To Whom Shall you Go

Our Text this morning is John 6:60-71.

So please turn with me there

And while you are finding your place

Lets remember our context

See when we started this journey

Jesus was on the climax of his popularity

He was healing, preaching, feeding

They even tried to make him king

Well, that led us to him crossing the sea

and delivering this profound discourse that we completed last week

as we saw the benefits of the bread of life

we saw just what we have to gain by

fully trusting in Jesus as our Lord and Savior

And this week, we will see the response of those involved

we will see that Jesus started with close to 20k followers

in this one setting

only to finish with 12

or well, really 11

So let us stand as we read this weeks text

John 6:60–71 (CSB)

60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray him.

Let us pray!

Sermon Illustration

Anyone here familiar with the book Pilgrims Progress?

Well, it is one of my favorite books,

‌"The Pilgrim's Progress" is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan in the 17th century.

It tells the story of a man named Christian who journeys from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City,

its an allegory for the Christian life and the journey towards salvation.

Along the way, Christian encounters various characters and obstacles that symbolize different aspects of the Christian experience, such as trials, temptations, and spiritual growth.

Despite facing challenges and setbacks, Christian perseveres in his faith and ultimately reaches his destination

representing the believer's journey towards spiritual enlightenment and eternal life.

now along the way he meets several whom are who are also on this same journey

one is the character of Pliable

Pliable eagerly sets out with Christian,

he is initially excited about the prospect of reaching the Celestial City. (Heaven)

However, they begin to encounter difficulties on the journey which dampen Pliable's enthusiasm.

When faced with the challenges and hardships of the path,

Pliable's faith begins to waver.

He becomes disillusioned by the trials and tribulations,

and the allure of comfort and ease beckons him back to the City of Destruction.

Despite Christian's attempts to persuade him otherwise, Pliable ultimately abandons the journey, choosing the familiarity of his former life over the unknown trials of the pilgrim's path.

Pliable's decision serves as a sobering reminder of the fragility of faith and the allure of worldly comforts.

It highlights the reality that not everyone who embarks on the Christian journey will persevere to the end.

Some, like Pliable, may succumb to doubt, fear, and temptation, choosing to turn back rather than press on in faith.

Yet, Pliable's story also serves as a cautionary tale for those who remain on the pilgrim's path.

It prompts reflection on the importance of steadfastness and perseverance in the face of adversity.

It challenges believers to consider the cost of discipleship and the necessity of counting the true worth of the Celestial City above all else.

Pliable's fate reminds us that the journey of faith is not without its challenges and pitfalls.

It calls us to examine our own commitment to the path set before us and to remain vigilant in our pursuit of the heavenly prize.

And it ultimately points us back to the One who is faithful to complete the work He has begun in us, even in the midst of trials and tribulations.

But this week, as we encounter a turning point in Jesus’ ministry

we must consider “to whom will we go”

Will we be like pliable or will we be like Christian

When faced the hard truths of our faith

when faced with the hard saying of Jesus

when faced with life that can honestly be hard most of the time

in a world that is in complete contrast and even hostile against our

ideals, faith, and mission

where will we turn?

In this mornings text we will see the reactions

of both camps

those that followed Jesus superficially

the one that followed him deceivingly

and those that followed him faithfully

To Whom Shall You Go

To Him

Or back to where we where

Our text is really only divided into 2 sections this morning

The Teachings V60-65

The Response C66-71

The Teachings

Our text opens with V60 which reads

John 6:60 “60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?””

The therefore is there because it is eluding to what had just been said

part of what we covered last week

where Jesus taught that they / we must eat his flesh and drink his blood

That was the climax to his entire sermon

everything he taught led to that statement

and remember some took it literally

some took it figuratively

and some took it as truth

we know that in fact Jesus was really using this imagery to convey the spiritual truths that we must adhere to

the fact that we must fully follow him

That just as physical food sustains our bodies

he is the source of our spiritual nourishment

and by metaphorically eating and drinking his blood

we are symbolically fully partaking in him

we are spiritually in communion with him

we are believing in his finished work upon that cross

now of course we know this in the shadow of the cross

and this crowd did not know that this was in his future

so, lets imagine that he is done speaking

his “sermon” is over and those listening are now gathered around discussing what he said

similar to what you all might do after church

where we gather and talk some before heading home

they are gathered around and they say among themselves

“This teaching is hard, who can accept it”

Now one thing to point out here is that it is his disciples that are saying this

but let us not get hung up on that word disciple (not in this context)

he is not meaning the 12, those are eluded to later however they are most certainly involved here

here, those that John are calling a disciples are those that in a general sense are following Jesus

they were there when he fed them

they witnessed his miracles

they have even stuck through this discourse

but we must remember, they were only here because they wanted their bellies filled

and while they have followed him this far

their superficial faith would only get them so far

That is why in V61 we see John 6:61 “61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you?”

Remember John 2:24 “24 Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all”

In that same vein Jesus knew what they were thinking

he knew of their doubts

and he knew where their true loyalty stood

Just as he still does today

And from here, as we have seen in the weeks before he doubles down showing their true colors.

see within the next 4 verses Jesus lays out the fact that gospel is in of itself offensive

that’s why he said, does this offend you

Because if this offends you, what about this...

and just like we have seen him do time and time again

he doubles down in the next 3 verses

v62-65 He summarizes most of what he has already established

and we will summarize V62-65 simply by looking to the cross

Now the cross is offensive for several reasons,

1. The cross is offensive because It confronts human pride

The idea that humanity needs a savior and cannot save itself can be offensive

to those who believe in their own righteousness or ability to attain salvation through their own efforts.

now if we look back to John 6:28 “28 “What can we do to perform the works of God?”

due to their pride they wanted to work for salvation

they wanted to earn it

but the cross goes against our pride

and causes us to be humble

because true life is found in the spiritual, not in the flesh

2. The Cross is offensive because It challenges societal norms

The message of the cross often challenges societal structures and values that prioritize power,

wealth, and success,

but instead

it emphasizing humility, sacrifice, and service.

Jesus taught that we are not to put our faith in earthly things

but in the things of heaven

It is also a societal norm that there are many ways to heaven

but the cross tells us that it is in fact exclusive

that salvation is only through Jesus Christ

That Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light and that no one gets to the father except through him

and honestly that goes against everything this world tries to tell us

3. The Cross is offensive because It exposes sin

The cross reveals the depth of human sinfulness

and the need for forgiveness,

which can be uncomfortable and offensive

especially for those that love their sin

and to those who prefer to deny or ignore their own sinfulness.

4. And finally the cross is offensive because It requires surrender

Embracing the cross requires surrendering one's own will

and submitting to the will of God,

which can be difficult and offensive to those who desire control over their lives.

in fact Jesus calls believers to take up their own crosses and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).

and you know what?

The cross is a symbol of death

and Christ is telling us that we are to die to ourselves

that we are pick up our cross

what ever that may be

just as he did

Brothers and sister

This entails self-denial, sacrificial love, and obedience to Christ's teachings,

which can be very countercultural and uncomfortable.

Now, This offends most people, and it may even offend some of you this morning

in fact it should offend us, because that means it convicts us

but what will we do with this conviction

when times get hard

when following Jesus is not the easy way

when we lose friends

we society sees us as weird

or dumb

or hypocritical

or judge mental

or close minded

What will we do when faced with these things

Or when faced with trials and tribulations

where the easy way out is to simply deny these principles and concede

to go back to what is comfortable

And that is exactly what the disciples were facing at this point

Do the concede to their old ways and turn back

or do they follow him to the end

See Ultimately, the offense of the cross lies in

its confrontation of humanity

with the truth of sin

and the necessity of redemption through Jesus Christ.

While the message of the cross may be offensive to some,

it is also the means by which God demonstrates His love and offers salvation to all who believe (John 3:16).

And that is what separates the offenses right

those that are unbelievers finds

all the things we just discussed as offensive and folly

while those that believe find that these things provide us with life and salvation

Now, before you respond,

lets look at the response of those involved in our second half of the text this morning

Cleverly titled, the response

The Response

See within these teachings we see ultimately 3 responses - well technically 4

and I cant help but be reminded of the parable that we read during our welcome this morning Matthew 13 - The parable of the sower

See the first set of “seeds” that got devoured by the birds

are like the fickle ones that already left

they were never interested in the first place

that would be our first response

full out rejection and never even getting here

in the parable that is explained

In Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.”

In V 66-67 we see the response of the disciples

not the 12, but the ones that remained thus far

and heard these final things

John 6:66 “From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.

These are like the seeds that fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

And Jesus explained what he meant

Matthew 13:20–21 explains this “And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

they grew quickly,

and they chased Jesus all over the place

they soaked up everything He said

they were looking for the next thing he could give them

but when faced with hard times

hard teachings

they fell away

they deserted Jesus

See following Christ was too costly

they couldn’t handle the hard teachings and the hard times

and they fell away

Now interestingly enough Jesus eludes to Judas during these verses as well

in John 6:64 “But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.)”

then again in John 6:70–71 “Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray him.”

in this we see the seeds that fell among the thorns and got choked out by them

Jesus explained this in

Matthew 13:22 “Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

This is intersting, See Judas made it past these hard teaching

and he endured with Christ until the end

Yet in the end he betrayed Jesus

This may be the worst of all

because it eludes to reaction of those that pretend to be Christs followers

thinking they will still get the benefits we discussed last week

they are deceivers

See at least the others went away,

but Judas he stuck around

pretending

which underscores

the theme of loyalty and faithfulness

and the presence of evil even among those closest to Jesus

Now thats tough…

Then finally, lets look at the response of Peter

We see that in John 6:68–69 “Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.””

in this response which represented the 11’s response as well

we see the seeds that fell upon the good ground

Jesus explains this in Matthew 13:23 “But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.””

And this is the response I pray each and everyone one of us displays today

Here is what we can learn from Peters confession or response

See Peter's response exemplifies his unwavering commitment and faith in Jesus.

He acknowledges that Jesus alone possesses the words of eternal life.

In our lives, we're often faced with choices and challenges that may test our faith.

Hard teachings and even harder decisions to make based on those decisions

But we are to emulate Peter's steadfastness and trust in Jesus,

we are to recognize Him as the ultimate source of truth and salvation.

Peter's confession also underscores the importance of recognizing Jesus' identity.

He declares Jesus as the Holy One of God.

Similarly, in our journey of faith, it's crucial to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is.

This involves studying the Scriptures, prayer, and seeking a personal relationship with Him.

And within this we are to continually seek to know Jesus more intimately and

to acknowledge Him as Lord in every aspect of our lives.

Peter's in fact starts his response or confession with a question, "To whom shall we go?"

and implies that there's no alternative to Jesus.

In a world full of distractions and competing ideologies, this question is pertinent to every believer.

Jesus is the only true source of satisfaction, purpose, and fulfillment.

We're called to remain rooted in Him, even when faced with doubts or difficulties.

Peter's statement, "we have believed, and have come to know,"

reflects a journey of faith and personal revelation.

It's not merely intellectual assent but a deep-seated conviction based on experience and relationship with Jesus.

The application is to cultivate a robust faith that is grounded in both belief and knowledge, which can withstand the trials and uncertainties of life.

Lastly, Peter's response can be seen as an invitation to surrender.

By acknowledging Jesus as the Holy One of God and the source of eternal life,

Peter surrenders his will and desires to Jesus.

Just as we are to surrender our ambitions,

fears,

and doubts to Jesus,

trusting in His sovereignty and goodness.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters

Like the disciples in this passage,

we may encounter teachings of Jesus that challenge our understanding

or offend our sensibilities.

In those moments, we're faced with a choice:

to turn away like many did

to pretend like Judas did

or to remain steadfast in our commitment to follow Him.

True discipleship requires us to trust in the words of Jesus, even when they're hard to accept.

Let's strive to emulate Peter's faithfulness, declaring with conviction that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.

Let's remember that our faithfulness ultimately rests

not in our own strength

but in the sovereign grace of God.

Gospel Presentation

Let us Pray

Invitation