John 6:61-65
 
John 6:61 (KJB)
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
 
Murmured - Grumbled or mutter in a low breath
Offend - Anger, to place a stumbling block, or cause to fall away
 
(Num 11:5-6 KJV) We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: {6} But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. History definitely repeats itself and that is because there is nothing new under the sun. Just as the Israelites had murmured against the physical manna, they are now grumbling against the spiritual bread of life. They had been keeping the law of Moses for 1500 years and now Jesus comes along and teaches that for salvation, one just has to be in Christ without keeping the law. This was offensive to a religion where for many years they were required to do something. To top it off, it was not just the abandoning of the ceremonial law, but total commitment was required by Jesus on behalf of His disciples. Commitment is always offensive to the unsaved. This verse is also teaching us that Jesus knew their spiritual condition showing His deity. It should serve to warn us that if we take on any spiritual activity in the Kingdom of God and we are dissatisfied with doing it, Jesus knows instantly by our grumbling. Nothing has really changed because Christians still grumble and complain about the most inane things such as “someone took my seat in church.”
 
John 6:62 (KJB)
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
 
They were grumbling at the fact that He claimed to the be the living bread which came down from Heaven. Now He asks them that on the day of His ascension, will you also grumble and stumble over that? The disciples that remained with Him were privileged to see Jesus ascend to the Father but those who did, did not stumble but waited until the promise of the Holy Spirit should come upon them. (Luke 24:49-51 KJV) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. {50} And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. {51} And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
 
John 6:63 (KJB)
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
 
Quickeneth - Makes alive
Profiteth - Be of benefit to or help
Nothing - Worthless or vain
 
Here Jesus is filing a knowledge gap for the disciples. He now basically tells them that it has nothing to do with physically eating His flesh. He is contrasting the “Spirit” with the “flesh.” The flesh and all its accompanying works under the Mosaic law profits absolutely nothing towards a person’s salvation. Those who are regenerated by the Spirit of God are the ones who have the true salvation. This is why those who are caught up in works will never get to Heaven because the flesh and its works will never satisfy the righteous demands of God’s law. One must be made alive through the Spirit of God in Christ. The words which Christ was speaking to this crowd tended toward salvation because they were the words of a spiritual nature and did not embellish any fleshly works as a way of salvation. Jesus was now telling them that things were going to change and the old ceremonial law, which was only used to reveal the sinfulness of man, would no longer be required. The flesh benefits no one in salvation. Those who have become saved are saved in their inner man or souls and the flesh has no effect upon that salvation. The flesh does not profit in salvation because it is not regenerated at the same time the soul of man is. As we saw before, the flesh continues to decay while the inner man becomes stronger by way of daily renewal. Jesus is giving the way of life and that He is that way of eternal life. Man always feels that they have to do something to earn salvation but the reality is that works can never equate to what took place on Calvary.
 
John 6:64 (KJB)
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
 
Jesus knew that among that crowd there would be many who would not believe. In fact, Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe plus His betrayers. This shows the attribute of deity which is called “omniscience” which means there is nothing Jesus does not know. Jesus knew the names of those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from before the foundation of the world and these would be His followers but those whose names were not written therein, would be those who would not believe even to the extent that they would betray and desire to kill Him.
 
John 6:65 (KJB)
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
 
Back in John 6:44, Jesus had stated that no one could come to Him unless the Father draws them. This is why He gave a discourse concerning the difference of the flesh and Spirit. Man thinks he can come to God by way of his religion but the fact is that salvation is not dependent upon the sinner. Those named before the foundation of the world unto salvation, will receive the Holy Spirit which is the granting of salvation. No mere human in the flesh can ever command the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The idea of “making Christ your savior” is absolutely foreign to the Scripture. It is God the Father who makes Christ your Savior by giving you to Him and then He indwells you. Jesus knew their grumbling and why they grumbled. He also knew that they were spiritually dead and would be totally incapable of coming to Him on God’s terms which completely omits any and every act of the flesh. No person can self-regenerate. It must come from an outside source just like the raising of Lazarus symbolizes.

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