6:59. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
6:60. These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
6:61. Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?
6:62. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
6:63. If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
If then you shall see, etc... Christ by mentioning his ascension, by this instance of his power and divinity, would confirm the truth of what he had before a.s.serted; and at the same time correct their gross apprehension of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, in a vulgar and carnal manner, by letting them know he should take his whole body living with him to heaven; and consequently not suffer it to be as they supposed, divided, mangled, and consumed upon earth.
6:64. It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The flesh profiteth nothing... Dead flesh separated from the spirit, in the gross manner they supposed they were to eat his flesh, would profit nothing. Neither doth man"s flesh, that is to say, man"s natural and carnal apprehension, (which refuses to be subject to the spirit, and words of Christ,) profit any thing. But it would be the height of blasphemy, to say the living flesh of Christ (which we receive in the blessed sacarament, with his spirit, that is, with his soul and divinity) profiteth nothing. For if Christ"s flesh had profitedus nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in us nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in the flesh for us.
Are spirit and life... By proposing to you a heavenly sacrament, in which you shall receive, in a wonderful manner, spirit, grace, and life, in its very fountain.
6:65. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him.
6:66. And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
6:67. After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
6:68. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
6:69. And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
6:70. And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of G.o.d.
6:71. Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil.
6:72. Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve.
John Chapter 7
Christ goes up to the feast of the tabernacles. He teaches in the temple.
7:1. After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.
7:2. Now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at hand.
7:3. And his brethren said to, him: Pa.s.s from hence and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see thy works which thou dost.
7:4. For there is no man that doth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, manifest thyself to the world.
7:5. For neither did his brethren believe in him.
7:6. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready.
7:7. The world cannot hate you: but me it hateth, because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil,
7:8. Go you up to this festival day: but I go not up to this festival day, because my time is not accomplished.
7:9. When he had said these things, he himself stayed in Galilee.
7:10. But after his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but, as it were, in secret.
7:11. The Jews therefore sought him on the festival day and said: Where is he?
7:12. And there was much murmuring among the mult.i.tude concerning him.
For some said: He is a good man. And others said: No, but he seduceth the people.
7:13. Yet no man spoke openly of him, for fear of the Jews.
7:14. Now, about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
7:15. And the Jews wondered, saying: How doth this man know letters, having never learned?
7:16. Jesus answered them and said: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
7:17. If any man will do the will of him, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of G.o.d, or whether I speak of myself.
7:18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true and there is no injustice in him.
7:19. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?
7:20. Why seek you to kill me? The mult.i.tude answered and said: Thou hast a devil. Who seeketh to kill thee?
7:21. Jesus answered and said to them: One work I have done: and you all wonder.
7:22. Therefore, Moses gave you circ.u.mcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers): and on the sabbath day you circ.u.mcise a man.
7:23. If a man receive circ.u.mcision on the sabbath day, that the law of Moses may not be broken: are you angry at me, because I have healed the whole man on the sabbath day?
7:24. Judge not according to the appearance: but judge just judgment.
7:25. Some therefore of Jerusalem said: Is not this he whom they seek to kill?
7:26. And behold, he speaketh openly: and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth that this is the Christ?
7:27. But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth, whence he is.
7:28. Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: You both know me, and you know whence I am. And I am not come of myself: but he that sent me is true, whom you know not.
7:29. I know him, because I am from him: and he hath sent me.
7:30. They sought therefore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
7:31. But of the people many believed in him and said: When the Christ cometh, shall he do more miracles than this man doth?