John 6:59-70 Meaning: The Hard Saying That Divided Followers
59He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?”
61But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?
62Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
64But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him.
65He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
66At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
67Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?”
68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60Many therefore of his disciples, when they heardthis, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
61But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble?
62What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?
63It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.
64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.
65And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.
66Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away?
68Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.
70Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?
59These things he said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum;
60many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, `This word is hard; who is able to hear it?'
61And Jesus having known in himself that his disciples are murmuring about this, said to them, `Doth this stumble you?
62if then ye may behold the Son of Man going up where he was before?
63the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life;
64but there are certain of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he who will deliver him up,
65and he said, `Because of this I have said to you--No one is able to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father.'
66From this time many of his disciples went away backward, and were no more walking with him,
67Jesus, therefore, said to the twelve, `Do ye also wish to go away?'
68Simon Peter, therefore, answered him, `Sir, unto whom shall we go? thou hast sayings of life age-during;
69and we have believed, and we have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
70Jesus answered them, `Did not I choose you--the twelve? and of you--one is a devil.
59These things he said in [the] synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.
60Many therefore of his disciples having heard [it] said, This word is hard; who can hear it?
61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmur concerning this, said to them, Does this offend you?
62If then ye see the Son of man ascending up where he was before?
63It is the Spirit which quickens, the flesh profits nothing: the words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.
64But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would deliver him up.
65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no one can come to me unless it be given to him from the Father.
66From that [time] many of his disciples went away back and walked no more with him.
67Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal;
69and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God.
70Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you the twelve? and of you one is a devil.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did many disciples leave Jesus after the Bread of Life discourse?
Context
Jesus had just finished a long teaching in the Capernaum synagogue. He called himself the bread that came down from heaven, and he said people must eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. This was not a private conversation. It happened in the public place where the community gathered for worship. Many who had been following him as disciples heard these words and stumbled. They murmured among themselves. Jesus, knowing their hearts, did not soften the message. Instead he challenged them further, asking if they would be even more shocked to see him ascend to heaven. He explained that the Spirit gives life; the physical understanding of his words profits nothing. But that did not stop the crisis. The text says that from that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. Jesus then turned to the twelve and asked if they too wanted to leave. Peter answered for the group, confessing that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Even then, Jesus hinted that one of them was a betrayer.
Key Words
Three Greek words in this passage carry the weight of the crisis. The first is sklēros (hard). It can mean rough, harsh, or stiff. The disciples said, “This is a hard saying.” But as the commentators note, the harshness was not in the words themselves. It was in the hearers’ hearts. The same word is used of a harsh wind or a stubborn person. Here it signals that the teaching was impossible for them to accept on their own terms.
Second, skandalizō (to cause to stumble) is the verb Jesus uses when he asks, “Does this cause you to stumble?” The word comes from the trigger of a trap, something that makes you trip and fall. Jesus does not ignore their offense. He names it and pushes further into the uncomfortable truth.
Third, rhēmata (words, declarations) appears when Jesus says his words are spirit and life. Rhēma is not just a general term for speech; it means a specific utterance, a living word spoken into a moment. Jesus is telling them that the very words they are rejecting are the source of the life they say they want.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians through the centuries have read this passage with different emphases. On the meaning of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, Catholic and Orthodox traditions see a direct reference to the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present. Many Protestant traditions read it as a metaphor for receiving Christ by faith, feeding on him through trust in his word. Both sides agree that the teaching offended those who took it in a coarse, physical sense.
The words about no one coming unless the Father grants it (v. 65) have also been interpreted differently. Some traditions emphasize God’s sovereign choice in drawing people to Christ. Others stress that divine grace enables human freedom to respond. Both views seek to honor the truth that salvation is God’s gift, not something we achieve on our own. What unites all Christians here is the recognition that Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, stands as the center of the passage.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading of this passage is to think that “the flesh profits nothing” means the physical world, our bodies, or the sacraments are worthless. In fact, Jesus is contrasting a merely carnal way of understanding with spiritual life. The Jewish hearers were thinking about physically eating his flesh. Jesus says that kind of literal, flesh-level understanding does not give life. It is the Spirit, working through his words, that brings true life. He is not dismissing the physical; he is insisting that we must receive his teaching by faith, not by trying to grasp it with the senses alone.
Living This Out
This week you may hit a verse or a teaching that feels like a wall. Maybe it is about forgiveness, or suffering, or something Jesus says that goes against your instincts. You feel the same murmur rise in your chest that those disciples felt. The hard question Jesus asks the twelve is also for you: “Do you also want to go away?”
You do not have to pretend the hard part is easy. But you can stay anyway. Peter did not stay because he understood everything. He stayed because he knew where life came from. This week, when faith feels costly, let Peter’s answer be yours: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” That is enough.
Main takeaway: Only Jesus has the words of eternal life, and staying with him through hard teaching is the only place to find real life.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus taught in a big building called a synagogue. Some people thought his words were too hard and they went home. But Jesus’s friends stayed, because they knew he had the very best words.
For ages 9, 12
The Bread of Life message was so tough that many followers left Jesus. He asked his twelve closest friends if they wanted to leave too. Peter said, “You have the words that give eternal life. We believe you are the Son of God.” Sometimes following Jesus means staying when it is hard, because he is the only one who can give us what we really need.
Questions People Ask
What is the 'hard saying' in John 6:60?
The hard saying is Jesus’ claim that people must eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. To the Jewish audience in the Capernaum synagogue, this sounded shocking and impossible. They took it in a literal, physical sense, which offended them.
Why did many disciples leave Jesus after this teaching?
They left because they could not accept what Jesus said. They were looking for a Messiah who would give them bread and political power, not one who spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. The teaching exposed their unbelief, and they decided it was too costly to follow him any longer.
What does Jesus mean by 'the words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life'?
Jesus means that his words are not ordinary teachings. They carry the power of the Holy Spirit to give true, eternal life. When people receive his words by faith, they are connected to the life of God himself. It is not about physical eating but about trusting what he says.
Did Jesus choose Judas knowing he would betray him?
Yes, the text says Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would betray him. In verse 70, Jesus tells the twelve that one of them is a devil, referring to Judas. This shows that Jesus was never deceived about Judas; his choice of Judas was part of God’s plan, even though Judas was responsible for his own actions.
What does Peter’s confession in John 6:68, 69 teach us about faith?
Peter’s confession shows that genuine faith stays with Jesus even when the teaching is hard. He did not say he understood everything. He said Jesus has the words of eternal life and that they had come to believe and know Jesus is the Christ. Faith is not perfect understanding; it is trusting the person of Jesus enough to stay when others leave.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study