Sun
Apr 6
1. LIFE IN THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
a. What effect did the words of Christ have on the religious leaders? John 6:52. What did He explain concerning His flesh and His blood? John 6:53–55.
“Now the rabbis exclaimed angrily, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ They affected to understand His words in the same literal sense as did Nicodemus when he asked, ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ John 3:4. To some extent they comprehended the meaning of Jesus, but they were not willing to acknowledge it. By misconstruing His words, they hoped to prejudice the people against Him.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 389.
b. What does it actually mean to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God? John 6:56, 57; 1 John 3:24; 5:12.
“To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are complete in Him. It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul.”—Ibid., p. 389.
Mon
Apr 7
2. THE WORD OF GOD
a. With what additional explanation did Jesus make the meaning of His words very clear? John 6:63.
“Food cannot benefit us unless we eat it, unless it becomes a part of our being. So Christ is of no value to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour. A theoretical knowledge will do us no good. We must feed upon Him, receive Him into the heart, so that His life becomes our life. His love, His grace, must be assimilated. . . .
“The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had spoken through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ, and the Saviour desired to fix the faith of His followers on the word. When His visible presence should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power. Like their Master, they were to live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:4.
“As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by the word of God. And every soul is to receive life from God’s word for himself. As we must eat for ourselves in order to receive nourishment, so we must receive the word for ourselves. We are not to obtain it merely through the medium of another’s mind. We should carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that we may understand His word. We should take one verse, and concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in that verse for us. We should dwell upon the thought until it becomes our own, and we know ‘what saith the Lord.’ ”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 389, 390.
b. How does the prophet Jeremiah describe this experience? Jeremiah 15:16.
“If we will take God at His word, we shall see of His salvation. . . . We must receive the word of God. We must eat the word, live the word; it is the flesh and blood of the Son of God. We must eat His flesh and drink His blood—receive by faith His spiritual attributes.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 51, 52.
Tue
Apr 8
3. CRISIS IN THE YOUNG CHURCH
a. What crisis did Christ’s words provoke among His own disciples—and how is this a warning for us today? John 6:60, 61, 65, 66.
“The test was too great. The enthusiasm of those who had sought to take Him by force and make Him king grew cold. This discourse in the synagogue, they declared, had opened their eyes. Now they were undeceived. In their minds His words were a direct confession that He was not the Messiah, and that no earthly rewards were to be realized from connection with Him. They had welcomed His miracle-working power; they were eager to be freed from disease and suffering; but they would not come into sympathy with His self-sacrificing life. They cared not for the mysterious spiritual kingdom of which He spoke. The insincere, the selfish, who had sought Him, no longer desired Him. If He would not devote His power and influence to obtaining their freedom from the Romans, they would have nothing to do with Him. . . .
“By the words of truth, the chaff was being separated from the wheat. Because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive reproof, too world-loving to accept a life of humility, many turned away from Jesus. Many are still doing the same thing. Souls are tested today as were those disciples in the synagogue at Capernaum. When truth is brought home to the heart, they see that their lives are not in accordance with the will of God. They see the need of an entire change in themselves; but they are not willing to take up the self-denying work. Therefore they are angry when their sins are discovered. They go away offended, even as the disciples left Jesus, murmuring, ‘This is an hard saying; who can hear it?’ ”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 391, 392.
b. After those disciples had left Him, what did Christ ask the twelve? John 6:67. How can we echo Peter’s wise response today? John 6:68, 69.
“Through good and bad report, through darkness, through all the antagonism of the agencies of Satan, the Sun of Righteousness calmly shines on, searching out evil, repressing sin, and reviving the spirit of the humble and contrite ones. ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.’ ”—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 285.
Wed
Apr 9
4. FROM DISCIPLES TO AVOWED ENEMIES
a. What can we say in general about those who turn from Christ? 1 John 2:19. What disappointing position did the disaffected disciples take?
“As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different spirit took control of them. They could see nothing attractive in Him whom they had once found so interesting. They sought out His enemies, for they were in harmony with their spirit and work. They misinterpreted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His motives. They sustained their course by gathering up every item that could be turned against Him; and such indignation was stirred up by these false reports that His life was in danger.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 392, 393.
b. What happens with carnally-minded hearers? Romans 16:17, 18.
“Praise and flattery would be pleasing . . . but the truth is unwelcome; they cannot hear it. When the crowds follow, and the multitudes are fed, and the shouts of triumph are heard, their voices are loud in praise; but when the searching of God’s Spirit reveals their sin, and bids them leave it, they turn their backs upon the truth, and walk no more with Jesus.”—Ibid., p. 392.
c. Besides those who deserted Jesus, who else became inwardly united with His enemies—and how was this halfhearted allegiance manifested? John 6:70, 71.
“Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. . . . He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.
“From that time he expressed doubts that confused the disciples. He introduced controversies and misleading sentiments, repeating the arguments urged by the scribes and Pharisees against the claims of Christ. All the little and large troubles and crosses, the difficulties and the apparent hindrances to the advancement of the gospel, Judas interpreted as evidences against its truthfulness.”—Ibid., p. 719.
Thu
Apr 10
5. IDENTIFYING THE TRAITOR
a. Describe the trait adopted by Judas. John 12:4–6; Proverbs 3:32.
“[Judas] would introduce texts of Scripture that had no connection with the truths Christ was presenting. These texts, separated from their connection, perplexed the disciples, and increased the discouragement that was constantly pressing upon them. Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he was conscientious.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 719.
b. What promise is often confirmed in our religious experience—even in cases such as this crisis in Galilee? Romans 8:28.
“When Jesus presented the testing truth that caused so many of His disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His words; but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfill. He foresaw that in the hour of temptation every one of His beloved disciples would be severely tested. His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be to them a most trying ordeal. Had no previous test been given, many who were actuated by merely selfish motives would have been connected with them. When their Lord was condemned in the judgment hall; when the multitude who had hailed Him as their king hissed at Him and reviled Him; when the jeering crowd cried, ‘Crucify Him!’—when their worldly ambitions were disappointed, these self-seeking ones would, by renouncing their allegiance to Jesus, have brought upon the disciples a bitter, heart-burdening sorrow, in addition to their grief and disappointment in the ruin of their fondest hopes. In that hour of darkness, the example of those who turned from Him might have carried others with them. But Jesus brought about this crisis while by His personal presence He could still strengthen the faith of His true followers.”—Ibid., p. 394.
Fri
Apr 11
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How are we to “eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood”?
2. What does it mean to look to Jesus?
3. Why were some offended by the words of Christ?
4. What did they do afterwards—and how is this a warning for us?
5. Describe the spiritual state of Judas after this, and its effect.