What does it mean that the flesh profits nothing (John 6:63)?

Of these words, the Lord had just said, "The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The flesh, as spoken of by the Lord here, would involve the whole of man's existence in present things apart from God. Man's life naturally consists of the things that engage him in this world, and they profit him nothing because death finishes them forever. His life is a life of flesh, a life of natural desires in which he seeks to gratify the nature into which sin has entered. It is not a question here as to the evil of man's flesh, but of the whole course of human life that occupies itself with present things in contrast to the eternal things.

“The flesh profits nothing”

When the Lord Jesus spoke of the flesh profiting nothing, in John 6:63, He was not specially thinking of the flesh in its evil propensities and expressions, but rather of the whole life that man lives in present things in this world, a life without the knowledge of God. A man might live a moral and upright life which will bring its own rewards in this life but what is viewed by men as righteous and good can procure nothing for eternity, and it is what is eternal that really matters, for the present life will soon be over.

In coming into the world the Son of God brought to light the things of another world. Man naturally is only concerned with present things, but the whole of man's natural existence "profiteth nothing." The flesh, as spoken of by the Lord here has to do with the whole range of human life and activity. If the Lord only provided for their temporal needs it would profit nothing: He had come to meet their spiritual needs, to unfold what lay in the heart and mind of God for the spiritual and eternal blessing of the creature. In Him God was fully revealed, and the Name of the Father had been declared by Him; He spoke of things that belonged to heaven, and directed the thoughts of those who heard Him to what lay outside of material, earthly and temporal things.

John 6:63. The unbelief of the flesh only proves that it profits nothing. It may be highly cultivated as in the case of Nicodemus or a Saul of Tarsus, but even so it is utterly incapable of taking in the things of God. It is the Spirit that quickens, through Christ and His words, which partake of the character of the Spirit. They are spiritual, and where the Spirit works they are life.

The teaching of this chapter is completed by verse 63, where the Holy Spirit is brought in. Nothing proceeds from the flesh that profits in this matter: it is the Spirit who gives life. The Father is the Giver of the true bread of life: the Son is that bread, and as Son of Man gives His flesh for the life of the world: the Spirit quickens. All is of God, and nothing proceeds from man. How dead man is this chapter shows, for the Lord's words, which are spirit and life, were only an occasion of stumbling to them. The Evangelist interrupts his record in verses 64 and 65, to tell us that Jesus spoke in the full knowledge of this, and that not only did He know in Himself what they thought and said, but also who believed and who did not, from the very beginning, and who should betray Him.

191 In answering the Jews, offended at the fact of His ascension, Jesus adds, that it is the Holy Ghost that quickeneth - the flesh profiteth nothing - that He did not speak as though they were to eat of His flesh in a material sense. The words He spoke to them were "spirit and life." It was by the word that spiritual things were communicated; and by the power and by the action of the Spirit they become realities, and living realities, in the soul, a real part of our being. But the Lord knew well that there were, even amongst those who followed Him as His disciples, persons who believed not, and He told them so; He well knew, too, who it was who should betray Him. These were the branches that were to be cut off, and that have been. Jesus must walk in the midst of those whom He knew to have no root, of whom He knew even that they would betray Him, and He adds: "It is for this that I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, unless it be given unto him of the Father" (v. 65). From that time many of His disciples left Him, and walked no more with Him.

John 6 refers to communion and feeding. Then the Lord adds "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life," the mere carnal eating is nothing. Flesh profits nothing - I am speaking in a spiritual sense, that is, not literal - a guard against that, though we eat Him as incarnate. Flesh may take it up in a way, and then it becomes a mere awakening of a sentiment or feeling, just as the daughters of Jerusalem wept for Him at seeing a man carried off to the cross, but there is no conscience in that. But when I go to Him and am cleansed by Him, this is a different thing.

In chapter 6 we come to the Bread of God, that a man may eat thereof and not die. But for the appropriation of this Bread the gift of the Spirit was necessary, and so He informs His disciples. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life” (v. 63). The words He spoke to them had a spiritual meaning, and were not to be taken literally, and the Holy Spirit which He would give believers would make all this good to them when He had ascended up where He was before.

The Jews had seen Him and believed not. It became now a question of the Father’s drawing power. “No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me draw Him” (v. 44), and “all that the Father gives Me shall come to Me” (v. 37). On the one hand, the value of man’s pretensions to fleshly goodness and discernment of what is of God is apparent; on the other, the grace of the Father’s heart comes into relief. “The flesh profiteth nothing.” It is utterly worthless and incapable of rising above carnal ideas. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

Ans.—Verse 63, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life,” shows plainly that the Lord's words, of which you inquire, are not to be taken in a material sense. The eating and the drinking of which He speaks is not done with the mouth; nor has it the least reference to the Lord's Supper, where we eat bread and drink wine, though in eating and drinking these we profess to be of those who have eaten the Saviour's flesh and drunk His blood.

Now God's judgment of the flesh has no such thought as a man being punished for a crime and being restored to society after that punishment had been borne. The meaning is totally different. It is the setting aside of the flesh entirely as a means of glory to God or blessing to man. Full of meaning are the words of Jesus "The flesh profits nothing," John 6:63. It is absolutely and utterly void of good. You may be sure that this is the case or God would not have cleared the ground of it. But, let us keep in mind that He has done this that all blessing might be of Himself, and so established on an immovable and eternal foundation.