The 6th chapter of the Gospel of John is long. It’s intense. It’s packed with human desperation & divine intervention. Jesus feeds 10,000 plus people with 2 fish & 5 loaves of bread. He walks on water. Peter walks on water! It’s a pretty packed couple of days. Then Jesus gets to Capernaum & begins to teach them, wanting them to learn from what they’ve just seen & experienced. Answering their questions, Jesus explains that he has the words of life. He says, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit & life.” (Bill Klein, one of our elders at The Brook, preached through this text yesterday.) Just before this, as Jesus gives the famous (& very hard to understand in the moment) you must “eat my flesh & drink my blood” discourse, he is using a physical illustration to communicate a spiritual truth. (Bill made this point in his sermon.) Jesus is saying that he is enough; his life will be the example for us to follow & his blood will be enough for our atonement. But as he says all of this, John tells us that “many turned back & no longer followed him.” He then turns to his disciples & asks them the hard question, “Are you going to leave me, too?”
Think on that question for a moment.
Are you going to walk away from Jesus?
Are you going to go & search for the words of life somewhere else? From someone else?
Prayerfully consider the question for a moment.
It should only take a moment. That’s how long it took Peter.
Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Peter asks Jesus a rhetorical question that still bears all the weight it did at just that moment. “Lord, where would we go? Who else would we turn to? You have the words of life! You are the Son of God!”
While I know many of us as Christ-followers hear Peter’s question & response (&) feel the stirring of our Spirit & emotions over the implications, the fact is, we sometimes ask this question...while walking away from Jesus.
Where else would we go? Where else would we turn?
We turn to the news. We put our head in the echo chamber.
We go to the latest self-help book. Maybe this new way of thinking will change everything.
We look to the mirror, in vain affirmation or with loathing disappointment.
We listen to our feelings; our lying, ever-changing, deceitful emotions & feelings.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he alone holds the words of life; yet, we often seem to be determined to look — to even run — anywhere & everywhere other than to him to feed us, to fill us, & to guide us.
David knew who to run to. In Psalm 18 he declares: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock & my fortress & my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” He continues: “This God — his way if perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” (v.1-2, 30)
The psalmists knew.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
"My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!" Psalm 119:25
"This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” Psalm 119:50
King Solomon knew.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." Proverbs 18:10
We can not only listen to the Lord; we can cry out to him. We can bring all our burdens & lay them at his feet. We find rest in him. Only in him!
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary & heavy burdened, & I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
When persecution began in the New Testament church, they didn’t consult men, they cried out to God. (Acts 4:23-31)
Paul knew who to run to. Who to turn to.
He implores us: “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:5) In other words: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything!
Jesus is truth. He is the way. He is peace. He is hope & joy & rest. He is life!
You know this, right?
So, why would we go anywhere else? Why would we turn to anyone else?
Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, & we have believed, & have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God!”
