John 6 62

John 6:62 kjv

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

John 6:62 nkjv

What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?

John 6:62 niv

Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!

John 6:62 esv

Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

John 6:62 nlt

Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?

John 6 verses

John 6 62 Meaning

John 6:62 presents a profound rhetorical question from Jesus, intended to challenge His disciples' lack of spiritual understanding and faith. After many expressed offense and disbelief regarding His teaching about spiritually "eating His flesh and drinking His blood," Jesus confronts them with a truth that would be even more astonishing and validating: His future ascension back into heaven, to the very place of glory where He resided before His incarnation. This question forces them to elevate their perspective from the physical and controversial to the spiritual and divine, indicating that His physical return to His pre-existent state would be the ultimate proof of His divine origin and the true, spiritual nature of His teachings.

John 6 62 Context

John chapter 6 recounts the aftermath of Jesus feeding the five thousand and walking on water. The crowds, seeking physical provision, followed Jesus, prompting Him to deliver His seminal "Bread of Life" discourse. In this teaching, Jesus declared Himself the true bread from heaven and provocatively stated, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" (Jn 6:53). This deeply challenging statement was taken literally by many listeners, including disciples, who found it difficult to accept and interpret, calling it a "hard saying" (Jn 6:60).The historical and cultural context for Jesus' Jewish audience was crucial. The literal idea of consuming human flesh and blood was anathema, directly violating Mosaic law which forbade the consumption of blood (Lev 17:10-14). Their understanding of the Messiah was often physical and earthly, focused on deliverance from Roman rule. Jesus' words were therefore seen as blasphemous and unthinkable, causing many to grumble and question. Verse 62 follows immediately after Jesus perceived their complaints and asked if His teaching offended them (Jn 6:61). With this question, Jesus diverts their focus from the earthly scandal of His words to the spiritual proof of His identity, compelling them to consider His future, supernatural return to His pre-incarnate glory. This event would irrefutably validate His divine origin and the spiritual, rather than literal, meaning of His "flesh and blood" teaching.

John 6 62 Word analysis

• What then (τί οὖν - ti oun): This is a strong rhetorical interrogative, expressing consequence or what follows logically. It challenges the hearers to consider a more significant, more perplexing truth if His current words are already a stumbling block. It suggests an undeniable reality awaiting them.
• if you should see (ἐὰν θεωρῆτε - ean theōrēte):
  • ean (if): Introduces a third-class conditional clause, signifying a probable future event.
  • theōrēte (see, behold, observe): Implies not just physical sight but also spiritual perception, observation with understanding and discernment, looking at something significant.
• the Son of Man (τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου - ton Huiὸn tou anthrōpou): Jesus' self-designation, connecting His humanity with His divine, Messianic role and authority as seen in Daniel 7:13-14. This title grounds Him in both the human experience and heavenly glory.
• ascend (ἀναβαίνοντα - anabainonta): Refers to movement upwards, specifically Jesus' future bodily ascension into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-11). It signifies His return to a heavenly, exalted state.
• to where (ὅπου - hopou): A precise locative adverb, pointing to a specific place or realm of being.
• He was before (ἦν τὸ πρότερον - ēn to proteron):
  • ēn (was): The imperfect tense of "to be" (from eimi), indicating continuous, existing state in the past.
  • to proteron (the former place/time, previously): This phrase is a direct, unmistakable declaration of Jesus' pre-existent state of glory with God the Father before His earthly incarnation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "What then if you should see...": This challenges the listeners' limited, earthly perception. Jesus confronts their current spiritual blindness concerning His identity and words. He is asking them to imagine an even greater supernatural event, implying that if they cannot grasp the spiritual meaning of His teachings, how will they possibly comprehend an actual return to His divine origin?
• "...the Son of Man ascend...": The very one they see as a man, yet who claimed to be the Bread of Life from heaven, will undergo a transformation from His earthly, human form to a glorious, ascended state. This paradox would serve as irrefutable, visible proof of His identity and the truth of His prior descent from heaven.
• "...to where He was before?": This climactic phrase clarifies the destination and implications of the ascension. It's not just an upward movement to a heavenly place, but a return to His original, eternal dwelling and glory, underscoring His pre-existence and inherent deity. This statement provides an anchor for all His previous controversial claims, authenticating them as expressions of His divine nature, which precedes all creation (John 1:1; Colossians 1:17).

John 6 62 Bonus section

This verse also highlights a persistent theme in John's Gospel: the tension between physical sight and spiritual insight. While the ascension would be a physical event witnessed by many (Acts 1:9), only those with spiritual understanding would truly grasp its profound significance – that the humble Man who walked among them was indeed the pre-existent Son of God. For the unspiritual, it might have been just another inexplicable miracle. Jesus uses the future perfect sense implicitly (what will have become true if they see), suggesting a definitive, validating act. The fact that many indeed turned away after this discourse (John 6:66) tragically demonstrates their failure to pass this test of faith and discern the spiritual implications that Jesus presented. The rhetorical power of John 6:62 lies in its demand for a greater, enduring faith that recognizes the Lordship of Christ beyond mere earthly perceptions or benefits.

John 6 62 Commentary

John 6:62 acts as a crucial turning point, shifting the argument from the immediate "hard saying" of "eating flesh" to the ultimate validation of Jesus' identity through His future ascension. Jesus understands the depth of their confusion and challenges them to a higher, spiritual understanding. His rhetorical question doesn't explain the literal mechanics of consuming His flesh, but rather refocuses their attention on the irrefutable evidence of His divine origin and destination. If His controversial words cause such a stumble, how much more perplexing and faith-demanding would the visible reality of His return to glory be? The ascension, when it occurred, would unequivocally prove that He came from heaven and was returning to a state of being "before" His earthly life, thereby affirming all His claims about Himself as the unique Son of God and the divine source of life. This moment underscores the demand for spiritual discernment, preparing the way for Jesus to explicitly declare that "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (Jn 6:63), emphasizing that His teaching must be understood on a spiritual plane, not a literal, carnal one. The verse serves as a crucial point for His disciples to transition from superficial, material-focused belief to a deep, faith-filled grasp of His heavenly reality.