Many Disciples Leave Jesus

And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:65 (NAS95S)

Jesus’ point is that they did not believe Him because God the Father had not granted them permission to respond to His teaching. What an amazing and problematic thought. One cannot “come to,” that is, believe in Jesus unless God the Father grants them permission. God the Father had not granted many in the crowd permission to believe and so many would not believe. We discovered in our last study that one will not come to Jesus unless God the Father has 1) granted them permission (John 6:65). Once granted permission, the Father will draw them to Jesus (John 6:44), and they will come (John 6:37).

For a full explanation about the meaning of this verse, please visit the last study “Bread of Life, part 2” and the study called “Predestination and Free Will.” We do not understand the paradox of 1) God choosing men and women to believe in Jesus and yet 2) men and women having the choice to respond to Jesus in faith. Scripture teaches both truths, so both are truth. Otherwise, how do we understand the sad tone of the next statements,

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” John 6:66-67 (NAS95S)

Notice that many of the crowd left Jesus. Today, this would be devastating to many preachers, teachers, churches and para-church organizations. To see “many” leave would be crushing. That would be total rejection. They would most likely wonder what they did wrong. Some modern day church leaders would start worrying about the church’s finances. Others would criticize the pastor and the other church leaders. Some would wonder if they should have avoided preaching or teaching certain things, because some doctrines offend people and motivate some to leave. But Jesus ignored such self-centered concerns. He spoke the truth and He realized some would respond negatively. Some did, and they left. This is an important example for every church leader and member. Never avoid the truth but teach it with grace and compassion. Our goal is not how many attend but being used by God to help people believe in Jesus and to grow spiritually.

Read Jesus’ last statement again, “Do you want to go away also?” There is emotion in those words. I wonder how Jesus felt? “Will you leave too?” Someone has said,

We really only need five things on this earth: Some food, some sun, some work, some fun, and someone.

Simon Peter answered Him, “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.” John 6:68-69 (NAS95S)

“To whom shall we go, Lord?” As far as Peter was concerned, there was no one else. We have believed! The Greek word for “believed” comes from the verb PISTEUO. It is in the perfect tense. This implies that the disciples had already believed and were still believing. This is the mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ. One who truly believes will never stop believing.

They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:19 (NAS95S)

Peter and most of the disciples believed that Jesus was the “Holy One” of God. They believed He was the “Righteous One” - the promised Messiah. But Jesus knew that Peter did not know everything and that his statement was not completely accurate. There was one among them who did not believe. His name was Judas Iscariot.

Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. John 6:70-71 (NAS95S)

Judas’ problem was not that he stopped believing. His problem was that he never, ever believed. There is someone like him in every church. Not that they are traitors, but they are among us and do not really believe. They may even think that they are real believers.

The first group was the Jewish religious leaders. They had made it clear early in Jesus’ ministry that they had rejected Him when they declared that He exorcised demons using demonic powers. They had criticized Him for healing those who were in need, and they challenged His teaching. They repeatedly attempted to discredit Jesus before the crowds in any way they could. They were wicked and unbelieving men with a polished exterior. There are some today who reject Jesus giving various reasons. But as one evolutionist admitted, he rejected the Bible because he rejected God. If you reject the concept of a god or the concept of the God of the Bible, then you will never search for or find the God of the universe.

The second group was a large number of so-called believers. They followed Jesus because He was thrilling. In Jesus‘ day people did not have television, novels to read, magazines, newspapers, the internet, or radios to listen to. It must have been great for them to leave their homes and listen and watch Him - what great entertainment! But after awhile, Jesus seemed to get too serious. After awhile others must have thought that He was divine or something - maybe even God. If Jesus had just stayed with His “magic tricks” - casting out demons, healing the sick, feeding probably twenty thousand people from two fish and five loaves of bread, and raising the dead - and had avoided some of His more controversial teachings, then the crowds would have stayed. Jesus could have had a big ministry with tens of thousands of people. Maybe the religious leaders would have liked Him too! But Jesus did not do that. Instead, He taught them that He was the Bread of Life. He was divine. He came down out of heaven and God was His father. Now, who would have believed such things? Consequently, many of the crowd left Jesus. They left Him alone with a much smaller group.

The third group included His own twelve disciples and a small group of unnamed disciples. Jesus had called the twelve one by one. The twelve had spent time with Jesus. They saw His miracles and heard Him teach. They ate with Him. If anyone knew Jesus, the twelve did. And it was this group that stayed with Jesus, except for a brief time. They would eventually die following Him, preaching and teaching for Him, and helping others find Jesus as their Messiah.

The last group was just one individual - Judas Iscariot - a traitor. He appeared to be one of them, but he wasn’t. Unfortunately, there are always some who claim to follow Jesus just like Judas. Eventually, they will slip away when times are difficult or if something “better comes along.”