The Challenge of Believing
John 6-7 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsPart 1 will consider that believing in Jesus requires believing Jesus. Not everyone seems willing to do that. Part 2 will consider how the crowd abandons Jesus.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Jesus has taught the crowd following him ideas they did not anticipate.
They came because of miracles.
They stayed for the food.
Jesus has shown reticence to trust the crowd.
They have complained and argued about his teaching.
His teaching challenged their assumptions in a few ways:
They thought they knew his origins.
They thought they knew God’s will for righteousness.
They thought they should look for another Moses.
Jesus has taught of the need to believe in him to have eternal life and resurrection.
Jesus was not someone trying to please everyone, and his teaching was not for the child-like.
Jesus taught them in the synagogue (see Jn. 6:59).
The Crowd’s Last Straw
The Crowd’s Last Straw
They have had various reactions.
Jn. 6:41: They were complaining about him.
Jn. 6:52: They fought one another.
They find his teaching difficult.
They hear something too severe, demanding, or difficult.
They might be unwilling to think through what he has said.
Are they lazy wishing not to think about what he has said?
Is his teaching controversial?
Their final question suggests that Jesus’ statement lacks the clarity necessary to be understood.
Again, they raise a good question, but by doing so, they reinforce Jesus’ point.
The Issue of Discipleship
The Issue of Discipleship
Like earlier in the episode, Jesus shows advanced insight into the situation.
This reminds the reader of his deity.
It also reminds the reader that he understands the crowd better than they understand themselves.
John narrows in on Jesus’ disciples from within the crowd.
It wasn’t just the fickleness of the crowd that Jesus’ teaching has exposed.
He also brings to light those who were not genuine disciples but who acted as though they were.
Jesus expresses incredulity that what he has said is controversial to them.
He proposes a scenario and asks about it.
Would they find it equally unconvincing were they to observe him ascending where had been formerly?
The implication could be that even witnessing such an event firsthand would not convince them.
The Truth about Life
The Truth about Life
As he did in his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus takes the conversation in the direction of the spirit contrasting it with the flesh.
It is the spirit which makes alive.
The flesh is not benefitting even one thing.
They need to be made alive spiritually; they cannot assume they are right with God simply because of their heritage.
This also has implications for resurrection.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐγείρει τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ ζῳοποιεῖ, οὕτως καὶ ὁ υἱὸς οὓς θέλει ζῳοποιεῖ.
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε, κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα.
εἰ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐγείραντος τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὁ ἐγείρας Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῳοποιήσει καὶ τὰ θνητὰ σώματα ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ὑμῖν.
The implication seems to be that resurrection is something spiritual rather than physical.
They need to be made alive by the spirit.
That comes through his teaching —see below.
He then brings them back to his own teaching. (Note Jn. 6:63).
He connects the life giving power of the spirit with his own words.
The implication seems to be a restatement of his previous teaching.
If they are going to trust him, they must first be willing to hear his teaching for through it, they have access to spirit and life.
Genuine faith is not just a matter of believing in Jesus. We must believe Jesus.
What did he teach about himself?
How does that challenge the present thinking about the privilege of being a Jew?
Jesus demonstrates what he previously taught.
To come to Jesus for life, one needs to humble themselves to the witness of the Father given through Jesus’ teaching.
A failure to do so results in a failure to have life.
The Conclusion
The Conclusion
Jesus’ additional teaching did not assuage the concerns of the majority.
They left Jesus for the life they had before following him.
He lost all credibility with them.
Jesus asks the twelve if they too wanted to depart.
Peter, as usual, answered for the group.
Eleven of the twelve turned out to be legitimate disciples.
John foreshadows events to come, and he also indicates they were under Jesus control/knowledge.
