The Hard Sayings of Jesus

Introduction

Jesus is the Master Teacher. He was a Prophet of God who spoke the truth and pointed people to God!

Jesus’ teachings are centered around love for God and love for neighbor. He preached about the kingdom of God and the establishment of justice and righteousness.

And many people listened to Jesus. Great crowds followed Him. Zaccheus climbed into a tree to see Jesus. Jesus fed 5,000 men on one occasion. At another time, he fed 4,000 people. Jesus was immensely popular in a time without newspapers, television, or Facebook.

Nevertheless, people did not always stay with Jesus. Some quit following Him because Jesus taught some things that were more challenging, hard, and difficult - John 6:59-60

Have you ever wondered what makes Jesus a hard and difficult teacher?

Jesus’ Teachings Are Hard When We Have Misconceptions About Jesus

After Jesus fed the 5000, people began to realize Jesus was a Prophet - John 6:14

Then they wanted to make Jesus their King - John 6:15

The people had been anticipating an earthly king, but Jesus never came to be an earthly king over an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.

These people allowed their misconceptions about the kingdom and the king to affect their understanding of Jesus and His mission.

People still make this mistake today:

The social gospel and thinking Jesus came to bring social, political, and economic reform.

People want Jesus to be about encouragement, but we don’t want a Jesus who offers rebuke and gets angry

People want Jesus to be about salvation, but requires nothing from us (commitment and discipleship)

People want Jesus to be about love, but we don’t want His teachings about eternal punishment in hell

Jesus is a Savior who offers encouragement, love, and salvation, but He also rebukes those who are in error.

Jesus requires personal commitment, devotion, and discipleship from those who follow Him.

Jesus teaches about salvation and the love of God, but warns of eternal punishment for people who choose to remain in wickedness and sin.

Jesus’ Teachings Are Hard When We Interpret Everything Literally and Physically

Jesus taught that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood - John 6:52-56

The Jews thought this was repulsive because they assumed Jesus was supporting cannibalism and drinking blood.

Both of those practices were common among pagan worshipers, but strongly condemned by the Old Testament.

There are some things in the Bible that just will not make sense if we read everything in strict literal and physical terms:

Kingdom = premillennialists assume the kingdom to be a physical kingdom

Body = full preterists (AD 70 doctrine) assume “body” always refers to the church

Yet, Jesus indicates that He is not speaking in strict literal terms. He speaking about these concepts in a spiritual and figurative way - John 6:63

“…the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” - John 6:63

Paul uses figures of speech in his writings to convey spiritual principles - 1 Corinthians 4:6

The flesh and blood of Jesus are a metaphor for fellowship and participating in life with Christ and God!

Jesus says “I am the bread that came down out of heaven” - John 6:41

This is a metaphor, reminding people of God’s provision of nourishment in the wilderness - John 6:48-49

The manna only cared for physical nourishment, but Jesus provides spiritual nourishment.

Just as He provided living water with the Samaritan woman at the well - John 4:10, 14

In a similar way, as with bread or with water, you eat or drink and consume them, so we ought to be with Jesus.

Jesus provides us with the nourishment that we need.

Jesus is teaching us that we must listen to Him and HIs teachings because they are the key to eternal life - John 6:68

Jesus’ Teachings Are Hard When We Grumble and Complain

Jesus’ disciples said that His teachings were difficult and hard - John 6:60

Then, the text reads that Jesus was aware of their grumbling and complaining - John 6:61

The complaining should remind us of the children of Israel in the wilderness.

Jesus had already compared Himself to the manna that God gave - cf. John 6:49

The children of Israel had been ungrateful for God’s provision and sustenance - cf. Numbers 11:4-6

Israel shows us the path of grumbling and complaining:

COMPLAINTS TO THE ONE WHO THEY PERCEIVED TO BE IN CHARGE: Israel went to Moses to complain, even though it was God that was the one who was the provider.

Most often, people who complain do not go directly to the one who is responsible. They go to the one they perceive to be in charge or the one they wish to manipulate.

GREED, NOT NEED: Israel wanted something different than what God was providing. They were thinking about what they wanted, not what they needed.

RUDE, NOT GRACE: They were ungrateful for what was given to them — beggars cannot be choosers. God provided for them every single day, but this was how they showed their appreciation for the Lord. God gave them food. This was a demonstration of HIs grace and love, but they showed not appreciation for it.

DECEIVED, NOT TRUTHFUL: They built up a false narrative of how wonderful things were back in Egypt. In Egypt, they were slaves.

DISDAIN, NOT APPRECIATION: They had disdain at “nothing but this manna”

The teaching of Christ shows us the way unto God - John 6:44-45, 68

But due to their grumbling and complaining, they were going to miss it and turn away - John 6:61, 64, 66

Bickering and complaining will harden your heart and it will cause you to turn away from following Christ - cf. Philippians 2:14

Complaining does not come from God. It comes from Satan. The Israelites were destroyed by “the destroyer” - 1 Corinthians 10:10, 12

Jesus’ Teachings Are Hard When We Do Not Believe

In John 6, Jesus is teaching: a) He is from God; b) He is the source of eternal life; c) we must believe in Jesus if we will have eternal life.

But the ones who were objecting to Jesus because of the “hard” and difficult statements He made, objected because they did not believe His words - John 6:64

Peter and the faithful believe Jesus and His words - John 6:69

Faith is necessary if we will believe in God and Christ - John 6:47

Faith does not mean we are gullible and just accept everything blindly. True faith is built upon evidence that God exists and that we must carefully and faithfully seek Him.

If we look at Jesus’ words without conviction and trust, then we are doomed from the start.

Why were Jesus’ teaching hard? Bottom line: the people did not believe in Jesus.

People today still resist Jesus’ teachings because they find them “hard,” ultimately because they do not believe.

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved...” - Mark 16:16

“I am the way, the truth, and the life...” - John 14:6

Conclusion

Jesus has some hard and difficult teachings that we have to consider and think about. But just because they are hard does not mean they are impossible for us to obey.

We must set aside some of the weeds that are growing in our hearts if we want to listen to Jesus and allow faith to grow in our lives.

Following Jesus is met with some challenges. But owning up to those challenges is totally and completely worth it.

Follow Him, no matter how difficult it might be.