Sound The Trumpet

John 6:60-71 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? (61) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? (62) What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (64) 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. (65) And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (66) From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (67) Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? (68) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (69) And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (70) Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (71) He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

When the Spirit of God makes someone alive, there is a definite, certain change in their life. They are new, refreshed. They are a completely different person. Jesus was taking His message of eternal life to the multitudes. As Jesus delivered this message, there was one who traveled with them who was against Him. Judas was, as Jesus described, a devil. If a devil can get in among Jesus and the eleven other disciples, how easy would it be for us to be deceived by a devil? We need to always be walking with God and relying upon the Holy Spirit of God to guide us and to protect us.

John 6:52-59 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (59) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Jesus must shed His own blood and sacrifice His own body to pay for our sins. When we are saved, we are taking part in the blood which was shed for us and the body which was sacrificed for us. That is the eating and drinking to which Jesus is referring. We are not literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood to be saved but we are allowing the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood and body to be applied to our sin.

John 6:39-51 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. (42) And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? (43) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. (44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. (46) Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. (47) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (48) I am that bread of life. (49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The Jews are upset with Jesus. When they think of bread from heaven, they think of the manna the Jews ate as they wandered in the wilderness. Now, Jesus comes along and claims to be the Bread of Life. This angers the Jews. They do not understand what Jesus is telling them. Jesus tries to explain to them that all the people who ate the manna in the wilderness (read the book of Exodus) have died. However, whoever eats the Bread of Life (or believes in Jesus) will be saved. The bread Jesus is giving them, His own body, is what will be sacrificed on the cross later in our study.