John 6:60-71
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) [1]
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The Bible contains many “hard teachings,” in the words of the disciples quoted in today’s passage. Teachings that seem to be so at odds with the inclinations of our hearts and the spirit of the times. There are also doctrines that go beyond the limits of logic and rationality, such as the Trinity and the two natures of Christ. There are also those teachings that we know are true, but we just don’t like to hear them, those teachings that convict us of the sinfulness and selfishness of our hearts, and the condemnation we rightly deserve because of it. And sometimes it’s hard to hear about God’s grace to extremely wicked evil sinners (whom we consider to be worse sinners, more deserving of hell).
In today’s passage, it’s a hard teaching about life being found only in Jesus, in His flesh and blood, that He is the true Bread of Life from heaven. Some found it too hard and no longer followed Him.
But Peter responds to Jesus question with the words, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Notice that Peter is not claiming that all of Jesus’ teachings are easy. He may very well have agreed with those who left in that the teaching about the flesh and blood of Jesus was in fact very hard. But Peter had his eyes on what was most important, what was most central: Life in Jesus.
There’s a good example here for us today when we run into teachings that are hard to understand, to get our minds around, or even hard to support. Peter would remind us to focus on what is most essential, what is at the center. Jesus is Life. And there is nowhere else to go.
To whom shall we go? We go to Jesus not only because there is nowhere else to go, but because in Him alone, we truly do have the eternal, resurrection, new creation life. All praise be to Him.
Lord Jesus, when I run into teachings that are hard, direct my heart back to You and the life that I have in Your name.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 6:60–71). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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