The blessed and the Son of Man in Luke 6:20-23 and in John 6**

Abstract

Jesus’ speech in the Synagogue of Capernaum (John 6:26-59), presents a similar topic to the one conveyed by Luke’s and Matthew’s Beatitudes. The speech on the «bread of life» in Capernaum may develop the meaning of the second beatitude of Luke’s Gospel – namely the biblical equivalence between food and the Word of God. The long speech specifies that Jesus is the «bread of life», which satisfies hunger and thirst for the Word of God. In a further stage of John 6 traditions, and possibly after a fourth beatitude had been added to the list of Luke, the «Son of Man» has been interpreted in the traditions of John 6 with a reference to Dan 7:13 in order to explain the future aspects of the Word of God. By referring to this biblical figure, the Beatitudes of Luke and John 6 explain the future aspects of the Word of God and of Jesus’ relationship to the Word of God. The «Son of Man» in John 6 and in Luke’s Beatitudes referred, at one point, to the same biblical character, who is different from other presentations of the Son of Man during the first century C.E. and who is different from another presentation and from a later presentation of the «Son of Man» in John’s Gospel. An early tradition of the Gospel of John had identified the characteristics of the «Son of Man» and his relationship to the «heavenly bread» and to Wisdom, with Jesus’ unique relationship and identification with the Word of God. Before orienting «eternal life» to the future, with the interpretation of the «Son of Man» in relationship to Dan 7:13, Jesus in the fourth Gospel had identified himself with the Word of God. Declaring his identification with the «bread of life», presenting himself as «living bread», and offering «eternal life» with his flesh and blood that are this bread, Jesus in John 6 promises to the believers the sharing of his unique relationship with the Word of God and with the Father. Also, this is the meaning of the rewards promised to the blessed of the Gospel Beatitudes, with a reference to future aspects of the Word of God, after a fourth beatitude had been added to the original list, and the «Son of Man» had been introduced in this beatitude.