The words of Jesus

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life (John 6:63)

 Crucial is the fact that we have taken the words of Jesus seriously. The words of Jesus are spiritually discerned and practically relevant to life.

It is the Spirit who gives life

1. Life has its sole source
2. The Spirit is that sole source of life
3. This life given by the Spirit is at enmity with the flesh
   1. In fact, the flesh is no help in this regard
   2. By the way, the flesh may stand contrary to what the spirit desires (Cf. Romans 7:15-16)
4. The life entirely sourced by the Spirit is eternal life (John 6:68)

The words that I have spoken to you…

1. Jesus must have surely spoken to his disciples many words
2. These words of Jesus were addressed to the disciples
3. He must have chosen those words he uttered carefully (CF. Ecclesiastics 12:10-11)
4. The words chosen reflects on the speaker himself

Are spirit and life

1. The words of Jesus are spirit and life
2. What does it mean?
   1. Jesus speaks the words as the Spirit of God leads him (2 Peter 1:21)
   2. Jesus makes anyone hearing his words alive to God (John 5:25)
3. The latter “life” aptly explains the former “spirit” in this context
4. That we are spiritual must be expressed in our aliveness toward God

THE WORDS OF JESUS RE-APPROPRIATED

1. The words of Jesus are reflective of who Jesus is
2. In particular application, the words of Jesus are literally taken at their face-value
3. In general application, the words of Jesus, in a truncated form, refers to whatever the Spirit reveals to us through the letters
4. Let us find faith in the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17)
5. Let us find time to treasure the Word of Christ richly (Col.3:16)