6:57a

Just as the living Father sent Me: This clause is the basis for the truth of the clause in 6:57b. Jesus said that God the Father is the one who sent him. In some languages it may be necessary to say from where and to where God sent him. For example:

sent me ⌊from heaven to earth⌋

Just as: The phrase Just as introduces the first part of a comparison. The word Just here means “exactly.”

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

As (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
In the same way that…

the living Father: This phrase indicates that God the Father is alive and is the source of life for all. This is the only time this phrase is used in the Bible. However, in Matthew 16:16, Peter referred to Jesus as “the son of the living God.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Father who has life (God’s Word)
-or-
My Father God who sent me, he is the true source of life

6:57b

I live because of the Father: In this clause, Jesus indicated that God the Father was his source of life.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

I get life from ⌊my⌋ Father ⌊God⌋

General Comment on 6:57a–b

Here are other ways to translate these clauses:

The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. (Good News Translation)
-or-
The living Father sent me, and I have life because of him. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I live because of the living Father who sent me (New Living Translation (2004))

6:57c

so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me: This is the second part of the comparison that began in 6:57a (just as…so). It compares the way a person lives because of Jesus to the way Jesus lives because of God the Father.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me. (GNB)

General Comment on 6:57a–c

In the Greek text, as in the Berean Standard Bible, 6:57a–c forms one long sentence. In some languages it may be more natural to break this up into two sentences. For example:

The living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me. (New Century Version)
-or-
The living Father sent me, and he causes me to live. Now I will cause anyone who eats my flesh to live.

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