JESUS’ HARD SAYINGS - INTRODUCTION

Please read John 6:41-66

In John chapter 6, Jesus says, “ I am the bread of life”(John 6:35, 6:48), and “I am the living bread that came down from heaven”(John 6:51). He says this to the people following him, the same people fed miraculously by the multiplying of five loaves and two fish. To these people seeking more earthly food (John 6:26), Jesus teaches that He is the heavenly food from God. In John 4, Jesus taught the Samaritan woman that He is the one who provides living water (John 4:10). Now He says He is the living bread and this bread is His flesh (John 6:33, 6:51). 

How do the Jews react? First, they grumble (John 6:41) and then they argue among themselves (John 6:52). They do not understand that this bread given by God comes with the death of Jesus and I doubt that they understand that the sacrifice of His flesh would give life to the world.  This is what John the Baptist prophesied (John 1:29) but the people do not understand. Not only do they not understand, they are offended. They are offended because they cannot grasp the spiritual truth that Jesus is teaching. Their limited minds can only think about cannibalism, and they cannot understand that He is the lamb to be sacrificed by God for the sins of mankind. The Jews, in their consternation, can only think about the laws forbidding the eating of the flesh with its blood (Genesis 9:4; Deuteronomy 12:23).

While Jesus’ words caused the Jews to grumble and argue, many of his disciples are offended. They have been following Jesus and this must have been the first time that Jesus says these words. What is their reaction to Jesus’ new teaching?  They walk away from Jesus saying “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”(John 6:60)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there are other words/teachings of Jesus that sound or read as harsh or “hard sayings”.  My goal is, beginning next Thursday, to post every Thursday these “Hard Sayings” (John 6:60) of Jesus. Please pray that God will equip me to be faithful coming to His Word, the topic and posts. Also either next Tuesday or the following Tuesday I will post on a different topic. So beginning next week or beginning May I will be posting regularly every Tuesday (topic to be decided) and Thursday (Hard Sayings of Jesus).

Dear Jesus, open my heart and my mind to truly understand your words and your teachings. Bless me through God the Holy Spirit to learn your words (John 6:45; Deuteronomy 32:2), and practice them and teach others (Matthew 5:19; 2 Timothy 3:16).  Amen.