Why did many disciples stop following Jesus after his "bread of life" teaching...

[Bruce]

...(John 6)? John 6:58 "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?" . . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
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Protestants interpret Jesus' teaching that he is the bread of life as an easy metaphor, not a hard teaching. Why would an easy metaphor lead people to take offense and stop following Jesus?
Garden Man and Hisglory, I'm wondering what it was about this particular teaching that gave such offense that many of his disciples would turn away.
Answer Man, you are partly right. It was the literal meaning that caused offense. However, the historical evidence is that Jesus WAS speaking literally. See
http://www.catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp

[Midge]

yes, I would have loved to see how many first born would have survived the night in Egypt if they had just took grapejuice or even just wine and dabbed it on their house---the angel of the Lord sees THE REAL THING not just a symbol.

[Mike K]

Hi Bruce,
They were perhaps a little thick headed and did not understand symbolism and metaphor much like some of the people as well as a few moderators in YA answers.
As an analogy I once said that a certain religious group no longer walks to their fate like sheep but are now meaner than junk yard dogs and react as such when threatened with destruction. This was a compliment but got taken as an insult and I received a violation notice for it - funny how some things never change!