The Gospel of John Made Easy
Chapter 6
Verses 41 – 71
Verse 41
The Jews (probably the Jewish leaders) were angry because he said that he was the bread of life come down from heaven.
They said, “We know who he is. He is Mary and Joseph’s son. We know his brothers and sisters. Matthew 13:55, Mark 6: 3, (4 of his brothers are named)
They said, “How can he say he came down from heaven?”
If the Jewish leaders had known some of Jesus’ relatives, or talked with his mother and Joseph—they could have learned the special things that happened when Jesus was born.
Verse 43, 44
Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father pulls him to me. And I will raise him up in the last day.” (Resurrection of the dead)
The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and shows us our sin. The Holy Spirit pulls us to Jesus so we ask for forgiveness.”
Verses 45- 55
Man has not seen God. Only the one (Jesus) who was with God has seen him. He that believes on me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.
Your fathers long ago ate manna—-but they are now dead. The “bread” (Jesus) that comes down from heaven—-if you eat of it—-you will not die.
I am the living bread. I came down from heaven. I will give my flesh (body) which is bread. I will give my blood. If you eat my flesh and drink my blood you will have eternal life. I will raise up that person in the last day.
Verse 56
He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in him and I live in him.
Verse 57 – 59
The living Father has sent me. I live in him. So he that eats me, will live in me.
Verse 60
Many of the people who heard him say they need to eat his flesh (body) and drink his blood—-said, “This is too hard. We can not understand this. We can not do this.” So they left and did not follow after Jesus any more.
Jesus was talking to them about spiritual things. Jesus did not mean for them to eat his real body or to drink his real blood.
Jesus was talking about how he would soon be giving his body and blood in death. Jesus was dying for them—in their place. They are the ones who did sin—not Jesus.
Taking Jesus into their life—-hearts and minds—-was like eating and drinking Jesus. It was a spirit thing.
Taking Jesus into their life would give them life eternal.
It was hard for the people of that day to see Jesus as God’s son. They thought they knew who he was because they knew his family.
If they had known all the special things about how he was born, it may have helped them believe in him. They did not know all those things.
They saw a man—-who they knew grew up near them—-do miracles. They wondered what to think about that. To think he was God—-they were not so sure.
Verse 61
Jesus knew his disciples had a hard time understanding what he was saying about “eating his body and drinking his blood”. Jesus said to them, “Does this make you upset and angry, too?”
Verse 62
Jesus asked, “What will you think when you see the Son of Man leave the earth and go up into the clouds of heaven?” ( After Jesus rose from the dead. People saw Jesus go up into heaven.) Acts 1: 9 -11
Verse 63
Jesus said, “It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh (things of earth) are of little importance. The words I speak to you are words of the spirit and are words of life.”
Verse 64
Jesus said, “Some of you will believe. Some will not.” Jesus knew from the beginning that one of them would not believe and would betray him.
Verse 65
Jesus said, “I told you before, that no one can come to me unless the Father has given him to me.”
Does this mean that the Father did not give Judas to Jesus—-so because of that Judas was lost? These kind of questions people have asked for years.
We do know that Judas had many opportunities to believe in Jesus. He was with him for 31/2 years. He saw all of Jesus’ miracles. He heard all that Jesus taught. He had as much chance as the others to believe. He made a choice not to believe.
God/Jesus knew from the beginning that he would choose not to believe.
Just because God knows ahead of time what we will choose to do, does not mean that we did not have a choice.
Verse 66
After this talk of Jesus—-many people did not follow him any more.
Verse 67, 68
Jesus asked his disciples, “Will you go away, too?”
Peter said, “Where will we go? You are the only one who has the words of eternal life. We believe you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Verse 70, 71
Jesus said, “I have chosen 12 of you, but one of you is a devil.” Jesus knew Judas would betray him.