One of the more discouraging things a Christian can experience is watching a person reject the Gospel and walk away. It hurts when someone does not want to get to know the God you love. Now imagine how Jesus must have felt when it happened to Him.

It’s a fascinating, yet tragic story found in John 6. The story actually begins in verse 26 with Jesus teaching the crowd about how He would be the Bread of Life. By verse 60, though, it says that many of His disciples considered His teaching to be too hard to understand. Granted, Jesus did mention eating His flesh and drinking his blood (verse 54), so we might be able to sympathize with their lack of understanding. We have the gift of hindsight today to know that Jesus was referring to His sacrifice on the cross and its connection to the Lord’s Supper. Regardless, their confusion as to the meaning seemed to be the last straw for some, since, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66).

These are the same disciples that had seen Jesus perform miracles, heal the sick, and teach many truths from heaven. They had walked and talked with Jesus, but now they only walked away. Why? How could they leave?

I struggled with that question. I had assumed that everyone would choose Him and stay. Yet, Jesus said that few would choose the “narrow road” that leads to life (Him), while many would find and choose the “wide road” that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13, 14). I realized that I was asking the wrong question. This is the question I needed to ask: why did the other disciples stay? In verse 67, Jesus asked the twelve if they also wanted to leave, but they didn’t. When everyone else was leaving, they remained. Why?

The question is not why others leave, but why do I stay? The answer to this is vital. Because if I cannot answer this question for myself, how can I give others a reason to start following (or remain)? I can attend a church every weekend, and call myself a Christian, and even label myself with a denominational name-tag, but why do I continue to follow Jesus when others leave?

If we are only following Jesus because its the cool thing to do, soon it will become uncool and we’ll stop following. If we follow only because of what Jesus can give us, then if He doesn’t give us something we want, we’ll stop following. If we follow only because it’s easy, then as soon as the journey gets difficult, we’ll stop following. If we follow out of guilt, or because we’re forced, we’ll stop following any chance we get. So, what reason would cause a disciple to stay?

Peter’s reply contains the true reason any of us remain: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68, 69). This is why we start following Jesus and the reason we stay following Him: salvation is not found in anyone else. He Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we have come to understand and believe this, how can we leave?

There may be many excuses for leaving His side, or rejecting His teachings, or refusing to go further, but Jesus urges us to remain. Jesus asks us to trust Him and stick it out with Him:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. … By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:4, 5, 8–11)

Friends, it will become increasingly difficult to follow God. Many do not want to hear His truth anymore, and may even try to pull us from it. So we have to make a choice: leave His side or stay following.

I know Jesus has the words of eternal life and I believe He is the Holy One of God. That is why I’m still following.

Photo by Nathan McBride on Unsplash

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27, 28).