To Whom Shall We Go

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God (John 6:60-69).

          The text in John 6 brings us to the second year of the personal ministry of Jesus and to the fourth and fifth miracles of Jesus as recorded by John.  Early in the chapter is recorded the feeding of the five thousand and then midway of the chapter Jesus walks on the sea of Galilee.  Many of those who had been fed by Jesus followed him from oneshore of Galilee to the other.  The text, listed above, takes place during the time the people are traveling with Jesus.  But what had Jesus taught that was considered to be a “hard saying”?

          Jesus was taking the minds and hearts of those following Him from the physical to the spiritual.  Jesus said that He knew they followed Him because He had fed their hunger with the loaves and fishes.  Jesus then reminds them that God had fed their fathers with manna as they wandered in the wilderness.  The point being that their physical hunger was filled but this did not keep them from dying.  Now God was offering bread that would allow those who partake to live for ever.  Jesus states that He is the bread of life from heaven (John 6:35).     It was the fact that Jesus is the bread of life that those following Him could not accept.  For Jesus to be the true bread of life was to them a “hard saying”.

          Is it a hard saying for you to recognize Jesus as the bread of life from heaven?  Do you accept Jesus as the bread of life or do you turn from Him to seek life from some other source?

          Do you seek your source of life from the things of this world?  One must remember the things of this life are not eternal but only temporary.  Peter wrote that when time ends this world and all things in it will be destroyed (II Peter 3:10).  Christ taught that one should store up those things which are eternal rather than the things of this world which can so easily be lost (Matthew 6:19-20).

          Do you seek your source of life from the people of this world?  Of all the people, of all the world, of all the ages only two did not have to face death.  Enoch (Genesis 6:24) and Elijah (II Kings 2:11) are the two which did not die but were taken by God and until Christ comes as judge all mankind will continue to die (Hebrews 9:27).  But Jesus is the one who offers life everlasting and gives assurance through His resurrection (Acts 17:31).

          Let it not be said of us that which was said of Israel long ago, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).  Israel had turned away from God, the only hope of life and had turned to a source that could not give life.

          Jesus continues to be the bread of life today.  He is the only bread of life and there is no other.  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6:68). 

                                                                                          Tim