Many of the disciples of Jesus deserted him after one of his teachings. Why did they desert him? What is it that they could not accept or understand?
Agape_ said:They could not accpet that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and they could not give up their sinful lives and put all theri faith into Jesus. They could not understand how Jesus could possibly save them and they themselves did not want to give up teir wicked lifestyles. Jesus taught that you had to give yourself 100% to God and that meant to leave everything that grieves God behind, many just relized how hard it is and left.
ToxicReboMan said:Many of the disciples of Jesus deserted him after one of his teachings. Why did they desert him? What is it that they could not accept or understand?
Lynn73 said:In my opinion, some left because the misunderstood what He said. They thought He meant they were to literally chow down on His flesh and drink His literal blood. Jesus explained Himself when He said His words were spirit (to be taken spiritually, not literally and physically) and that flesh profitted nothing as far as eating it is concerned because that was the subject He was talking about it. It doesn't mean that Jesus flesh profitted nothing when He gave it on the cross, that's a whole different subject. In my opinion.
ToxicReboMan said:Many of the disciples of Jesus deserted him after one of his teachings. Why did they desert him? What is it that they could not accept or understand?
ToxicReboMan said:Many of the disciples of Jesus deserted him after one of his teachings. Why did they desert him? What is it that they could not accept or understand?
a_ntv said:Jesus:
55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink
disciples:
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
When Jesus was speaking about the true nutriment, they were thinking he was speaking in parabolas and metaphors.
But He was not speaking with metaphoras!!
He said real food, real blood. They could no more follow him, the teaching was too hard (too illogical) to accept.
Also the twelves did not unsterstand Jesus. That why He asked them the same question.
But they stayed: not because they had understood, but for love for Jesus.
There are many things in our live we dont understand, as death of relatives, diseases, wars.
We have to stay always with Him, even when we dont understand why o how.
BBAS 64 said:Do you think it is poper to exclude verses 61-65, when tring to understand the statements of verse 66 ?
a_ntv said:The problem of Jews started at verses 41 and 52
41At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Ok they could accept these words if spoken metaphorically.
But Jesus was clear. No metaphoras here
On verse 60 the disciples said "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" .
It is like they asked Jesus to say he was joking, or speaking by metaphoras
Be clear that the problem for them was:
- if you can eat the body of Jesus it means that Jesus is not only a man
Jesus did not answered in verses 61-63 as they hoped.
He went on not speaking metaphorically. (verses 64-65 looks like to be added later)
So most left, thinking "he is mad, no man can give his body to other to eat"
Also the twelves did not unsterstand Jesus. That why He asked them the same question.
But they stayed: not because they had understood, but for love for Jesus.
So from these verses we can define:
- Jesus is not only a man (but He is God)
- we have to eat his body
These two facts are striclty tied and repeated many times in the NT (1Cor 11,26 etc).
If we belive to one fact, have to belive to the other. If we deny one fact, we deny also the other.
Obvoiusly for us these facts are hard to understand, but we have to do as Peter, who did not understand, but he trusted
BBAS 64 said:Added Later , would you happen to have manuscript documentation for such an addition?
Jebediah said:It so amuses me that many of the same people who insist on literal Biblical interpretation will turn around and say Christ meant anything except what He actually said:
53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Maybe it's because it points out the flaw in the lack of sacrements in their theology? Maybe it's because it points towards the apostolic Churches? Hmmm...
In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "Hmmmm....Could be."
a_ntv said:Sorry, I've read it but I dont remeber where. So I'will cancel such statement.
Anyway such two verses are not direct speak of Jesus, so are not tied with the matter "why they leaved"
BBAS 64 said:I disagree , to leave out the words of Chrixt to them "right " before they left does damage to the flow of the text.