bread of life, Jesus offers the gift of complete and eternal fulfillment.