Many Disciples Desert Jesus (J26)

The free-loaders and thrill-seekers left the Son,
After His symbolic “eat my flesh” claim;
They need not have, for who calls on His Name
Would’ve been saved, needing not be Father-drawn!
“What if I ascend back to whence I came?
Life’s from the Spirit; flesh’s of no account;
Most of you won’t drink from heaven’s life-fount!”
Said Jesus, to those who more food did claim;
To the Twelve: “Do you want to leave me, too?!
Said Peter, “To whom would we want to go?
We believe; you are from God, that we know!”
“One is a devil, though I chose all you!”
He meant that Judas, who would betray Him;
Jesus knew Judas He had to condemn!

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave me, do you?’ Jesus asked of the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!’ He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.” (John 6:66-71) (The complete text of this poem and commentary is John 6:56-71.)

The symbolic teaching that any person to be saved to eternal life must “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood” by Jesus had had its desired effect of dispersing thousands of followers who had been hanging around for free food and cheap thrills, but who had no real desire to believe in Him and repent of their sins. So many left that Jesus, almost plaintively, asked His little band of apostles if they were going to leave, too. Peter answered astutely, showing that he, at least, was beginning to understand the things Jesus required of persons for salvation. As we continue our study in the book of John we will find that the other apostles (not counting Judas Iscariot) did not really understand until the evening before Jesus’ crucifixion. Most of those who deserted were not “drawn” to Jesus by the Father anyway, and would not have been saved. In John 16:8 Jesus tells the apostles that one thing the Holy Spirit will do is to “convict” sinners of their guilt. This is what He meant by saying that anyone who comes to Him is “drawn” by the Father. The ones that left Him had not been convicted by the Spirit that they were guilty of sin and needed to repent. They still could have been saved, but the chance was slim. They would have to call pn Him.

This incident is reminiscent of the modern world, in that most people don’t believe in God or feel any obligation to repent of sin. Most don’t realize they are condemned and need salvation to overturn their future condemnation. The first of the Ten Commandments is to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind; not to put God first in a your life is a sin. You have broken a commandment. There are many more sins committed by every person on earth, but they are not convinced of it. If you feel a twinge of conscience about some attitude, thought or act, that could be the Holy Spirit trying to draw you to God. Respond to it before it becomes forever too late. When you die physically, you will never have another chance to accept Jesus as Lord. You will be condemned on the Day of Judgment. Your physical death is not the end. Your body will be resurrected, and you will have an everlasting life. You will live in heaven or hell. You will not want the latter; to keep from living there, you must accept Jesus Christ while you live in this life.

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)