May 8, 2005 John 6:60-69
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.”
What is the hardest teaching in the Bible for you to swallow? Is it the doctrine of hell - that millions and millions of people burn for an eternity in a lake of fire? (Revelation 20:15) Is it the teaching of predestination - that God has chosen people to believe and be saved even before the creation of the world? (Ephesians 1:4) Is it the fact that God demands perfection and holiness from His people? (Matthew 5:48) Or is it simply the miracles of Christ - the changing of water into wine, the walking on the water, or the resurrection of the dead?
As I was reading the Bible several weeks ago I came across the story of David and the Gibeonites. After a famine of three years David asked the Lord why this was happening. God said, “it was because Saul had tried to kill the Gibeonites and broke the treaty that they had been given.” In response, David went to the Gibeonites and asked them what could be done to “make up” for this wrong. They responded that they wanted seven of Saul’s male descendants put to death. So David chose seven of Saul’s grandsons and handed them over to the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites then proceeded to kill these grandsons and expose their bodies on a hill. After this, the LORD then sent rain on the land and God started answering the Israelites’ prayers once again. (2 Samuel 21) I thought to myself, “wow, that’s pretty harsh stuff.” That story is hard for me to swallow. The story for today is also one of those difficult ones to swallow. It’s where Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. The question is -
Who Can Stomach Him?
I. The question
Just prior to today’s text, Jesus had given the Jews of Capernaum - considered Jesus’ home city - a different hard teaching to accept. They had followed Jesus across the Sea of Galilee - looking for another miracle from Him. He had just fed the 5,000 - and they wanted Jesus to continue doing this for them for another 40 years, just like Moses had done. Jesus told them that those Israelites who were fed with manna for 40 years still died. He then gave them the hard teaching - that Jesus was Himself the bread who had come down from heaven. He also said that they needed to EAT and to DRINK His body and blood if they wanted to live forever. By eating him, they would never be hungry again.
When you look at the context of what Jesus was saying, this was not that hard to understand. It wasn’t that they thought Jesus actually had to be consumed by them - this was a year prior to the Lord’s Supper. They knew what Jesus was saying SPIRITUALLY. Jesus explained it by saying, “my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6:40) He was saying that God had sent HIM - God’s Son - down from heaven to save the world through FAITH - and that HE was the way to the resurrection from the dead. Chew on Him with your heart - digest Him with you soul - and you will live forever. Jesus was proclaiming that eternal life was ONLY FOUND in HIM.
This is repeated throughout the Scriptures.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 3:22-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
The Scriptures couldn’t be any more clear. There is no salvation outside of Christ. Even the most moral men - people that the world looks up to - Pope John Paul - Mother Teresa - cannot go to heaven if they do not have Christ as their Savior. The only meal that offers life to the soul is the body and blood of Christ. THIS is what was so OFFENSIVE to the 5,000. That word literally means a stumbling stone.
It is still the greatest stumbling stone to Americans today - who hear that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to heaven. Think about it. If you carry this doctrine to completion, those who deny Jesus as Savior - which includes millions of work righteous as well as other religions of Islam, Buddhists, and the like - will end up in hell. Think about it. Those who never hear about Jesus will end up in hell. Think about it. A mass murderer can be brought to repentance and faith on death row - and be credited with complete holiness through faith - and end up in heaven - because of the forgiveness and righteousness that God gives in Christ. On the other hand, the greatest humanitarian who does good for hundreds of people, can end up in hell because he doesn’t know about Christ or doesn’t believe that He is the way to salvation - because he hasn’t eaten and drank of Jesus. From a human’s point of view it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t seem “fair.” The disciples asked each other, “who can accept it?” They were meaning to say, “who thinks this is reasonable? Who wants to believe what this teacher is saying?”
II. The answer
What’s the answer to that question? What did Jesus say? The flesh counts for NOTHING. Say it with me. “The flesh counts for NOTHING.” What else did Jesus say? “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” Again - notice the word NO ONE. There is no ACCEPTING this message. It’s impossible to accept. The only way you can believe is if the FATHER enables you! This means there is no “free will” for people to make the choice to come to Jesus. Why? Because Jesus doesn’t fit in your brain - which is a part of your sinful flesh. Yet you see many people trying to “explain” Christianity yet today. These are the people who use reason to say, “God doesn’t really hate sin or sinners. We’re not really THAT sinful.” They reason, “God doesn’t really demand perfection, just try your best.” These are the theologians who explain, “hell isn’t really an eternal lake of fire. Hell is experienced on earth in the sense that people live without knowing God’s love.” These are the “defenders of God” who say, “Paul was just a homophobe and a bigot. He didn’t really mean that women should be silent in the church. Homosexuality isn’t really that bad. Sex outside of marriage is just a natural expression of love. Paul was just misled by his religious training and his society - which made him bring in his chauvenist and puritan views.” Another approach to today’s religion is to REMOVE the offensiveness of Christianity - to say that as long as you try to live a good life you’ll get in heaven - whether you believe in Jesus or not. All of these “explanations” are simple attempt to fit God into the brain - so that people can “accept” Christ - to make His hard teachings more chewable - to turn a rock into a candy bar - so to speak.
A less brash way of making God more “acceptable” is to talk about the NATURAL God - to talk about universally acceptable things of God. For instance, many churches will not want to talk about baptism or the Lord’s Supper. These topics scare them to death - because to them they aren’t practical and all they do is cause division. They’ll talk about the wonders of the universe - the marvels of creation. They’ll talk about God’s love for all. They’ll talk about common sense stewardship principles as laid out in the Bible - showing how to get ahead in life. They’ll talk about dedication. They’ll talk about marriage - how to get along - how to communicate - all kinds of stuff that makes sense and is “easier” to chew on - more acceptable and reasonable. The result is that God becomes not such an extremist - not so hard - He becomes more of a marshmallow than a big rock. He’s more palatable to the brain. People like to hear about this more natural stuff. Their churches grow. But in the end, is this the God that has revealed Himself in the Scriptures? In the end - is that the God that saves?
The revealed God cannot be explained. He is a God who hates sin. (Psalm 51:5) He is a God cannot stand to look at sinners without punishing them. (Ezekiel 18:20) He is a God who does send millions of sinners to hell. (Matthew 7:14) On the other hand, however, He is also a God who became man. He is a God who sent His Son to live a perfect life - as the substitute for the world. He is a God who loved the world so much, that He decided to send His Son to die for the world. Romans 8:3-4 makes is as clear as can be. “God (sent) own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” The REVEALED God is a God who is weak - a God who is born, cradled, carried, nurtured - and yes - a God who cries, is crucified - a God who dies. The REVEALED God is HIDDEN in a CROSS - found in Christ alone. The revealed God is a God who hates sinners and loves sinners at the same time. The revealed God SAVES the world by DYING for it. The revealed God does not choose to rule His kingdom with powerful things - but with the Word. You may not like this kind of God, but this is the God of the Scriptures. God doesn’t need us to apologize for Him. He doesn’t need us to DEFEND Him. He needs us to proclaim Him.
The 5,000 food finders didn’t want that kind of God. They couldn’t accept these seclusive words of Christ - that He came from HEAVEN - that He was the only way to heaven. Their flesh got in the way. Yet Jesus didn’t leave them without testimony - without something for their flesh to eat. So Jesus said to them, “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!” What was Jesus’ point with this? If they didn’t believe that He had come from heaven, they would if they were to see His ascension. If they wanted proof - Jesus would provide it. If they wanted power - Jesus would show it - but they would have to wait. The disciples who stuck with Jesus - they witnessed the ascension. They actually witnessed Jesus floating in the air right in front of them - going up into the clouds. It proved that Jesus really did come from heaven. It proved that Jesus really had accomplished salvation - that He really was the Son of God. Paul wrote in the Word of God, (God) raised (Christ) from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Eph 1:20-23) This ascension - it was predicted by Christ and fulfilled by Christ. It is proof to our flesh that Jesus really is who He says He is.
There are many “disciples” who are sitting in churches today - listening to the Word - and waiting for that miracle to happen. They’re probably sitting there with their arms crossed, thinking to themselves, “show me the money. Show me some proof. I don’t just want to hear about sin and Savior and heaven. I want to see some miracles - and I want to see them now. I want to see someone healed of a fatal disease. I want to see some demons get chased out. I want to see some lives transformed! Give me some bread, Lord. All I need is a miracle - and I don’t want to wait for it. I want to see it NOW!” So they leave church all angry when Jesus doesn’t win the lottery for them. They get all bent out of shape when Jesus doesn’t fix their marriage - or make them happy.
But what did Jesus say to those miracle seekers of the bread. He simply said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” What Jesus basically meant was, “hey, right now you’re going to have to just take my Word for it. That’s what the Spirit works through. If you don’t like my words - if you can’t swallow them - then I can’t help you. All I’m going to do for you right now is give you the Word.” If the Word isn’t good enough for you - if that isn’t what you want - then no music program - no children’s entertainment - there isn’t anything that’s going to keep you here. Many didn’t stay. They left. It was too hard for them to swallow.
That Word - however, is what kept Peter and the disciples around. “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.” Peter knew they had no one else to turn to. When my grandfather first entered the ministry he didn’t have much money - and all he could afford was a pretty crazy horse. He couldn’t tame it much. Yet it ran fast. It was able to get him from point a to point b. That’s all he had. So he rode the horse and made the best of it. A part of you may not like the words of Jesus. You may not like the demands for perfection. You may not like the “strictness” of the Christian religion. You may not like how it “rides” at times. It may seem crazy to your brain. But when push comes to shove - what other religion can get you from earth to heaven? What other religion will give you the words of eternal life? What other religion offers you perfection free of charge - through faith in someone else? Christianity is unique because it is not reasonable. We love it - not just because of it’s uniqueness - but because of it’s Gospel - it’s good news of salvation. The Father has drawn us to see and believe and accept the fact that there are no other words like it. We have a God who became man - died - rose from the dead - and then returned to heaven - and now rules eternally over everything for our good.
I remember the first time I saw an artichoke, I thought it was a pretty nasty looking piece of food. It had spikes all over it and it was kind of difficult to eat. But when I tried it with some lemon and butter, it tasted awesome. The more I ate of it, the more I liked it. It’s like with any kid - if you can just get them to try it - they might like it. Other times - like with haggus or dark beer or caviar - you have to acquire a taste for it by continuing to eat it. Jesus put something on our plate that obviously didn’t look good for the disciples to eat - to believe that Jesus came from God and was the only way to heaven. They didn’t want to taste it - because it didn’t fit into their physical brains. Whenever you have something that’s hard to eat - but you need to eat it - what do you do? Even if it doesn’t look good to your flesh - eat it anyway. Why? Because His words are spirit and they are life. They are the only place that we find the words of eternal life - through the life and death of Christ. It may seem sour and indigestible at first. But with the Holy Spirit working through the Word - He gives us iron teeth and a huge mouth - the ability to swallow this Jesus - and even makes Him sweet. After we taste it, we realize that it’s actually really good - like honey. God grant us that gift of the Holy Spirit - so that we can patiently eat the body and blood of Christ shed for us - and stomach Him - until the Day He comes again. Amen.
