???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????JOHN 6:52-71?????? ????????????????Lesson # 14

???????????????????????????????????????????????FORCING DECISION FOR BELIEF OR UNBELIEF

I.?? Introduction:

???????????Q? Do you like it when people force you to decide?? Why or why not?

???????????Q? What is good and bad about this?

???????????Q? Have you ever been in a dating relationship that you were glad when it came to an end??

???????????Q? Who forced the issue was it you or the other person?

???????????Q? Is it good to force the issue sometimes?

II.? Dialogue With the Leadership:? He is the Source of Eternal Life.? John 6:52-59.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:51-52.

???????????Q? How have the religious leaders reacted to the Jesus’ claims?

????????????? An = They either do not understand (how can we eat another human) or they reject His claim to be sufficient for such spiritual sustenance.? It is probably the latter.? Jesus was using language of their times, symbolizing that He could sustain their existence.? He could keep them eternally alive.? They no doubt did not understand His allusion to the cross in verse 51 but they understood His claim to bring them eternal life.

Note:? They do not buy into Jesus’ claims.? They reject them.? Jesus has several options.? He can back track and approach them later after He has won them over (the political approach) or He can get angry and damn them all to hell (the angry, defensive approach), or He can do something else.? Lets watch His response to their rejection, it will surprise you….

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:53-59.

???????????Q? Has Jesus backed off His claims or gotten angry?

????????????? An = No, He has done neither.

???????????Q? How has Jesus responded to their lack of belief?

????????????? An = He has pressed His claims even further.? He has not done the politically correct thing nor has He backed off.

???????????Q? What has He claimed in verses 53-54?

????????????? An = He is the source of life, eternal life.

???????????Q? What has He claimed in verses 55?

????????????? An = His ability to sustain and give life is true!

???????????Q? What is Jesus claiming in verse 56?

????????????? An = We can communion with Jesus.? He can be in us.

???????????Q? Is Jesus speaking of the Lord’s Supper here?

????????????? An = He could be, what is interesting is that the Gospel of John never gives an account of the Last Supper or the Communion service like other Gospels.? They speak of it on Jesus’ last night in Jerusalem, but this discussion is after Jesus fed the 5,000 in Galilee.? Barclay (p. 232) reminds us that the reality of the truths in the Communion service are not limited to the ritual of the Lord’s supper.? He is our source of life, we can have communion with Him.? It is not tied to a ceremony, but it is a reality.?

Note:? Jesus is using powerful Jewish symbols.? Blood is the symbol for life.? Bread or meal was the common type of Old Testament sacrifice.? Jesus is hinting He is fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system’s meaning.? It looked forward to Him, He is now present.

???????????Q? What do verses 57-58 mean?

????????????? An = The manna was a type of Him.? The bread from Moses sustained and gave life physically but Jesus will give life forever, eternally.? Jesus is saying He is the whole fulfillment of the Old Testament belief system.? These are huge claims.

???????????Q? Is Jesus right?? What does that mean for you??

???????????Q? Give me an example how Jesus is your source of life?

III.? Dialogue With Jesus and His Disciples:? Some of them Leave.? John 6:60-66.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:60.

???????????Q? What has been the reaction to Jesus’ choice of responding to the religious leaders disbelief?? What has it cost Him?

????????????? An ???= It has now cost Him the belief of some of His disciples.? His choice of not getting mad or not softening but rather pressing home His message has cost Him followers who seemingly believed in Him.

???????????Q? How would you feel?

????????????? An = Let us see how Jesus felt by how He responds to their disbelief.

>>>> Have someone read John 6:61-62.

???????????Q? How does Jesus respond?? Does He panic?? Is He angry?

????????????? An = He opens with two rhetorical questions.? He asks them to think about why they are offended (scandalized is the word in Greek) in verse 61.? Then He seems to go to the key issue, “Is He the bread of Heaven, Is He from the Father”.? He in affect says what if you should see me go back into heaven.? Something He will do.

>>>> Have someone read John 6:63.

???????????Q What is He saying here?

????????????? An = He goes back to affirming where the source of life comes from.? It comes from the Spirit, not from the flesh.? It comes from Jesus who is full of the Spirit and not from the manna of the Old Testament or the bread He just recently supplied.? And where do you get life and the Spirit?? From the words Jesus is speaking to them.

Note:? If we back off or we get angry even when people reject our message, we need to keep putting it forward, it is their source of life.? Give an example from Markie being cussed out by his brother.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:64.

???????????Q? What is Jesus doing here?

????????????? An = He is prophesying that some who were supposed to be disciples, supposed to be followers do not really believe.? They liked the power of the miracles, they liked the bread, but they do not really believe.? Jesus knew that.? He also knew He would be betrayed.? Jesus was not the person to be taken in with appearances.? Some of you tonight may not really believe.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:65-66.

???????????Q? What is Jesus saying here?

????????????? An = These folks were not really believers in the first place.? If you are a believer here tonight then it is a gift given to you.? >>>>? Have someone read Matthew 16:16-17.? Note that here too Jesus says Peter’s confession was not of the flesh (see verse 63), but rather from the Father.

???????????Q? What has Jesus done by responding to disbelief in the way He has?

???????????Q? Should you do this in your ministry right now or in the ministry you will have in the future?

???????????Q? Can you help us and give us a “supposed example” and help us see what this would look like in our coming ministries?

???????????Q? Does it take guts to minister like Jesus?

IV.? Dialogue With the Twelve:? Challenge to Their Faith and Prediction of Betrayal.? John 6:67-71.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:67.

???????????Q? What is Jesus doing here?

????????????? An = He is challenging even the twelve?? He is pushing it. ?Even the Twelve must be pressed.? He is saying “get in” or “get out”.? Trust me God stills speaks this way.? There will come times when you must decide.? Christ will not seduce you or “brain wash” you but He freely extends His offer.? His Father will speak to you, but you must decide.? Lets see how Peter decides….

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:68-69.

???????????Q? What is Peter’s response?

????????????? An = Peter first calls Him “Lord”!? Peter then says, where else can we go, you are indeed the source of life and the Holy One of God.? This is seemingly John’s version of Peter’s confession.

Note:? 1)? This is an amazing answer!? It is my hope that you too will make such an answer and that people in your ministry now and in the future will make such an answer.

????????????2)? If folks like me and benefit from my efforts that is nice.? It is good to give hungry people bread like Jesus did in the beginning of John 6 but the real issue of our ministry is do people come to belief in God.

????????????3)? Jesus responds to Peter’s confession with the most unusual response.

>>>>? Have someone read John 6:70-71.

???????????Q? How has Jesus responded?

????????????? An = He does not praise Peter, or pump up Peter but rather predicts the betrayal of Judas.

???????????Q? Why did Jesus do this?

????????????? An = ???????????1)? Because no one could later say Jesus did not know what was coming.

???????????????????????????????????2)? Jesus wanted Judas to know where he stood.

???????????????????????????????????3)? Because if you get into ministry it will happen to you.

????????????? ????????????????????4)? Perhaps, we should ask ourselves the question, will we betray Him.