John 6 60

John 6:60 kjv

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

John 6:60 nkjv

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"

John 6:60 niv

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

John 6:60 esv

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"

John 6:60 nlt

Many of his disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?"

John 6 verses

John 6 60 Meaning

John 6:60 presents the immediate, adverse reaction of many of Jesus' disciples to His challenging discourse on Himself as the Bread of Life, particularly His call to eat His flesh and drink His blood for eternal life. The verse indicates that they found His teaching both intellectually incomprehensible and spiritually unacceptable, characterizing it as "hard saying" – something difficult to receive, demanding a level of faith and spiritual insight they lacked, and even offensive to their understanding. Their question, "Who can understand it?" reveals a deeper spiritual inability or unwillingness to comprehend divine truth through faith, rather than a mere intellectual puzzlement. This moment marks a pivotal point where the true nature of discipleship is tested and many fall away due to the perceived difficulty and profundity of His words.

John 6 60 Context

John chapter 6 begins with Jesus miraculously feeding over 5,000 people. This sign leads many to follow Him, but often for carnal reasons – seeking more miraculous food or wanting to make Him an earthly king. Jesus then shifts the focus from physical bread to spiritual sustenance, introducing Himself as "the Bread of Life." He explains that unlike the manna from heaven, which fed Israel temporarily, He offers true bread that gives eternal life to those who "eat" Him. This discourse culminates in the controversial statement that His flesh is truly food and His blood truly drink, essential for partaking in Him and gaining eternal life (Jn 6:53-58). This teaching, intentionally challenging and deep, aims to differentiate true faith from superficial interest. John 6:60 immediately follows this discourse, capturing the moment of strong resistance from within His own disciples. This setting highlights the immediate, severe theological and practical implications of Jesus' words, testing the sincerity and depth of commitment among those who claimed to follow Him.

John 6 60 Word analysis

• Therefore (οὖν - oun): Connects the preceding difficult discourse directly to the disciples' reaction. It indicates a logical consequence or a summation of what has just been presented.
• many (πολλοί - polloi): Signifies a significant number, not just a few fringe followers, but a widespread group among those identified as His "disciples." This was a broad exodus, not an isolated incident.
• of His disciples (τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ - tōn mathētōn autou): Crucial to understand these were not merely casual listeners but individuals who had made a conscious decision to follow Jesus, perhaps for some time, indicating a more established relationship than that of mere crowds.
• when they heard this (ἀκούσαντες τοῦτο - akousantes touto): Specifically refers to Jesus' teaching on eating His flesh and drinking His blood (Jn 6:51-58). "Heard" here means more than just processing sounds; it implies listening, considering, and being exposed to the full weight of His message.
• said (εἶπον - eidon): Denotes a verbal, vocalized reaction, suggesting open complaint or disbelief.
• This (οὗτος - houtos): Refers demonstratively to the entire teaching, especially the recently concluded portion.
• is a hard saying (σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος - sklēros estin ho logos):
  • hard (σκληρός - sklēros): More than just "difficult to understand" intellectually. It carries connotations of being harsh, rigorous, offensive, intolerable, or severe. It implies the teaching felt unpalatable, objectionable, or morally impossible to them, clashing with their sensibilities (e.g., Jewish dietary laws regarding blood). It was spiritually resistant, not merely mentally complex.
  • saying (λόγος - logos): Refers to Jesus' entire teaching or discourse, encompassing the conceptual depth, ethical demands, and divine claims within it. It’s His message as a whole, not just a single phrase.
• who (τίς - tis): A rhetorical question expressing extreme doubt, skepticism, and possibly exasperation. It implies no one could, or should, be able to accept it.
• can understand it (δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν - dynatai autou akouein):
  • can (δύναται - dynatai): Ability or capacity, indicating a perceived impossibility.
  • understand it (αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν - autou akouein): The Greek verb akouein often means "to hear," but in this context, it implies much more. It includes "to comprehend," "to accept," "to heed," "to obey," or "to respond affirmatively to." The question isn't just about intellectual understanding, but about the willingness or capacity to embrace and align one's life with such a demanding, seemingly offensive truth. They struggled with acceptance, not just cognition.

• "Many of His disciples": This group's rejection indicates the true cost of discipleship. Not all who begin to follow Jesus will remain, especially when the demands become difficult and move beyond initial attractions like signs or bread. It distinguishes genuine commitment from superficial adherence.
• "Hard saying": This phrase captures the tension between divine truth and human perception. What is spiritually profound can appear offensive or irrational to those whose understanding is limited to the natural or physical realm. This "hardness" is rooted in the clash between a literal, carnal interpretation and the spiritual, figurative meaning Jesus intended (Jn 6:63).
• "Who can understand it?": This rhetorical question reveals a fundamental lack of spiritual perception. They perceive an insurmountable barrier not because Jesus' words are truly incomprehensible, but because their hearts and minds are not attuned to spiritual truth. This sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent clarification that understanding requires the Spirit.

John 6 60 Bonus section

The immediate negative reaction to Jesus' "hard saying" about consuming His flesh and blood served several purposes:

• Differentiates true belief: It served as a spiritual filter, separating those who followed Jesus for superficial reasons (like receiving food or wanting an earthly king) from those whose faith was deeply rooted and willing to accept difficult truths by the Spirit.
• Highlights spiritual vs. physical: It underscored the profound disconnect between the disciples' carnal, literal interpretation and Jesus' intended spiritual meaning. They were still thinking in terms of physical acts and benefits, not grasping the need for spiritual union and partaking of His life.
• Prepares for future revelation: This initial offense foreshadowed the scandal of the cross (1 Cor 1:23) and the offensive nature of the Gospel to those who are perishing. Jesus' teachings consistently demanded a leap of faith beyond human understanding.
• Illustrates the need for divine enablement: Jesus later explains that "no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (Jn 6:65), clarifying that true acceptance and understanding are not merely intellectual achievements but a work of God's grace.
• Demonstrates the authority of Christ's words: Despite the widespread rejection, Jesus did not soften His message. This unwavering declaration of truth, regardless of popular reception, affirms the inherent authority and uncompromising nature of His teaching.

John 6 60 Commentary

John 6:60 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating the deep challenge and division provoked by Jesus' core teachings. It highlights that the path of true discipleship is not merely about witnessing miracles or receiving earthly benefits, but about embracing profound spiritual truths that often defy human logic and conventional expectations. The disciples' characterization of Jesus' words as a "hard saying" (Greek sklēros) reveals not just intellectual difficulty but also spiritual resistance and an offensive nature in their eyes, likely due to the graphic language of eating flesh and drinking blood, which was both culturally abhorrent (suggesting cannibalism) and religiously forbidden (Levitical laws on consuming blood). Their question, "Who can understand it?", goes beyond simple intellectual curiosity; it is an exclamation of incredulity and rejection, signaling an unwillingness or spiritual inability to accept such a truth, setting the stage for many to turn back from following Him. This passage underscores that Christ's message filters His followers, sifting those who pursue spiritual transformation from those who seek mere physical provision or worldly gain, revealing the absolute necessity of divine revelation through the Spirit for true comprehension and adherence (as Jesus will elaborate in Jn 6:63-65).