the tindog coffeehouse

A few weeks ago, I wrote about John Chapter 6, about how thousands of people had begun to follow Jesus, not because of who He was or what He had to offer them, but because all they saw was some guy who could heal their diseases and give them food.

Many of those people didn’t hang around for long.

Jesus told the crowd that instead of seeking another meal, which would just leave them hungry again later, they should choose the “bread of life” (v. 35).  He told them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, which would lead to eternal life (vv. 53-58).  Naturally, these cryptic commands only confused His followers, and almost all of them left.

I know how I would’ve felt to see everyone desert me.  I would’ve felt like a complete failure, worthless and rejected.  I would’ve wondered, “What did I do wrong?  How can I get them back?  Maybe give them some more food, heal some more people, do some awesome magic tricks?”  Because that’s our human nature.  We want to be loved, we want to be accepted, we want to be respected and adored.  And had I been Jesus, I would’ve done anything at that moment to keep those people from walking out on me.  Anything.

Thank God I’m not Jesus.

Verse 64 says that Jesus knew from the beginning who would stay and who would go, and it’s pretty obvious that these people were never in it for the long haul.  They didn’t care about who Jesus was.  They didn’t really care whether or not He was the prophesied Messiah, the Son of God, the One who would in a short time willingly give up His life for their sins.  No.  All they cared about was their own immediate needs and wants, and when the food ran out, when the going got tougher, when the cost of following Jesus became greater, they were out of there.

So my question to you is simple: Will you stay, or will you go?  If you’re already a Christian, you’ve already made the decision to give your life to Jesus Christ, and you’ve asked forgiveness for your sins and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, will you continue to stick with Him, even when it’s tough and even when you don’t know where He’s leading you?

And if you’re not a Christian, if you’re wondering if this Jesus guy is who He says He is, will you keep seeking answers?  Or will you walk away because it just looks too hard?

As I read back over this passage, I wondered whatever happened to the people that left.  Did any of them ever return, or did they walk away from Jesus forever?  I’ll never know.  But I know that at least for me, I can choose to stay.

Previously:
In the beginning…
Who are you following?