John 6:41–42 (ESV)
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

The people who knew Jesus the longest had a hard time accepting who he truly was. He told them, “I am the bread of life.” How could he say such a thing? How could Jesus claim to be from heaven when everyone knew he was the son of Joseph? They had all seen him grow up. Now he was making such grand claims!

We might expect that the people who knew Jesus longest would be the first to recognize him for who he truly was. However, this simply was not the case. They had too many pre-conceived ideas about Jesus to get past. It would take some of them more time. Some would never believe.

This helps us understand why it is difficult for those who are strongly committed to differing ideologies to accept the claims of Jesus. There are many pieces pre-conceived understandings that have to be worked out. If you are trying to share your faith with such a person, be patient. Give them time to process and be ready to answer their questions.

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