Grace
John 6:60-71
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
Jesus' teaching must have been hard to many of the disciples, so they oftentimes were grumbling about His teaching and left Him. His teaching must have been totally different from their other teachers and beyond their understanding, and even today, it sounds too hard to understand well enough with our knowledge and our common senses. However, a couple of months later, He showed more amazing things like resurrection and ascending to the heaven as He had predicted several times. Even 12 disciples, exactly speaking, 11 ones couldn't have understood His words and actions, if the Spirit hadn't led them to do it.
Likewise, If we can't believe Him, we'll have to say that He is a fake or a swindler, or more severe words. But I have never heard about these kinds of speech until now. Even though some people do not believe Him, it does not mean Jesus is false, but they have no ears to hear, as Father does not enable them to come to Jesus(65). As I meditated on the verse, John 6:44, yesterday, it is not an easy thing to say in a word. It is up to the Spirit of God, and it is the story of Life, not the flesh(physical body), so it is not understandable without the help of the Spirit.
Therefore, we say it is the perfect grace and love of God, because we are capable to understand and believe in Him as the truth and life through the holy One of God. This is one of the main reasons that I give thanks and praise Him. I shall not go anywhere like 11 disciples, as the words of eternal life are right here. Thanks, Lord.
