This Is A Hard Teaching, Who Can Accept It?

Devotional

Day 1: The Difficulty of Believing in a Challenging Messiah

Many of the teachings of Jesus are profoundly difficult to accept. They challenge our human reasoning, our cultural expectations, and our desire for an easy faith. The call to believe in Him often requires us to set aside our preconceived notions and embrace a truth that seems, at first glance, to be too hard to understand or follow. This is a natural and human response to the divine mystery presented to us. The path of discipleship is not meant to be simple, but it is meant to be true. [33:42]

“On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” John 6:60 (NIV)

Reflection: When have you encountered a teaching of Jesus that you initially found difficult to accept or understand? What was it about that teaching that challenged you, and how did you work through that difficulty?

Day 2: Jesus Never Walks Away From Us

Even when we struggle to understand or when we are weighed down by the hardships of life, Jesus remains steadfast. His commitment to us is not dependent on our perfect comprehension or unwavering faith. In times of grief, pain, or confusion, He does not distance Himself. Instead, He draws near, offering His presence as a source of comfort and strength. He is the constant companion through every season, assuring us we are never alone. [38:46]

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

Reflection: In a recent moment of struggle or sorrow, how were you aware of Christ's faithful presence with you, even if the circumstances themselves did not change?

Day 3: Finding Nourishment in the Bread of Life

Jesus offers Himself as the true sustenance for our souls. He is the living bread that satisfies a hunger the world cannot. This nourishment is not a temporary provision but an eternal source of life that sustains us through all things. To partake of this bread is to enter into a deep, abiding relationship with Him. It is in this connection that we find the strength and vitality to navigate our daily lives. [29:41]

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35 (NIV)

Reflection: What does it look like for you, in a practical sense, to consciously rely on Christ as your primary source of spiritual nourishment this week?

Day 4: The Cost and Commitment of Following Jesus

Following Christ requires a significant commitment and often involves personal sacrifice. He was transparent about the challenges, assuring His followers that the world’s opposition was a possibility. This path demands much from us, calling for a faith that perseveres even when the way is difficult. The call to discipleship is an invitation to a profound and purposeful life, not a promise of an easy one. [36:08]

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23 (NIV)

Reflection: Where is Jesus inviting you to a deeper level of commitment in your life right now, and what might a practical step toward that look like?

Day 5: Abiding in Christ Through Every Circumstance

The goal of belief is a life of abiding—a continuous, intimate connection with Jesus. This relationship is our anchor, providing stability and hope whether we are in a season of joy or walking through a valley. He is the constant in the midst of life’s inevitable changes and challenges. By saying "yes" to Him each day, we choose to remain in the love and life that He freely gives. [41:59]

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 (NIV)

Reflection: What is one daily practice or rhythm that helps you cultivate a sense of abiding in Christ, and how might you strengthen that practice in the coming days?

Sermon Summary

A congregation begins with community updates: notification of the unexpected death of John Bain and details for a celebration of life, book club and Bible study schedules, an upcoming spaghetti dinner and bazaar, a month-long soup drive to restock the food pantry, and a board meeting after worship. Worship opens with prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and a children’s sending to Worship and Wonder, creating a rhythm of gratitude, confession, and shared prayer. Scripture focus centers on John 6, with chapter 5 providing background about Jesus’ public ministry, signs, and the growing confusion among those steeped in scripture and tradition.

John 6 records Jesus feeding the 5,000, walking on water, and calling himself the bread of life. Jesus contrasts the manna that sustained ancestors with the living bread that grants eternal life, and he uses stark, embodied language—“eat my flesh and drink my blood”—to press the depth of union offered. The crowd responds with bewilderment and offense; many find the teaching too hard and withdraw. The text highlights both the demand of true discipleship and the human tendency to rationalize or retreat when teachings unsettle familiar expectations.

The passage stresses that following Jesus requires costly commitment, not easy reassurance; discipleship brings hardship, misunderstanding, and even hatred from a broken world. Yet the same passage assures that Jesus never quits on those who abide: presence and sustenance remain amid grief and uncertainty. The congregation experiences that assurance in concrete ways through communal lament over loss, sacramental practice, and an invitation to deepen trust despite the difficulty of the way.

Communion functions as a tangible reminder of embodied union with Jesus. The church frames the table as open and accessible—gluten-free options and non-alcoholic elements—to emphasize welcome and the sensory reality of spiritual nourishment. The service concludes with an invitation to carry the love of God, the peace of Christ, and the power of the Spirit into life’s ongoing joys and sorrows.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is the living bread Jesus presents himself as the true sustenance that surpasses historical signs. That invitation asks for more than intellectual assent; it calls for an embodied joining to Christ’s life so that one’s life feeds on and is fed by divine presence. The image reframes daily hunger—physical, emotional, spiritual—as an opportunity for continued dependence on God’s provision. [29:41]
2. Following Jesus demands costly commitment Discipleship in John 6 reveals a path that cuts against comfort and social approval. Commitment will require repeated yeses, the willingness to be misunderstood, and a readiness to lose certain securities rather than betray the life given by Christ. The cost clarifies what truly shapes values and actions. [35:13]
3. Presence in grief, not absence Scripture affirms that Christ accompanies people through loss and confusion rather than abandoning them to despair. This companionship reframes suffering: pain does not indicate divine distance but a shared journey in which God sustains and holds. Worship and community practices make that presence palpable. [38:46]
4. Communion as tangible spiritual nourishment The Lord’s Table enacts the claim that Christ’s life becomes accessible through ordinary senses—taste, touch, sight, and sound. Participation trains the body to receive grace and reorients daily habits toward gratitude and solidarity. The table also affirms practical welcome through adaptive elements for varied needs. [46:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:46] - Community announcements and funeral info
[02:35] - Meetings, book club, and spaghetti dinner
[05:19] - Soup drive and mission reminders
[08:31] - Opening prayer and Lord’s Prayer
[15:11] - Children sent to Worship and Wonder
[20:42] - Transition to scripture and context
[28:24] - John 6: Bread of Life teaching
[32:07] - Hard teaching and human response
[38:46] - Presence with grief and assurance
[46:35] - Communion instructions and table
[57:28] - Benediction and sending forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: John 6:35, 48-58 (ESV)
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” ... “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Observation questions

What does Jesus call himself in this passage, and what does he promise to those who come to him?
How does Jesus contrast the manna that the ancestors ate with the bread he offers? [29:15]
What was the crowd's reaction to Jesus saying they must eat his flesh and drink his blood? [33:18]
What does Jesus say is the result for those who eat his flesh and drink his blood?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus used such graphic, physical language like "eat my flesh" and "drink my blood" to describe what it means to believe in him? [30:04]
The people found this teaching difficult and some withdrew. What about this teaching might have been so offensive or hard to accept for people steeped in Jewish tradition? [25:12]
Jesus says that those who eat this bread will live forever, unlike the ancestors who ate manna and died. What kind of "life" and "death" is Jesus talking about here?
What does it mean to "abide" in Jesus and for him to abide in us, according to this passage?

Application questions

Following Jesus requires a costly commitment that can bring hardship and misunderstanding. [35:53] What is one area of your life where following Jesus feels difficult or has cost you something recently?
Jesus is the living bread, our true sustenance. [29:41] In what practical way can you more consciously "feed" on him and depend on his presence this week, especially when you feel hungry—physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
The passage assures us that Christ accompanies people through loss and confusion rather than abandoning them. [38:46] How does this truth change the way you navigate personal grief or pain? Who in your life needs to be reminded of this companionship right now?
Communion is a tangible reminder of our union with Christ. [46:48] How can participating in the Lord's Supper or another spiritual practice help your body and senses receive God's grace in the midst of ordinary life?
When have you, like the crowd, been tempted to rationalize or walk away from a challenging aspect of faith? [36:25] What helps you to say "yes" to Jesus again when your faith is unsettled?
The church made practical accommodations at the table (gluten-free, non-alcoholic) to emphasize welcome. [47:57] What is one way you can help make your faith community more accessible and nourishing for someone with different needs?

Sermon Clips

52s

#JesusWithUsInGrief

“But what's different from us for us is that even though we sit with this pain and this heaviness today, because we believe, because we believe what we do and that we know Jesus is the nourishment for our lives, because we believed what he's asked us to believe even though it may be difficult at times. Because of that, Jesus is always with us, and he is sitting in this grief with us. He is holding this pain with us. Jesus never walks away from us.”

45s

#CommunionTransformsUs

“After having that time to connect with God, as individuals, now we get to connect with God, with our whole self as a whole body as we come around the communion table together to receive that message of Jesus' love for us and just how connected to Jesus we are, that we get to experience that with our whole being, taste, touch, smell, hearing all of it. Jesus becomes our everything when we come around the communion table.”

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This Is A Hard Teaching, Who Can Accept It? | February 8, 2026