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The continuation of lesson 51 of the Discipleship Making process.
In summary of part one of this lesson, we learned that, Jesus, being the high priest is able to impart righteousness and peace through the elements of bread and wine.
It is here that we pick-up where He left off, Jesus teaching His disciples about the spiritual implications of communing with God. His instructions were so controversial that many of His disciples abandoned the faith. Those remaining were confused and failed to understand its meaning until after His crucifixion.
Read: John 6:48-71
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” John 6:48-52.
Having heard their argument Jesus hammers home His point. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him,” John 6:53 –56.
After hearing Jesus’ teaching many of His disciples abandoned the faith. "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever.” These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the word that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 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. 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.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore John 6:57-66. The “words” Jesus refers to as being spirit and life are: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”
The point of the lesson, according to Jesus: 1) A believer abides (dwells) in Jesus when he eats Jesus’ flesh and 2) Jesus abides (dwells) in a believer when the believer drinks Jesus’ blood.
In part 3 of this lesson, we will learn the key to Making Strong Men.
Until next time . . . Godspeed!
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