John 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’.
John 6:68
The testimonies, rumors and stories were just beginning to spread. Jesus was healing people, and he just fed the five thousand. His followers were growing rapidly. Many people were talking about Jesus, and then he asked his biggest fans to do something crazy… ‘to eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,’ to obtain eternal life? Needless to say, his fan club quickly dissipated, and only the twelve disciples were left. Jesus then looked directly at the twelve and asked, ‘are you guys leaving too’? To which Peter responds – ‘God of course we aren’t leaving! Where else would we go? Only you have the way to eternal life.’ (paraphrase)
 
We know the rest of the story, and we know that the 12 disciples actually fled for their own safety when Jesus needed them most, and then they denied him. And if we are honest with ourselves, we know deep down our response might have been the same. Though we might not outright leave Jesus, we do so by pursuing other things when we experience temptation, disappointment, or pain. We look to entertainment, activities, food and shopping and more.
 
So, if our comfort comes from trying harder, like the disciples not to leave Jesus, we are looking in the wrong place. Our comfort comes from the fact of Jesus never leaves or forsakes us. It’s not about the disciples’ ability to be faithful to him, it is about Jesus’ ability to remain faithful to us. And Jesus wasn’t just faithful in his words, he was faithful in giving his life. Which is why our response to this text isn’t to try harder not to leave, rather it’s simply to remember. It’s to remember the work of what Jesus has done on the cross, how his body was broken, and his blood shed for us.
 
When disappointment, or temptations come our way today, we must remember we lack the ability to remain faithful to him but he is able to remain faithful to us. Find rest in His faithfulness today!
Jay Quick | Student Ministries Director