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Brent L. Top, Bruce A. Van Orden, Lord of the Gospels: The 1990 Sperry Symposium on the New Testament, 173-186. Chapter Thirteen John's Testimony of the Bread of Life Thomas R. Valletta, CES Area Coordinator, Chicago, Illinois The sixth chapter of John, which includes the Bread of Life discourse, bears powerful testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ. This paper suggests five main points for consideration: John's account of events surrounding the sermon are part of his personal testimony; the Beloved Disciple wrote with an abundance of symbolism; events in this chapter are patterned after Exodus typology; the Bread of Life discourse can be more fully understood within the context of the entire chapter John 6; John takes the similitudes of the first Passover, the Exodus, and the miraculous manna in the wilderness and blends them with the emblems of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in his testimony of Jesus Christ as the living bread. The Gospel of John as Personal Testimony The closing lines of John's Gospel contain an inspired confirmation "that his testimony is true" (John 21:24). When the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the "Gospel of St. John," he altered the title to the "Testimony of St. John." 1 This change is in concert with the Lord's own reference to "John's testimony concerning me" (D&C 88:141). John's personal witness of the Savior reflects his own distinctive style and emphasis. He does not include everything the Savior taught and accomplished but only that which supports his own purpose in writing (John 21:25; 20:30). His avowed purpose is "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31). What John includes and how he includes it often vary from the content of the synoptic Gospels. One could credit some of these peculiarities to the time, place, and audience of his writing, but even a cursory reading of his testimony reveals dissimilarities that run deeper than the setting. Reading the sermon of the Bread of Life and its surrounding narrative as testimony assists us in several ways. S. Kent Brown summarizes the value of studying each of the Gospels as individual testimonies: "In the first place, one is invited to treat each Gospel as possessing a certain integrity in its story of the Master. Secondly, one can come to sense how four authors—each from a different background and each needing to address a different audience—met the sacred task of writing about the Savior. Thirdly, one comes to realize that it was the concerns of the evangelists that frequently influenced what they included in their accounts." 2 But reading the Gospels as testimonies has potential pitfalls. One caution is given by Dr. Brown: "The flaw submerged in the modern study of the redactional or editorial activity of the evangelists consists of highlighting the compositional work of each Gospel writer with an unfortunate corresponding de-emphasis on the information that concerns the Savior." 3 It should also be noted that though John brings his own perspective, style, and emphasis to his account, he also wrote by the power of the Holy Ghost and by divine approval (D&C 93:6). His words, as scripture, constitute "the will of the Lord, . . . the mind of the Lord, . . . the word of the Lord, . . . the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation" (D&C 68:4). In essence, John's words are "the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 33:10). What is true about John's testimony in general specifically applies to the portrayal of events surrounding the Bread of Life discourse—most of John 6. The sequence of other events in Jesus' life covered in this chapter is essentially the same as the sequence used in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 14:13-33; Mark 6:31-52; Luke 9:10-17). John, however, approaches the events differently. Instead, he focuses on the pattern of events as a testimony of Jesus Christ. John's Use of Symbolism John is often cited for his extensive use of symbolism. "Virtually all agree," says C. Wilfred Griggs, "that more than one level of meaning can be found in John's writings, ranging from the obvious 'dictionary' level of meaning to symbolic realms understood only by those with spiritual insight." 4 Symbolism is used in scripture for varying reasons. Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggests that symbolism is used to testify of Jesus Christ in ways that only the faithful and spiritually primed will comprehend. He indicates that one of the many ways scriptures testify of Christ is through the use of "types and shadows, figures and similitudes, their purpose ofttimes being, as it were, to hide that which is 'holy' from the 'dogs' and 'swine' of their day (Matt. 7:6), while at the same time revealing it to those whose hearts were prepared for that light and knowledge which leads to salvation." 5 John's adept use of symbolism underpins his purpose for writing his testimony. John's Gospel is "the account for the saints," declares Elder McConkie. "It is pre-eminently the gospel for the Church, for those who understand the scriptures and their symbolisms and who are concerned with spiritual and eternal things." 6 With a scripturally based and spiritually mature audience as his target, John could divulge his deepest emotions and declare the most profound truths in symbolism. While the prepared Saints would perceive and receive his message, those less prepared could still receive "the lesser portion of the word" (Alma 12:10). Expressed another way, John's style "was essentially gnostic, which means he wished in cryptic fashion to allude to the gospel's deep mysteries without betraying their essence to the unreceptive or as yet uninitiated." 7 Much of John's symbolism consists of similitudes or likenesses. 8 Elder McConkie states: "To crystallize in our minds the eternal verities which we must accept and believe to be saved, to dramatize their true meaning and import with an impact never to be forgotten, to center our attention on these saving truths, again and again and again, the Lord uses similitudes. Abstract principles may easily be forgotten or their deep meaning overlooked, but visual performances and actual experiences are registered on the mind in such a way as never to be lost." 9 Many of the similitudes recorded in John's testimony are anchored to historical events (the brass serpent, the manna, and so on). Others provide subtle comparisons between the everyday and the divine. Even the casual reader can readily detect recurrent themes of life, light, water, and night that permeate the book. John frequently juxtaposes metaphors, as in the case of light and darkness (John 1:4-5; 3:1-20; 9:35-38, 41). An awareness and understanding of similitudes provides us a valuable tool for digging deeper into John 6. Typology The symbolism of types closely relates to the concept of similitudes. Joseph Fielding McConkie expresses a concise and encompassing definition of types: "A person, event, or ritual with likeness to another person, event, or ritual of greater importance which is to followPN176,,,L,I0]The term antitype describes future fulfillment, while typology is the study of types. True types will have noticeable points of resemblance, show evidence of divine appointment, and be prophetic of future events." 10 This is in harmony with the perspective that types are "divinely established models or prerepresentations of corresponding realities." 11 Typology is not the same as allegory. Unlike allegory, typology is rooted in historical reality. 12 Northrop Frye points out that while "allegory is normally a story-myth that finds its 'true' meaning in a conceptual or argumentative translation," typology is grounded in "real people and real events." 13 Nor are typological connections between persons or events considered accidental or arbitrary. George S. Tate writes that typological correspondences "constitute a significant system of intelligible coordinates in the gradual unfolding of God's historical design." 14 In other words, typology is a form of prophetic history presuppossing that history follows a divine pattern. Latter-day Saints should easily grasp the concept of typology. Modern scripture declares that "all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record" of Jesus Christ (Moses 6:63). The Book of Mormon emphatically announces that "all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him [Jesus Christ]" (2 Nephi 11:4; cf. Mosiah 3:15; 13:10, 31; Alma 13:16; 25:15; 33:19; 37:45). John's testimony follows the pattern given in the scriptures by revealing Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of types. A sensitivity to typology provides a more profound appreciation and reverence for the Bread of Life sermon and its context. John and Exodus Typology Many instances of typology in John's testimony relate to the Exodus story. The exodus of Israel from Egypt, the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the forty years of wandering through the wilderness, and the dramatic entry into the promised land through the River Jordan were such extraordinary events that they became permanently etched into the spirit of all Israel. Much of Israel's perception of history as well as the prophetic framework of understanding the future was shaped by these events. 15 The Exodus, according to Hugh Nibley, "was not only a real event, but also 'a type and a shadow of things,' representing both escape from the wicked world and redemption from the bondage of sin." 16 Old Testament prophets focused on the meaning of the Exodus, often through typology. For example, Isaiah clearly has the Exodus in mind as he prophesies that "the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people." He declares that "the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod." Isaiah used additional typology with his prophecy of "an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt" (Isaiah 11:11, 15-16). Important themes that form the Exodus motif resonate throughout the scriptures. 17 "The whole story of Moses and of the Exodus is a very dominant motif" in John's Testimony, according to Raymond E. Brown, and this typology prevails sufficiently that "some scholars have even suggested that the whole organization of the Fourth Gospel was patterned on Exodus." 18 George S. Tate indicates that "it is in the Gospel of John that we encounter the most concentrated Exodus typology." 19 James Plastaras supports that thesis with his statement that "the fourth Gospel presents the ministry, passion, and glorification of Jesus as the Passover mystery. There is hardly a page of this Gospel which does not contain at least one allusion to the exodus story." 20 John's Gospel contains an extraordinary number of Exodus images. 21 Several examples reveal John's obvious consciousness of Exodus themes: The Baptist's reference to the Savior as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) points to the type of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:5; 12:21). The Savior's own attestation of himself as the "living water" establishes a connection with the provision of water for a thirsty and grumbling Israel (Exodus 17:3-7; Numbers 20:7-13; 1 Corinthians 10:4). In Numbers 21:4-9, we are told that the "Lord sent fiery serpents among the people" because of their chronic murmuring for the lack of bread and water during their travels. For the safety of his people, Moses was commanded to construct "a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole." All who would look upon it would live. Moses did as he was commanded by fashioning a bronze serpent and placing it upon a standard. Even persons bitten by poisonous serpents received life as they "beheld the serpent." Centuries later, in a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus bore witness that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Repeatedly and consistently, John's record testifies that Jesus was the realization of Exodus typology. The examples given above disclose both the source and the interpretive framework of John's typology. Jesus Christ was the originator as well as the fulfillment of the typology recorded in John's testimony. John heard the Savior bear witness that the scriptures "testify of me" (John 5:39). As he observed the Master teach, he realized how the scriptures testified of Jesus Christ. John heard Jesus emphatically declare himself to be Jehovah, the very God of Abraham and Moses (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58). The Beloved Disciple comprehended the implications of this truth and could announce: "The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made" (JST John 1:2-3). John knew that Jesus Christ, as the creator, the messenger of salvation, and the Redeemer, is not merely involved in our life's story; he is the life story (JST John 1:1-5; John 11:25; D&C 93:8). John's use of typology presumes, first, that though man's natural eyes cannot often comprehend it, there is a divine design in history (D&C 58:3-4); and second, that sacred events transcend their mere historical occurrence by typifying Christ and his plan of salvation. John 6 and Exodus Typology John 6 contains a systematically developed Exodus theme with Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of its typology. When examined from a larger perspective, this section of John's testimony clearly shadows the Exodus type. The chart below shows major parallels between the Exodus events and the sequence of John 6. In both cases, a multitude follows a prophet to a place where they are fed miraculously, a deliverance through the sea to safety is miraculously performed; doubt, murmuring, and sign-seeking are rebuked by an exhortation to learn the deeper lessons of what has occurred; and prophets subsequently testify to the reality and meaning of the events. General Pattern Exodus of Israel from Egypt The New Exodus Israel follows Moses out of bondage into the wilderness by the sea (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4). Multitude follows Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1-2) Israel is fed "bread from heaven" (Exodus 16). The great company is miraculously fed from the five loaves and two fishes (John 6:5-15). The power of God saves Israel from the Egyptians; they cross the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14-15). Later Israel follows Joshua, crossing the River Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 3). The disciples fighting the stormy sea are rescued as Jesus walks on the sea to their ship (John 6:16-21). Discourse from Jehovah on the meaning and significance of the Exodus experience (Exodus 19-20). Discourse on the meaning and significance of the Bread of Life (John 6:22-65). Testimony of prophets concerning the significance of the Exodus experience (Exodus 14:31; 15:1-22; Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 4:33, 35; Deuteronomy 6; Deuteronomy 26: 5-9; Isaiah 51, 52; 2 Nephi 25:20; 1 Nephi 17). Peter's testimony that Jesus has the "words of eternal life" (John 6:66-71). Truly John has caught the spiritual significance of these sacred events. Experiences in this chapter correlate with the Exodus typology, and both sets of sacred events typify salvation through Jesus Christ. In typology, the antitype need not correspond "to the type in all its properties, so as to form an almost photographic copy of it." 22 John does, however, incorporate many corresponding symbols that draw attention to the motif. Some of these specific correspondences are identified as follows: Specific Images and Details Exodus of Ancient Israel The New Exodus Moses at the "mountain of God" (Exodus 3:1, 12). Jesus goes into the mountain (John 6:3, 15). Jehovah multiplies signs and wonders (Exodus 7-11). People follow because of signs (John 6:2, 26, 30). Passover instituted by the Lord (Exodus 12). Passover (John 6:4). Multitude led by God through the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea (Exodus 12:38; 13:18; Numbers 11:4). Multitude follows Jesus across the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1-3). Manna (Exodus 16; Numbers 11; Deuteronomy 8). Manna compared with bread (Exodus 16:15). Manna called bread from heaven (Exodus 16:3-4). Bread from heaven (John 6:31-35, 41, 48, 50-51, 58). Gathered according to eating (Exodus 16:16-21). Gathered fragments; nothing lost (John 6:12). Prophet like unto Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). That prophet (John 6:14). Murmuring (Exodus 15:24; 16:8; 17:3). Twelve tribes (Exodus 3:10; 28:21; Numbers 1:44; 34:18; Deuteronomy 13:1). Twelve baskets; twelve disciples (John 6:12, 13). Crossing the sea (Exodus 14-15; Joshua 3). Crossing the sea (John 6:16-21). Crossing occurred at night (Exodus 14:21). Crossing at night (John 6:16). Darkness emphasized (Exodus 14:20). Darkness emphasized (John 6:17). East wind (Exodus 14:21). Great wind (John 6:18). I AM (Exodus 3:14). It is I (John 6:20). Lord saved Israel that day (Exodus 14:30). Immediately the ship reaches land (John 6:21). Unveiling connections between typological events stimulates the mind and spirit, but it does not go far enough toward helping us gain scriptural understanding, for developing an analytical framework is worthless without an application. We might go beyond the simple correlations and examine the meaning of these similitudes. As previously noted, all things in the scriptures bear record of and typify Jesus Christ (Moses 6:63; 2 Nephi 11:4), and John writes his book with this same purpose (John 20:31). John quotes the Lord several times in chapter 6 declaring, "I am the bread of life." The multiplication of loaves and fishes, the crossing of the sea, and the manna discourse all reveal that Jesus Christ is our hope for salvation. Once we understand the purpose of John 6 and identify the Exodus theme, we must examine how these things testify of the Lord. We will pay particular attention to how John weaves together the events of his day with the symbols of the Exodus and the emblems of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to typify Jesus Christ. The Multitude Follows Jesus The first four verses of John 6 introduce the setting for the subsequent events, as well as offer the first reflection of Exodus typology. John effectively sets this chapter apart from the preceding and subsequent chapters with the use of the phrase "after these things" in the first verse of chapter 6 and again in the beginning of chapter 7. 23 John's narrative indicates that a great multitude followed Jesus across the Sea of Galilee because of the signs they saw (v. 2). Before meeting with the crowd, Jesus "went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples" (v. 3). Significantly, John points out that "the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh" (v. 4). These references to the multitudes following the Savior, going up into the mountain, and the Passover, implicitly connect the events of chapter 6 to the ancient Exodus of Israel. Prophets had long understood the sacred meaning of these pivotal events. Moses himself taught that "the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: and the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day" (Deuteronomy 6:21-24). Joshua also proclaimed that the real lesson to learn from the Exodus is to "fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth" (Joshua 24:14). The multitude that followed Christ, in John's account, can be compared with the children of Israel that followed Moses. Like the earlier Israelites of the Exodus, the Judean multitude following Christ are not wholly committed to him but follow because of the signs they saw (v. 2). In both cases, the purpose for leading them into the wilderness is to teach them to trust in the Lord completely (Psalm 78:13-72). The Exodus pattern may be found in similar stories of wanderers being led through a strange land, a lone and dreary world where tests and trials occur. Hugh Nibley explains: "Now the idea that this life is a pilgrimage through the desert did not originate with the Christians or even the Jews: it has been the religious memory of the human race from the earliest dispensations of the Gospel." 24 Another scholar of antiquity suggests that, in the ancient view, "the desert is the world one passes through. It is nothing in itself, it is barren and inhospitable. It is not meant for people to remain in. One travels through the wilderness as one travels through time. Just like time, so does the desert lead to a new world, to the promised land." 25 Crossing the Sea A crucial episode of John's chapter 6 narrative is the crossing of the sea. While the other Gospel writers fix this event closely to feeding the five thousand, John sets it off distinctively. It functions as a literal centerpiece, a hinge for the whole chapter. John's focus on the images of the night (v. 16), darkness (v. 17), and the wind (v. 18) emphasize the sea crossing as an Exodus reenaction. John paints a stirring depiction of people in trouble. His record speaks of the darkness of the night, "and Jesus was not come to them" (v. 17). As Jesus communes with Heavenly Father from the mountain (v. 16), "He [sees] the peril and strugglings of his beloved friends as they [seek] the safety of the western shore of the Galilean lake. They [are] seabound because he had 'constrained' them so to travel. . . . His awareness of their plight must have come by the power of the Spirit rather than the natural eye." 26 As their predicament worsens from "a great wind that blew" (v. 18), Jesus miraculously walks toward the boat on water. The disciples grow afraid (v. 19), but their fears subside with Jesus' simple yet profound assurance: "It is I; be not afraid" (v. 20). Unlike the synoptic writers, John focuses not on the calming of the sea nor on Peter's attempt to walk upon the sea but on safe passage through the sea and the emphasis of the divine name. " 'It is I' evokes remembrance of the passage through the sea in Exodus 14 and recalls to the reader's mind such poetic interpretations of that event as Ps 77:19, which says of Yahweh, 'Thy way was through the sea, thy path through the great waters'; and Ps 29:3, which speaks of 'the voice of the Lord . . . upon the waters.' " 27 In ancient lore, crossing the great waters evokes images of traveling through time or life and traversing from old to new worlds. The story of Noah escaping the destructive floods was thought to teach more than history. Noah and his family survived because of the divinely designed ark. Ark, in Hebrew, is "teba," and according to Rabbinic tradition, it can also mean "word." 28 To the ancients the lesson was quite clear: safe passage through this life depends upon the "word of God." 29 Friedrich Weinreb points out, "The passage through this world is very much like passing through water, hence . . . a passage through time. And lest we should be drowned in water and in time, God gave us the 'teba', the 'word', which carries us like a ship through the water." 30 Understanding such a view allows certain patterns to emerge. Weinreb notes the similar situations of "the Egyptians perishing in the waters covering them, when biblical Israel, like Noah, gets safely across. Moses also got into a 'teba' and thus was saved in the water. And the passing into the promised land, the world-to-come, with Joshua, takes place through the water that creates a safe passage, through the river 'Jordan.' " 31 The disciples receiving Jesus into their ship and then landing safely compares with Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea by the power of Jehovah. 32 Both accounts typify Jesus Christ as the "Word" with which Israel can safely survive mortality and enter into the eternal land of promise. The episode of Joshua's crossing the Jordan River into the promised land (Joshua 1-4) carries much of the same symbolism as the crossing of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Sea of Galilee. In some ways, the Joshua account amplifies the others. Joshua, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation" and translates into English from the later Aramaic and Greek as "Jesus," 33 leads the children of Israel into the promised land by crossing the Jordan River on dry ground. John's subtle literary image portrays Jesus going into the mountain as did Moses; and descending again, as did Joshua, to provide his disciples safe passage to the other side. The Image of Bread Much of John 6 focuses on the symbolism of bread and manna. After Jesus feeds the five thousand, the multitude attempts to take him by force and make him their king, causing Jesus to depart alone to a mountain (vv. 14-15). The next day the people finally locate Jesus in Capernaum and inquire, "How camest thou hither?" (JST John 6:25). The Lord without mincing words confronts them with their real motive: "Ye seek me not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled" (JST v. 26). Like their ancestors in the wilderness, these people are less interested in obeying the commandments than in eating (Exodus 15:24; 16:2-3). The crowd's concern for "the loaves" may also have been motivated by their messianic expectations. A common tradition of the day anticipated that when the Messiah came, his advent would be identified with a repetition of the Exodus manna miracle. 34 The Lord speaks to the multitude about eternal aspects of bread instead of the temporal aspects. The people claim that Moses gave them "bread from heaven to eat" (John 6:31). Jesus corrects them, "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven" (v. 32). Then he articulates his preeminent point: "The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (v. 33). The manna of Moses' time is a type of the true bread given of the Father, which is none other than the Son of God. To their request for bread, Jesus unambiguously announces, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (v. 35). The counterpart images of hunger and thirst are more than rhetorical embellishment; they draw upon the Exodus typology that joined the gift of manna and the gift of water from the rock. 35 The Jews murmur at that bold declaration. They claim that Jesus is no more that the son of Joseph and Mary, whom they well know (v. 42). Their murmuring likewise follows the Exodus motif. Jesus answers by proclaiming, "No man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father, who hath sent me. And this is the will of him who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son; for the Father beareth record of him; And he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just" (JST John 6:44). That is startling news to people committed more to temporal survival and political intrigue than to everlasting life. The Lord reminds them that their "fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead" (John 6:49) He points out the only way to continue to live: "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever" (vv. 50-51). Jesus continues his use of similitudes by adding, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him" (vv. 53-56). If taken literally, these words would repulse his Jewish audience. The thought of drinking human blood is altogether abhorrent (Leviticus 17:10-14; cf. Acts 15:29). Even the idea of attaining eternal life by eating human flesh is a shocking notion to his Hellenistic public. 36 But clearly Jesus is not speaking literally, as the context of the discourse reveals. James E. Talmage explains, "There was little excuse for the Jews pretending to understand that our Lord meant an actual eating and drinking of His material flesh and blood. The utterances to which they objected were far more readily understood by them than they are by us on first reading; for the representation of the law and of truth in general as bread, and the acceptance thereof as a process of eating and drinking, were figures in everyday use by the rabbis of that time. Their failure to comprehend the symbolism of Christ's doctrine was an act of will, not the natural consequence of innocent ignorance." 37 Now in the Bread of Life discourse, the themes of Exodus manna, the unleavened bread of the Passover, the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, and the emblems of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper are woven together in a marvelous way. In each similitude, the bread is provided by God. The bread is not earned but is critical for survival. The preparation and conditions of feeding are only on the Lord's terms. These similitudes also teach how the bread of life can be consumed. Latter-day Saints readily comprehend the symbolism of partaking of "the emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ" (D&C 20:40). For this reason, the Church is commanded to "meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord" (D&C 20:75). Elder McConkie explains, "To eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God is, first, to accept him in the most literal and full sense, with no reservation whatever, as the personal offspring in the flesh of the Eternal Father; and, secondly, it is to keep the commandments of the Son by accepting his gospel, joining his Church, and enduring in obedience and righteousness unto the end." 38 Those who abide these conditions receive the promise of eternal life. That is the essence of what Paul teaches, referring to those who "did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:3-4). As Jesus finishes his sermon, many are offended by his "hard" teaching (John 6:60). He perceives their thoughts and asks, "What if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" (v. 62). Jesus knows their spiritual blindness and tries to help them see: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (v. 63). Like the ancient Israelites, the Lord's audience thought in terms of the flesh (Exodus 16:3). Yet, the Savior's truths can only be understood by the Spirit, as Paul asserts, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11). Conclusion The Bread of Life discourse should be studied in the context of the entire sixth chapter of John. Through the use of similitudes, types, and shadows, John bears powerful testimony concerning the divinity of Jesus Christ and the need for mankind to depend on their Lord. The events precipitating the discourse on the bread of life are patterned after Exodus themes. Each scene presented in John 6 portrays Jesus as the way of salvation. The imagery of feeding the five thousand, the crossing of the sea, and the Bread of Life discourse all interlock to form a collage of the Savior. The Exodus pattern and the sacred events of this part of Jesus' Galilean ministry coalesce with images of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in typifying Jesus as the central figure in sacred history. The actual sermon becomes more understandable and powerful as we see how and why Jesus fused ancient and contemporary symbols to testify of himself. Footnotes 2. S. Kent Brown, "The Four Gospels as Testimonies," The Eleventh Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 29 Jan. 1983, p. 47. 4. C. Wilfred Griggs, "The Apostle John and Christian History," The Sixth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 28 Jan. 1978, p. 36. 7. Thomas F. Rogers, "The Gospel of John as Literature," Brigham Young University Studies, vol. 28, no. 3 (Summer 1988): 68. 9. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p. 377. 10. Joseph Fielding McConkie, Gospel Symbolism (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1985), p. 274. 19. Tate, "The Typology of the Exodus Pattern," p. 256. 22. Eichrodt, "Is Typological Exegesis an Appropriate Method?" p. 225. 23. Brown, The Gospel According to John (I-XII), pp. 235-36. Theories of rearrangement have been based upon these verses. The most common suggestion is to reverse chapters 5 and 6. At the end of chapter 4 Jesus is in Cana in Galilee. Having chapter 6 follow would fit better geographically, according to these theories. Chapter 5 could then take Jesus down to Jerusalem, which, it is postulated, would fit better with John 7:1. There are several problems with the rearrangement theories. One difficulty, already alluded to, is that these theories generally go beyond what the text actually says. Another formidable objection is that there is no early manuscript or textual evidence supporting their suggested order. Additionally, most of the criticism of the current arrangement is based upon the presumption that John's purpose was to set forth a chronological narrative of events. That was probably not the case. Brown sums up the situation by stating, "No rearrangement can solve all the geographical and chronological problems in John, and to rearrange on the basis of geography and chronology is to give undue emphasis to something that does not seem to have been of major importance to the evangelist." 24. Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p. 116. 27. Peter F. Ellis, The Genius of John (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1984), pp. 110-11. 28. Weinreb, Roots of the Bible, p. 246. 29. This concept was also prevalent among the ancient Nephites. See, for example, Alma 5:3-13. 30. Weinreb, Roots of the Bible, p. 248. 32. One is immediately struck, however, with the differences in the accounts. The Red Sea crossing included the whole company of Israel, but the account in John involved only the disciples of Jesus. Both accounts leave huge multitudes behind: in Exodus the Egyptians are drowned and in John 6 the multitudes are left on the shore. But the differences may suggest that in the final crossing, only true Israel will enter the promised land. 33. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1980), 2:816. 36. James D. G. Dunn, "John VI—A Eucharistic Discourse?" New Testament Studies 17 (1971): 330. 37. James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. , 1967), p. 342. 38. As quoted in McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 2:379.
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