Kress Biblical Resources :: Jesus Is the Bread of Life (John 6:1-71)

Detailed Outline of John

The Word of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has come to bring light and eternal life—believe in Him

2. The prominent signs and statements that confirm that Jesus Christ is God incarnate and eternal life (Jhn 1:19-12:50)
   2. The public ministry and teaching of the Son of God [largely to the multitudes] in the face of opposition (Jhn 5:1-12:50) (continued)
      2. Jesus is the bread of life (Jhn 6:1-71)
         1. The divine sign of the miraculous feeding of the 5000 (Jhn 6:1-15)
            1. The setting reminiscent of Israel in the wilderness (Jhn 6:1-4)
               1. The remote place [wilderness] (Jhn 6:1)
               2. The reason for the crowd (Jhn 6:2)
               3. The connection of the setting to Moses, the Exodus, and the manna (Jhn 6:3-4)
            2. The Son’s divine omniscience and test (Jhn 6:5-9)
               1. The omniscient question posed (Jhn 6:5-6)
               2. The overwhelming need exposed (Jhn 6:7-9)
            3. The Son’s divine power (Jhn 6:10-13)
               1. The pursuit of order rather than confusion (Jhn 6:10)
               2. The prayer and divine power (Jhn 6:11)
               3. The provision and instructive abundance (Jhn 6:12-13)
            4. The Son’s divine wisdom (Jhn 6:14-15)
               1. The desire of the crowd and their excitement (Jhn 6:14; cf. Deu 18:15)
               2. The divine perception of the Son and his escape alone (Jhn 6:15)
         2. The divine sign of the walking on the water (Jhn 6:16-25)
            1. The departure of the disciples and their stormy boat ride across the lake (Jhn 6:16-18)
            2. The divine Son of God walking across the lake in the storm (Jhn 6:19-21)
               1. The scared disciples (Jhn 6:19)
               2. The Savior’s comfort (Jhn 6:20-21)
            3. The dogged search of the crowd for Jesus (Jhn 6:22-25)
               1. The crowd’s travel across the lake (Jhn 6:22-24)
               2. The crowd’s surprise at Jesus’ presence in Capernaum (Jhn 6:25)
         3. The divine sermon on the bread of life (Jhn 6:26-71)
            1. Seek the eternal more than that which is merely temporal (Jhn 6:26-27)
            2. Seek faith in the One sent to save rather than human ability to work the works of God (Jhn 6:28-29)
            3. Seek the Giver of eternal life rather than the gift of temporal bread (Jhn 6:30-33)
               1. The people’s leading question (Jhn 6:30)
               2. The proof text quotation (Jhn 6:31)
               3. The patient correction (Jhn 6:32-33)
            4. Seek Jesus as the bread of life—eternal life sent from heaven (Jhn 6:34-40)
               1. The misguided request—an unending supply of temporal bread (Jhn 6:34)
               2. The Messiah’s response (Jhn 6:35-40)
                  • I am the bread of life Who gives eternal satisfaction (Jhn 6:35)
                  • I know who follows me for temporal benefit rather than true faith in Me (Jhn 6:36)
                  • I will save all those the Father gives to Me and thus believe in Me, and raise them up on the last day (Jhn 6:37-39)
                  • I will save all who believe in Me and raise them up on the last day (Jhn 6:40)
            5. See yourself as helpless and in need of divine light, and trust Jesus as the bread of life (Jhn 6:41-51)
               1. The incredulity/unbelief of the crowd (Jhn 6:41-42)
               2. The inability of man to believe, without divine enablement (Jhn 6:43-46)
                  • The startling reality—man is unable to believe and come to Christ on his own, and thus attain to the resurrection of life (Jhn 6:43-44)
                  • The Scriptural support—divine enablement is the key to coming to Christ in faith (Jhn 6:45)
                  • The Son is the secret revelation of the Father (Jhn 6:46)
               3. The invitation to believe in Christ, and have eternal life in Him (Jhn 6:47-51)
                  • Trust in Christ, the bread of life, Who is eternal life (Jhn 6:47-48)
                  • Temporal manna never issued in eternal life (Jhn 6:49)
                  • Trust in Christ as living bread come from heaven to sacrifice His life to give you eternal life (Jhn 6:50-51)
            6. Seek divine sustenance in Jesus alone and do not lean on your own understanding (Jhn 6:52-58)
               1. The proud reasoning of unbelief (Jhn 6:52)
               2. The picturesque teaching that would separate the hard-hearted from the humble (Jhn 6:53-58)
                  • The picture of feeding on Christ for life (Jhn 6:53)
                  • The parallel phrase that identifies the metaphor as a call to faith, not cannibalism—raise him up at the last day (Jhn 6:54; cf. Jhn 6:40)
                  • The promises to those who look for life not in temporal bread, but in Christ as the Bread of Life (Jhn 6:55-58)
                    • True life is found in Christ’s incarnation and substitutionary death (Jhn 6:55)
                    • Trust in Christ reveals union with Christ (Jhn 6:56)
                    • Trust in Christ guarantees life (Jhn 6:57)
                    • Trust in Christ as the Bread of Life issues in eternal life, unlike temporal bread (Jhn 6:58)
            7. Stand with Jesus in faith as one of His chosen, or stumble over Him in unbelief (Jhn 6:59-71)
               1. The setting of the teaching and debate was the synagogue in Capernaum (Jhn 6:59)
               2. The stumbling block was not the metaphorical language, but rather willful unbelief (Jhn 6:60-64)
                  • The assessment of unbelief—absolute dependence on Jesus is offensive (Jhn 6:60-61)
                  • The assessment of the Savior—unless the Spirit enlightens, man won’t believe even if he sees Jesus ascend into heaven (Jhn 6:62-64)
               3. The sovereign choice of God to grant faith, and man’s choice to simply trust Christ is the only answer for unbelief (Jhn 6:65-71)
                  • The sovereign choice of God is again emphasized (Jhn 6:65)
                  • The stumbling block of unbelief is attributed to personal choice (Jhn 6:66)
                  • The Savior’s question to the Twelve (Jhn 6:67)
                  • The surety of faith is in trusting Christ, not in fully grasping the interplay between divine election and human will (Jhn 6:68-69)
                  • The Savior’s confirmation of sovereign choice (Jhn 6:70)
                  • The sovereign plan of God included Judas’ betrayal (Jhn 6:71)