Plain Truths About the Bread of Life - John 6:51-71
From the Series, Believe:879
By Pastor Skip Heitzig

MESSAGE SUMMARY

Mark Twain once remarked that "A lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is still lacing up its boots!" This section of John's Gospel has generated much confusion and misunderstanding. Even Jesus' original audience had trouble understanding His meaning, and when they did, they found the truth was difficult to bear. These "hard truths," however, are "the words of eternal life" (v. 68). Let's look at these four realities today.

OUTLINE

1. True Life Will Come by Death (vv. 51-59)


2. True Words Are Hard to Hear (vv. 60-63)


3. True Motives Will be Discovered (vv. 64-66, 70-71)


4. True Disciples Will Not Leave (vv. 67-69)

Making it more than a Sermon:

1. When, if ever, have Jesus' words offended you? How did you work through it? How do you feel about it now?


2. Of all the promises Jesus makes in this section, which ones mean most to you? Why?


3. How do you think Jesus felt after many of His disciples stopped following Him? How do you think He felt after hearing Peter's words?

DETAILED NOTES

Common knowledge includes obvious truths, things everyone knows. Other truths require a special knowledge apart from what others know. The things Jesus shares in this text were understandable truths for Himself and His disciples, but not for the crowds. They were more interested in physical food not spiritual truths.

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." He was born in the town of Bethlehem; Beth-lechem which means house of bread, or place of bread.

1. True Life Will Come by Death (vv. 51-59)
   1. Jesus describes his sacrificial death for the life of the world–v. 51
   2. Jesus is not referring to transubstantiation  (the belief that the bread and wine literally transform into the body and blood of Christ at the Eucharist)
      1. The Lord's supper was not yet instituted
      2. Jesus said , "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;" –v. 51 (that would mean anyone who partook of communion gains salvation; defies the biblical doctrine of grace by faith )
      3. The verb "to eat" is in the aorist tense; once for all completed action; communion is repeated often – Luke 22:19
      4. Jesus is speaking in spiritual terms –v.63
   3. To eat and drink His flesh and blood means to behold Christ and believe in Him; see Him for who He is and place our faith completely in Him; His flesh and blood are the price of redemption
   4. Without the blood, a ministry is lifeless –Charles H. Spurgeon – 1 Corinthians 1:18
2. True Words Are Hard to Hear (vv 60-63)
   1. Not hard to understand, hard to tolerate; skleros–hard, rough, stiff, harsh
   2. His teachings offended them (came down from heaven; my flesh eat, my blood drink; what if you see me ascend to where I came from?)
   3. His death on the cross will offend them; they wanted to make Him a king by force
      1. He didn’t want to be a politician
      2. He came to die on the cross
      3. He is a stumbling block to the Jews – 1 Corinthians 1:23
   4. Some truths are wonderful to hear (heaven, forgiveness, grace, comfort in sorrow)
   5. Some truths are difficult to bear ( hell, holiness)– Matthew 23:15; John 4:18; Galatians 2:11
   6. What to do when there is a message that is hard to hear? Be open to it – 1 Thessalonians 5:14
3. True Motives Will be Discovered (vv. 64-66, 70-71)
   1. Disciples are not necessarily believers; mathetes–a student, a learner
   2. Interested in Jesus, because He could perform miracles
   3. Loved his works, hated his words
   4. What these wanted Jesus would not give; what He offered, they would not receive
   5. Jesus did not meet their expectations
   6. Motives revealed as a person backslides into a former way of life – 1 John 2:19
   7. Sometimes people can bluff it until they face the Lord
   8. Hypocrisy is waiting for exposure – Jeremiah 11:20; Hebrews 4:13
4. True Disciples Will Not Leave (vv.67-69)
   1. Peter has the answers – Matthew 16:16
   2. Marks of a true disciple
      1. Devotion, loyalty–leaving Christ is unthinkable
      2. Satisfaction
      3. Conviction
   3. People lack this conviction about Christ, because they've never met him
   4. Food
      1. Must be ingested
      2. Must be hungry
      3. No one can do it for you

Figures Referenced: Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem; Paschasius Radbertus; Charles Spurgeon; Ted Malone
Cross References: Jeremiah 11:20; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 23:15; Luke 22:19; John 4:18; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 2:19
Hebrew terms: Beth-lechem–house of bread;
Greek terms: skleros–hard, rough, stiff, harsh; mathetes–a student, a learner