The best part of today’s study, for me – is the text, set for reading and meditation (John 6:60-71, NIV):
“On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)”
I think it’s important to be aware that there are some people who won’t even believe Jesus when He talks about spiritual matters. It’s also worth meditating on the fact that at this time, ‘many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him’; yet, Jesus did not change His message to make it more appealing to the masses, so that the many former disciples would turn back to Him.
Many will hear His message but sadly, many of these people will also turn away and follow their own desires!
The ‘rabble’ – redeemed
The best part of today’s study, for me – is the text, set for reading and meditation (John 6:60-71, NIV):
“On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)”
I think it’s important to be aware that there are some people who won’t even believe Jesus when He talks about spiritual matters. It’s also worth meditating on the fact that at this time, ‘many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him’; yet, Jesus did not change His message to make it more appealing to the masses, so that the many former disciples would turn back to Him.
Many will hear His message but sadly, many of these people will also turn away and follow their own desires!