The Reaction of the False Disciples

John 6:60-65 (NASB)

  60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”

  61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?

  62 “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

  63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

  64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.

  65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

Father,  I pray that you grant us wisdom in your Word though the illumination of the Holy Spirit which is in us.  We thank you for your eternal Word and the rich depths it contains.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

By this time, Jesus had many followers, both true and false.  The fact that the group in this passage are addressed as "disciples" does not mean that they were all true followers of Jesus.  The term used here (mathētēs) which translates "disciple" refers to someone who is under a teacher as a student or learner, however, it says nothing about the level of genuine devotion that the student had toward the teacher.  This same word was also used to note disciples of John the Baptist (Matt 9:14), the Pharisees (Matt 22:15-16), Paul (Acts 9:25), and Moses (John 9:28).  The fact that large crowds followed Jesus is evident, however, most of these were merely fascinated by the amazing miracles He performed.

The "disciples" introduced in John 6:60 were no different.  They had a superficial attraction to Jesus and the miracles that they had seen.  By demanding that they recognize Him as the "Bread of Life" (John 6:33,35,48,50,51) and making it clear that eternal life is found ONLY in fully committing to Him, Jesus demanded more than they were willing to give.  Therefore, they chose to turn away from Him and the salvation that only He could provide.

Once these superficial disciples realized that following Jesus was far more than merely hanging around Him in public and experiencing the physical benefits of His presence...they promptly said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?"  The word for "difficult" (sklēros) literally means "rough," "withered," or "stiff".  In this context, it would mean something hard to accept...something unpleasant.  In typical false disciple fashion the reaction was spot on...as long as Jesus was meeting their physical needs (hunger, healing deliverance from enemy oppression), they flocked to Him.  However, once Jesus demanded that they acknowledge their spiritual bankruptcy, confess their sin, and commit themselves to Him as the sole source of salvation...they left.

By comparison, true disciples come to Christ poor in spirit (Matt 5:3), mourning over their sin (Matt 5:4), and deeply desiring the righteousness that only He can give (Matt 5:6). Jesus left nothing unsaid when it came to explaining what a true disciple was all about (Luke 9:23-25).

By only desiring how Jesus could meet their needs and not for who He is, false disciples are unwilling to embrace the biblical Savior...the One that rebuked sinners and warned of eternal hell, and that by His words alone could salvation come (John 5:24).  In John 8:31 Jesus said to the Jews "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine."  This persistent obedience always marks a true believer (1 John 2:3-5).

"Does this cause you to stumble?" - The word used here for "stumble" is skandalizō which can mean either "to take offence" or "to give up believing".  Both are fitting here.  The false disciples took offense and forfeited their superficial faith in Him.  An amazing part of this verse is the glimpse we get of Jesus' ability to know the heart of every man.

"What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before" - This question is rooted in the knowledge that one of their main objections was His claim to have come down from heaven.  Jesus seems to imply something like, "If you saw me ascend to heaven, would that not prove my heavenly origin?" (On a side note here...the reference to His ascension rules out any literal interpretation that Jesus was talking about eating His actual flesh and blood...since He would be ascending bodily into heaven...Acts 1:3-11)

In one accord with John 3:6, Jesus contrasts "the Spirit who gives life" with "the flesh" that "profits nothing".  Spiritual life comes only when the Holy Spirit gives it.  It does not come through the "will of the flesh".  Jesus exhorted those who took issue with "eating His flesh" (John 6:52) to focus instead on partaking of His Spirit (John 6:53-58).  To embrace Jesus' words is to receive Him, for they reveal His person.

"But there are some of you who do not believe" - As with all of those that reject the offer of salvation, the issue is not lack of information, but lack of faith.  Jesus held these false disciples personally responsible for rejecting Him.

"Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe" - One thing is for sure, the fact that some would not believe was not a surprise to Jesus...since He knows the hearts of all men.  He knew all along "who it was that would betray Him"...which of course was Judas Iscariot...the ultimate example of a false disciple.

"For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father," - This reiterates His earlier teaching (John 6:37,39,44-45) that God is absolutely sovereign  in salvation.  Verses 64 and 65 express the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility found throughout Scripture.  On the one hand, unbelievers are condemned for their unbelief (John 6:64); on the other, they are lost because the Father did not draw them (John 6:65).

Unfortunately, but predictably, "as a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."  They deserted Him and joined the scoffers who had rejected Him outright.