In John 6:67 we read an important question Jesus asked His Apostles “You do not want to go away also, do you?”. This question proceeded the moment where Jesus said you must eat my flesh and drink my blood and we read in verse 66, “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”
I have read this passage many times because Peters’s profession of faith is one of my life verses. I love where Peter responds in verse 69, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
As I reread this the other day, I realized the importance of the question Jesus asked His disciples. He asked them, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” We know theologically, that Jesus knew all things so clearly this question wasn’t for Him, it was for them. He wanted them to consider their own thoughts in relation to who He was. He knew what they already felt but I believe the question was asked so that they would know it themselves. I believe the question was meant to bring to light their own heart in light of the profound statement Jesus just spoke.
So He asks them “How about you? “Do you want to go away?” I love this question. Its a balm to the soul of the struggling believer. I do not believe we can lose our salvation and I recognize that even the ability to believe comes from God. However, there are times that we face doubt and wonder where we stand. You may ask yourself, “Am I a believer or am I really saved?” and the Lord calls us to see ourselves in light of this question. While our salvation doesn’t rest in our answer since our faith is based on the merit of Jesus alone, it does cause us to remember that Jesus is precious to us. If you are a believer, you don’t want to go anywhere else. You may have moments of doubt, sin, confusion, and fear but your home is with Jesus. He is your everything.
This is the beauty of Peter’s response, as it echoes our own heart. Peter needed to see that within himself was a profound love and devotion for Jesus that he didn’t want to let go of. That is something only the Lord can do in a person. Only Jesus can take a rebel and give him a surrendered heart. Peter didn’t care what they felt about Jesus, Peter knew he loved Him.
In my life, I have seen Jesus draw the deepest realities of my soul to the surface. Sometimes what’s inside is pretty ugly. So Jesus says to me, “Yes at times you fear, worry, are uncertain, yes even at times you doubt but you do not want to go away also, do you?” At that moment I have my own Peter moment. As I look to Him and say, “where would I go, my Lord?”, Jesus reminds me what’s even deeper than all those realities- He is my beloved.
The world is scary right now. As believers we are pressed in ways we have never been before. Sifting is being done on a great scale and much sin, fear, and anxiety is being brought to the surface. In the midst of this remember that there is a Faithful and True Rock by which we must steady ourselves.
If you don’t know Jesus I implore you to look to the cross and be forgiven. We are all sinners in thought, word and deed. Our sins require a debt beyond our ability to pay. Jesus paid it so we may be free. Look to Him and be saved. Check out NeedGod.com for more information.