He had been “the Word” of God up in heaven, but, at God’s due time, he “became flesh.” (John 1:14) Thus as a perfect fleshly Son of God he was “the living bread that came down from heaven,” the antitypical manna. His flesh, which served as symbolic manna for the spiritual Israelites,b also serves “in behalf of the life of the world.” (John 6:51)