The day after
Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish, he preached a
sermon at the synagogue in Capernaum that drove many who once followed him away
(John 6:1-66). The lesson was hard to understand. Jesus made confusing,
absolute statements (e.g. vv.35, 38, 51, 53-56). He rebuked the motivations of
many of those seeking him (vv.26-27). He even went so far as to say many of those
listening to him would not (and could not, except by the Father’s sovereign, effectual
grace) be saved (vv.36-37, 44-45, 63-65). As a result, “many of his disciples
turned back and no longer walked with him” (66). The crowd that had clamored to
see Jesus now rejected what he taught and walked away.
How did Jesus
respond to the rejection of the multitude? Did he run after them, begging for
another opportunity to be heard? Did he perform another miracle, hoping his
audience would return? Did he apologize for being so stern and judgmental? Did
he repent of preaching a hard lesson the crowd could not understand? No, the Lord
did none of these things. Instead, he turned to the Twelve that remained and
asked, “Do you want to go away as well?” (67)
The twelve
apostles chose to stay with Jesus, but not for the reason some may assume. They
did not understand what Jesus meant when he said people must eat his flesh and
drink his blood, and they may have been as shocked at Jesus’ rebuke and tone as
the rest of the audience that day. But when asked if they would go, Peter
answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we
have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (vv.68-69).
That is the difference, not their understanding of his teaching, not their personal
delight in his strident tone, but their conviction and trust in his person.
They may not have known what Jesus meant or why he took such an aggressive
stance with the crowd, but they knew who he was, and they trusted him.
There are many
people in the crowd today who seek Jesus for all kinds of reasons. Some are
curious because of what they have heard. Others are needy and want something
from him. Some want a show and to be entertained. Others wants self-validation
and to feel superior as part of a group. But Jesus does not commit himself to
any of these (cf. John 2:24-25). The question is not so much whether we know
Jesus as whether Jesus knows us, because that is the only thing that will
matter on the last day (cf. Matt. 7:21-23; Gal. 4:9).
Not everyone in
the crowd that hangs around Jesus belongs to him, not all of them truly follow
him. But those who are not truly his will eventually be sorted out. Some will
be offended by his teaching and angrily walk away. Others will be leave because
he does not meet their expectations and demands. Some will fall away because of
trials and persecution (Matt. 13:20-21). Others will be choked out and made
barren by their commitment to the world (Matt. 13:22). Some will only be
revealed in the Judgment at the last day (Matt. 13:30; 1Tim. 5:24). But the
real disciples will endure (Heb. 3:14). They will remain with Christ through
thick and thin to the very end (John 10:27-30). They will survive, not because
of their strength or wisdom or intelligence or resolve, but because the Father
who knows them, loves them, draws them, and justifies them will also hold them
and keep them to the very end (Rom. 8:28-30; 1Pet. 1:3-5).
Do not confuse
participation in the crowd with personally having a relationship with Christ.
Do not mistake involvement in Jesus’ activities with citizenship in his
kingdom. Do not trust in your strength and understanding to carry you to
heaven. You may find yourself rebuked by the Master and confronted with a
sermon you do not understand. In that moment, what will matter is not what you
think or like or want. All that matters is what you know about Christ and
whether you will trust in him, no matter what. He alone has the words of
eternal life. Cling to him. Stand with him. Never turn away from him. There is
nowhere else to go. -JME
