Hard sayings – Words of Life
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John 6:60-68
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
The gospel is a unique religious ideology. In no other religious order do you find so many invitations from
God to join Him. In no other do you find so many promises from God to bless His people. Other religious
teachings present many demands and laws. Others operate on a merit system wherein you earn anything
you get from God through following strict religious practices.
Only in the gospel do you find the concept of grace – unmerited favor.
But also in the gospel, you will find some hard teachings – some realities that we would rather not hear –
some conditions that will require some effort and a degree of sacrifice on our part.
In the gospel, as with anything else, you will find parts that you like and parts that you do not so much like.
Jesus had just been teaching that only in Him could life be found and maintained. It was a hard message.
Recently, I was talking to a man who had visited our church. One Sunday, while he was visiting, I stated
that Jesus was the only way to salvation. The man didn’t like that idea. He wanted to find other ways to
heaven. He wanted a multiple choice religion where he could choose his own path. Unfortunately, we do
not have that option. Jesus said there is only one way. It is a hard message to those who want to believe
something else.
The disciples commented that some would not like this kind of preaching. In a church that I pastured years
ago, a member told me that she was talking to a friend and she said, “I like my pastor. He tells it like it is.”
The friend said, “Well, he won’t last long. Peo-ple don’t want to hear how ‘it is’. They want to hear how
they want it.” Even Jesus was warned that people didn’t like hard preaching.
[61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Even the disciples were complaining about the hard preaching. Je-sus said, “Does this offend you? Do
you disagree with what I am saying?”
Verse 66 tells us that many stumbled at his teaching:
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Many of his followers changed their minds about following him because they didn’t like the hard teaching.
It didn’t appeal to their flesh. Many people will accept the message of the gospel at first, when they hear
about the forgiveness and the blessings. But when something is required of them, they change their
minds.
Then he began to explain some principles of the spiritual world.
[62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that be-
lieved not, and who should betray him.
His words – the words of the Bible – are spiritual words. They will not please the flesh. They will please
the spirit. The will ap-peal to the spirit, not to the flesh.
1 Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God.
1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The spiritual gives life, the flesh gives nothing – but men still pre-fer fleshly things because they can
understand flesh. I promise you, there will be things in the Bible that you will not like. There will be many
things that will disagree with your flesh – your natu-ral self. There will always be a war between the spirit
and the flesh – between what you want and what God wants. You have to choose what you want most.
That is why this next statement is true.
[65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, ex-cept it were given unto him
of my Father.
God takes the initiative in all our dealings with Him. He reveals Himself in His own way and in His own time.
He draws us to Himself through the Spirit. He reveals His truth to us through the Spirit. The Spirit gives
life. Always follow the Spirit.
[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [67] Then said Jesus
unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Here is the critical question. What will you do when the gospel requires something of you? What will you
do when the demands of the gospel conflict with what you want? What will you do when others begin to
pressure you to reject the teachings of Christ?
Many left following Jesus because His teaching disagreed with their desires or with what they wanted to
believe. The disciples complained that the teaching was getting hard. So, Jesus asked, “What will you
do? Will you also leave?”
Notice, Jesus didn’t change His teaching. He didn’t soften it and make it more acceptable. Instead, He told
the truth and asked His disciples to make a choice – Will you follow me and go the way of the cross? Or
will you follow your friends and find a belief that will be easier to accept?
It is hard to stand against the crowd and follow Jesus. But Jesus calls us to make the hard choice.
Listen to Peter’s response to Jesus question -
[68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
What an answer! Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of truth and life. Why would we go
somewhere else? No one else can give us what you can. Let others do what they will, but we will stay with
you.
“You have the words of life.” Nowhere else will you find words of life. The gospel is full of promises and
blessings. It is also full of requirements and challenges. What will you do? Will you take the parts that
you like and reject the rest? If so, then you no longer have the truth. You only have partial truth. You
take Jesus all or nothing.
Jesus said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.”
He said, “Forsake all and follow me.”
He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”
He says to us, “Will you follow me or forsake me?”
What will you say? “Lord, this is too hard – or – Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of
life!”
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
The gospel is a unique religious ideology. In no other religious order do you find so many invitations from
God to join Him. In no other do you find so many promises from God to bless His people. Other religious
teachings present many demands and laws. Others operate on a merit system wherein you earn anything
you get from God through following strict religious practices.
Only in the gospel do you find the concept of grace – unmerited favor.
But also in the gospel, you will find some hard teachings – some realities that we would rather not hear –
some conditions that will require some effort and a degree of sacrifice on our part.
In the gospel, as with anything else, you will find parts that you like and parts that you do not so much like.
Jesus had just been teaching that only in Him could life be found and maintained. It was a hard message.
Recently, I was talking to a man who had visited our church. One Sunday, while he was visiting, I stated
that Jesus was the only way to salvation. The man didn’t like that idea. He wanted to find other ways to
heaven. He wanted a multiple choice religion where he could choose his own path. Unfortunately, we do
not have that option. Jesus said there is only one way. It is a hard message to those who want to believe
something else.
The disciples commented that some would not like this kind of preaching. In a church that I pastured years
ago, a member told me that she was talking to a friend and she said, “I like my pastor. He tells it like it is.”
The friend said, “Well, he won’t last long. Peo-ple don’t want to hear how ‘it is’. They want to hear how
they want it.” Even Jesus was warned that people didn’t like hard preaching.
[61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Even the disciples were complaining about the hard preaching. Je-sus said, “Does this offend you? Do
you disagree with what I am saying?”
Verse 66 tells us that many stumbled at his teaching:
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Many of his followers changed their minds about following him because they didn’t like the hard teaching.
It didn’t appeal to their flesh. Many people will accept the message of the gospel at first, when they hear
about the forgiveness and the blessings. But when something is required of them, they change their
minds.
Then he began to explain some principles of the spiritual world.
[62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that be-
lieved not, and who should betray him.
His words – the words of the Bible – are spiritual words. They will not please the flesh. They will please
the spirit. The will ap-peal to the spirit, not to the flesh.
1 Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God.
1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The spiritual gives life, the flesh gives nothing – but men still pre-fer fleshly things because they can
understand flesh. I promise you, there will be things in the Bible that you will not like. There will be many
things that will disagree with your flesh – your natu-ral self. There will always be a war between the spirit
and the flesh – between what you want and what God wants. You have to choose what you want most.
That is why this next statement is true.
[65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, ex-cept it were given unto him
of my Father.
God takes the initiative in all our dealings with Him. He reveals Himself in His own way and in His own time.
He draws us to Himself through the Spirit. He reveals His truth to us through the Spirit. The Spirit gives
life. Always follow the Spirit.
[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [67] Then said Jesus
unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Here is the critical question. What will you do when the gospel requires something of you? What will you
do when the demands of the gospel conflict with what you want? What will you do when others begin to
pressure you to reject the teachings of Christ?
Many left following Jesus because His teaching disagreed with their desires or with what they wanted to
believe. The disciples complained that the teaching was getting hard. So, Jesus asked, “What will you
do? Will you also leave?”
Notice, Jesus didn’t change His teaching. He didn’t soften it and make it more acceptable. Instead, He told
the truth and asked His disciples to make a choice – Will you follow me and go the way of the cross? Or
will you follow your friends and find a belief that will be easier to accept?
It is hard to stand against the crowd and follow Jesus. But Jesus calls us to make the hard choice.
Listen to Peter’s response to Jesus question -
[68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
What an answer! Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of truth and life. Why would we go
somewhere else? No one else can give us what you can. Let others do what they will, but we will stay with
you.
“You have the words of life.” Nowhere else will you find words of life. The gospel is full of promises and
blessings. It is also full of requirements and challenges. What will you do? Will you take the parts that
you like and reject the rest? If so, then you no longer have the truth. You only have partial truth. You
take Jesus all or nothing.
Jesus said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.”
He said, “Forsake all and follow me.”
He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”
He says to us, “Will you follow me or forsake me?”
What will you say? “Lord, this is too hard – or – Lord, where else would we go? You have the words of
life!”