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John 6:58

ESV This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
NIV This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.'
NASB This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread will live forever.'
CSB This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate--and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever."
NLT I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.'
KJV This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

What does John 6:58 mean?

Once again, Jesus uses the phrase "this is the bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:50). The emphasis on the use of "this" is crucial, since it shows that Christ's intention is to explain a symbol, not to introduce some new idea. The Bread of Life is Jesus Christ (John 6:48), and "eating" that bread means accepting Him as the One sent from God the Father (John 6:27–29).

Jesus has already made a contrast between the manna Israel was given in the wilderness (Exodus 16) and the "true bread from heaven" which God now provides (John 6:51). This, in part, was a response to a challenge from the crowd. Despite the fact that they'd already seen many miracles from Jesus (John 6:2; John 6:9–14), the crowd demanded that Jesus out-do the miraculous provision of manna as proof of His legitimacy (John 6:30–31). Jesus, in turn, has taught that this is what His role as Messiah has already done: given something more than physical food. The Bread of Life provided in Christ leads to eternal life, while the manna in the wilderness only led to temporary, physical life.
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