Anchor My Faith

Who Else but Jesus

Scripture: John 6:68-71

We ended the previous lesson wondering how the disciples would answer the question Jesus asked them about staying with him or leaving him. ^{Jn 6:68} “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”’

Having lived with Jesus for approximately two years, the disciples have learned much about him. Peter, who is quite outspoken, answers him with a question followed by an insightful comment. Peter doesn’t know of any other teacher they could go to who could lead people to eternal life and to true fellowship with God himself. He then declares that Jesus has the words of eternal life and that they believe.

At this point the disciples, except one, have spiritual life in them, like they had physical life in them before they were born physically. The disciples will continue in this gestation condition until the time of Pentecost when, I believe, they will be born spiritually and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. Eleven of these disciples have been chosen by the Father and have been granted authority to come to Jesus.

Peter also states they have come to know that Jesus is the Holy One of God; that Jesus has been consecrated or set apart for service to God. We will study this later in John 10:36 where Jesus speaks of being consecrated by the Father and sent into the world. In John 17:19, Jesus speaks of consecrating himself so that others can be sanctified in truth.

Declaring that Jesus was the Holy One of God, reaches back into the Old Testament where that described God. For example, in Isaiah 43:3, we read: “I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” In Isaiah 54:5, we read: “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.”

In reply to Peter, ^{Jn 6:70} “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” ⁷¹ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.” Eleven of the twelve chosen by Jesus had been chosen by the Father for adoption into his family. Judas was not chosen for adoption but was chosen to help facilitate getting Jesus to the cross.

We have stated before in our studies, the Scriptures are clear that as sinners, if we were left alone, not even one of us would seek God. If any are to come to Jesus for salvation, they must be drawn by the Father. Judas was not drawn but left in his sin to carry out the schemes of the devil against Jesus. We see God using his enemy again and again in the Old Testament to carry out his discipling of Israel.

Conclusion

There are many self-declared disciples in the western church today that would leave Jesus as the disciples in this lesson left if persecution were to come to test their faith. Jesus spoke hard words, and many stopped following him. If hard words were spoken in our churches today, many would stop coming.