Does This Offend You? - John 6:61

The apostle John wrote how Jesus told the people looking for Him, As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”, and in chapter six and verse sixty-one of his book, John shared how Jesus asked His disciples, “Does this offend you?” where we read:

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you?

The verse reads, “When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, ...”. John began with the words, “when Jesus” or “at the time and moment the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation” “knew in himself” which means “understood, perceived, discerned and discovered within His own self” “that his disciples” or “that his, Jesus', students, pupils and attendants” “murmured at it” which means “muttered, grumbled and contentedly complained about what Jesus said” the following occurred. John shared how at the time Jesus understood that His “disciples” were “grumbling” about what He just said, He asked the following of them.

The verse continues, “... he said unto them, Does this offend you?” John added the words, “he said unto them” which means “Jesus uttered, declared, proclaimed and asked of His disciples”, “Does this offend you” or “do the words I, Jesus, am saying and the idea I, Jesus, am conveying to you, disciples, put a stumbling block or impediment in the way that makes you trip and fall”? John shared how Jesus asked His disciples who were “grumbling” whether His words and ideas “stumbled” them.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how perceptive Jesus was toward the thinking of His disciples, and how He was purposed to question them as to whether His words “stumbled” them or not. Jesus knows the “heart” and “mind” of every person, and when they have “doubts” about Him, He is not surprised nor without knowledge. God sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of the world, and those who put their faith and trust in Him shall receive forgiveness of their sins and be granted everlasting life with His Father God. Those who are “offended” or “stumbled” at the “words” of Jesus and shall remain in their “sinful” state to be judged and condemned by Almighty God.

Next time John shares how Jesus asked His disciples, “What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".