2004-08-29 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

John 6:60-64

60. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

For these law-abiding children of Abraham, Jesus' words in verse 53 were offensive: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."

Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10-14, and Deuteronomy 12:23-25

These disciples know what the scriptures say about eating unclean flesh or drinking any blood. They know the judgments against anyone who partakes of these pagan practices, but at the same time, they also know that Jesus is amazingly well-versed in the Scriptures. What must they be thinking? Jesus has plainly stated at least five times in this chapter that He's been sent by the Father, so why is He contradicting the Father's food laws? The lesson here is one that I just can't get enough of, it never gets old, and thankfully I learned it once again during Bible study last Wednesday. Whenever I have a problem with the Word of God; if there's something that just doesn't seem right to me, or something seems like a contradiction, it never fails that eventually I learn the problem was with me, not with the Bible.

The fact that these disciples would rather complain among themselves than directly confront Jesus with their concerns gives us a clue as to who they really are: (those) which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie (Revelation 3:9). They didn't ask Him to explain the meaning because they didn't really want to be enlightened.

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Lord willing, next week we'll see the fallout, the division resulting from this "hard saying" of Jesus.

We should all (each and every one of us, young and old and in-between) judge our own murmuring at home, at work, and in the church. Whenever somebody says something that doesn't sit well with me, the dark thing for me to do is skulk around, criticize, complain, and sow the seeds of bitterness. I'll steal a thought from Amy Carmichael here: If I can allow even the slightest misunderstanding to endure and fester, then I have no concept of Jesus' love. If I avoid confrontation, choosing instead the easy path of criticizing someone behind their back, and then with this same mouth I partake of communion, am I discerning the Lord's body? No, it just proves that I'm just another one of those people who like wearing the badge of a disciple, but my words and my actions betray me.

Jesus doesn't wait for this crowd in verse 61 to say, "Yes, we're offended." Instead, He's going to try one more time to enlighten their understanding of "the Bread of Life." He asks:

62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

"Would these hard sayings be easier to swallow after you see me go back up to heaven, or would it even matter to you? You've already seen enough miracles, and yet you request more proof (v.30)."

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 believed not, and who should betray him.

Something tells me that wherever Jesus went, there were always unbelieving people following Him, and that could probably still be said today. The awesome plan of Salvation depended on His life, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection. Principalities and powers of darkness surely dogged Him all His days. It's hard for me to understand why they didn't understand, and why some people still don't understand. His words are so clear here: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." "The Bread of Life" is food for your spirit. His blood was poured out to save your soul. There's no good reason to complicate Jesus like these unbelieving followers did, like many church traditions and doctrines do, or like I sometimes do in these communion dedications to Him. Keep it simple. Keep examining yourself, confessing, and thanking Jesus for what He means to you.