Today’s text: John 6: 66-71

A Sobering Result

The crowds failed

vss… “many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

Crowds are fickle and unreliable

Not everyone follows the crowd

A Sobering Result

Jesus tests

Jesus is not a politician Crowds are offended Jesus asks the original 12 “You do not

want to go away also, do you?”

.

A Sobering Result The words vss. “…You have words of eternal life…”

Pastor Allen Hern breaks these things into four pieces or four choices:They made a conscious choice “Lord to whom shall

we go?”They made an informed choice “Lord, to whom shall

we go? You have the words of eternal life.”They made a deliberate choice “And we believe and

know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

They made a costly choice.

A Sobering Result The reassurance vss. “Did I myself not choose you, the 12?…”

God’s choice

Jesus had called the twelve to follow in serving Him in ministry.

Jesus made His choice and included men from all walks of life.There were fishermen and even a tax collector.There were quiet types and then there were the outspoken

ones.There were selfish types (James and John) and crooked

underhanded types.Jesus did not discriminate at all among his choices – He gave

an opportunity to all types of people.

A Sobering Result Interestingly, this chapter ends with a comparison of possibly

the two most well known of the disciples: Peter and Judas

Judas was a leader – he was in charge of the money

Peter was a leader he most often spoke for the group

Judas was a dishonest man and is recorded pilfering the disciples treasury Jn. 12:6

Peter spoke honestly from his heart though at times not correctly.

Judas betrayed Jesus by deliberate calculated choice

Peter betrayed Jesus by an act of impulse

Judas was motivated by selfishness Peter was motivated by fear.

Judas viewed Jesus as a means to reach his goal of wealth, power, and influence

Peter viewed Jesus as a friend

Judas turned into himself with remorse over betraying Jesus and committed suicide.

Peter turned to Jesus following His betrayal and was reconciled and in the years to come died as a martyr

God’s omniscience

In every church there are people like Judas and people like Peter

And in every church there are true disciples who remain loyal and faithful to the Lord for the duration of life

.

How do you handle the pressure of the crowd when you’re in the crowd? Do you go with the flow, or do you stay steady and stand? Do you stay steady and stand with the One who sticks closer than a brother. Do you stay steady and stand with the One that will remain faithful even if we become unfaithful? Uh?

 Where do you go when there is nowhere else to go? What

do you do when life has you cornered? To whom or to what do you turn in these difficult moments of life?

Which is for you? Judas or Peter? Which one reminds you the most of you? Amen