All or Nothing
John 6:60-71
Main Idea: As the Bread of Life, Jesus is all or nothing.
I. The Scandal of Christ (6:60-62)
As the crowd following Jesus continues to “grumble” (cf. 6:41, 61) about his teaching about flesh, blood, and belief, they conclude: “This is a hard saying… who can listen to it?” Jesus’ teaching is not “hard” because it is complicated but because it is difficult to accept in humility.
Hebrews 4:12–13: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Jesus knows what’s going on and asks a pointed question: “Do you take offense at this?” The grace that Christ offers is a ‘scandal’ for two overarching reasons, because it tells us:
You cannot save yourself (cf. Naaman, 2 Kings 5)
Jesus is the only way to eternal life (cf. 14:6)
Jesus warns that if we are offended (‘scandalized’) by his words, what lies ahead on the road to his ascension back to heaven will be even more offensive (cf. 3:13-15; 8:28; 12:32). The cross is the ultimate scandal and offense (cf. Gal. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:8).
1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24: For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
II. The Spirit of God (6:63-65)
Jesus distinguishes two responses to the scandal of his grace. You can either work according to the…
“Flesh” by your own strength, power, and intellect, which is “good for nothing” (cf. 6:28)
‘Spirit” who brings us new life in Christ (cf. 3:5-8)
John 1:11–13: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus continues to make clear that the only way to embrace the scandal of grace is if the Father draws those who belong to him (cf. 6:44). This “granting” is accomplished through the word of Christ and the regenerating, illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 16:14; Rom. 10:17).
III. The Words of Life (6:66-71)
What began as a crowd of 5,000(+) following Jesus now dwindles further as “many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” Jesus is unimpressive with the crowds and he seems unbothered by the leaving of these so-called disciples (cf. Matthew 13:1-9, 24-30).
With only the twelve remaining, Jesus asks them: “Do you want to go away as well?” Every part of Peter’s answer is correct:
“To whom shall we go?”
“You have the words of eternal life”
“We have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God”
While Peter responds correctly, Jesus continues to invite him (and all of his true disciples) to a posture of humility: “Did I not choose you?” (6:70; cf. Matt. 16:16-17). The twelve can’t take credit for their position nor should they presume upon being part of the “inner circle” of the disciples, since one of them was to betray Jesus.
“Jesus has chosen and called them, but they are free – free to be with him or to leave him. Jesus will never cast out any who come to him. But neither will he cajole, persuade, or bribe anyone to remain. His company will therefore always include those who do not believe and who will in the end betray. To believe is to have been brought to the place where you know that you have to rely completely on Jesus, and on Jesus alone.”
- Lesslie Newbigin, The Light has Come
