How Long Will You Follow?

Jesus’ Words Are Unbearable

John 6:60 Many of His disciples therefore, when they had heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; Who can hear it?”

There were three groups of people  in this group called Disciples.

Antagonistic Jews that had constructed a wall of unbelief; hostility was their reaction.

False followers who were enamored by Christ, seeking free food and miracles.

True disciples, the small group of real followers who were committed to Him.

Over the prior year and a half Christ gave them enough revelation to evoke belief and commitment.

The word hard means withered, dried, stiff, dried out.  It did not appeal to their tastes and preferences.  As a result, they would not receive His words.  This is unfortunately too frequently true today of those  who drop from following Christ or from faithfulness  to the church. They are bothered with the difficult truths of the Word. If you become bothered by difficult truths, instead of embracing them and letting God help you,  sooner or later you too will almost certainly drop out  of the cause of Christ, and growth as a believer. .

Jesus Accused of a Scandal

John 6:61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples  murmured at it, He said unto them, “Does this offend you?”

The word offend is like our word scandal, it is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causes  general public outrage. How men and women respond  to this supreme scandal, that Jesus is God in the flesh  and must be trusted, determines their destiny.

One cannot feed on Christ—be nourished and spiritually healthy—without feeding on Christ’s words.

Truly believing Jesus cannot be separated  from truly believing Jesus’ Words.

Jesus Speaks to the Scandal

John 6:62 What if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit that gives life;  the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you,  they are spirit, and they are life.

Jesus’ ascension will increase or remove the offense.  If the disciples found Jesus’ claims, authority and even  His language offensive, what will they think when they see  Jesus on the cross, His way of ascending to the place  where He was before? Christ’s Words reveal  His real self. His Words are life.

Many Turned Their Backs on Jesus

John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back  and walked no more with Him.

The Words of Jesus are truth about life, and they give life. Taking in the Word of God is to receive God,  for the only expression God ever gave definitively is His Words. The false disciple cannot take or tolerate the truth of the Word. That’s why you can categorize most of
liberalism and modernism under that category of false discipleship. Whenever individuals or groups start  explaining away the words of Christ and denying the  inspiration of the Word of God, they reveal they have turned away from considering or following Christ.

Those who turned away just did not believe.  Salvation is not a question of intelligence.
It’s a question of faith. One does not have  to understand all of it in order to believe it.

Will You Also Go Away?

John 6:67 Then Jesus said unto the twelve, “Will you also go away?” 68 Then Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord,  to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Where will you go?  What will you trust if not Me?

In response to Jesus’ question,  Peter points out several important facts.
You satisfy us. Nobody speaks like You do,
No one understands life like You do.
Lord, we have seen Your character.
We have known and learned from You the last year and a half.
We see that You are the Christ that is to come.

The Counterfeits Will Be Revealed

John 6:70 Jesus answered them, “Have not I chosen you  twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

There are those who are not committed to Christ, yet, they will not change or leave, and that is a problem. It is like lost church members: they stay in the group, but Christ is not their focus.

There are the same three groups in our churches today.

Some have started well, but you will drop out. There may be some among us here who want to stay with Jesus for your own purposes. You want to appear to be a Christian, but are not.
Sometimes people have not even admitted this to themselves, but are only in it for self, and want to use God. In the end,  If these individuals do not take the next steps of faith, they will betray Jesus and be separated from Him. Some of you will never leave Him, or the church. You have learned too much of life.
You have been strengthened by Jesus, you love Him with all that you are, and you know the comfort of His presence.  Let’s each make a real commitment to Christ that lasts to the end.