Daily Devotion (April 18, 2024)
John 6:66–69 (NKJV)
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.”
Many walked away. What a sad commentary. When Jesus does not fit our preconceived way of thinking we walk away. When our preconceived attitude about Jesus is not true, we walk away. We listen to what others say about Christ instead of reading His Word in the Bible.
Peter was correct; if Jesus is not who He said He was where do we turn? When we learn that following Jesus is costly many turn away. Earlier in this chapter Jesus said His followers were to totally devour His words. We do not come to Christ with our own agenda. We are to accept and follow Him according to who He is.
You are what you eat is a saying I have heard all my life. The same is true of the Christian life. If all we want is the cake and ice cream, we will be nothing but weak followers of Christ. Followers who have no substance to stand with Christ. We will fall by the wayside and quit and give up. We will listen to the false teachers and philosophers. Jesus said in Luke 9:23 “… If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
How many walk away? Superficial acceptance of Christ cannot endure the cost of true acceptance of Christ. Many have been sold a bill of goods that never existed. When they discover the “cost of discipleship” they flitter away.
When you read this passage of Scripture you discover there is a total commitment to Christ. It is not a commitment to people or an organization. It is Christ. It is not a philosophy of man. It is Christ. It is Christ and Christ alone. But when we are committed to Him then our commitment to His church has meaning. Our commitment to others has meaning. We then can make a commitment to following Him no matter where he will lead.
Commit yourself to Christ. Don’t just read your Bible, study it. Join a Bible study on Sunday morning and even during the week. Become involved in the work of God’s church.
Those who did not know Christ turned from Him. How many are turning their back on Him today!