The Devotional Jhn23

The Devotional

Comment: So we see in the upcoming text of John 6 some opposition to the Words of Jesus and I have to ask myself; “How would I have reacted?” This is a question that is not answerable if you have faith in God simply because your mind is not going to default to words of unbelief. Like if I say I would reject Him and His Words, am I telling the truth or am I lying? Honestly I cannot wrap my mind or bend my belief in Jesus in a direction of doubt or unbelief. If you are saved, neither can you. 

Challenge: John 6:60-71 – Verse 63 is one of my favorites; “it is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are Life.”

In the text some do reject Him and they did stop following Him. On this thought we know of Judas Iscariot, yet the words of John His disciple in verse 64 are; “For Jesus knew from the beginning who THEY were who did not believe and who would BETRAY Him. So betrayal in this context is not of one, Judas! But many of those who were in the crowd on Crucifixion Day were there with these words. CRUCIFY HIM, yes crucify Him. These men and women witnessed His miracles and followed Him. Does it break our heart when someone whom we love turns away from our own personal friendships? Does 2 Peter 3:9 come into focus here? – I wonder were there any of those who returned to Christ? See John 6:66, there are many antichrists in the world. They know Him by name only, not by faith.

Then the LORD Jesus turned to His disciples, they too were tuned in to all of the words of Jesus. They were also witnesses of the exodus of people who turned away. So this is a very direct question to the twelve chosen men. “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter, who was the spokesperson for the group makes a wonderful statement. A statement that echoes through time, right up too this very day. “LORD to whom shall we go? You HAVE the Words of eternal life”. Verse 65 of John 6 is evident here: “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

Judas was not drawn to Jesus by the Father, therefore he only knew Jesus. Faith is the principal (the substance) for believing therefore it was not granted to him to believe in the Son of God. In our churches today there are many men and women who religiously know Jesus, but do not believe by faith. The Father has not drawn them, but they do come seeking to work selfishly for a kingdom that can only come to them by the Power of faith. Some statistics, if you rely on statistics reveal that in a church of one hundred people who regularly attend all services forty of them are unsaved.