Jesus words to the Jews - Pt. II (Revised)

Hard to hear

Have you ever been told something that is hard to hear, hard to accept? Jesus continues with his teaching, focused on the Jews.

Jesus has been on a divine journey with some great divine times of teaching along the way. Recently we have looked at:

Jesus feeds the 5,000 who were obedient (6:1-15)

Jesus teaching, protecting the Disciples (6:16-21)

Jesus words to the people (6:22-40)

Jesus words to the Jews (6:41-51)

Tonight we will finish with some words to the Jews and a challenge to the disciples.

Is everything in the bible literal, or is there symbolism too?

Are there things we hear in this life that are hard to accept, much less apply?

Can you think of any hard teaching Jesus had given thus far that would be hard to hear, hard to accept?

With Nicodemus you must be born again

The teaching, words at pool of Bethesda

Jesus claiming equality with God

Jesus stating he is the bread of life

Tonight, Lord willing we will look at the following, and it is a longer section so will break down in three

Dividing words (Jn6:52-59)

Deserting words (Jn6:60-69)

Determining words (Jn6:70-71)

We will see how far we get tonight. But first, we need to go back and finish where we did not finish last week.

The True Bread from Heaven

Who likes a good illustration and teaching? Jesus is illustrating to the theologians of the day.

John 6:47–49 GNB

47 I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died.

John 6:50–51 GNB

50 But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever. The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

Jesus uses the illustration of the manna, they previously used (v.31), that he is not like the manna that He is better.

They ate the manna and still died

The bread He offers gives life, and life eternal.

No one before ever claimed believe in me and have eternal life. Jesus and Jesus alone did! For we know

Acts 4:12 NASB95

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

While physical bread is needed for physical life, spiritual bread is needed for spiritual life. Spurgeon says this:

“Every man feeds on something or other. You see, one man getting his Sunday newspaper; how he will feed on that! Another goes to frivolous amusements, and he feeds on them. Another man feeds upon his business, and upon the thought of his many cares! But all that is poor food; it is only ashes and husks, if you did not posses true spiritual life, you would know the deep necessity there is of feeding upon Christ.”

What are you feeding on? Both are needed, but are you feeding on both?

(Transition) I think I want to pause in the last few minutes and look at (v.51) again for many have taken it several ways.

John 6:51 NASB95

51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

Is Jesus speaking of the Lord’s supper (Lk22:14-23) as practiced by early church (Act2:42) and taught by Paul (1Cor11:23-26)?

Some have taken that as such and sure there could be a reference to it; but it does not convey the spiritual truths that are proclaimed, celebrated, memorialized and done in fellowship at this point.

I like the way Barclay put it, in short, don’t argue about this.

“He is saying: ‘You must stop thinking of me as a subject for theological debate; you must take me into you, and you must come into me; and they you will have real life.’”

Remember the subject at hand is to come to Him! Not remember Him. Keeping things in context is important.

The bread He is giving is His flesh, His flesh that was going to be an acceptable sacrifice on the cross for you and for me.

FF Bruce says “To give one’s flesh can scarcely mean anything other than death, and the wording here points to a death which is both voluntary(‘I will give.’) and vicarious (‘for the life of the world.’)

One more quote and we will close out for the night.

BJ Clarke:

“Jesus explained that receiving Him as bread was not receiving Him as a great moral teacher, example, or prophet. It was not receiving Him as a good or great man or noble martyr. It was receiving Him in light of of what He did on the cross, His ultimate act of love for lost humanity.”

Remember God’s greatest gift was Love, and loves gift was Jesus who gave us the open door for salvation through faith. May we remember how we came to Him and may we stay seeking Him daily.

Dividing words

Hard words do not mean hard to understand in many instances. In our passages tonight the words are hard to accept, hard to apply and they bring division.

John 6:52–53 NASB95

52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

John 6:54–55 NASB95

54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

John 6:56–57 NASB95

56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

John 6:58–59 NASB95

58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

What general observations do you make in this passage?

What can we know about the Jews view from (v.52); and who were they arguing with?

They were thinking literal eating Jesus flesh, and they were arguing with one another.

There is a warning in (v.53) and a promise in (v.54), what are they?

The warning, eat and drink this, for you have no life in yourself

The promise if you eat this you will be raised up on the last day.

The reason for the warning and the promise is found in (v.55-56), what is it?

It is true food, true drink

Eat, drink and I dwell with you and you with Me.

Why does the one who eats this bread live forever (vv.57-58)?

Because the Father sent Him, whoever eats of Him will live, for He is the bread which came down from heaven, unlike the bread their fathers ate and still died.

Where did this discussion take place (v.59)?

In the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was allowed to teach.

Let me draw a few points before moving on.

Not everything is literal, this is a great example of misunderstanding a spiritual truth because they were looking for literal application (other examples Jn2:19-21; 3:4; 4:11)

It is not that they did not understand, it is they willfully misunderstood. Jesus had already said he was going to give up his body (His flesh) for them, and they were looking for a literal king not a suffering servant.

Dodd said about the quarreling “They differed in their judgment of Him. some impatiently denounced him as insane; others suggesting that there was truth in His words.”

Some think that this section is speaking of the Lord’s supper, but it does not fit proper.

He had not shared with his true followers yet, but was going to share with unbelievers in Him?

He made is clear he is not speaking literal, he is speaking metaphorically, just like with Nicodemus and the unlikely woman.

Lenski said “bread of life is a metaphor. Bread from heaven is a metaphor. Living bread is a metaphor. Bread of God is a metaphor. It doesn’t surprise that Jesus extends the bread metaphor to His action, soon-to-come sacrifice on the cross.”

He said that the eating, drinking were mandatory, absolutely essential, so that would mean anyone who did not take communion would be out of the kingdom.

Join me and look at (v.56) again.

John 6:56 NKJV

56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

There are some really good quotes I want to bring in here.

Clarke “He lives in them, and they in Him; for they are made partakers of the Divine nature as stated in 2Pt1:4.”

Spurgeon says: “In eating and drinking, a man is not a producer, but a consumer; he is not a doer or a giver forth; he simply takes in. . . Eating is an act of reception in every case. So it is with faith; you have not to do, to be, or to feel, but only to receive.”

Nothing will satisfy our hunger or bring us life except actually eating the bread. Eat and live forever!

Deserting words

There are things that you hear that you just want to turn and away from, and these are some that many did.

John 6:60–61 NASB95

60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?

John 6:62–63 NASB95

62 “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 6:64–65 NASB95

64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

jn6:66-67

John 6:66–67 NASB95

66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”

John 6:68–69 NASB95

68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

What general observations do you make in this passage?

What did many of the disciples think of Jesus statement (v.60)?

It is difficult statement, who can listen to it.

Focus on (v.61) for a moment, in context with (v.62), what kind of stumble do you think Jesus is speaking of?

Stumble of unbelief because the saying is hard, difficult

Who gives life and what profits nothing (v.63)?

The Spirit gives life, the flesh profits nothing. His words are Spirit and life.

What has to be granted from the Father (v.65) look at (v.64) too, so to keep in context?

Belief must be granted (v.64) and that comes from the Father to believe in the Son to have eternal life.

What was the results of these hard words (v.66)?

Many of His disciples withdrew from Him.

What does Peter’s answer convey (v.68-69)?

Jesus words had eternal life

That they all believed

And they knew He was the Holy One of God

The words, the teaching are not hard to understand but are hard to accept. Many disciples (so called believers) left him. They already were stumbling in faith because Jesus claim, came down from heaven, claim equality with God. Stumbled because of eating his flesh, drinking his blood. Now He is saying ascending back into heaven. Hard things to accept, unless you believe His words have eternal life, and that He truly is the Holy One of God.

Morris said this: “The events in this chapter had made it all too clear that following Him meant something different from anything they had anticipated. Nothing is said to give us a clear idea of their views, but the probability is that they were interested in a messianic kingdom in line with the general expectation.”

I love what Wiersbe said: How, then, do we ‘eat his flesh and drink His blood?’ Through the Word. The words are spirit and life (v.63) and the word became flesh (1:14) and in Him those who believe have everlasting life (5:24).”

It is the same for us, the word brings belief and belief brings eternal life.

Peter’s confession (v.69) did make one wrong assumption, that he was speaking for all, and that all believed. And Jesus addresses that that one of them is a devil.

May we learn from Peter’s confession

Jesus is Lord

Jesus is the way, despite the difficulties

Recognize the value of spiritual things over temporal or material things.

Recognize Jesus is more than just Lord, but Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Determining words

Hard words, difficult words, not hard to understand, but hard to accept. And Jesus does not hold back.

John 6:70–71 NASB95

70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” 71 Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

Any general observation?

Who is Jesus speaking to (v.70)?

Speaking to the disciples the twelve

Who is Jesus speaking about (v.71)?

Judas the one who would betray Him.

It is important that we understand the context, who is Jesus speaking to. For it not we might think this can be about us. And it is not. Jesus specifically says He chose them, the twelve. We, the people today are not in view.

F.F. Bruce said: “One of them was a diabolos —the Greek word means a ‘slanderer’ or ‘calumniator’ a ‘false accuser’, but it is probably used her as the counterpart to the Hebrew satan, ‘adversary.’”

I think a quick couple of things before we close out tonight.

Within the 12 was a fake, a fraud, a betrayer, a slander, a false accuser. We should not think that they are not out there today, in fact John says this.

1 John 2:19 NASB95

19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

and

1 John 2:18 NASB95

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Don’t think that just because someone hangs around the church, they are the church. For a disciple will be known by their fruit.

Matthew 7:15–16 NASB95

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

Matthew 7:17–18 NASB95

17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

They come in among the church (body of believers)

Jude 4 NASB95

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

And cannot end on a negative note, So how about something positive

This has been about words tonight right?

It is the Word, the proclaiming, the sharing, the preaching of the word of God that sifts the hearts of the listeners. God draws sinners to Himself through the Word to the Savior through the power of the truth, the power of the Word. Those who receive the word willingly receive the Savior eternally and are born again of water and Spirit. They will be fed the eternal water and bread of heaven that will satisfy.

(Prayer) (Close)