John 6:61 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?

NIV: Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?

NASB: But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, 'Is this offensive to you?

CSB: Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were complaining about this, asked them, "Does this offend you?

NLT: Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, 'Does this offend you?

KJV: When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you

NKJV: When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?

Jesus' use of symbolism has caused enormous controversy in the synagogue (John 6:52, 59). He has claimed to be the "true bread from heaven" (John 6:32–33, 51). This is superior to the manna provided to Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Jesus has taught that belief in the One sent by God, not adherence to good works, is what gives a person eternal life (John 6:27–29). He has also overtly claimed to be the Bread of Life, using the analogy of consuming His flesh and blood in to explain salvation (John 6:47–58).

Those who had already spent time learning from Jesus might not have been as upset as the rest of the crowd in Capernaum (John 6:24). But they are certainly unhappy and have begun to mumble under their breath about it. The term disciples comes from the Greek mathētōn, meaning "students." As used here, this can refer to any or all of the people following Jesus and learning from Him. Jesus will not specifically address the core twelve members of His group until later (John 6:67). The synagogue attendees are still bothered by what they have heard. For some, this might have been simple confusion. For others, it might have been unease at the idea that the Messiah was not a conquering warrior-king.

Jesus asks if these men are offended, using a word from the Greek root skandalizō. This term has come through nearly intact in English, in words such as "scandalize." As used in this context, the word means something which completely disrupts a person's thoughts and intentions. The concept of a "stumbling block" relates to this word as well. In other words, Jesus asks His followers if this newly explained teaching is "tripping them up."

The continuation of Jesus' words (John 6:62) shows that He assumes this is the case. In other words, Jesus is saying, "well, if you think that's offensive, then…"

John 6:60–71 shows the drastic impact of Jesus' teaching on the crowd: most walk away. When confronted with spiritual needs and a spiritual message, most people will turn it down. What society wants is spectacle, material things, and a political savior. The more Jesus insists on being the means to eternal life, the angrier the crowd becomes, until the vast majority simply abandon Him. The twelve disciples, on the other hand, seem willing to follow Jesus, though they are also struggling to accept His recent claims. Peter's declaration will be the third of John's seven witnesses to Jesus' divinity.

In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small meal, leaving more left over than He had to begin with. At first, the crowd is amazed and they enthusiastically praise Jesus. After sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee and rescuing them from a storm by walking on the water, Jesus once again addresses the crowd. This time, He emphasizes the spiritual lesson behind His prior miracle. In response, most of those who had been praising Jesus turn away in disappointment.

John chapter 6 occurs some months after the events of chapter 5, bringing the narrative to about one year prior to Jesus' crucifixion. As with the rest of the gospel of John, the purpose is not to repeat information from the other three Gospels, but to focus on Jesus' status as God incarnate. This chapter continues to expand the list of Jesus' miraculous signs and the witnesses to His divine nature. Here, Jesus also gives the first of seven ''I am'' statements found in this gospel. Chapter 7 will once again skip ahead to a major public step in Jesus' path to the cross.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.