Love God Greatly - Our Security for Eternity: The Gospel of John Sample

Read: John 6:59–71

SOAP: John 6:68–69

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!”

As we come to almost the halfway point in our study of the Gospel of John, we are faced with a crucial question: Will we abandon Jesus when His teaching is too difficult? At this point in John’s Gospel, we’ve seen Jesus perform five miraculous signs. He turned water into wine. He healed an official’s son. He healed a paralyzed man, He fed over five thousand people, and He walked on water. We’ve heard many testimonies about Jesus, from John the Baptist to His first disciples to a Samaritan woman.

Jesus had just made His first claim about Himself. He said, “I am the bread of life.” He taught that He is the only way to eternal life and that anyone who believes in Him will have this life. But many did not understand. Many in the crowd argued with Him and became hostile. More so, many of His disciples thought this teaching was too difficult, and they departed as well.

Finally, Jesus approached His twelve disciples, those who were closest to Him, and asked if they, too, wanted to leave because of His teaching. Peter responded in faith. Even though the teaching was difficult, the twelve would stay because they believed Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life.

Peter’s confession is a turning point in the narrative. Up to this point in Jesus’ public ministry, He was largely accepted. Except for some disagreements with religious leaders, people were flocking to Jesus because they heard of the signs and miracles He performed. He healed the sick and provided food. But from here on, we’ll see a shift. The crowds and religious leaders become more hostile to Jesus, rejecting Him for His claims. Their faith was shallow. They loved Him when He performed miracles, but they abandoned Him when they did not understand His teaching.

True faith requires perseverance and commitment. True faith requires not only belief but obedience. Peter and the other eleven disciples understood this. Do we? As we study this section of text, may we truly wrestle with this question: Will we abandon Jesus when His teaching is too difficult, or will we remain with Him because we believe He alone has the words of eternal life?