21 Days of DiscipleshipSample

What About When It’s Hard?

John 6 is packed! Jesus is doing signs all over the place: feeding thousands, walking on water ... you name it, He can do it. But don’t miss this really crucial part near the end of the chapter. 

Jesus has just finished a mind-blowing sermon that some people probably thought was about cannibalism. It’s not, don’t worry! Actually, Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life sent from heaven. The Jews would have understood the reference because in their history, after escaping slavery, God provided manna, heavenly bread, in the wilderness for them every day for 40 years! 

Jesus was saying: Hey, just like God gave you manna from heaven, I am God’s new provision. And what God provides us through Jesus is not merely food to sustain physical life, but the Way to experience eternal life. The Bread of Life is for every day, and the life He gives us doesn’t have an expiration date!

John, in recording the response of the crowd to all Jesus was saying, notes:

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:60, 66 NIV

An everyday dependence on and commitment to Jesus sounded difficult to much of Jesus’ audience. They literally walked away. 

So, Jesus turns to His closest friends and asks:

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” John 6:67 NIV

Peter replies for all 12 guys, saying:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69 NIV

So, what do we do when following Jesus gets hard? Will we walk away? No. We will remind ourselves of who it is we’re following! Jesus has what we need—the words of eternal life.

Disciples of Jesus are called to an everyday dependence on Him. And when we realize who He is and what He offers, regardless of the difficulty, we will know it’s worth it. So worth it that we will become like Peter, wondering where else we could possibly go!

Challenge: Today, go back through this chapter and pick one other chapter we’ve already read. Highlight any descriptors in these passages regarding who Jesus is and what He came to offer us. Ask the Holy Spirit to create a desire for dependence in you as you think on those things today.