John 6:25-71 Jesus Watches As The Unbelievers Walk

The Jews had been so cowed by the scribes and other leaders that they had a healthy fear of the "religious police" who would see to it that they didn't get to heaven if they believed anything other than what the scribes and Pharisees told them to believe!  Suddenly, Jesus is stepping over that line with the truth, to see who will follow.  That day He lost most of His disciples.

One of His big messages that day was that He had "come down from heaven".  He says it in verses 27, 29, 33, 38, 46, 50, 51, & 58!  He just pounds it into them.  That phrase amounted to calling Himself God, and the religious police would be all over that!  "HERESY!", they'd scream! (even though it was God Himself saying it.)  They were really stuck on their supposed understanding.  Instead of cowering, waiting for lightning or one of the leaders to strike Him, I'd hope I'd be instead asking, "What's it LIKE up there in Heaven?????"

He also called Himself the Bread of Life multiple times here.  They were stuck on Moses and seemed to want the free groceries more that eternal life.  They thought Moses produced the manna every night for 40 years, and these folks had no desire to work -- "Let's just sit and watch this show and get the free food!!"  Sounds familiar.

Jesus told them the manna only sustained life.  It didn't give it.  That manna wasn't produced by Moses, but by God.  And somewhat like that bread came down from heaven as a gift, God sent Jesus as the true bread of life from heaven, but at a tremendous cost to Himself.  Manna was only for the Jews, but Jesus was for the world.

Jesus also pushed them beyond their belief when He told them they'd need to consume Him, the Bread of Life.  They knew the prohibitions on eating human flesh and drinking blood, and this really turned them off as well as making them more afraid that the religious police were about to come knocking.  But He was talking about spiritual, not physical life.  The truths in the Word had sustained Him during that wilderness temptation, and He wanted us to know that taking in those truths was essential -- more so than eating!

The biggest part of His crowd just couldn't stomach this.  The show just turned sour for them and the free food was gone, and so was their allegiance.  They walked.

Jesus turned to His 12 disciples and asked, "Do you want to leave, too?"  They stayed.

Father, I'm glad I chose to stay, too.  I look at our world today and at the insanity that so many people are calling truth, and I can't understand why they can't just as easily believe in You and Your Son.  They are blinded -- by their unbelief, their love of self, and their unwillingness to turn their lives over to Someone greater than themselves who loves them more that they will ever understand!  Instead, they turn their lives over to other humans just as sad, sick, and unbelieving as themselves.  Instead, they find happiness in .... hate??  There's the proof of who's side they're on.  Open the eyes of their hearts, Lord!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford