THIS IS A HARD SAYING

THIS IS A HARD SAYING!

(Read: John 6:48-71)

           The Jews at Capernaum misunderstood what Jesus said regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood. “The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)  We still stumble over what we call “The Lord’s Supper” or Communion. One group actually thinks that the priest transforms the wafer and the wine into the literal body and blood of Christ simply by declaring it to be so. Another group thinks that the body and blood are somehow “with” the bread and wine. Still others think that it is purely symbolic.

           They stumbled over the fact that he came down from heaven. The Greek word for “offended” is skandalizo from which we get our word “scandalize.” Warren Wiersbe says: “Jesus explained that His language was figurative and spiritual, not literal. There is no salvation in "flesh." In fact the New Testament has nothing good to say about "the flesh." There is nothing good in it (Rom 7:18) and we must not have confidence in it (Phil 3:3).

The result of Christ’s message was the loss of most of our His disciples. They went back to the old life, the old religion, and the old hopeless situation. The preaching of the Word of God always leads to a sifting of the hearts of the listeners. God draws sinners to the Saviour through the power of truth, His Word. Those who reject the Word will reject the Saviour. Those who receive the Word will receive the Saviour and experience the new birth, eternal life.

1 Cor 1:18

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Dear Lord, let me understand enough to trust and follow you. AMEN