The Hard Sayings of Jesus

[PATrobas]

Reminders – The Hard Sayings of Jesus

            Jesus said some hard things to those that didn’t yet have the ability to understand the meanings of His words. They heard and understood the language He was speaking but they lacked the power to comprehend His message. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus about new life, he understood Jesus’ words about physical birth, but he totally missed the message about spiritual birth and being “born again.” Jesus explained saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again.” ^{John 3:5-7} Even after Jesus’ explanation, Nicodemus still did not understand, saying to Him, “How can these things be?” ^{John 3:9}

            After feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish, a multitude followed Him, seeking to know how to get more free food. Jesus tried to tell them to look beyond physical food for life and to seek spiritual food for eternal life, saying, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, …I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die, …Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” ^{John 6:27, 48-50, 53} Like Nicodemus, they were only thinking physically and they “quarreled among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” ^{John 6:52} Again, Jesus tried to explain the meaning of His words saying, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” ^{John 6:63} Even though He spoke plainly to them, we learn that “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” ^{John 6:66-68} I don’t think Peter fathomed what Jesus meant any more than those that left, but he grasped enough to recognize the source of eternal life and remain with Him.

            Final Thoughts: To eat the raw flesh or drink the blood of an animal was an abomination to the Jews. To physically do what Jesus said was unthinkable, so they labeled Him a blaspheming heretic and had Him crucified. We, like Peter, know that the Word of God has the words of eternal life. But to unlock the meaning of those words that are written in the Bible and are heard in our hearts takes the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s neither miss nor dismiss the meaning of the words by failing to ask the author to reveal them, and then give us the faith to believe. Only then, can we do the hard sayings of Jesus.

[MichaelSnow]

https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/born-again-or-born-from-above/

[NConly]

21 minutes ago, MichaelSnow said:

https://textsincontext.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/born-again-or-born-from-above/

I like it straight out of the KJV

 

 

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

V7 Jesus is conveying that he is speaking directly to Nicodemus when he says Thee and when Jesus says Ye Nicodemus understands Ye is plural. as all must be born again. imo

[NConly]

On 7/7/2023 at 2:52 PM, PATrobas said:

Reminders – The Hard Sayings of Jesus

            Jesus said some hard things to those that didn’t yet have the ability to understand the meanings of His words. They heard and understood the language He was speaking but they lacked the power to comprehend His message. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus about new life, he understood Jesus’ words about physical birth, but he totally missed the message about spiritual birth and being “born again.” Jesus explained saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again.” ^{John 3:5-7} Even after Jesus’ explanation, Nicodemus still did not understand, saying to Him, “How can these things be?” ^{John 3:9}

            After feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish, a multitude followed Him, seeking to know how to get more free food. Jesus tried to tell them to look beyond physical food for life and to seek spiritual food for eternal life, saying, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, …I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die, …Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” ^{John 6:27, 48-50, 53} Like Nicodemus, they were only thinking physically and they “quarreled among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” ^{John 6:52} Again, Jesus tried to explain the meaning of His words saying, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” ^{John 6:63} Even though He spoke plainly to them, we learn that “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” ^{John 6:66-68} I don’t think Peter fathomed what Jesus meant any more than those that left, but he grasped enough to recognize the source of eternal life and remain with Him.

            Final Thoughts: To eat the raw flesh or drink the blood of an animal was an abomination to the Jews. To physically do what Jesus said was unthinkable, so they labeled Him a blaspheming heretic and had Him crucified. We, like Peter, know that the Word of God has the words of eternal life. But to unlock the meaning of those words that are written in the Bible and are heard in our hearts takes the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s neither miss nor dismiss the meaning of the words by failing to ask the author to reveal them, and then give us the faith to believe. Only then, can we do the hard sayings of Jesus.

 

The KJV has a better translation  for Verse 7

[Wayne222]

This is a good post. To eat his flesh and drink his blood is really to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. He died for our sins and was raise for our justification. If we have faith in our hearts in this then we have eaten his flesh and we drink his blood. We show this with the lords supper. We live by faith. Not by the flesh. 

[PATrobas]

7 hours ago, NConly said:

The KJV has a better translation  for Verse 7

It is KJV. But you are right about the plural. I changed it for readability. Sorry, I didn't see your first post.

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by PATrobas
new info.

[farouk]

8 hours ago, NConly said:

I like it straight out of the KJV

 

 

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

V7 Jesus is conveying that he is speaking directly to Nicodemus when he says Thee and when Jesus says Ye Nicodemus understands Ye is plural. as all must be born again. imo

@NConly So often Scripture does come over better in the King James.

(IMHO).

[farouk]

8 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

This is a good post. To eat his flesh and drink his blood is really to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. He died for our sins and was raise for our justification. If we have faith in our hearts in this then we have eaten his flesh and we drink his blood. We show this with the lords supper. We live by faith. Not by the flesh. 

Hi @Wayne222 Someone wrote: "Only bread and only wine / Yet to faith the solemn sign / Of the heavenly and divine / We give Thee thanks O Lord."

Kind of sums up the symbolic nature of the emblems.

Although I don't see the Lord's Supper in John 6; it's more about exercising faith.

Edited July 13, 2023 by farouk

[B Judson]

Quote

This is a good post. To eat his flesh and drink his blood is really to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. He died for our sins and was raise for our justification. If we have faith in our hearts in this then we have eaten his flesh and we drink his blood. We show this with the lords supper. We live by faith. Not by the flesh.  

As opposed to what the catholics believe that it's the actual flesh of Jesus and it's His actual blood after their priest guy waves his hand over the elements of communion and does his majic trick.

[angels4u]

10 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

This is a good post. To eat his flesh and drink his blood is really to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. He died for our sins and was raise for our justification. If we have faith in our hearts in this then we have eaten his flesh and we drink his blood. We show this with the lords supper. We live by faith. Not by the flesh. 

Wayne,do you believe when we have communion is is really happening?

As born again Christian ,we believe we the bread and wine is symbolic ,Christ died ones for all,we don't crucify him over and over again?