John 6:58-61
6:58 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.
6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

In John 6:41 we already saw that the Jews in the crowd began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
By verse 52 the Jews were arguing sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Now in verse 61 even the disciples, people who were following Jesus, were grumbling. Why would these disciples, who had been following Jesus, start grumbling?


Jesus use of symbolism has caused enormous controversy in Capernaum, the city which had seen and heard so many of His healings and teachings: the city that had received the most light and also the area in which Jesus had received great popularity.
The term disciples comes from the Greek matheton, meaning "students." and refers to more than just the twelve, including all who have, to this point, been following and listening to Him.

Jesus has claimed to be the Bread of Life, and used the analogy of consuming His flesh and blood in order to explain salvation.

Jesus asks, "Does this offend you", (scandalize you) Does this totally upset your idea, concepts and hopes of a Messiah?

"His words were a direct confession that He was not the Messiah they had hoped for no earthly rewards were to be realized from connection with Him. They had welcomed His miracle-working power; they were eager to be freed from disease and suffering; but they would not come into sympathy with His self-sacrificing life. They cared not for the mysterious spiritual kingdom of which He spoke. The insincere, the selfish, who had sought Him, no longer desired Him. If He would not devote His power and influence to obtaining their freedom from the Romans, they would have nothing to do with Him." {DA 391.3}

John 6:61-63
6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
6:62 [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

Christ is telling them if they found the doctrine of grace offensive, they are actually rejecting His crucifixion and His exaltation. They are rejecting the very center and substance of the eternal gospel.
Christ would return to heaven and sit on the throne at the right hand of God the Father, where He was before His incarnation.

"The Saviour answered them: "Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." {DA 390.2}
The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had spoken through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ, and the Saviour desired to fix the faith of His followers on the word. When His visible presence should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power. Like their Master, they were to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. {DA 390.3}

John 6:63-65 It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, are spirit, and are life.
6:64 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.
6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

The rejection of His message was not a surprise to Jesus. He knew He would be rejected by the majority, and yet He came, and He taught and He made it plain to them that there was an eternal life for them. He wanted them to understand and to accept, if only they would believe. Christ came to save them, but they had a choice, the Holy Spirit was trying to awaken their understanding, but they had to chose to respond to the Holy Spirit prompting their hearts, or to cling to their humanistic temporal, but soon to fade worldly achievements and worldly hopes. By pushing away the still small voice, thus not allowing the Holy Spirit in, they had no chance. They would remain "dead" in their sin, even though they still followed religious rituals, they had rejected the Spirit and Life. They had rejected the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.

6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

What a sad statement.
Interesting it is verse 6:66

John 6:67-71 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.


With a yearning heart, Jesus saw those who had been His disciples departing from Him. He had come to save them, to draw them out of darkness into the light of life. He is the Life and the Light of men. He was filled with sorrow seeing those He had come to save, slight His love and His outreached hand of mercy. Why were so many rejecting salvation. The sorrow was deep, for it was this rejection of His priceless gift for their salvation, that made Him a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

Finally Jesus turned to the twelve chosen disciples and asked them if they going to leave as well.
Peter replied by asking, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" "Thou hast the words of eternal life," he added. "And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

"To whom shall we go?"
"To whom shall we go?"
While many who been following Jesus, listening to His teachings and witnessing His compassion and healing power, had now forsaken the Saviour, Peter expressed the faith of the disciples,--"Thou art that Christ." The very thought of losing this anchor of their souls filled them with fear and pain. To be without a Saviour, they found, would be unbearable. It was from and with Christ they had found joy, peace, forgiveness; meaning in life, to disconnect would mean to be floating in a hopeless condition.

This was a preparatory lesson for the disciples. They were still confused as to Christ's mission to earth, and In just over a week, they would NOT see Him sitting on any earthly throne, and totally contrary to their hopes and dreams, they would see their master denounced, they would see mobs of people screaming "Crucify Him". They see Him die a horrible death. Would they still cling to Jesus, believing He was the longed for Messiah?

We face similar issues.
When things go wrong, maybe a loved one dies, or disease strikes, or any number of bad things, what do we do -- rail against God, and turn away from Him?

At the end of time, God's people will face a very strong situation that will be meant to shake their convictions. . The world will not be on their side. The world will denounce the true Christ, and make laws defying God's command. Will we be able to stand in trust and faith in HIM, when it appears the whole world is against us.?

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.


Many people, who had followed Jesus, turned away to walk no more with Him.
The twelve asserted their belief that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God! They would stay,
but ---
One of those twelve, Judas, who also decided to stay, was staying for all the wrong reasons.
But again, all twelve still entertained those same wrong reasons.
They longed for high positions in what they believed would be the restoration of their present nation to greatness.

So what made the difference?

All the disciples had character defects. But they were open to the grace of Christ which was a transforming power, working marvelous changes in the life of the disciples.
The opportunities and advantages offered to all the disciples were given to Judas also. The same principles of truth were set before his understanding, the same example in the character of Christ was his to contemplate and imitate. But Judas failed to fully respond. His heart was not being softened. While he acknowledged that Jesus was unique, and had high hopes Jesus was the Messiah, yet evil temper, covetous and doubting thoughts and passions, dark calculating thoughts, were cherished, thus he was giving Satan control, and blocking the healing, transforming power of Christ. The humility of Christ disturbed him. How could such a humble man ever be king.
Judas rationalized, by thinking Jesus needed him, Judas, to take control and "help" Jesus reach His ambitions (which were really Judas' ambitions).