The people in the crowd following Jesus were faced with a decision of whether or not to follow Jesus.
click here for an online Bible John 6:60-71
Jesus told the crowd some tough things. He said that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Verse 60 basically sums it up, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?” Jesus asks, “Does this offend you?” Then he gives some more hard teaching. The result is many of his followers leave him.
He asks the twelve disciples if they are leaving too. Peter answers for the group, “Where would we go? You have the words of life.”
Jesus makes it clear. He is not looking for a crowd. He is looking for believers. Those that left were not believers. Those who stayed were believers. The unbelievers could not accept the teaching of Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t submit his plan to us for our approval. He gives us instructions and expects us to follow. If we are believers, we should accept his instructions and obey. Later in Chapter 14, Jesus says, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.”
My job as a believer is to know Christ and know him as well as I can. I also need to know his word and apply it to my life.
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3 comments:
It is an extremely hard thing to hear. What if we were there in person and heard Him say this? As the desciples, we all think in the physical. Peter's answer shows his dilemma when asked if he wants to leave as well. Notice he doesn't say: this is great, sure we'll eat your body and drink your blood! but rather: we don't have anywhere else to go and believe you're the son of God, so I guess we'll do what you say. It's at passover supper with Christ when he finally gets it. I wonder how many of us really get it when we eat the communion bread adn drink the wine. When I became a christian over 30 years ago, I admit I did not understand the significance of this practice. I thought oh well, this is one of the ceremonies. Now my understanding is it's a commandment, a remembrance of his suffering for us, and like baptism, one of our outward signs of showing He's our God.
[John 6:64-65] God has planned from the beginning on who's going to believe and who's not going to believe. If you believe and follow Jesus, you didn't do it on your own, God had chosen you.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." John 3:16-17 NIV
I believe that God's plan for salvation was for everyone to believe in Jesus, but it is free will that keeps some people living in darkness. I believe that God has complete knowledge of what is in our hearts, and the ability to change them for us when we ask Him to do so for His glory.
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