John 6: 60-69
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. 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. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
A Thought
Jesus had just spoken that if anyone who eats his flesh and drinks his blood, he will have eternal life and that he would raise him up on the last day. The Law given to Moses had forbidden the drinking of blood. So how could the disciples understand Jesus was informing them that they must believe in the sacrifice of his body (flesh) and accept the shedding of his blood for their salvation and healing? Aware that his disciples were grumbling because this was a hard thing to believe, Jesus further told them that the words he had spoken were Spirit and they give life and the flesh counts for nothing. When we choose to follow Christ, the Spirit will draw us to the Father and he will enable us to understand.
Our Prayer
Father we praise you holy name. “You alone are worthy of our praise for giving each of us a measure of faith to accept the blood sacrifice of you own Son to receive eternal life. Thank you for your Spirit that will open our understanding of your love and grace that we are forgiven of all sin when we ask in faith believing what Christ achieved by his giving of his body and shedding of his blood to draw us back to you. We now ask to be rooted and established in your love that we may serve and know you better as we grow with your Spirit within us to strengthen us with your power to be your disciples, in the name of Jesus, amen.
