(2) Perplexity of the Disciples John 6:60-66 disciples of Jesus present at this discourse. Referring to His doctrine, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear (that is comprehend) it?" Perhaps some even of them lacked a full sympathetic confidence. Possibly some also felt a touch of momentary disappointment. They had desired physical bread; and Jesus, in reply, had offered Himself to them as the Bread of Life. Possibly some were even a little discouraged at these profound truths which they could not quite comprehend. Jesus let them know that He knew their murmuring, and the cause of it; yet He held their minds to the spiritual. His act of divine insight would tend to stimulate their faith in Him. Then He challenged them for still greater faith. They had halted at the suggestion of His coming down from Heaven; but He pointed them to the greater wonder of their possibly seeing Him return to Heaven whence He came. Then He explained to them more definitely that life, as He had considered it, was a thing of the spirit; and that His words were to be understood as referring to the source and results of spiritual life. "It is the spirit that quickeneth,” He said, "the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life." a. Christ's Explanation and Searching Test John 6:61-66 Then He laid His searching spiritual test upon their souls, pointing with exact truth to the lack of faith in some of their hearts. "But there are some of you that believe not," He suggested. "For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray Him." He knew that God's Spirit had not quickened some of their lives. Hence He affirmed that He had intended in His previous analysis to help them to see their own secret condition of heart. "For this cause," He said, "have I said unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it be given him of My Father." That solemn application of the truth was a signal for His hearers to act according to the integrity of their faith in Him. This searching test was effective. It revealed to men their low desires, and their want of spirituality. It marked therefore, with many at least, the turning point in the popular attitude toward the Son of God. It resulted in a definite sifting of the people, and the elimination of those of uncertain faith. Upon hearing this test, "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." b. Turning Point in Popular Favor John 6:66 Doubtless it was multitude go away. (3) Testing of the Twelve John 6:67-71 with a heavy heart that Jesus watched the Then turning to His own Apostles, He said, "Would ye also go away?" This was their test. On this day and that previous, they had heard and seen marvelous revelations of Jesus. What was to be their conclusions Doubtless the manner of this question touched the depths of their hearts. How vitally had the Spirit touched their lives? What was the quality and strength of their faith in the Son of God? regarding Him? a. Peter's Reply John 6:68-69 Simon Peter saw the significance of Christ's question, and was quick to make reply. In simple confidence Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God." That conclusion is definite and positive. It recognizes the essential Divine Nature of Jesus Christ. It acknowledges Him as the Source of life and of its sustaining grace. It therefore reflects the deeper meaning of the discourse on the Bread of Life. It announces convictions that are well grounded, first upon faith, and finally upon actual experience. "We have believed, and know," was the way Peter expressed his own conclusions from experience with the Son of God.14 b. Pressure upon Judas Iscariot John 6:70-71 This answer showed that Peter's mind and heart were responsive to the Spirit of God. Peter spoke as if his answer represented all of the Twelve Apostles. But it did not fit them all; for they were not all spiritually minded, not all of that deep and certain faith. Even then Judas Iscariot had a watchful eye for material advantage. Jesus knew this fact, though it was still deep in the secret heart of Judas. In order to bring this lurking sin to the surface in this opportune moment of decisions, Jesus said, "Did not I choose you the Twelve, and one of you is a devil?" This He said about Judas, and doubtless with some subtle suggestion of the personal reference. Why was this pressure made at this time? Possibly Jesus desired, thus in advance, to give a self-revelation to Judas, so that he might repent of this secret sin in his heart. Possibly Jesus, knowing the hopelessness of that hope, tried thus early to eliminate Judas from among the Twelve, as He actually did do at 14For further consideration of this passage, see Chapter XIII, as indicated under Note 1 above in this Chapter. the Passover Supper in the Upper Room during the Passion Week.15 Certainly, in an ultimate way, the Son of God desired here and now to record this fact of divine insight into the heart of Judas as a defence of His own Divine integrity for all time. What the effect of this test was upon Judas the record does not state; but some Bible scholars have thought that Judas never forgot the fact that the Lord Jesus had seen into the secret depths of his sinful heart.16 Meaning of Life 4. The Final Definition of True Life, as Given by Christ. This period of popular propagation of the Kingdom very properly closes with a final word of the Lord as to the nature of that true life which He came to give to the world. This truth of life was given in response to a charge of the scribes and Pharisees, that the disciples of Jesus were violating the sacred laws of religion, in that they were eating without first washing their hands. These subtle charges, and the profoundly searching replies of Jesus, will be more fully outlined in the latter part of the next chapter. They are mentioned here only as the occasion for the following statement about the nature of life, which was made before all the people. 1. Life Not a It In answer to these charges against His Apostles, Christ discussed the nature of true life, in a way to clear up any misconceptions held by His hearers. True life, in His thought, was a thing of the spirit. was in the heart, and not a matter of externals. Even in religion, external observances are far from the essential thing. They may become in themselves sinful. True life is not form, and show, and material substance. It is none of these things. Life is a vital thing in the heart of man. Turning away from His assailants on this occasion, Jesus developed this positive truth of life before the people who had come to hear Him speak. He showed them that true life is from within, and issues from the heart. He showed how all things of enduring moral and spiritual worth in life rise from the depths of hearts that are sincere and pure. He explained that the Jews were persecuting Him because their own hearts were full of evil, so that they could not see the glory of 2. Life a Vital 15 See Chapter XIII, pages 313-315. 16 For fuller study of Judas, see pages 141, 261-2, 313-5, 492-3, 541. the Son of God in their very midst. He affirmed that the Jews, lacking truth and life within their hearts, were blind guides, groping in a system of error that was doomed to self-destruction. The chapter closes with this emphasis upon the heart, and the inner spiritual life, as the matters of supreme consideration. CHAPTER XII THE OPPOSITION OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES "Son of Man, Thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not for they are a rebellious house." Ezekiel 12:2; Matthew 12:25; 1. John 5:1; and Galatians 3:7. "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father." John 15:24. "Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." Romans 9:6. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. For ye... have now obtained mercy through their unbelief." Romans 11:28-30. This chapter, which is parallel with Chapter XI, surveys also, but from a different point of view, the Galilean Ministry from the Sermon on the Mount to the departure of Jesus and His Apostles into the regions of Tyre and Sidon.1 In the previous chapter the interest was centered in the popular propagation of the Kingdom of Christ. In this chapter the central interest is the opposing movement of the scribes and Pharisees against the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ in the hearts of men. In order rightly to understand the contents of this chapter, it is necessary to observe that a new thing had happened. When New Movement: the Second Stage of Opposition Christ had organized His Kingdom, the scribes and Pharisees entered upon a new stage of their opposition to the Son of God. Hitherto the opposition to Him had been a matter of personal acceptance or of personal rejection. Jesus Christ had presented Himself to the people in His earlier ministry, with many infallible proofs of His Divine Nature. Many had accepted Him. But the rulers of the Jews, as a rule, had rejected Him individually and personally. They probably would have been content with that rejection, had the ministry and the appeal of Christ continued to be of that personal nature which characterized His work before the formal organization of His Kingdom. For the parallelism of these chapters, see Chapter XI, note 1, which gives the order of events in this period of the Lord's ministry. |