Does This Offend You?

John 6:22–59 NKJV

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

John 6:60–69 NKJV

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 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 would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Everyone is OFFENDED!

Everyone is getting their FEELINGS hurt.

Being UNOFFENSIVE has become a virtue.

Tolerance was formerly making room for others to have a differing opinion.

The “new” tolerance demands that others agree and embrace their opinion.

Jesus is Exclusive

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

People have tried to make Jesus inclusive of differing political views, opinions, moral standards, and religions.

People want a Jesus that will tell them what they like to hear and give them what they want.

People want what Jesus offers but they do not want what Jesus demands.

Jesus claimed to have come down from heaven. (verse 38)

Jesus claimed to be sent from the Father in heaven. (verse 32)

Jesus claimed to be the Bread of God. (verse 33)

Jesus claimed to give life to the world. (verse 33)

Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Life. (verse 34)

Jesus claimed that those whom the Father gave Him will come to Him. (verse 37)

Jesus claimed that those who believe in Him will have everlasting life. (verse 39)

Jesus claimed that He would raise from the dead those who believe. (verse 40)

Jesus claimed that those who are taught by the Father will come to Him. (verse 45)

Jesus claimed that He alone has seen the Father. (verse 46)

Jesus claimed to be the living Bread which came down from heaven. (verse 51)

Jesus claimed that the bread that He gives is His flesh for the life of the world. (verse 51)

Jesus claimed that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have no life in ourselves. (verses 53-54)

Jesus claimed that those who eats this Bread will live forever. (verse 58)

Jesus claimed that He will ascend to where He was before. (verse 62)

Jesus claimed that His words were spirit and life. (verse 63)

Jesus claimed that no one can come to Him unless it has been granted by His Father. (verse 66)

Does this Offend You?

Unbelievers are offended by affirming God as Creator and Designer.

Unbelievers are offended by God’s unchanging moral standards.

Unbelievers are offended by the exclusivity of Jesus Christ.

Unbelievers are offended by the absolute authority of God’s Word.

Unbelievers are offended by those who believe in Jesus and the absolute authority of God’s Word.

Unbelievers will seek out those who will say what they want to hear and give them what they want.

2 Timothy 4:1–5 NKJV

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Response to the Word