Responding To Jesus

How will you respond to the radical claims of Jesus?

John 6:41-42  Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because He had said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  42  They said, "Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know His father and mother. How can He say, 'I came down from heaven'?"

John 6:60-69  Many of His disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?"

61  Jesus was aware that His disciples were complaining, so He said to them, "Does this offend you?  62  Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?

63  The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  64  But some of you do not believe Me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and He knew who would betray Him.)

65  Then He said, "That is why I said that people can't come to Me unless the Father gives them to Me."  66  At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him.

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John chapter six could be called the bread chapter, it starts off with Jesus asking Phillip where they could get enough bread to fill the stomachs of thousands of people, then the next morning the crowd demands to get breakfast. Jesus reply to them is that he is not so concerned about their belly but rather he is the bread of life that their souls are hungry for.

The people that were following Jesus around were not really followers of Jesus, he gave them so much evidence to prove who he was and yet they still didn't get it, just look at all of the miracles that he performed in Galilee. In Galilee he turned the water into wine, he healed the nobleman's son without even seeing him, he fed the hungry crowds but none of that mattered to this crowd. The evidence is overwhelming and their lack of understanding is inexcusable.

Matthew 11:23-24 "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you."

They are unaware of the danger in ignoring God's blessings. As immoral as those Old Testament cities were they are still better off than the city of Capernaum.

Even the guys that grew up with Jesus had a hard time believing and it wasn't until after the resurrection that they finally got it.

John 7:5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

The crowds could handle the physical benefits of following Jesus, the free food and the free medical, the stuff that he did made him very popular but then the things that he said made them turn on him. They could take his works but not His words. As soon as He starts talking about being God's son and that he came to save them from their sins they are out of there.

Will You Believe?
John 6:67-69 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "Are you also going to leave?" Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God."

At the beginning of this chapter there are thousands of followers and by the end there are only eleven. There are plenty of people that want the Jesus that came to do good deeds and talk about being nice to each other but the number of people that are willing to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior is much smaller.

Peter responds to Jesus question with another question, it is a question that we should all ponder, the answer to this question should help build up our faith. Where will you go if you turn from Jesus to follow something else?

Will you go to those who deny God’s sovereignty or to those that deny that he exists? Will you hang out with those that deny the power of sin or those that say it really isn't a big problem?

The world offers a long list of alternatives to Jesus but they all fall short of dealing with the issues. We may not have all the problems solved—the problems of following Jesus and saying yes to his teaching and his Lordship and his saving work.

-John Piper

We cannot possibly understand everything about God or his son Jesus, there are plenty of things in the Bible that baffle us and some things that we will find offensive, but where else can you go to solve the dilemma of your sin? Where else can you find the words that give eternal life?

Thank you Lord for your word that gives light to help me know you.

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You Have The Words Of Eternal Life (desiringgod.org)