The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 6:66 (that is an ominous reference!),
"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
People often think in terms of Jesus' disciples as being the Twelve apostles: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Bartholomew (Nathanael), James ("the Lesser" or "Younger"), Judas, Thaddeus (Jude), Matthew (Levi), Philip, Simon (the Zealot) and Thomas.
However, the term "disciple" as used by John can mean any follower of Jesus Christ as a student of his teachings, etc. It does not necessarily convey that, as a disciple, a person had actually yet made that personal transaction of embracing Jesus Christ in faith and becoming one of his sheep, as in, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27-28.
Here in John 6:66 it is clear that these disciples that turned from Jesus and no longer followed him were disciples in the sense of "inquirers", "students", or something of the sort. They were not born-again believers.
The Scriptures teach us in many places that when a person embraces Jesus Christ in faith, a transaction takes place where they will never, under any circumstances, be taken from the hand of the Lord, they are destined to eternal life. This is not based on our performance as believers, but rather on the faithfulness of God himself, who has made this promise. I like the way Paul expresses this in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, "He [God] will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Did you catch what Paul said there? "God is faithful" and that is why he will "keep you firm to the end".
The reason these disciples of Jesus turned back and no longer followed him is because God was not keeping them "firm to the end". They were following Jesus' teachings up to a point, but as the passage points out, they bailed when they would not accept what he was teaching in this passage.
By the way, speaking of the Twelve, here is a fun question: We read that the names of the twelve apostles will be on the twelve foundations of the "Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God", Revelation 21:10. "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Revelation 21:14. Here is the set up: we read that the Twelve became the Eleven (a change in the title of the group, as well as acknowledging their number) following the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, as in Acts 2:14, "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven...". However, prior to this we read of the impetuous Peter having the group cast lots to choose a replacement, to make up a full complement of twelve apostles, "Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." Acts 1:26.
But then the Lord chose Paul to be an apostle in Acts 9. In 1 Corinthians 9:2 he tells the Corinthians, "you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord." Here is the question: who is the twelfth name on the foundations of the walls of the "Holy City''? Along with the original eleven (with the loss of Judas Iscariot), will it be Matthias? Paul? or who?
"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
People often think in terms of Jesus' disciples as being the Twelve apostles: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Bartholomew (Nathanael), James ("the Lesser" or "Younger"), Judas, Thaddeus (Jude), Matthew (Levi), Philip, Simon (the Zealot) and Thomas.
However, the term "disciple" as used by John can mean any follower of Jesus Christ as a student of his teachings, etc. It does not necessarily convey that, as a disciple, a person had actually yet made that personal transaction of embracing Jesus Christ in faith and becoming one of his sheep, as in, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27-28.
Here in John 6:66 it is clear that these disciples that turned from Jesus and no longer followed him were disciples in the sense of "inquirers", "students", or something of the sort. They were not born-again believers.
The Scriptures teach us in many places that when a person embraces Jesus Christ in faith, a transaction takes place where they will never, under any circumstances, be taken from the hand of the Lord, they are destined to eternal life. This is not based on our performance as believers, but rather on the faithfulness of God himself, who has made this promise. I like the way Paul expresses this in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, "He [God] will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Did you catch what Paul said there? "God is faithful" and that is why he will "keep you firm to the end".
The reason these disciples of Jesus turned back and no longer followed him is because God was not keeping them "firm to the end". They were following Jesus' teachings up to a point, but as the passage points out, they bailed when they would not accept what he was teaching in this passage.
By the way, speaking of the Twelve, here is a fun question: We read that the names of the twelve apostles will be on the twelve foundations of the "Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God", Revelation 21:10. "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Revelation 21:14. Here is the set up: we read that the Twelve became the Eleven (a change in the title of the group, as well as acknowledging their number) following the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, as in Acts 2:14, "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven...". However, prior to this we read of the impetuous Peter having the group cast lots to choose a replacement, to make up a full complement of twelve apostles, "Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." Acts 1:26.
But then the Lord chose Paul to be an apostle in Acts 9. In 1 Corinthians 9:2 he tells the Corinthians, "you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord." Here is the question: who is the twelfth name on the foundations of the walls of the "Holy City''? Along with the original eleven (with the loss of Judas Iscariot), will it be Matthias? Paul? or who?
Just a fun question. Let me know what you think.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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