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When the crowds from Bethsaida found Jesus they asked Him how and when He had gotten there. Notice how Jesus answers them. "You seek me, which is good, but your reason for seeking me is bad." They sought Him to be fed physically not because of His teachings. There is an old Chinese saying, "Give a man a fish and you have fed him for one day." "Teach him to fish and you have fed him all his life." He then tells them that they should seek after that food that endures forever.
From this we believe that we should moderate our worldly desires and not labor for that which parishes but rather for that which never parishes. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, yes, it is a gift, but it can only be obtained through Christ for upon Him, only, has God set His seal. "There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Notice in verse 28 He allows them to ask questions. "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" They realize the need on their part to do something to obtain this "eternal bread". The speak in the plural (works) but notice that He answers in the singular. These people coming from Jewish heritage were used to many do's and don'ts in their observance of religion for they were under the Law, here, Jesus only requires one thing, "belief", "faith". Without faith, you cannot please God.
Notice the second question. "What sign do you do that we may see and believe you?" Has He not given them a sign the day before on the other side of the Sea of Galilee? Had He not fed them all with five loaves and two fishes? Well He only fed them once and that was with earthly food, had not Moses fed their ancestors for 40 years and that was heavenly food. Again Christ sees their true intentions. They still sought earthly food not desiring or understanding the spiritual nature of the food that He was offering them.
Having replied to their questions, He further attempts to explain to them the nature of the food which He, and He alone, can offer. Five descriptions are here given:
Having thus explained and described that which He was offering, He then turns to explain the instructions that He was given from God. Two things He was instructed to do. One, (verse 40) "save" all who believed on Him, and "keep" all who believed on Him (verse 38). None shall be lost. Second, give the terms by which man might receive salvation. This is known as the "Covenant of Grace". (Eph. 2:8, For by Grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God.")
Having described to them as simply as possible, what He was offering to them, they ask Him to give to them, this bread always. They were a bit like a lot of people today who think God is a "good movement" and Heaven is a "nice place" but don't really have any desire to obtain either. Their big concern is for their needs to be continually met. They still thought that He was talking about earthly food and when they realized He wasn't, they desired neither Him nor His food.
How is it that they did not understand and others did? By what process do we come to understand and believe? Verses 45 and 46 says that our understandings shall be "enlightened". The Holy Spirit, through the Grace of God, enlightens our minds and we not only hear but we also understand. Verse 44 says that their wills shall be "bowed", "drawn" by the Father. Man's deafness to the truths of God are so strong that nothing less than divine Grace and power can conquer them. Matthew Henry describes "being drawn to God", "It is not a force put upon the will, but a change wrought upon the will." We understand from this that no one can come to Christ without it.
Then in verse 53 He symbolically says the same thing using His flesh and blood as a symbol of the spiritual nourishment that He brings without which there can be no eternal life.
In verses 60 through 71, we have the effects that this very difficult discourse had upon the crowds. To many, even to some of His Disciples, it was extremely hard to understand. Verse 60 says, "This is a hard saying, who can hear it or who can understand it."
The Disciples would understand it in time. With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost they understood all things that He had tough them. Thanks be to God, by His Grace, even we can understand when we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Notice Christ knew what they were thinking. "Does this offend you?" "Do not be offended." "If you cannot understand the nature of the "bread" that I offer you, how can you expect to understand my incarnation, my resurrection and my ascension to be with the Father?" Verse 63 explains that it is the Holy Spirit that quickens the understanding of man. Man, in his own ability, cannot understand spiritual things.
In verse 64, Christ says, "There are some of you that do not believe." This is the first indication that He would be betrayed by one of His own Disciples. Now verse 65 is a very controversial verse. "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." This reiterates what He said in verse 44. People, for ages, have debated God's choosing versus man's free will. As Calvinist, we believe that no one can accept Christ unless they are first called.
Verse 66, after that, many of His disciples (followers), no longer went about with Him. We know that Judas continued on with Christ, but could this have been the turning point of his discipleship? Many leave, and Jesus turns to the twelve and says, "Will you also go away?" Note that those who came to Jesus for worldly gain, left Him at this point.
Notice who it is that rep«lies for the group. It was Peter and Peter was upon most occasions the "mouth" of the group, not so much because he had more of his Masters ear than the others, but because he had more "tongue" than they. And what he said was sometimes approved and sometimes reprimanded, which is the common lot of those who are swift to speak. But this time, what Peter said was worth thinking about. "Lord, to whom shall we go?" Peter continued, but not as a question, but rather as a confession of faith. "You have the words of eternal life, we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God." But Jesus takes issue with Peter, "Not all have believed, even though I choose you all, one of you is a devil." Peter had spoken for them all not knowing that one of them would betray his Master.
The roll of Judas is hard to understand. We know only three things:
Let us not be like the world and reject the 12 because one was false.
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