John 6:66-71

John 6:66-71

Out of this, many out of His disciples departed into what was behind them and they were no longer walking with Him.  Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you all not also desire to depart?”  Simon Peter answered to Him, “Lord, to whom will we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  And we have believed and we have known that you are the Holy One of God.”  Jesus answered to them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve?  Yet one out of you all is a devil.”  And He was speaking about Judas of Simon Iscariot, for this one was about to hand Him over – one out of the Twelve.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

John 6:66 is one of the saddest verses in the Bible – and I think that the people who enumerated the verses made the verse and chapter numbers work out intentionally.  John tells us that many of Jesus’ disciples no longer walked with Him.  They turned away from Him.  What’s worse is that they departed into what was behind them.  They didn’t just leave Jesus; they turned back into their old theology.  They went back to what they had once left behind.  Because they were not willing to embrace the scandal of Jesus they returned to their old ways and abandoned God’s work in their life.

Have you embraced the scandal of Jesus?  Do you ever feel the temptation to turn away from Jesus and return to the ways of the world?  What ways still tempt you?

Second Thought:

Jesus then focuses upon the Twelve and asks if they also desire to leave Him.  Simon Peter’s answer is incredible.  He tells Jesus that they cannot go anywhere else because Jesus has the words of eternal life.  Here is a true disciple of Jesus.  Peter is willing to risk the scandal.  Peter is willing to recognize that there is no life outside of Christ.  Nothing in this world can be better than being with Christ.

To whom do you turn when you need help?  Is there anything that would come between you and Christ?

Third Thought:

It is in this same passage that we are also reminded about Judas.  Not only do many of Jesus’ disciples abandon Him but one of His own hand-picked disciples was going to hand Him over to the Romans.  Jesus knew this as well.  Yet Jesus did not abandon Judas here, either.  Jesus knows what it is like to be stabbed in the back by a trusted ally.  Yet even knowing that much He did not abandon Judas.

How great is Jesus in that He doesn’t abandon even those who will hand Him over in the end?  Do you have that love of Christ within you?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 7:1-9