John 6

I think this is one of the most difficult chapters in the entire Bible (and I’m not just saying that because I once wrote what I thought was a brilliant paper on it, and when my professor read it he said, “Um, I can give you more time to work on this, if you want…”). Sigh.

Anyway, in re-reading it today, I’ve noticed how frequently the followers don’t get what Jesus is saying. He feeds five thousand people with just a few scraps of food, and the people are like, “Cool! You should be our king!”; he walks on water, and the disciples are like, “Dude, seriously, get into the boat”; he talks about the bread of life, and a lot of the followers turn away, saying, “This is a hard teaching, who can accept it?” (v. 60).

Here’s what I’m hanging onto this morning, even though I know I frequently miss what Jesus is saying (and I STILL don’t totally get this chapter): After some of the followers leave, Jesus turns to the twelve disciples and says, “Are you guys leaving me, too?” But they answer, “Where else would we go? You’re the only one who speaks Truth.”

Sometimes it’s hard to believe in Jesus—but where else would we go?