The Words of Eternal Life

John 6:60-66 Many of his disciples heard this and said, “ This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to this?” Without being told, Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling about this: so he said to them, “Does this make you want to give up? Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before? What gives life is God’s Spirit; man’s power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life. Yet some of you do not believe.” (Jesus knew from the very beginning who were the ones that would not believe, and which one would betray him.) And he added, “ This is the very reason I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father makes it possible for him to do so.” Because of this, many of his followers turned back and would not go with him anymore.

Comments: When it came to eating and drinking his flesh and blood. They could not comprehend or understand what he was talking about. This is where it takes a little faith sometimes in order to last long enough to see the reason or meaning of things. Christ now points forward to a greater marvel than the one that now staggered them, the Ascension of the Son of Man. Verse 63’s meaning should be understood as this: I shall ascend to heaven so that my body cannot be literally eaten; the flesh literally profits nothing. It is the spirit that makes alive. The spirits of men must feed upon me by faith, that they may be made alive. My words are spirit and life. He who feeds upon them will be made alive. Because of this teaching and the fact that many did not understand the spiritual concept but took it literally as eating human flesh and drinking human blood. They stumbled over the remarkable declaration of this chapter. They had no genuine faith.

John 6:67-71 So Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “And you would you like to leave also?” Simon Peter answered him, “ Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One from God.” Jesus answered them, “ Did I not choose the twelve of you? Yet one of you is a devil!” He was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For Judas, even though he was one of the twelve disciples, was going to betray him.

Comments: Peter confesses “To whom shall we go?” If we should turn from Christ, to whom should we go? Peters confession here is of the same purport as that at Caesarea Philippi. Then the Lord declares one of you is a devil are a demon, in the original: diabolical, or under the influence of the evil one.

Notice: In his remarkable discourse the progressive thought:

(1) In verse 33 the Lord announces the Bread of God that giveth life to the world.

(2) In verse 48,50 he declares that he is that Bread of Life.

(3) Verses 51, 56 show that the Bread of Life must be eaten by partaking of his flesh and blood.

(4) Verse 63 shows that this is done spiritually, by the spirit feeding upon his life and words.