John 6:60–71 (ESV)
The Words of Eternal Life
60 When
many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were
to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the
beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one
of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Many of the disciples had a hard time with Jesus saying you must eat my flesh and drink my blood. The Lord’s Supper has not been instituted yet
and when it was... it was with the twelve disciples, including Judas Iscariot. The Lutheran Study Bible states: Faced with Jesus’ true identity and the necessity of faith in Him, many stop following, and even one of the Twelve aligns himself with
Satan against Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus’ words bring life; they are the means the Father uses to draw people to Himself. Eternal Life still depends on Faith alone. To eat his flesh and drink his blood is to inwardly digest Jesus’ Word
and to believe.
I pray: O Lord, help me to never turn away from your Word. Help me to always believe. As you said, “no one can come to me [Jesus] unless it is granted him by the Father."
Help me to hunger for your Word and Sacraments. Amen.