“Does this offend you?” Jesus asked his disciples as he finished telling them who he was. “I am the bread of life,” he repeated over and over (see John 6). “It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ‘OK,’ the people said, ‘we’ll take this bread from now on.’ In John 4 the Samaritan woman made a similar statement: ‘OK, give me some of this water so I won’t get thirsty any more.’ But instead of simplifying his message, Jesus said things that offended his listeners.
Have you ever been offended by Jesus? He does not mind offending our flesh. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” He knows our pride must exit before we can receive him. He can expose our motives and tell us the truth. The woman at the well confronted the truth about herself and ended up believing in the Christ. The crowd in John 6 enjoyed a miracle meal but could not accept that this Teacher was the only hope for true life. ‘Who does this man think he is, saying he will raise us up at the last day?’ “I am the living bread that came down from heaven… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day… This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
So what do we do when we’re offended by God? What if we really don’t understand? What if the ‘abundant life’ does not seem so abundant? After many disciples walked away, Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Do you want to leave too?’ Peter gave a great reply: ‘Where are we going to go? We believe you are the Holy One. You have the words of life.’ We must remember the One who offends is also the One who loves. If I can humbly say, ‘I may not understand, but I’m going to trust you,’ Jesus smiles. God help us trust completely.
“Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.” John 6:57