This is a Hard Saying

In the verses preceding John 6:60-65, Jesus Christ proclaimed three vital doctrines which are difficult to accept:

1. The Incarnation of the Son - that Jesus Christ came down from heaven as God the Son in the flesh.

2. The Substitutionary Sacrificial Atonement - that Jesus is the payment of the penalty for sin, giving us life.

3. The Sovereignty of God in Salvation - that salvation is not a work of man, but totally of the will and work of God.

"Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, 'This is an hard saying; who can hear it?'" - John 6:60.

Many rejected these words of Jesus, and thereby rejected Jesus Himself. There were many in His day who followed Him in a superficial, shallow way. Today, there are also many nominal "Christians." However, when faced with the hard words of Jesus, they do not accept the difficult doctrines.

In this passage we see not only the rejection of Jesus by many, but we also see the the powers of perception of our Lord, how He knows what is in the heart of every person (see John 2:24-25). We also see the reaction of our Lord to those who reject Him.