John 6.60-71 Jesus' Hard Words
- Sam Ford
- Nov 25, 2007
- Series: Gospel According to John
Jesus and Hard Words
November 25, 2007
Sam Ford
INTRO: Tickling ears with soft words
As he waited for his execution in a Roman jail, Paul penned his final letter to his "spiritual son" Timothy. He called for Timothy to be bold, to endure, and to be faithful in the face of all of the false teachings going around. He wrote:
2Timothy 4.1-4
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
John chapters 6-10 are full of what we might call "hard words". These are not words that will "itch your ears" or "suit the passions" of those who hear. Quite the contrary; Jesus says some truthful, yet very difficult words that usually push a lot of people away-people who had been following him probably for some time. In our hyper-sensitive, politically correct, tolerant world, I'm not sure how many people would "appreciate" frankness of their "meek and mild" Jesus. What if Jesus was here today? I can imagine what some of today's "seeker sensitive" evangelical leaders might counsel Jesus about what he should or shouldn't say.
"You know Jesus; you really should avoid saying things that might upset people. People like to hear how much God loves them, how much he wants to bless them with health, and wealth, try not to mention "suffering" or the archaic idea of hell. And give them a fighting chance, I mean, let them "work" for something versus this whole the Father chooses and draws you..." And bag the whole eating flesh and drinking blood thing, I mean WE understand, but you need to tell them you're not serious-they'll never get that!"
If we're going to preach Jesus, then I guess we're going to preach the hard words that Jesus said. But it seems like we have two flavors of churches today:
(1) One type of church says ALL KINDS OF HARD WORDS...so much so that the entire world hates them. Proudly they claim "they hate us just like Jesus", when in fact any "hard words" we speak have little to do with the person of Jesus.
(2) The other type of church NEVER SAYS HARD WORDS again, choosing to ignore the hard words that Jesus said. They aren't hated, their loved by a lot of people because, they have a man-centered, feel-good, gospel-ignoring, sin-redefining, Tony Robbins empowered motivational Jesus.
One is hated for all the wrong reasons and one is love for all the wrong reasons.
Jesus speaks what God speaks. He spoke God's truth, and God's truth divides. God's truth is exclusive. There is a right. There is a wrong. There is ONE WAY. Our culture hates things that are "black and white", but there is a lot of black and white in God's truth. No one every gets upset about gray...but God's truth forces us to make a decision-obedience or disobedience.
I am going to speak some hard words today. And the hard words are you are either FOLLOWING JESUS or YOU ARE NOT. Now you might say or think you're "following Jesus" but the truth reveals itself when God's Word impinges on what you want or think you need.
We don't like hard words-we avoid them. We ignore or revise God's we refuse to speak hard words to on another. Consider who you are in today's narrative. Are you the part of the crowd who just following the bread, are you one of the Jewish leaders who refuses to accept what God says because you know better, are you Peter who is convinced there is no other truth in Peter, or are you Judas the guy who looks religious but has never really experienced transformation.
Jesus has just said:
- I came from heaven
- I am the bread of life
- Eat my flesh and drink my blood or you will die
- You'll only believe if God draws you
V.60-63 AN OFFENSIVE GOD
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Some of Jesus words are hard to understand, others are hard to believe, and still others are even harder to obey. The Jewish leaders here understood what Jesus was saying, it was just really hard for them to accept. They were "OFFENDED" by, or their belief in Jesus was "IMPEDED" by the fact that he said he was the one and only way to eternal life.
Many people understand AND still deny God's word
I know that many people KNOW God's Word. God's words are not "hard" because they are difficult to understand. We understand who God is and what he requires too well. They are "hard" because they are difficult to believe. They are difficult to accept because the SIN in us denies God's definitions of truth. There are many people who KNOW God's Word, his decrees, his standards and do not believe. Romans 1.21,25,32
"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened...(25) they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator...(32) though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."
The Man of flesh WILL NOT accept God's Word
Understanding what God says and believing what He says to the extent that you obey it is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. A person of the FLESH, meaning, someone whose heart and desires have not been spiritually changed by the grace of God WILL NOT ACCEPT God's Word even if they say they believe it.
They most likely understand EXACTLY what God's Word says and yet, because of sin REFUSE to submit it and fail to OBEY it when it conflicts with what they want to do or not do. They read God's word and either IGNORE it, or REVISE it to accommodate their sin. The Bible is quite clear that God's wisdom is foolishness to men.
1Cor 2.14-16
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
It's not just that the story of Jesus is foolish, it's that all things taught by the Spirit of God are foolish. God's definitions of power, love, wealth are all counter cultural. Nothing that the flesh can offer will make God's truth easier to swallow. The "non-acceptance" and refusal to submit is NOT intellectual, is NOT emotional, it is NOT experiential...it is spiritual.
The "Offense" of God's Word is removed by God's Spirit
When these people following Jesus say, "we believe," give us some bread. But Jesus gives them some hard words to test them. He knows they are not true disciples.
Anyone can take BREAD from GOD and say, "OH, PRAISE GOD FOR THE BLESSING, THANK GOD FOR SAVING ME." There is a grace we all experience believer or not. But when Jesus says, I from heaven and the only for you to get there is to eat of my flesh...they think he wants them to start eating real flesh and drinking real blood-but he is talking about INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP.
Just so he's not mistaken as some weird cannibal, Jesus tells him that he is speaking in SPIRITUAL WORDS. They don't even PAUSE to think that their might be some deeper meaning here because their hearts are rebellious and broken and sinful and their NATURAL tendency is to find a reason NOT to accept it (emotional, physical, experiential),
1Cor 2.12-13
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
- A TRUE child of God has the mind of Christ.
- A true child of God has the Spirit of God dwelling in their soul.
- A true child of God has experienced a transformation by the grace of God and now they do not desire to live in sin.
- When they encounter something difficult from God's Word (intellectually, emotionally, experientially), a true child of God submits to His authority.
- Even if they don't fully "get it", even if it "doesn't feel right", a true child of God humbly accepts their ignorance believing they will ultimately understand more in time and their "feelings" catch up with what God has said is right.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
There are some among us who do not believe
Jesus flat out tells people who have been following him, gathering to eat, fellowshipping with him...that there are some here who do not believe. The people that turn away are called HIS DISCIPLES-obviously this is used in a general term not applied to the twelve. What we see is that there are a lot of people who profess to be Christians but do not believe. There are plenty of people whose names are written in the church membership book but not written in the book of life.
Matthew 7.21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
The false "disciples" will eventually turn away
Those who did not believe, those for whom GOD'S WORDS were just too hard to accept, went back to where they came from. They returned to their old life, their old traditions, and their old ways. We find in this scripture that there is a stark difference between being RELIGIOUS and being CONVERTED. As JC Ryle writes, "Men may have feelings, desires, convictions, resolutions, hopes, joys, and sorrows in religion, yet never have the grace of God."
1John 2.18-19
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
What about the "Christian" who walks away?
- They were never saved.
- They are an unrepentant Christian.
Galatians 5.16-17
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Do you want to leave too? The converted WANT to stay with Jesus.
Jesus doesn't say, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE. He asks him a question about DESIRE. Jesus is saying some really hard things, but no matter HOW HARD they are, the person with the mind of Christ has new desires. He desires to be with God.
Colossians 3.1-5
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
The "Born Again" recognize that Jesus is "our life."
Jesus is our life. If Jesus is the ONLY GOD in flesh (God incarnate), then his revelation has to be vastly superior to any other. By definition, therefore, Jesus would have to be THE unique way back to God. Therefore, Jesus is not only our life in eternity but our life now.
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"WE" believe..errr..I believe
Jesus responds to Peter's declaration in sort of a strange way. Part of the reason is probably the fact that he says "WE". Jesus makes it clear that Peter can only speak for himself with any sense of authority. Even among the men he hand-selected as his servants, there is one who serves the devil. Although God knows ALL, we do not. Conversion has little to do with RELIGIOUS APPEARANCE, in fact, RELIGION is a convenient disguise for the devil because it is often centered on man's effort.
One is the devil among us.
Judas proves the fact that there are those who look religious but in fact, are not converted. He's worse than a "non-believer", he's a tool of Satan. From all appearances of anyone outside the 12, Judas looked like he was a follower of Jesus. He served with Jesus. He experienced miracles first hand. He heard Jesus explain the parables. But he never experienced transformation.
CONLCUSION
So, how do I know if I'm saved or if I'm the tool of the devil?
2Cor 13.5-6
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? -unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
THE TEST is SCRIPTURE
The thing I like about John's writing is that he tells you the purpose for his writing. The Gospel of John states quite plainly in 20.31 that he wrote the gospel so that people would believe that Jesus is God. John also wrote three different epistles and the book of Revelation.
I warn you that his first epistle, 1John, is one of the most challenging letters of the Bible. In 5.13, he tells us why he wrote it saying, "I write these things to you to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."
1JOHN CHAPTER 1 TEST
v. 6 - 7 Do you walk in the light or the darkness? If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
V.8 -9 Do you admit you are a sinner? if we say we have no Sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
CHAPTER 2 TEST
V.3 -5 Do you keep his commandments? And by this we know that WE (not YOU) have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.
V6. Do you strive to live like Jesus? whoever says he abides in him, ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
V.17 Do you love the world? Or do you love God's will?
V. 22 Do you believe Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate? No one who denies the Son has the father. Whoever confesses the Son has the father also
CHAPTER 3 TEST
v. 1-10 Do you make a practice sin? (NOT DO YOU SIN) Do you practice righteousness?
v. 16 Do you make sacrifices for your brothers? Do you make an effort to live like Jesus?
CHAPTER 4
v. 2 Do you confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is God?
v. 6 Do you read the bible and receive to what it says?
v. 7 Do you believe God loves you? Do you love others?
CHAPTER 5
V 8. Do you desire to obey his commandments? Are they burdensome?
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