Now Claud you know that manna was a type of Christ :>) But THEY did not know that...
So when He spoke He spoke to those that would understand..those He intended to understand.
Oh I totally agree! They couldn't possibly have understood what he was talking about. And in fact, at the end of this whole controversy, Christ turns and asks Peter.."Do you wish also to go away" and Peter (I love this part) *doesn't* say "No way Lord, we understand you perfectly!!"..he kinda avoids that whole issue..."Lord, to whom shall we go?" Even Peter didn't get it! But he had faith in Christ, even if he lacked understanding at the moment.
But Christ said it anyway, because he knew it would stick in their minds and then at the Last Supper (and fully at Pentecost) only THEN did it become clear to the Apostles what Christ meant way back when he talked about being the Bread of Life.
Agreed, but it could not all be understood even by his disciples before the Resurrection, e.g. "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again." Some of what he said were "seeds" that would only fully germinate with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Jesus intended for everyone to understand, but He knew that everyone would not understand because He is God and knows all.
To suggest that he was speaking with a hidden meaning that only a "few" would understand ON PURPOSE is ridiculous: the whole purpose of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was to SAVE MANKIND. God wants EVERYONE in Heaven with Him; He knows not everyone will go to Heaven because of sin without repentance; but EVERYONE has the HOPE of salvation -- Jesus Christ died for our sins and our salvation so that we might go to Heaven. If we reject Him we reject God; in that rejection we reject the gift of salvation, the gift God freely offered TO ALL.
God bless.