In John 6:63, Jesus says, “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.” This verse is rich with meaning and speaks to the fundamental distinction between flesh and Spirit, as well as the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing spiritual life. Let’s break this down carefully and explore what Jesus is saying here in its context.
Context of John 6
John 6 is a chapter that revolves around belief in Jesus as the Bread of Life. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus gives a discourse about how He is the true Bread that came down from heaven. He speaks about His flesh being true food and His blood being true drink, and how eternal life comes by "eating His flesh and drinking His blood" (John 6:53-56). This language, while shocking to His audience, is symbolic of believing in Him and participating in His sacrificial death, which would soon take place on the cross.
Many of Jesus' listeners, including some of His own disciples, found these teachings difficult to accept (John 6:60). They were interpreting His words in a literal, physical sense, which led to confusion and offense. In response, Jesus explains that it is the Spirit who gives life, while the flesh "counts for nothing."
1..Flesh and Spirit: Contrasting Realities and Their Role in Salvation
In John 6:63, Jesus draws a sharp distinction between the flesh and the Spirit, underscoring their vastly different roles in salvation.
The Flesh "Counts for Nothing" When Jesus says, “the flesh is no help at all” (or “counts for nothing”), He refers to the utter inability of human effort, understanding, or willpower to bring about spiritual life. In this context, "flesh" represents fallen human nature—our physical bodies, reasoning, and even moral strivings—apart from God’s intervention. This echoes John 3:6, where Jesus explains, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Human nature in its sinful state is incapable of grasping spiritual realities or attaining salvation. The flesh is bound by its limitations and cannot produce the spiritual insight necessary for eternal life. It reflects the natural, earthly mindset, rooted in sin and separated from God.
The Spirit "Gives Life" In contrast, the Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit, who is the source of all spiritual life. It is the Spirit, and the Spirit alone, who "quickens" or gives life, imparting true spiritual understanding and eternal life. As Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:5, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” The Spirit regenerates the heart, giving new birth to those who are spiritually dead, and enables them to respond in faith to Jesus.
Jesus' statement that “the Spirit gives life” highlights the transformative work of the Holy Spirit:
- Regeneration: The Spirit raises the spiritually dead to life, enabling faith in Jesus (cf. Ephesians 2:1-5). This is more than moral reform; it is a radical transformation from death to life.
- Illumination: The Spirit opens blind eyes to understand the truth, beauty, and worth of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14), giving believers spiritual insight and enabling them to accept Jesus' words.
Thus, the Spirit's life-giving power is the means by which we participate in eternal life. Jesus is teaching that salvation cannot be achieved through mere human effort, understanding, or physical means—like interpreting His metaphor of eating flesh and drinking blood literally. Instead, only the Spirit can awaken a person to spiritual reality and sustain them in that life.
In this way, John 6:63 emphasizes the total insufficiency of the flesh and the absolute necessity of the Spirit’s work for spiritual birth and ongoing life.
2. The Words of Jesus Are Spirit and Life
Finally, Jesus connects this statement to the importance of His words: “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Here, Jesus is emphasizing that the life-giving power of the Spirit is communicated through His words. His teaching, when illuminated by the Spirit, brings spiritual life.
In contrast to the "flesh," which offers nothing of eternal value, Jesus’ words are infused with the power of the Spirit. This highlights the importance of receiving and believing Jesus’ teachings with spiritual understanding, not merely in a fleshly or literal sense. The life that Jesus offers is mediated through His words, which the Spirit makes effective in the hearts of believers.
3. What is Jesus Trying to Say?
In this verse, Jesus is making several critical points:
- Human effort (the flesh) is powerless to bring about spiritual life or salvation. All human attempts to understand spiritual truths without the Spirit’s work will fail.
- The Holy Spirit alone can give life—both in the sense of regeneration (making a dead sinner alive) and illumination (giving understanding of spiritual truths). It is through the Spirit that people can come to saving faith in Jesus.
- The words of Jesus are spirit and life: Jesus’ teachings, when received through the Spirit, bring about the life-giving transformation that leads to eternal life.
In summary, John 6:63 contrasts the utter inability of the flesh to bring about spiritual life with the life-giving power of the Spirit. The flesh—representing human effort, understanding, and willpower—is powerless in spiritual matters. It is the Holy Spirit who brings life, enabling people to believe in Christ and receive the eternal life He offers.