John 6:33 kjv
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:33 nkjv
For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
John 6:33 niv
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
John 6:33 esv
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
John 6:33 nlt
The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
John 6 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 16:4 | "I will rain bread from heaven for you" | Manna, temporary physical sustenance |
| Deut 8:3 | "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word..." | Physical bread insufficient, spiritual needed |
| Neh 9:15 | "You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger" | Recalling Manna's divine origin |
| Ps 78:24-25 | "He rained down manna upon them to eat... men ate the bread of angels" | Divine food from heaven |
| Ps 105:40 | "He gave them bread from heaven to satisfy them" | God's miraculous provision |
| Is 55:2-3 | "Why spend money on what is not bread...? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good..." | Invitation to true spiritual nourishment |
| Amos 8:11 | "A famine... of hearing the words of the LORD." | Foreshadows spiritual hunger for truth |
| John 6:32 | "My Father gives you the true bread from heaven." | Immediate context: true vs. old manna |
| John 6:35 | "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger..." | Jesus identifies Himself as this bread |
| John 6:41 | "They were grumbling about him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.'" | Reaction to Jesus' claim |
| John 6:48 | "I am the bread of life." | Reiterated self-declaration |
| John 6:51 | "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." | Link between Himself and eternal life |
| John 3:13 | "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven—the Son of Man." | Jesus' unique divine origin |
| John 3:31 | "He who comes from above is above all." | Superiority due to heavenly origin |
| John 8:23 | "You are from below; I am from above." | Contrast of origins |
| 1 Cor 15:47 | "The second man is from heaven." | Christ's heavenly nature |
| Phil 2:6-8 | "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant..." | Christ's pre-existence and descent |
| Heb 2:9 | "we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus..." | Incarnation, divine coming down |
| 1 Jn 4:2 | "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" | Affirmation of Jesus' physical incarnation |
| John 1:4 | "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." | Jesus as the source of life |
| John 5:21 | "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." | Jesus' power to give life |
| John 5:26 | "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." | Source of life shared with the Son |
| John 10:10 | "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | Purpose of Jesus' coming |
| John 11:25 | "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." | Jesus as the embodiment of life |
| John 14:6 | "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." | Exclusive claim to being "Life" |
| John 4:42 | "This is indeed the Savior of the world." | Jesus' universal salvific purpose |
| 1 Jn 2:2 | "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." | His atonement's global reach |
| Rom 3:29 | "Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also?" | God's universal care |
John 6 verses
John 6 33 Meaning
John 6:33 presents Jesus as the true divine provision, contrasting Him with the perishable manna of the wilderness. It declares that the "bread of God" is a person, one who originates from heaven and uniquely bestows spiritual and eternal life upon all humanity.
John 6 33 Context
John 6:33 occurs within Jesus' "Bread of Life" discourse, initiated after He miraculously fed over five thousand people with a few loaves and fish (John 6:1-15). The crowd, impressed by this physical provision, then pursued Jesus, hoping for continued material sustenance (John 6:22-26). Jesus challenged their motives, urging them not to work for perishable food but for enduring food leading to eternal life (John 6:27). When they demanded a sign like the manna given by Moses (John 6:30-31), Jesus corrected their understanding. John 6:32 clarifies that it was not Moses, but God the Father, who provides the true bread from heaven. John 6:33 then directly identifies this "true bread of God" not as a thing, but as a person—Himself—who embodies divine sustenance and bestows spiritual life universally. This sets the stage for His profound declaration in John 6:35: "I am the bread of life."
John 6 33 Word analysis
- For: This conjunction introduces an explanation or justification, linking back to the previous statement about the "true bread from heaven" (John 6:32), now specifying who that bread is.
- the bread (Greek: ho artos, ὁ ἄρτος): The definite article "the" indicates a specific and ultimate bread, not just any bread. It immediately draws a contrast with the physical manna, presenting something of far greater significance as essential nourishment.
- of God (Greek: tou theou, τοῦ θεοῦ): Emphasizes divine origin and character. This bread is God's own gift, intimately connected to His nature and will. It is a revelation of God Himself.
- is he: Crucially shifts the metaphorical "bread" from an abstract concept or substance to a concrete, living person. This prepares the listener for Jesus' self-identification.
- who comes down (Greek: ho katabainōn, ὁ καταβαίνων): A present participle, indicating a characteristic or ongoing action. It speaks of Jesus' pre-existence and His deliberate act of incarnation—His descent from a higher realm into human history. This implies His divine origin.
- from heaven (Greek: ek tou ouranou, ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ): Pinpoints the specific source of Jesus' origin, asserting His transcendent nature. He is not merely human, but came from the celestial abode, carrying divine authority and nature.
- and gives life (Greek: kai zōopoiei, καὶ ζωοποιεῖ): The verb "gives life" (zōopoiei) means "to make alive" or "to quicken." This refers not to physical preservation, but to imparting spiritual vitality, resurrection, and eternal existence, addressing the ultimate human condition of spiritual death.
- to the world (Greek: tō kosmō, τῷ κόσμῳ): Specifies the universal recipient. The provision of this divine "bread" and life is not limited to Israel but is offered to all humanity, signifying God's redemptive love and mission to save people from every nation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For the bread of God": This opening phrase establishes the theme: the divine provision that truly nourishes and fulfills. It points to a unique sustenance given by God Himself, distinguishing it from all other forms of sustenance.
- "is he who comes down from heaven": This powerful assertion identifies the "bread of God" as a distinct person—Jesus Christ—whose very being and origin are heavenly. This phrase highlights His pre-existence, divine nature, and intentional act of incarnation.
- "and gives life to the world": This specifies the profound effect and universal scope of Jesus as the bread of God. It underlines His mission to bestow not merely physical preservation but eternal, spiritual life upon all people, irrespective of their background, showcasing the vastness of God's redemptive plan.
John 6 33 Bonus section
- This verse acts as the logical stepping stone that enables Jesus' powerful "I Am" declaration as the "Bread of Life" in John 6:35, deepening His self-revelation.
- The deliberate choice of the Greek verb zōopoiei (gives life, makes alive) suggests a divine power to quicken that which is spiritually dead, foreshadowing regeneration and new birth in Christ.
- In Old Testament thought, divine wisdom was sometimes personified as descending from heaven (e.g., Proverbs 8, Sirach 24). Jesus' claim to be "the bread who comes down from heaven" positions Him as the ultimate fulfillment and embodiment of divine Wisdom, bringing true sustenance and life.
John 6 33 Commentary
John 6:33 stands as a pivotal clarification in Jesus' discourse, dismantling the crowd's temporal expectations and reorienting them toward spiritual truth. Jesus clearly identifies Himself as the "bread of God," an immediate and profound contrast to the manna in the wilderness. The essential nature of this bread is not just its divine origin ("of God," "from heaven"), but its active function: it "gives life." This "life" is fundamentally spiritual and eternal, transcending mere physical existence. By specifying that He "comes down from heaven," Jesus declares His unique pre-existence and divine identity as the Incarnate Son. Furthermore, the provision is for "the world," broadening salvation's scope beyond ethnic Israel to encompass all humanity, highlighting God's boundless love and universal invitation to receive eternal life through His Son. This verse serves as a concise encapsulation of the Gospel: God's ultimate provision for a perishing world is a living person, Jesus, who offers spiritual and eternal life.