Will You Go Away?

John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

The Lord Jesus had just manifested His loving power when he performed the miracle of feeding more than 5000 people in the wilderness that day. He taught them that just as the manna that fell from heaven fed the Jews in the wilderness of Sinai, He was the Bread of Life in the current wilderness. Many followed Christ because of the sustenance and the blessings the Lord Jesus gave them in their lives. Today, many follow the Lord Jesus today for the same reason; many come to Christ because they believe that there will somehow be some blessings for those who follow. However, at the end of the chapter, many walked away from Him, because they commented that His preaching was too difficult to accept.

Many… disciples, … said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”
John 6:60

Is there someone that you heard today that was hard for you to accept? Why do people find it hard to accept the teachings of the Lord Jesus?

Because the teachings of the Lord Jesus stumbles those who walk by the flesh:
…Doth this offend you?
John 6:61.

The Lord teaches that it is only by making Him a part of them that they will have eternal life. This is the meaning, in essence of, “…so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” John 6:57. The process of eating requires food to be ingested and digested into the body. As it is being absorbed by the body, the food literally becomes part of the body. Likewise, when an individual believes the Lord Jesus by faith, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, and the Lord Jesus literally becomes part of the new believer. To the Jews, who staunchly followed Judaism, abandoning what they had known all their lives and receiving a so-called new teaching was hard. In other words, it stumbled them.

Because they have not faith in His teaching, and His person
… some of you that believe not.
John 6:64

Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). The teachings of the Lord Jesus is Heavenly; we are earthly. For earthly hearts to receive heavenly things, heavenly intervention and the reality of faith in the individual believer is required . The Lord Jesus did not perform many miracles in certain places because of unbelief. Unbelief is a great crippler of many who would find Christ. It disables those who would find relief for their souls: as they ponder the situation and the stress that would beset them should they trust Christ, they forget to believe the Saviour altogether.

Because we are none of His
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon
John 6:70-71.

We can put up a display of our faith and affection for the Lord Jesus Christ but we cannot do it for long; a leopard cannot change its spots. A dog will always be a dog and a pig will remain a pig; neither will ever change its character. Many will not be able to receive the teachings of the Lord Jesus because they are none of His. The question “Will ye also go away?” is interestingly asked by the Lord Jesus, not to the general public, but to the twelve who claimed to be His disciples. When the principles for living for the Lord Jesus are presented, is it our comfort we yearn for or His will?

Are we willing to forgo our pleasure that we will experience the power of the cross through the patience of following Him? Are we walking by faith? Do we stumble in our Christian life because we live by the flesh? Do we belong to the Lord Jesus? If the answer is negative for all these questions, we will walk away! But if we are kept by the power of God, nothing shall remove us out of His wonderful hand!

Lord, I will stay with you till the day you come for me!

Evangelist-Pastor Johnny Tan
Ambassador Baptist Church