John 6:61-71 “Will ye also go away”

 

Introduction:  Jesus has told the men in the synagogue of Capernaum a hard saying.  His blood is drink indeed and His flesh is meat indeed.  If they do not eat His flesh and do not drink His blood they have no life in them.  These men thought that Jesus was speaking literally.  They did not understand His words.  His words are spiritual and will only be understood by those who believe.  In our text today we see the people’s reaction to the words of Jesus.  They are offended and they stop following Jesus.  One who is an unbeliever continues to put on a front and hypocritically follows Jesus.  He will go undetected until the day of Jesus’ death. 

Let us learn that:

1. Let us learn that unbelief is manifested by murmurings and hatred.

(John 6:61)  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

            Unbelief manifests itself in the expression of an offended heart through murmuring.  These men murmured against Jesus.  They murmur because they do not believe His teachings.  They hated the things He said and they were extremely disappointed by His words and actions.  The truth often hurts the feelings.  Men often are offended when they are told of their sinful state.  The thought that they are helpless and powerless to do anything for themselves is a thought which they despise.  They hate being told that all their good works are as filthy rags in the sight of God.  They often express this offended feeling with words and actions that demonstrate their rejection of this great truth.  They go away and ask the messenger of the truth to go away.  They slam the door in the face of the one who bears glad tidings of great Joy.

            Belief manifests itself in the opposite way.  There is acceptance and humility displayed a smiting of the breast and a humble cry of “God be merciful to me a sinner.” 

             

  2. Let us learn that Jesus offers sufficient evidence to man of who He is.

(John 6:62)  [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

            Jesus gives further proof and takes one more attempt to help them understand that He is not speaking in a material and literal since.  Jesus will, in a very short time, show them that what He says is spiritual.  He will die and be raised again from the dead.  He will ascend bodily back up to heaven from whence He came.  His body will not even be here among men.  Those who will have eternal life will eat of His flesh through faith. 

 

3.  Let us learn that the spirit is changed in salvation and not the body.

(John 6:63)  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

            They as well as we need to understand that the spirit is all that is changed in the regeneration that comes at the point of faith.  The spirit is not changed by the actions of the body.  What a man eats does not defile him.  It is what comes out of his mouth that defiles him because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Material things have no effect on the spirit.  With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  The mouth speaks and proclaims that which is in the heart.

            The flesh profits nothing.  The flesh will go back to the dust of the earth for it is not regenerated at the point of saving faith.  The body still sins and the wages of sin is death.  The inward man becomes a new creature and can no longer sin.  It is alive and will be alive forever more. 

            Words which are spirit and life must be believed if they are to profit the soul of man.  Men must hear the words of God and must believe them if they are to be saved. 

 

4.  Let us learn how well Jesus knows you and me.

(John 6:64)  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

            These words of Jesus ring out to us today.  There are some here that believe not.  Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.  He knows you.  He knows what you are going to do with the Gospel.  He knows when you will be saved or He knows that you never will.  He knows the day of your death and He is knocking at your hearts door even now longing for you to answer.  This knock comes in the form of a feeling of emptiness and guilt.  The things of this life have not and will never satisfy the emptiness you feel.  Only Jesus can quench this thirsting of your soul.  Turn loose of your sin and confess it to Jesus.  Ask Him to forgive an to save your soul.  He will save you and will be in you and you will be in Him and you will have the life which He has spoken of in this chapter and book.  As I said, He knows you.  He knows what you are going to do even now.  He knows if you are going to put off trusting in Him again today.  He knows exactly what you will do with this message today. 

            Jesus had to point out to His disciples that there were some who believe not.  The disciples would have no way of knowing this.  Men can hide their unbelief from those around them.  I had a pastor once who got saved many years after he had surrendered to preach.  He appeared to those around him as a believer but he was not.  I have known many who put on a front, a mask, for years before they finally came out of hiding and confessed their unbelief.  You can hide it from me but you can not hide it from the one who counts, Jesus Christ.

 

5.  Let us learn that unbelief keeps the Father from drawing us to Jesus.

(John 6:65)  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

            The father draws those who will believe.  The decision is left up the individual.  He may choose to believe the truth or not.  The Father has provided the truth and made it available to all men.  Those who choose to believe this truth will be drawn by the Father to the Son.

            Jesus said that the Father draws men and without this draw men will not come to Jesus and be saved.  He also stated that men who have heard and have learned the truth that the Father presents to them will come to Jesus.  The truth that He presents is the Gospel how that Christ died for our sin according to the scriptures and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.  We were all dead in sin and Christ came to bring us life.  Whosoever believes in Jesus as their savior will be saved. 

            Those who do not receive the truth will not be saved.  They will not be drawn to Jesus.  There is nothing to draw them for they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved from the guilt and consequences of sin.  They perhaps do not believe in Heaven or Hell or even in the existence of God.  Such as this will never be drawn by the Father to Jesus for those who are draw have believed. 

 

6. Let us learn that unbelief may cause one to stop following Jesus and stop fellowshipping with believers.

(John 6:66)  From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

            There is a decision to be made by each one.  Will you be offended at the words of Jesus which tell you that you are dead in your sin and must repent and come to Jesus for forgiveness?  Will you go away and forever forsake the only hope you have?

 

7. Let us learn that Jesus invites us all to examine our hearts.

(John 6:67)  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

            Jesus, having watched the men of the synagogue leave with murmurings and faces of disappointment,  turned to His disciples and asks a very profound question.  This question is intended to cause them to search their hearts.  Have they been following Jesus for the right reason? 

 

8. Let us learn that Jesus is the only way.

(John 6:68)  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

            Peter saw the men depart and himself knew of their displeasure and distain for the words of Jesus.  Peter knew that these men were abandoning their only hope of escaping the fires of Hell.  Peter well responds “to whom shall we go?”  Those men walking away are headed back to the enslavement of sin and the death that accompanies it.  They have left Jesus to serve the devil and their own sinful pleasures.

            Jesus is the only one with the truth.  He indeed has the words of eternal life.

 

9. Let us learn that we need to hang on to one great truth: Jesus is the Christ.

(John 6:69)  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

            Peter speaks for the twelve as they each nod their heads and mumble their approval of his words.  They did believe and they were absolutely convinced that Jesus was that Christ the Son of the living God who should come into the world to save sinners.

 

 

10. Let us learn that Jesus knows the hearts of men.

(John 6:70)  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

(John 6:71)  He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

 

            Jesus knows the heart of all men.  Judas could hide his true feelings from the eleven men around him but He can not hide what is in his heart from Jesus.  Judas was the one who was most trusted among the disciples.  He was entrusted with the bag of money and bore the responsibility for it.  They trusted Judas, one and all.  Jesus however knew his heart.  Judas was not a believer.