On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” John 6:60
Jesus had been talking to His disciples about Him being the bread of heaven. He had stated that they would need to eat His flesh and drink His blood. As Jesus was saying these things, some of the disciples started pointing out how this was a hard teaching. They could not see how anyone could accept it.
There are many people who will believe just about anything that is told to them. They will believe that they just won a million dollars and can claim it, if they just send in some money to cover the claim costs.
However, while some people can and will believe just about anything, not everyone will. When these people hear something, if it is too good to be true, they won’t believe it. If it is something that is too difficult or impossible, they won’t believe it.
Talking about eating flesh and drinking blood is something that is very difficult for most people to accept or understand. Yet, Jesus was not talking about physical eating and drinking, but a spiritual sense of eating and drinking.
Using eyes and ears of this world will cause a person to hear and see only the physical side of things, not the spiritual. Hearing and seeing physically will cause many things that God has to say very difficult to understand or accept.
God is spirit and works and speaks in the spiritual realm. Some of the words have to be seen that way, or one cannot accept them. Believers are expected to walk by faith, not by sight. They are to trust the teachings of Jesus and use His Holy Spirit to understand them correctly.
As you read the Bible you will come across teachings of Jesus that go against the main thoughts of people today. They are difficult to accept.
There will also be times when God asks something of you that is difficult to accept. It will go against the main thoughts of people today.
In either case, you must be willing to accept them. Seek God to help you understand and trust His words. The cross was very offensive, yet it was the very thing that brought you life.
Will you allow yourself to be offended at the words of Jesus and not believe?
Or will you accept His words?
I pray today that you will know the words of God for you; that God will help you understand His words; that you will be guided by His Holy Spirit in understanding; and that you will accept all of God’s word.
Tom,
Consider this. When his disciples do not understand him, Jesus reprimands them and lets them know about it (seven times – Mark 8:14-21).
In John 6:66, Jesus’ disciples leave him and he does not either reprimand or correct them because they understand what he is saying and still do not believe, as do the apostles understand, but Peter believes, though he does not understand. Here is Mark 8:14-21 together with some comments.
Mark 8:
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15* And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” *
16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.”
17* And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “(1) Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? (2) Do you not yet perceive or understand? (3) Are your hearts hardened?
18 (4) Having eyes do you not see, (5) and having ears do you not hear? (6) And do you not remember?
19* When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.”
20* “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.”
21 And he said to them, “(7) Do you not yet understand?”
Here Jesus references the miracles of the loaves and reprimands his disciples seven times on their lack of understanding, an allusion to the bread of life discourse is clear (there Jesus repeats his teaching on the bread of life seven times), and the 7 reproaches match his repeating his teaching in John 6 seven times.
It is true that Jesus does reprimand them at times for not understanding. I believe He was not being very harsh on the reprimand, but was striving to reach their heart. We must strive to believe and understand what God is saying to us, though we may not always understand, we can always believe.
God is working to get us to both believe and understand everything He says and does. It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can fully understand, but it is with the heart we believe.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Tom,
I have an article on repetition of Jesus’ teaching in John 6 (and James 2) in my blog. Do have a read and let me have your comments.
I will read it. Thank you for reading. Have a blessed day.