Does Your Yes Have Limits?

John 6:60–69

Last week, we considered the gospel that changed everything. This week, we consider our personal response to the Christ of that gospel.

What is my response to Jesus?

That question goes deeper than whether I attend church, agree with Christian values, or appreciate what Jesus has done.

It asks whether I trust Him enough to accept what He says—even when His words challenge my understanding and His will challenges my desires.

Most of us understand what it means to say yes before we fully understand what that yes will require.

A man asked his friend if he was up for a road trip that Saturday. He quickly replied in the affirmative. Then his friend said, thank you. My mother-in-law needs some to take her cat to a specialist in Nebraska

A marriage vow is spoken in a moment, but lived out over a lifetime. The promises made at the altar must eventually enter hospital rooms, financial pressures, disappointments, and ordinary days when love requires sacrifice.

The commitment becomes real in the circumstances that test it.

When we say yes to following Jesus, we do not yet understand everything that following Him will involve.

Then His Word confronts us.

He asks us to release something we wanted to keep. He calls us to receive a truth we find difficult. He exposes an attitude we have defended.

And we discover whether our yes came with conditions.

“Yes, Lord—as long as I understand.”

“Yes, Lord—as long as it does not cost too much.”

“Yes, Lord—as long as You do not ask me to change this.”

Our question this morning is:

Does your yes have limits?

Understanding the setting

We cannot understand the response in this passage without considering what Jesus has just said.

Earlier in John 6, Jesus fed the multitude. The crowd ate the bread He provided and then pursued Him.

But Jesus moved the conversation from the bread they wanted to the life they needed.

He identified Himself as the bread of life.

Then He spoke about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

To His Jewish hearers, that language was deeply troubling. The Scriptures prohibited consuming blood.

Genesis 9:4 says:

“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

Taken as an instruction to consume human flesh and blood, Jesus’ words would sound horrifying.

But within this chapter, Jesus repeatedly speaks about coming to Him and believing in Him.

John 6:40 states it plainly:

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

And in verse 35, Jesus connects coming to Him with never hungering, and believing in Him with never thirsting.

That is why I understand the eating and drinking language here as a vivid picture of receiving Christ by faith. We depend on Him for eternal life as completely as our bodies depend on food and drink.

This passage also features in Roman Catholic teaching about the Eucharist and transubstantiation—the belief that the substance of the bread and wine becomes Christ’s body and blood while their outward appearances remain. My understanding of this passage places the emphasis on believing in Christ, as Jesus repeatedly explains throughout the chapter.

Think of His conversation with the woman at the well. Jesus offered living water. He used a physical need to reveal a spiritual need and the life He could give.

Here, too, His language demands that we look beyond the physical picture to the Savior.

There is another important connection in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 17:11 says:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”

The blood was associated with life and with atonement.

That background helps us appreciate the seriousness of Jesus’ words. Earlier in John 6, He says He will give His flesh for the life of the world. His language points us toward His sacrificial death.

The life we need will come through the Savior who gives Himself for us.

We cannot receive eternal life while refusing the Christ who gives it.

That brings us to verse 60—and to the response of people who have been following Him.

John 6:53–69 NKJV

53 Then Jesus said to them, “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. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

1. Jesus’ words expose where we stand

Verses 60–62 say:

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?’”

Notice that these are called His disciples.

These are people who have been listening, watching, and following.

But now they encounter something they find difficult to accept.

“This is a hard saying.”

Their response involves more than a request for explanation. Jesus identifies offense, and a few verses later He identifies unbelief.

His teaching challenges their expectations, and they resist it.

There is a difference between saying, “Lord, help me understand Your words,” and saying, “Lord, I will accept Your words only when they agree with me.”

One brings our difficulty to Jesus.

The other makes our approval the condition of His authority.

Jesus knows their complaint. He asks, “Does this offend you?”

Then He says:

“What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?”

He has given them difficult teaching, and now He directs their attention to an even greater reality about Himself.

He speaks of returning to where He was before.

The direct reference is to His ascension. The One standing before them has come from heaven and will return there.

We know from the unfolding Gospel that His return to the Father will come through His death and resurrection. The Savior who speaks of giving His flesh for the world will be crucified, will rise, and will return to heavenly glory.

But here the question brings His identity and authority into view.

Who do they believe is speaking to them?

If He has come from heaven, His words cannot be judged merely by whether they fit their expectations.

And that question reaches us.

Who do we believe Jesus is?

Because our answer should shape how we respond when He says something difficult.

Following Christ means accepting that He has the authority to correct us.

He can correct our understanding.

He can confront our desires.

He can challenge what we have always assumed.

We should study carefully and ask honest questions. We should make sure we understand what Scripture teaches.

But once we recognize His truth, we cannot dismiss it simply because it is hard to receive.

We often discover the boundaries of our commitment when His Word reaches something we want to protect.

We welcome His forgiveness. Then He confronts our bitterness.

We welcome His provision. Then He challenges our selfishness.

We welcome His promises. Then He calls us to trust Him while we wait.

We call Him Lord. Then His Word challenges a decision we have already made.

Does our yes still stand when His Word confronts our will?

The particular issue here is whether these disciples will receive Jesus’ claims about Himself and their dependence on Him for life.

But the principle reaches into every part of following Him.

We cannot follow Christ faithfully while reserving the right to reject whatever we find difficult.

His words expose the difference between wanting what He provides and trusting who He is.

So ask yourself:

“Am I willing to let Jesus challenge my understanding, or will I follow only while He meets my expectations?”

That is a searching question.

And answering it requires more than willpower.

2. Coming to Jesus depends on God’s work

Verses 63–65 say:

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”

John explains that Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would betray Him.

Then Jesus says:

“Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

This keeps us from turning the sermon into a call for stronger human resolve.

Jesus tells us where spiritual life comes from.

“It is the Spirit who gives life.”

Human effort cannot produce the life of God within us.

We cannot educate ourselves into a new birth. We cannot manufacture faith through emotional pressure. We cannot replace the work of the Spirit with religious activity.

Jesus says that some of the people listening to Him do not believe.

They have been close to Him physically. They have heard His teaching. They have seen His works.

Yet proximity has not become personal faith.

That possibility should make us examine ourselves honestly.

We can be surrounded by the things of God and still need to come to the Son of God.

Jesus also tells us that coming to Him depends on the Father’s enabling.

Earlier, in John 6:44, He says that no one can come unless the Father draws him.

We must take that seriously.

God initiates. God draws. The Spirit gives life.

No one will stand before God and boast that personal intelligence, sensitivity, or determination produced salvation.

Salvation is a work of grace.

Christians differ in how they explain the relationship between God’s drawing and the human response. Let me state my conviction while distinguishing it from what this verse explicitly says.

I do not understand this passage to teach that God has predetermined certain people for condemnation with no genuine possibility of responding to His saving invitation.

That is the understanding of double predestination I reject.

Verse 65 plainly teaches our dependence on the Father. It does not, by itself, explain every question about the extent of His drawing.

I also read it alongside Jesus’ words in John 12:32, where He speaks of drawing all people to Himself. John explains that He was indicating the kind of death He would die.

And in John 16, Jesus describes the Spirit’s work of convicting the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

These passages to teach both the necessity of God’s gracious drawing and the breadth of His saving invitation.

We need His work, and we are called to respond to Christ.

So the personal question is:

How am I responding as God makes my need for Jesus clear?

Do not confuse conviction with a particular level of emotion.

Some people weep openly. Others become quiet and deeply thoughtful.

Tears cannot save us, and the absence of tears does not mean we are forbidden to come.

The question is whether we recognize our need and place our faith in Christ.

If you desire to come to Him, do not wait for a more dramatic feeling.

Come to the Savior.

And if you are a believer confronting an area of resistance, depend on the same grace.

Pray, “Lord, I see what Your Word says. I recognize where I am resisting. Change my heart and help me obey.”

The Spirit who gives life is the One upon whom we depend.

Our yes to Jesus must be sustained by something deeper than confidence in ourselves.

3. Jesus’ question brings our response into focus

Verses 66–67 say:

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’”

Their complaint becomes their departure.

I CAN ALMOST HERE THEM SAY, “Lord, We have changed our minds. We just aren’t comfortable with what your are doing. The direction you are taking this isn’t what we had in mind.”

And many go back.

They have followed Jesus this far, but they will go no further.

John gives us those sobering words:

They “walked with Him no more.”

Then Jesus turns to the Twelve.

“Do you also want to go away?”

The question makes their response personal.

They cannot answer simply by remaining part of a group. They must consider their own allegiance to Him.

The departure of others can test us.

It can be painful when someone we love abandons a profession of faith. It can unsettle us when someone we respected rejects what they once taught.

We should respond with humility, compassion, and a willingness to listen.

But someone else’s departure cannot determine our response to Jesus.

And someone else’s commitment cannot substitute for our own.

Your parents may love the Lord.

Your spouse may faithfully pray.

Your church may preach the Scriptures.

Those are gifts, but they cannot believe on your behalf.

At some point, the question must become personal:

What is my response to Jesus?

If I could not answer by pointing to my family, my church, my baptism, or my religious responsibilities, what would I say about my relationship with Him?

Jesus’ question calls us beyond borrowed answers.

It also shows us that His teaching is not subject to the crowd’s approval.

He does not withdraw His words when people leave.

That should shape how we hear Scripture and how we preach it.

We should work hard to communicate clearly. We should be gracious. Our manner should never add unnecessary offense.

But we cannot make Jesus easier to accept by removing the things He actually says.

A message that always confirms our preferences will never confront our rebellion.

We need the truth that searches us.

We need the Savior who loves us enough to expose our need.

The question Jesus asks does not, by itself, settle every debate about human freedom. But it unmistakably confronts these men with their response to Him.

Will they go away?

Will they continue?

Why will they stay?

And those questions bring us back to our title.

Does your yes depend on the crowd?

Does it depend on comfort?

Does it depend on Jesus fitting inside the expectations you brought to Him?

Where does your yes stop?

Peter’s answer shows us the foundation of genuine faith.

4. Personal faith rests in who Jesus is

Verses 68–69 say:

“But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘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.’”

Consider the three parts of Peter’s answer.

First:

“Lord, to whom shall we go?”

Peter directs attention to a Person.

His attachment is to Jesus Himself.

The question is greater than whether he likes the circumstances or understands every statement.

Who else can give what Jesus gives?

Second:

“You have the words of eternal life.”

Others have heard His words and taken offense.

Peter recognizes in those words the life he needs.

That is a searching contrast.

The words of Jesus can challenge us at the very place where we most need to be changed.

His diagnosis may humble us. His truth may unsettle us. His call may require surrender.

But we must consider the One who speaks and what He gives.

He has the words of eternal life.

Third:

“We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Here is the foundation beneath Peter’s answer.

He trusts who Jesus is.

The passage does not say that Peter has worked through every difficulty. It tells us that he has come to a settled conviction about Jesus.

That distinction matters.

A faithful response does not require us to pretend every question has been answered.

It requires us to place our trust in the One who is worthy of it.

“Lord, I do not yet understand everything You have said, but I believe who You are.”

“Lord, this truth challenges me, but I will not make my preferences the measure of Your authority.”

“Lord, following You is difficult here, but You have the words of eternal life.”

That is where a faithful yes finds its strength.

It rests in Christ.

We should also notice that Peter speaks for the group, but Jesus immediately goes on in verses 70–71 to speak of the betrayer.

A collective confession does not establish every individual’s faith.

It is possible to stand among people who say the right words while our own hearts remain distant.

So Peter’s confession must become a question for each of us:

Is this what I believe?

Is this why I am following?

Does my confidence rest in Jesus Himself?

We also know that Peter will fail grievously. He will deny the Lord.

His confession here does not mean he has become incapable of fear or failure.

He will continue to need the grace of the Savior he confesses.

So will we.

When we ask whether our yes has limits, we are not asking whether we have ever struggled.

We are asking whether we will bring our struggle under the authority of Christ.

Will we defend our resistance or confess it?

Will we walk away from His words or ask Him to help us receive them?

Our yes can reach beyond our understanding because our confidence rests in Him.

Conclusion: What is your answer?

We began with a question:

What is my response to Jesus?

The passage has brought that question into focus.

His words challenge us.

His Spirit gives life.

His question confronts us.

His identity gives us reason to trust.

Now the response must become personal.

Some of us need to acknowledge that we have placed conditions on our yes.

We want to follow Jesus, but we have marked off an area where we do not welcome His authority.

A belief we refuse to examine.

A sin we refuse to surrender.

A command we keep postponing.

We have said, “Lord, You can lead me—except here.”

Today, His Word calls us to bring that exception into the light.

You do not have to pretend obedience is easy.

You can say, “Lord, this is difficult for me. I need Your help.”

But difficulty cannot become our permanent permission to resist Him.

Others may recognize that their association with Christianity has never become personal trust in Christ.

You have followed the habits of your family. You have learned the language of the church. You have listened to the gospel.

Now consider the Savior Himself.

He gave His life for sinners. He rose from the dead. The One who returned to the Father is the One who has the words of eternal life.

You cannot save yourself by making a more impressive promise.

Your hope is in Him.

As God makes your need clear, respond in repentance and faith.

And if you have unresolved questions, bring them honestly. Seek understanding. Let someone open the Scriptures with you.

You do not need to make a profession simply to satisfy expectations.

You do not need to wait for a particular emotional experience before coming to Christ.

You need the Savior.

The crowd had received His bread.

Now they had heard His words.

Many walked away.

Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked whether they would leave too.

Peter answered:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

May that conviction become our own.

“Lord, I need You.”

“Lord, I believe who You are.”

“Lord, Your words have authority even when they are difficult for me to receive.”

Following Christ means that His authority reaches further than our agreement, and our trust must reach further than our understanding.

So here is the question:

When His Word confronts your will, will your yes still stand?

Closing prayer

Father, Your Word reveals our hearts. Show us where we have placed conditions on our response to Your Son. Forgive our resistance and deepen our trust.

Thank You that Your Spirit gives life. Draw those who do not yet believe to faith in Christ. Help those who are struggling to bring their questions honestly and receive Your truth humbly.

Teach us to obey when obedience is difficult and to trust when our understanding is incomplete.

May our confidence rest in Jesus Christ, who has the words of eternal life.

In His name, amen.