Read John 6:60-69

No Alternative

Jesus said some things that were difficult to understand, and some lost interest in Him because of that. There are things that Jesus teaches that are offensive to those who want to live their lives as they please without any guilt. He claimed, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). He was not teaching cannibalism, but complete submission to His commands. The hard-hearted people who wanted to continue living in sin could not do what Jesus was asking.

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Initially, they wanted to learn from Him, and they wanted to be blessed by Him, but when they realized it was an “all or nothing” proposition—that they could no longer hold on to their selfish behaviors and desires—they “went back and walked with Him no more.”

At this point, Jesus asked His apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). Can you hear the heartbreak in the Savior’s words? Rejected by so many, would He now be rejected by those closest to Him as well?

Peter spoke up. He stepped forward and answered on behalf of the group, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69).

Peter recognized that there was no alternative to following Jesus. The ways of the Pharisees were hypocritical and led nowhere. The polytheistic religions of the Greeks and Romans were nothing more than fanciful fiction. But Jesus was the real deal. He taught “the words of eternal life” because He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

A superficial belief in Jesus will eventually result in departure when a “hard saying” comes along. Develop a faith like Peter’s, rooted in the foundational truth of Jesus’ identity.

Read John 6:1-14

Tell Jesus About Your Problems

A couple of weeks ago, we studied the occasion of Andrew bringing his brother Peter to Jesus, recorded in John 1:35-42. That was on “Day 204,” if you need to refresh your memory. The thrust of those thoughts was the importance of bringing someone to Jesus. In today’s text, Andrew again brings someone to Jesus. This time, it was because of a problem that faced the disciples.

Mark, Luke, and John all indicate that there were about five thousand men present on this occasion. Matthew adds that this number was “besides women and children” (Matthew 14:21), indicating the actual number of the multitude was much greater. To feed such a great number would have been a monumental task, and Philip acknowledged that. “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little” (John 6:7).

Despite the problem they faced, Andrew brought a boy to Jesus who had “five barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:9). Understand that these are not the loaves of bread you might purchase at the grocery store or bakery, but very small, flat cakes, and the fish were likely very small as well, used as a relish with the bread.

Andrew asked, “What are they among so many?” (John 6:9). Sure, it was food, but there were thousands of people there. The apostles didn’t have enough food for everyone, nor did they have enough money to buy food for everyone. But they brought the problem to the One who could provide an answer. They brought it to Jesus.

Just as important as bringing people to Jesus is bringing problems to Jesus. He wants to help us with our struggles. That is why He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Have you brought your problems to Jesus lately? “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Take a moment now to thank Him for His love, and seek His answers to your troubles today.

Day 216/260: Read John 6

There are seven times in the gospel according to John that Jesus says “I am,” describing Himself in figurative terms. The first, found in John 6:35, is “I am the bread of life.” Notice what Jesus says next about those who desire to partake in that bread: “He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

There are many in the religious world that teach the concept of inviting Jesus into your heart, but the Bible teaches just the opposite. Jesus invites us to come to Him. We are the ones who must move. We are the ones who must make changes. We conform ourselves to His life, rather than trying to make Him fit into ours.

What does it mean to eat His flesh and drink His blood? It is impossible to escape the thought of the Lord’s Supper here, but there is much more to it. Jesus says, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” To eat His flesh and drink His blood is to take His words, believe them, and obey them. Then and only then can we truly abide in the Son of God.

He sets the terms. He is the Creator of the universe. He is the Savior of sinful man. We have no right to make demands on Him or to change what He has established in His Word.

At the end of this chapter, after many had left Him, Jesus asked His apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” Peter wisely answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

John 8:31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”

Pray

Pray for the humility to accept God’s Word at what it says without trying to modify it to fit preconceptions.