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John 6:60-66
So as Jesus is teaching the people that He indeed is the Bread of Life, He begins to speak metaphorically to them. He explains that they need to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He is not being literal – that’s what metaphorically means. Rabbis did this often in Jesus’ time.
Now, I now for many of us the thought of this being literal is insane. And I believe it shows us how out of focus the people truly are about what it is that Jesus is talking about. Let alone what He is really here to do. Remember they wanted deliverance from a political oppression. What they got was deliverance from the power of sin and death.
Remember that Nicodemus was very confused at Jesus’ metaphor with him as well. He questioned Jesus about going back into his mother’s womb to be born a second time. Nicodemus didn’t give up trying to understand what Jesus was talking about. Rather, he continued to question and learn. And I believe he had a life changing moment. Simply because it was Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea that came to take Jesus’ body down from the cross and bury Him in the tomb.
The crowd doesn’t do this, here is the crowd’s response when they believed Jesus wasn’t delivering on the political oppression the way they thought He should.
John 6:60-66 (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? Then 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—they are full of the Spirit and 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 them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Wow – all the miracles, all the free food, all the healings etc. and no one took a minute to even ask Jesus what was truly talking about. And it wasn’t even that they honestly thought Jesus was talking about cannibalism. They would have known to some point that Jesus was speaking to them metaphorically in ways that I admit may have been provocative, especially for that time.
What hung up the disciples little “d,” not the 12 Disciples or Apostles, but all the others who had followed Jesus. They were the ones who had fish sandwiches from Him the day before. You know from the little boy’s loaves and fish he brought for lunch. These are the same people who had brought children to be blessed that we see in another Gospel account. They are the same ones who had seen Him heal the sick. These people, this crowd of people began to grumble. And what did they grumble about?
The first part, and I believe this is where they were hung up and stuck, was that they knew Jesus from his family – that He is that son of a carpenter – Mary and Joseph. How can He say He is from heaven; He is Mary and Joseph’s son? And when He corrects the behavior of them grumbling about that, He then speaks to them again metaphorically. And they decide to run with that, what Jesus is saying is too hard. But look at the Scripture that was not their initial nor their strongest complaint. They didn’t grumble because of His teaching, they grumbled because they didn’t believe He was the Son of God. Then they use the other as an excuse.
All throughout the narrative of this section of Jesus’ ministry, we hear Jesus speak of how the Father enables people to come to Jesus. In the Church of the Nazarene we call that Prevenient Grace – grace that goes before salvation. God uses His Holy Spirit to draw us to Him, thusly opening salvation to all - whosoever would believe that Jesus is who He says He is.
This is where people had an issue. It wasn’t the metaphor that was the issue, it was that Jesus claiming He was Son of God. And that is where people made a decision. There were those who stayed. But many that day turned away. My question today is this, where are you in this crowd today? Are you with those to say – I don’t believe, and this is to hard? Or are you part of the disciples who stay and who are about the work of spreading the Gospel?
And remember, spreading the Gospel is not a political thing. You cannot wrap the cross up in the American flag. When Jesus was confronted with political stuff – He tells them to basically let it take care of itself, why? Because His mission was to free us from sin and death NOT from political oppression. So, are you going to be about freeing someone from political oppression, great! But honestly, I’d rather, and I believe that Jesus has called us to something greater – freeing people from sin and death. Which one is more important to you? Where is your faith? Is it wrapped up in the political or is it in the Messiah, Jesus Christ?