The episode of the cleansing of the Temple -- as found in the Synoptics -- appears as one of the first things Jesus does upon his entrance into Jerusalem. Matthew and Luke, following Mark present the cleansing as the beginning of the end of the Jerusalem which in 70 AD will be utterly destroyed by the Romans (click on the image above for the Synoptic version of the episode). Jesus, the Son of Man, has come to bring judgment upon the leaders of Judaism and the Temple, symbol of a religious piety that has been emptied of its true meaning. In John's gospel, the evangelist transposes the episode at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, in the Book of Signs. Here, the disciples' mention of the resurrection (v. 22) connects the episode to Jesus' Hour and his glorification.

John 6:37-40 is part of what Raymond Brown calls the sapiential theme of the Bread of Life discourse. This part goes from verse 35-50. 1

John 6:35-50 can be outlined as follows:

• v. 35. Jesus' declaration: I am the Bread of Life
• v. 36. The observation that though the Jews see him, they still do not believe Him
• vv.37-40. [Our selection]
• vv. 41-42 The murmurring of the Jews (a theme that will recur throughout the Bread of Life discourse)
• vv. 43-47. "No one comes to me unless the Father draws him." (continues vv. 37-40)
• vv. 48-50. Second declaration: "I am the Bread of Life" 2.

1. 1. See Raymond Brown's Commentary for the Anchor Bible or his "The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary, p. 45"
2. 2. I have written an article on John 6:45-51

John 3:13-17 is a part of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus and is one of the texts that proclaim the relationship of between Christian faith, eternal life and the significance of the Cross to both. Below is an illustration of the text as it appears in the Revised Standard Version. Click on it for a larger view.