Drawn by the Father 

John 6:60-71 (ESV) 

[60] When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" [61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? [62] Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? [63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. [64] But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) [65] And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." [66] After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. [67] So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" [68] Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." [70] Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." [71] He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him

Wouldn't it be nice if following Jesus fit into this nice little spiritual package that didn't interrupt or disrupt the user friendly Jesus that the culture tolerates and the church world sells? Not really. You and I would find that particular Jesus and brand of religion leaves us unfulfilled and fails to worship and give glory to the one who loves and redeemed us.

Following Jesus goes much deeper than making a profession of faith, attending church and doing a few good deeds. Following Jesus will make demands on our lives that seem unreasonable to the flesh. It will involve eating his flesh and drinking his blood. In other words, it will ask you and I to identify with the finished work of his cross in freeing us from the penalty of sin.

It will also invite each of us to identify with his daily cross and cooperate with that daily work of crucifying sinful cravings and selfish desires that are enemies to following Jesus. I struggle and this is not because I do not love Jesus. No, I love him, as I know you do. The struggle is that I love myself more and I wrestle with the reality that while I am crucified with Christ and have eternal life, I also have things in my life that must die daily, as Paul stated.

I don't like the dying daily part of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. I like the theory and the revelation of that truth, but the daily reality of eating his flesh and drinking his blood is deeply challenging. Whether I am partaking at the table of the Lord in remembering what Jesus has done or whether I am daily living this truth out, I am totally dependent upon the Father to seize me and the Spirit to free me as I am partaking of the sufferings of the Lord.

Unfortunately, like many of these disciples, I could walk away, as could you. May that not be the case. May we all say as Peter did, "To whom else could we go? YOU ALONE have the words of eternal life."

- Written by Steve Shives