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6:60-71 “You have the words of eternal life”

March 6, 2021


The popular acclaim of Jesus (15) now gave way to rejection – his teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood (6:52-59) meant that it was no longer possible to follow him superficially. His words were hard to understand and even harder to accept (60). It would be harder still to accept those words on the day when they would see him lifted on the cross, even though his death and resurrection were in fact the route by which he would ascend back to heavenly glory (61-62; 3:13-14; 17:4-5).


Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, they would never understand this for it is the Spirit alone who gives life (63; 3:6). So, to receive the life of Jesus, people must have a spiritual encounter with him through the Holy Spirit (3:7-8). It was through the very words of Jesus which they reject that the Spirit could give new life to them, if only they would believe. It came as no surprise to Jesus that many of his followers did not truly believe, for he knows what is in human hearts (64; 2:24-25) and that people cannot believe in him unless the Father draws them (65).


Nevertheless, the turning away of many of his followers (66) is a decisive point in this gospel, and Peter’s response, on behalf of the twelve, is important. They alone had realised that Jesus is “the Holy One of God” i.e. “God’s Messiah” (69; Luke 9:20). The twelve disciples, unlike the crowd, had understood the signs. They recognised that Jesus had come down from heaven, and therefore his words are the means of receiving eternal life (68). Yet in this testimony of faith there was no room for boasting, for it was Jesus who had chosen them (70) and even one of them would betray him (71).

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