Even the disciples murmured at these last words of Jesus. They said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” The Saviour heard their complaints and answered them: “Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Thus he instructed them that it was not his human flesh that would give life eternal, but faith in his words and in the efficacy of the sacrifice he was to make for the world. His teaching and example, his life and death, were the heavenly food that was to give them spiritual life and vigor. He reproved them because they had murmured when he said that he had come down from Heaven. If they were not able to receive this truth, how would it be when he ascended before their eyes to that Heaven from whence he came? {2SP 283.2}

Endog disciplene knurrede over Jesu sidste ord. De sagde: "Det er en hård tale; hvem kan holde ud at høre på den?" Frelseren hørte deres knurren og svarede dem: "Forager det jer? Hvad de, om I får at se, at Menneskesønnen stiger derop, hvor han var før? Det er Ånden, som gør levende, kødet gavner intet; de ord som har talt til jer, er ånd og er liv." (61.-63.vers) Således underviste han dem om, at det ikke var kødet af hans legeme, som kunne give evigt liv, men troen på hans ord og på det offer, som han skulle bringe for verden. Hans lære og eksempel, hans liv og død var den himmelske mad, som skulle give dem åndelig kraft og styrke. Han irettesatte dem, fordi de havde knurret, da han sagde, at han var kommet ned fra himlen. Dersom de ikke var i stand til at tage imod denne sandhed, hvorledes ville det da gå, når han opsteg for deres øjne til den himmel, hvorfra han var kommet?