In 2015 the world was held captive to an online conversation about whether a dress was blue and black or gold and white. People weighed in from all over the world with their opinions and interpretations of the image, taking the world wide web by storm. Scientific articles were written to explain the phenomenon of how people do not see the same color when looking at the same image. Opinion pieces were shared to expound upon the significance of the cultural moment. Strangers argued in public spaces about the correct colors of the infamous dress. For those without a strong opinion on the issue, it felt absurd and a ridiculous waste of time. The arguments did not seem worth the investment of time and emotional energy. 

In this month’s Bible passage, we find the followers of Jesus in a similar state of mind. Towards the end of John 6, the people following Jesus are confused, frustrated and upset. In verse 66, we are told that “many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.” It is in the context of confusion and frustration that Jesus asks this month’s focus question: “Are you also going to leave?” (v 67). As we take a deeper look at this moment in the story of Jesus, we are led to consider our motivations, frustrations and questions about being a Christ follower. 

John 6 is an action-packed chapter. Jesus feeds more than 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (v 1–15). He walks on water through a storm to reach His disciples, who are furiously rowing for shore (v 16–21). Jesus also shares His teaching on one of the seven “I Am” statements: “I am the bread of life” (v 35). A lot is happening in Jesus’ ministry in just a few short verses. We know that the crowds of people clamoring for Jesus’ attention continued to grow as the days progressed. John tells the reader that “a huge crowd kept following him wherever he went because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick” (v 2). The crowd camps out, waiting for Jesus, and ends up following Him in boats: “They got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him” (v 24). 

One can begin to imagine the crowd. People jockeying for position to be closer to where Jesus is standing; whispered conversations around the edges; children running in and out of legs. It is amid this scene that people become taken aback by Jesus. “Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’” (v 41). The throngs of people who were desperate for His attention are now concerned with the content of His teaching. John records, “Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant” (v 52). As the chapter goes on, “many of his disciples said, ‘This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?’” (v 60). The frustration and disagreement with His message caused many to turn their backs on Jesus and seek easier paths for themselves. 

Jesus turns to his 12 closest followers, with the dust of the deserters still on His sandals, and asks, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (v 67 NIV). The Twelve, as they are referred to by John, probably nervously glanced around at one another. Someone probably drew in the dust with their toe, avoiding eye contact. Another might have sighed deeply to still their tongue. It was Peter who spoke up: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God” (v 68–69). Peter acknowledges that they have nowhere else to turn. His statement of faith is powerful: they believe and know who Jesus truly is, and that is enough for them to continue following Him.  

The problem in this passage is that the crowd is expecting a very different Jesus than the one they found. They walked in the night, camped out in fields and rowed boats across lakes to get close to the Jesus that provides tangible benefits. They were looking for a version of God that would give them everything they deserved. They were looking for a religious experience that would confirm their life choices, not challenge them. The crowd is so busy complaining and demanding things of Jesus that they are missing out on the offer of eternal life (v 30, 43, 51). 

Discipleship, or following Jesus, calls for a radical reorienting of priorities to be called His disciples. A disciple is someone who has devoted their entire life to the pursuit of a specific way of life. Disciples of Jesus leave behind their assumptions, opinions and justifications to wholeheartedly seek after the way of the Lord. Each follower of Christ should be able to echo Peter’s confession in verses 68–69: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”  

Sometimes we struggle with what we perceive as impossible standards or demands of following Jesus. Nothing seems to make sense in our limited understanding of a good God. On a large scale, we see that wars continue, children die and good people suffer at the hands of evil. Our personal life circumstances feel overwhelming. We can’t seem to catch a break. Our health diagnosis is grim. We face broken relationships. We feel limited in our capacity to surrender our way of living to the Lord.  

We prickle when the Scripture passage, the sermon or The War Cry article speaks a little too close to home. We call foul when things are too hard. We sound like the crowds in John 6 when we demand and complain more than we surrender and worship. We allow our presumptions about how things should be to delude us into believing that if God truly cared, our lives would be simpler. In these moments, we are tempted to abandon it all.   

The promise in this passage is in Peter’s confession: Jesus has the words that give eternal life (v 68). Our answer to Jesus’ question this month is found in where we put our faith: our expectations and demands of the Holy One of God. It is our faith that gives us the strength to continue following Jesus, even when it is hard; to know that He is good, even if we don’t understand why all of this is happening. The circumstances may not change, but faith clings to the One who will strengthen us through our circumstances. The way before us may be confusing and difficult, but it is precisely at these moments when our decision to follow Jesus is the most critical. In moments when the pressure mounts and it feels easier to quit, a faithful disciple chooses to proclaim the words of the hymn: “But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day” (The Salvation Army Songbook #843). 

Questions to Ponder

• What difficult circumstance are you facing? Has it shaken your faith? If so, how?
• How have you experienced the truth of Peter’s words in verse 68?
• What color do you think the dress was: blue and black or white and gold?

AN OPEN INVITATION

You can receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ by praying something like the following:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness and grace. I believe that Christ paid the penalty for my sin, and He died in my place, and He rose from the dead. I invite Jesus Christ to come into my life as Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sin and making me Your child. Help me to grow and learn how to serve You. Amen.