This text was during the time of the Lord’s popularity. Multitudes of people followed Him and were blessed by His miracles and healings. As Jesus began revealing Who He really was, many of the people could not understand what He was saying.
John 6:60–71 NKJVTherefore 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.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Jesus wanted to know if His disciples would also go away. As the people heard Jesus’ teaching, they found what He said to be totally unacceptable. The Jewish leaders and many Galilean disciples turned away from Him.
They were expecting Him to be a political Messiah and become their King, (John 15).
When they began to realize that He was not going to deliver them from Rome and become a political ruler, they turned from Him. They accepted His miracles and healings, butHis words were hard. They totally rejected what He said. They did not believe He came from heaven or that He was the Son of God.
John 6:41 NIV …the Jews began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:60-61 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?
Jesus wanted to know why they were offended. Several things about Jesus offended the Jews.
- At a Samaritan village, they did not want to receive Him because He was headed to Jerusalem, (Luke 9:51-56).
- The Jews thought His preaching was foolishness. He could not be the Son of God or the Bread from heaven.
- Paul said Christ crucified was a “stumbling block” (skandalon) to the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:23). Skandalon means a cause for stumbling, an offense, or a trap.
- The resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ was an offense, since they did not believe in the resurrection.
Christ’s resurrection, exaltation and glorification vindicates Him. He was crucified in weakness, but He was raised in power. There are no arguments against His bodily resurrection and ascension back to the Father.
Here is the problem with humanity. The things of God are high above the things of man. Who can know the things of God?
John 6:63 NKJV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
It is impossible to understand spiritual things with carnal wisdom or knowledge.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJVBut the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
In John 6, Jesus asked the twelve if they would also go away. Often, Jesus had to explain what He was saying, and they still had difficulties understanding. He spoke in parables and in mysteries, and what they heard convinced them that He spoke as no other man. Jesus knew things that only God could reveal or know. They did not understand everything He was saying. They needed the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth and make clear what was said.
1 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Jesus began teaching them that when they received the Holy Spirit, He would guide them into all truth. He gave these promises that the Holy Spirit would come upon them.
John 16:12-13 NKJV “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
Jesus is showing believers that they need the wisdom and equipping of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide into all truth.
John 7:38-39 NKJV “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Again in Acts 1:7-8, He promised the Holy Spirit would be poured out in the world.
Acts 1:7-8 NKJVAnd He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus is showing believers their reliance and dependence on the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. The carnal or fleshly person is not able to understand the Spiritual truths that God gives. When believers receive the Holy Spirit, He will guide them into all truth. Without the Holy Spirit, we are unable to understand the works, ministry or teaching of Christ.
John 5:39 NKJV You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
It is interesting to note that they searched the Scriptures, but did not understand. It is impossible to understand the things of God from a purely natural point of view.Natural science or philosophy is limited to the understanding of the natural mind and is limited by human knowledge and wisdom. The knowledge of God is on a different level than what human wisdom can comprehend.
John 3:6 NKJV That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The crowds thought Jesus’ words were “hard sayings” and “difficult or impossible to understand.” John 6:63 NKJV “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Here is the real problem. God’s wisdom is foolishness to the carnal mind.
1 Corinthians 2:6-10 NKJVHowever, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
The wisdom of the world cannot understand the things of God.
Do you understand how important the Holy Spirit is for believers?
John 6:64 NKJV 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.
Jesus knows people’s heart. We must have faith. Jesus knew the followers who were believers and unbelievers.
This is evidence of His supernatural knowledge.
- In John 1:47, He knew Nathanael before he left the shade of the fig tree.
- In John 2:24-25, Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
Jesus knows.
Jesus made it clear that God the Father draws men to Him. Human wisdom or choice is not enough. We must have the work of God the trinity.
John 6:65 NIVHe went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
Divine enabling is a prerequisite to faith.
John 6:44 NKJVNo one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Look at John 6:66.
John 6:66 NKJV From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
Pay attention to this. Apostasy is when people turn back and go away. We are warned that in the last days there will be a great apostasy and many will depart from the faith. Satan is working when people go away from Jesus Christ.
When people remain faithful, it is a testimony of the Father’s work. God is working in you.
Jesus refused to work with the crowds on a political or merely social level. He was looking for personal faith. He wanted a right relationship with the Father. He did not stress human ability or talent. He wanted them to know that salvation is a work of God. The flesh counts for nothing.
John 6:66 NKJV From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
The crowds walked away. They gave up being His disciples or followers. When Jesus saw the crowds leave, He wanted to know what His chosen disciples would do.
John 6:67 NKJV Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
Jesus recognized the impact the apostasy of the crowd had on them.
Do you also want to go away?
Simon Peter gave the answer.
John 6:68-69 NKJVBut 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.”
What a confession of faith! He was convinced that Jesus’ words lead to life. No one else has words that lead to eternal life. “We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter felt that he could speak for all of the 12.
Matthew 16:17 NIV Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
Then Jesus revealed something that Peter did not know. Jesus did not assume anything. He knew the ones he had chosen.
Let me remind you that nothing takes God by surprise. He knows all men. He knows your heart. He knows your response to Him.
John 6:70 NKJV Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
Jesus called them to serve Him. This is going to dig deep into their hearts and minds. Yet, He said, one of you is a devil! How could this be? Judas responded to Satan’s work more than he did to Jesus. Jesus knew of Judas’ heart. He knew what Judas would do.
John 13:27 says, “Satan entered into him.”Judas became a sign of what apostasy and Satan’s influence can do. Judas had the same opportunity as the eleven, but he was enticed and deceived by Satan. This is a warning to everyone. We must be careful who influences our decisions.
It is hard to know when Judas’ heart went away. Maybe this was the moment Judas began falling away. Maybe he listened to the crowd and not the Father. Satan took advantage of a moment of weakness and Judas’ faith failed.
He walked with the 12 but he did not have faith in Jesus.
John 6:66 NIVFrom this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:67 NLTThen Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave, too?”
Theses words are important for the twelve and also for each of us. In our walk of faith, we must decide if we are going to follow Jesus all the way.
