John 6:42

KJV

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} they said {G3004}, Is {G2076} not {G3756} this {G3778} Jesus {G2424}, the son {G5207} of Joseph {G2501}, whose {G3739} father {G3962} and {G2532} mother {G3384} we {G2249} know {G1492}? how is it {G4459} then {G3767} that he {G3778} saith {G3004},{G3754} I came down {G2597} from {G1537} heaven {G3772}?

Complete Jewish Bible

They said, “Isn’t this Yeshua Ben-Yosef? We know his father and mother! How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Berean Standard Bible

They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’”

American Standard Version

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
John 6:42 captures the incredulous reaction of the Jewish crowd to Jesus' assertion of divine origin, highlighting the profound tension between their earthly perception of His human lineage and His claim to have "came down from heaven." This verse forms a pivotal moment in the "Bread of Life" discourse, revealing the spiritual blindness of those who could not reconcile Jesus' known earthly parents with His pre-existent, heavenly identity, thereby challenging their understanding of Messiahship and divine revelation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within Jesus' extended "Bread of Life" discourse in Capernaum, immediately following the miraculous feeding of the five thousand and His subsequent walking on water. The crowd, having been fed physically, pursued Jesus, seeking more material provision. Jesus, however, attempts to elevate their understanding from perishable food to Himself as the true spiritual bread that gives eternal life, as declared in [John 6:35](/john/6-35 "Jesus declares Himself the Bread of Life"). He repeatedly emphasizes His divine source, stating, "I came down from heaven" in [John 6:38](/john/6-38 "Jesus states His purpose in coming down from heaven") and [John 6:41](/john/6-41 "The Jews murmur about Jesus' claim to come from heaven"). The crowd's murmuring in verse 42 is a direct response to these claims, revealing their deep-seated skepticism rooted in their familiarity with His perceived human origins. This sets the stage for Jesus' further, more challenging teachings on eating His flesh and drinking His blood, which will lead many to abandon Him.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** First-century Jewish society placed significant emphasis on lineage and earthly origins. For the crowd in Capernaum, Jesus was known as "the son of Joseph" (a carpenter from Nazareth), and His mother, Mary, was also well-known. This familial familiarity made His claims of heavenly descent seem blasphemous or absurd in their eyes. Their understanding of the Messiah was often tied to an earthly, Davidic king, not a pre-existent divine being who "came down from heaven." The concept of a divine figure descending from the heavenly realm was not entirely foreign (e.g., angels, divine messengers), but for a human being known to them to make such a claim was deeply challenging to their monotheistic framework and their expectations for the Messiah. Their question, "how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" reflects this cultural and theological dissonance.
* **Key Themes:** John 6:42 contributes to several overarching themes in the Gospel of John. Firstly, it highlights the **conflict between divine revelation and human perception**. The crowd's earthly understanding of Jesus' parentage clashes dramatically with His heavenly claims, illustrating the human tendency to rely on empirical evidence over spiritual truth. Secondly, it underscores the theme of **faith and unbelief**. Their murmuring and questioning demonstrate a profound lack of faith, as they stumble over the apparent contradiction, unable to see beyond the physical. This foreshadows the broader rejection of Jesus by many Jewish leaders and people throughout the Gospel, as seen in passages like [John 12:37](/john/12-37 "Despite many signs, they did not believe in Him"). Lastly, the verse reinforces Jesus' **unique identity and authority**. Despite the crowd's skepticism, Jesus' repeated assertion of having "came down from heaven" (e.g., [John 3:13](/john/3-13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who descended from heaven")) is central to His self-revelation as the Son of God, not merely a prophet or a teacher.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **know (Greek, _eídō'_):** This verb, used in the perfect tense, signifies a state of knowing or being aware, implying a settled understanding or recognition. The crowd asserts their knowledge of Jesus' parents ("whose father and mother we know"), indicating a perceived comprehensive understanding of His earthly origins. This "knowing" is limited to the physical and temporal, contrasting sharply with the spiritual and eternal knowledge required to comprehend Jesus' true identity. Their earthly knowledge becomes a barrier to divine truth.
* **came down (Greek, _katabaínō'_):** This verb literally means "to descend" or "to come down" from a higher place. When Jesus uses it in relation to "heaven," it is not a mere metaphor but a profound declaration of His pre-existence and His actual movement from the divine realm to the earthly one. The crowd's incredulity ("how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?") reveals their inability to grasp this literal, ontological descent, reducing it to an absurd claim given their perception of His human birth.
* **heaven (Greek, _ouranós'_):** This term refers to the sky, but more profoundly, to the abode of God, the spiritual realm. When Jesus claims to have come "from heaven," He is asserting His divine origin, His pre-existence with the Father, and His unique status as the one sent from God's own presence. The crowd's focus on His earthly parents demonstrates their failure to comprehend the true significance of "heaven" as Jesus uses it – not just a place, but the source of His divine nature and authority.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?"**: This opening clause captures the crowd's immediate, collective, and incredulous reaction. Their question is rhetorical, expecting a "yes" answer, implying a common, shared knowledge of Jesus' human family. Their emphasis on "Joseph" and "whose father and mother we know" underscores their reliance on observable, earthly facts. They are essentially saying, "We know His family; He's just a man like us." This highlights their limited, human-centric perspective, which prevents them from accepting any claims of divine origin that contradict their empirical understanding.
* **"how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?"**: This second clause expresses their profound bewilderment and disbelief. The "how is it then" (Greek: _pōs oûn_) conveys a sense of impossibility or logical contradiction from their viewpoint. They cannot reconcile Jesus' known human parentage with His audacious claim of having descended from the divine realm. This question is not one of genuine inquiry seeking understanding, but rather an expression of skeptical rejection, revealing their spiritual inability to perceive the supernatural truth of Jesus' identity.

#### Literary Devices
John 6:42 employs several significant literary devices. The most prominent is **Irony**, specifically **Dramatic Irony**. The crowd believes they "know" Jesus' origins, asserting their earthly understanding, while the reader (and Jesus Himself) knows the profound truth of His divine pre-existence. Their confident assertion of knowledge ("whose father and mother we know") stands in stark contrast to their spiritual ignorance, creating a powerful sense of irony. Another device is **Rhetorical Question**, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" and "how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" These are not genuine questions seeking information but rather expressions of disbelief and challenge, designed to highlight the perceived absurdity of Jesus' claims from their limited perspective. Finally, there is **Contrast** between the earthly (Joseph, father, mother, human knowledge) and the heavenly (came down from heaven, divine origin), which is central to the tension of the passage and the crowd's struggle to comprehend Jesus' true nature.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
John 6:42 powerfully illustrates the persistent human tendency to limit God to our understanding and expectations, a theme prevalent throughout biblical history. The crowd's inability to reconcile Jesus' human appearance with His divine claims mirrors Israel's struggle to recognize God's Messiah in a form contrary to their preconceived notions of a conquering king. This verse underscores the foundational Christian doctrine of the Incarnation – the mystery of God becoming fully human while remaining fully divine. It challenges us to move beyond superficial appearances and human logic to embrace the profound truths of God's revelation, particularly concerning the unique identity of Jesus Christ as both the Son of Man and the Son of God, who truly descended from the Father's presence.

* [Matthew 13:54-57](/matthew/13-54-57 "Jesus rejected in Nazareth")
* [Luke 4:22](/luke/4-22 "The people of Nazareth marvel at Jesus' words")
* [John 1:14](/john/1-14 "The Word became flesh")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
John 6:42 serves as a timeless mirror, reflecting our own potential struggles with faith when divine truth challenges our earthly logic or preconceived notions. Just as the crowd stumbled over Jesus' known human origins, we too can find ourselves resistant to spiritual realities that defy our rational understanding or personal expectations. This verse calls us to a deeper humility, acknowledging that God's ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than our own ([Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts")). It challenges us to examine the "Josephs" in our own lives – the familiar, the tangible, the logical – that might prevent us from fully embracing the miraculous, the divine, and the paradoxical truths of the Gospel. True faith often requires us to transcend what we "know" empirically and trust in what God reveals supernaturally. To truly follow Christ, we must move beyond a superficial understanding of Him as merely a historical figure or a good teacher, and embrace Him as the pre-existent Son of God who descended from heaven for our salvation.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life or understanding of God do I tend to rely more on human logic and what I "know" than on divine revelation?**
* **How might my preconceived notions about how God should act or who Jesus should be hindering my faith or spiritual growth?**
* **What does it mean for me, personally, that Jesus truly "came down from heaven," and how should this profound truth impact my worship and daily living?**

### FAQ

**Why was it so difficult for the crowd to believe Jesus came from heaven?**

Answer: The crowd's difficulty stemmed primarily from their familiarity with Jesus' human family and their limited understanding of the Messiah. They knew His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, and saw Him as a man from Nazareth. Their cultural and theological framework expected a Messiah who would be a human king from the line of David, not a pre-existent divine being. Jesus' claim to have "came down from heaven" directly contradicted their empirical knowledge and their traditional expectations, making it seem illogical, even blasphemous, from their perspective. They were focused on His physical origins, unable to grasp His spiritual and divine nature, as highlighted throughout [John 6](/john/6 "The Bread of Life Discourse").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
John 6:42, though a moment of human skepticism, powerfully sets the stage for the Christ-centered fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The crowd's incredulity regarding Jesus' heavenly origin underscores the profound truth of the Incarnation – that the eternal Son of God, who truly "came down from heaven," willingly took on human flesh to dwell among us ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "The Word became flesh")). Their question, "how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?", points to the very mystery that is central to our salvation. Jesus' descent from heaven was not a mere claim, but the necessary act of condescension by which God's love was fully manifested. He came not as an earthly king, but as the divine Lamb of God, sent by the Father to accomplish redemption ([John 3:16](/john/3-16 "For God so loved the world")). His heavenly origin guarantees His authority, His unique relationship with the Father, and the efficacy of His atoning work. He is the true bread "which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die" ([John 6:50](/john/6-50 "Jesus is the true bread from heaven")), offering eternal life to all who believe in His divine person and saving work. This divine descent culminates in His ascension back to the Father, having completed His mission, confirming His heavenly authority and preparing a place for those who believe ([John 14:2-3](/john/14-2-3 "Jesus promises to prepare a place for His disciples")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Luke 4:22

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

Mark 6:3

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Matthew 13:55

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Matthew 13:56

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this [man] all these things?

John 7:27

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

John 7:28

Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

Romans 1:3

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;