Can you remember a time when you were truly offended? I’ll be 53 later this year, and I was recently asked if I’d like the “senior discount” at a nearby restaurant. After I noted all my grey hair, the waitress really recovered well when she said, “Well, you don’t have wrinkles on your face.”
Have you ever offended anyone? One of the church members is a public school teacher, and she overheard some children in her school commenting about her. They said, “She’s been through a lot.” Her husband said, “I’m ‘the lot’ she’s been through.”
More and more people are offended on social media these days. Yes, seemingly, everyone is triggered. Your breath can offend. Your smell can offend. But did you know Jesus can offend?
We continue our series in the gospel of John. I invite you to find your Bibles and find John 6 with me. At the conclusion of this message, you will be invited to come forward to take the Lord’s Supper.
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I want to answer one question this morning: How Do You Know if You are a Genuine Believer?
Today’s Scripture
“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, ‘Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him” (John 6:60-71).
1. Followers, Not Fans
“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (John 6:60).
These are “Disciples” Who Leave.1
1.1 Disciples?
Don’t be fooled by the word “disciples” in verse 60. Jesus had many fans up until this point. He’s about to distinguish between those who are fans and those who are followers.2 A friend reminded me of something recently. On any given Sunday, there are three kinds of people and not two kinds. There are unbelievers, believers, and those who think they are believers.
The Bible says we are to text and examine ourselves to verify if we are genuine believers, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5)!
Almost everything Jesus says here is to flush out the real disciples. Jesus’ words sift and separate His fans from His followers. Let me show you.
1.2 I’m Offended
The Bible says Jesus has the supernatural ability to know what people were thinking: “knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this” (John 6:61b).
The Greek word “hard” in verse 60 is the word from which we get our word: sclerosis. It’s the same word we use when someone has Multiple Sclerosis. When the people grumbled about Jesus here, they didn’t find His words impossible to understand. After all, He’s not delivering a lecture on mathematical concepts such as sin and cosine in trigonometry. They didn’t complain because Jesus was impossible to understand. No, they complained because Jesus offended them.
1.2.1 Funny
Years ago, I asked a young lady when she was due, only she wasn’t pregnant. I was so embarrassed. To this day, no matter how pregnant a lady looks, I wait until someone confirms she’s having a baby before I say anything. I wish this were the only embarrassing thing I’ve said.
1.2.1 Winston Churchill
Many of you know the name of Winston Churchill, who led England to fend off the Nazis. There was a woman in the House of Commons named Lady Astor, who didn’t care for Churchill. Evidently, the feeling was mutual. Astor allegedly told Churchill, “If I were married to you, I’d put poison in your coffee.” Churchill responded, “If I were married to you, I’d drink it.”3
Sometimes, an offense can be funny. But there was nothing funny about Jesus offending these people.
1.2.3 Drinking Blood and Eating Flesh
If being offended were a house, they had at least three floors to their house of offense. They were offended on so many levels. Jesus is likely in His second year of ministry in John 6. Jesus was a huge attraction in the beginning with the miracles. Beginning around chapter 5, John describes the middle part of Jesus’ public ministry. People were resisting Jesus at almost every turn.
They were offended that Jesus told them: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:54-55).
All these years later, we still don’t like Jesus’ words. Who likes drinking blood, after all? What does that mean? What is your meat and drink? It’s what makes you tick. It’s what gives you the essential energy to keep you going. Jesus says, “If you’re my follower, then I’m what makes you tick.”4
1.2.4 The Bread of Life
On the second floor of the house of offense is Jesus’ claim to be “the bread of life” (John 6:35a). They couldn’t believe His outlandish claim, “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51b). How could this Jesus be better than Moses?
The gospel of John purposefully and intentionally shows us 7 “I am” statements about Jesus. Scattered throughout the gospel of John are these “I Am” statements. Jesus uses the words ego eimi in the original Greek for “I am.” Students of the Greek will know, He did not need to include “ego” as this is redundant. Jesus is purposefully calling attention to Himself here.
Again, Jesus uses these 7 “I am” statements to self-identify: “the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48), “the light of the world” (8:12), “the gate” (10:7, 9), “the good shepherd” (10:11, 14), “the resurrection and the life” (11:25), “the way and the truth and the life” (14:6), and “the true vine” (15:1, 5). In Revelation: “the Alpha and Omega” (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13), “the first and the last” (1:17; 22:13), “the beginning and the end” (21:6; 22:13).5 In each of these, Jesus echoes God’s words to Moses in Exodus 3. Jesus tells us that He’s on the same stature as God, the Father.
1.2.5 Drawn to Jesus
Lastly, the 3rd floor of the house of offense was Jesus’ claim that you needed God’s help to understand God’s Word. And they were offended that He told them they needed God in order to decide to believe: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44a). Jesus echoes these same comments in verse 63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Human reason alone cannot understand God’s Word.
Jesus repeats the claim a third time in verse 65: “And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father’” (John 6:65). Jesus is behind the wheel of your life. He draws you to belief. He doesn’t drive you, and He doesn’t pound you into submission. He lovingly guides you, draws you, and even drags you to a better life. God is so patient with you. He is the potter, and you are the clay.
How Do You Know if You are a Genuine Believer?
1. Genuine followers have experienced Jesus as the center of their lives.
2. Genuine followers know the Spirit of God to understand the Word of God.
3. Genuine followers may be offended by Jesus' words, but they align their lives with obeying Jesus.
1.3 Fans, Not Followers
Author Kyle Idleman wrote, “The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.”6
It’s the difference between followers and fans. You know what a fan is, right? It’s the woman who is a huge fan of some actress who is the latest Hollywood sensation.7 This woman not only knows every movie this actress has been in, but she also knows what high school this actress went to. She knows the birthday of this actress, and she knows the name of her first boyfriend. She knows everything there is to know. But she doesn’t know the actress. She’s a huge fan, but she’s just a fan. She is simply an enthusiastic admirer. Now, there are a lot of people who are simply enthusiastic admirers of Jesus – their fans.
1.4 Contemporary Fans
Today, people are offended by Jesus’ teaching that marriage is only between one man and one woman. Many are offended that grace secures your status with God, not your personal moral goodness. People are offended that Jesus hates judgmental, hypocritical people who make religion a way to become rich. Nothing made Jesus angrier than when religious insiders’ hypocrisy made it difficult for religious outsiders to truly see Jesus.
Jesus wants…
1. Followers, Not Fans
2. Long Short Term, Not Short Term
“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66).
If the first group were “Disciples” Who Leave, these are Disciples Who Stay. Again, How Do You Know if You are a Genuine Believer? Genuine disciples always return to Jesus, even if they leave for a period of time. Jesus distinguishes between real disciples who stay and fake disciples who leave.
2.1 Many Leave Jesus
Now, things were bad when Jesus finished talking in the synagogue at Capernaum. Had Jesus been a pastor, He could have written a book, “How to Get Your Church Down to a Manageable Size.” Jesus’ movement seems to fail at this moment. More and more people are leaving Him in verse 66. Imagine one of the recent multiday political conventions. It starts out with football stadium-sized crowds but ends up with just enough people to fit around your kitchen table. Depressing thought, isn’t it?
2.2 Long Short Term, Not Short Term
It seems as if there are only the twelve and Jesus now. Jesus asks in verse 67: “So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’” (John 6:67). I love Peter’s response, “Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life,” in verse 68. Genuine disciples always return to Jesus, even if they leave for a period of time.
The Bible is clear: genuine disciples always return to Jesus, even if they have prodigal periods. The faith of a genuine follower always perseveres through hard times. “But I have a friend who grew up in church, and she quit believing. What about her? She’s ok, right.” The Bible is clear: genuine disciples always return to Jesus, even if they have prodigal periods.
2.3 For the Sake of the Elect
Days before Jesus is killed, He teaches about the last days. In the middle of a lengthy lecture, Jesus offers this: “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:22). Things get really bad for believers, but just before God’s children, the elect, throw in the towel, God “cut[s] short” the days of tragedy. Genuine disciple's faith is long-term, not short-term.
2.4 Tun Shwe
This past Thursday, our missionary friends in SE Asia had a powerful breakthrough. After eighteen years of prayer, this father was baptized this week. He spoke of how stubbornly hard he has tried to follow all the steps and sacrifices of Buddha. He felt he was always on the wrong road. He knows Jesus is now the only way for eternal life. To our friends worshipping online, this video is only being shown inside the worship center for security purposes. Rejoice with me!
But we all have this nagging question, “Then what about Judas?” How do you account for Judas?
1. Followers, Not Fans
2. Long Short Term, Not Short Term
3. Belief, Not Betrayal
Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him” (John 6:70-71).
If the first two groups were “Disciples” Who Leave and Disciples Who Stay, then these are “Disciples” Who Betray.
3.1 He Selects
Jesus wants you to know that He “chose” “the twelve” in verse 70. The twelve didn’t choose Him; He chose them. He purposefully and intentionally picked each and every one of them, including Judas. Just like modern-day American sports leagues, Jesus is the general manager of the team called the Twelve Disciples. He put the team together. If the team succeeds, give Him credit. If the team bombs, Jesus is responsible. Mark that carefully.
3.2 How Did Jesus Pick Judas?
So, if Jesus chose the Twelve, how did He end up with Judas? Some might say, “Well, Judas started out well but ended up wrong.” No, he was wrong from the beginning. Note Jesus’ words carefully at the end of verse 71, when He calls Judas “a devil.” Jesus chose Judas with His eyes wide open, knowing that Judas would betray Him in verse 64. Jesus knew that Judas never believed, nor would He ever believe. Now, that’s interesting. Why would Jesus want a crook in the ministry? Why would Jesus choose a hypocrite to be one of the twelve apostles? What’s the point in picking a crook?
3.3 Does Unbelief Win?
Unbelief is the focus of this story in chapter 6. In fact, unbelief only intensifies as the story goes on in John 6. If you plant a garden and only grow weeds, you’re tempted to give up. After one year, it seems all that Jesus has produced are weeds. If you move to another country to start a McDonald’s and after eighteen years of hard labor, nobody is eating cheeseburgers. All they want is rice. Do you give up? Do you stop planting a garden? Do you pack up your business and go home?
Thousands of people leave Jesus unbelieving. Remember, somewhere around 10,000 ate the loaves and fish. Most of the “disciples” themselves abandon Jesus (verse 66). And in the end, just a tiny remnant is left believing. The most natural question in the world would be: Is the devil winning? The slanderer, the accuser, the liar, the god of this age who blinds the minds of unbelievers — is he winning? It sure looks like the devil’s winning.8
Again, what’s the point in picking a crook?
3.4 Why Mention Judas?
Why does Jesus even mention Judas in verses 70 and 71? Pause and think with me: Judas hasn’t done anything in this chapter. He doesn’t say anything or do anything. But John brings him up in verse 64, and Jesus brings him up in verse 70. Why would the gospel of John bring up Judas when he’s done nothing significant in our story?
In essence, Jesus is saying, “Yes, there is a devil in the ranks. But I put him there. I chose him. He will do my bidding. No one takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own accord (John 10:18). He is not in charge. I am.”9
How Do You Know if You are a Genuine Believer? One of the marks of a genuine disciple is this: is your belief in Jesus sticky? Is your belief in Jesus sticky till the end of your life? Watch your student ministry for just two years, and you’ll see people “leave the faith.” Watch your church for just two years, and you’ll see people leave the faith.
Do you have sticky faith? Will you stay with Jesus come whatever in your life?
1 Thanks to Stuart Pendell for this phrase.
2 I am grateful to Kyle Idleman for this distinction and his book, Not a Fan Updated and Expanded: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016).
3 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/illustrious-history-misquoting-winston-churchill-180953634/; accessed August 20, 2024.
4 Timothy J. Keller, “Discipleship: False and True,” The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
5 For a defense of the title “I am” in Revelation, see R.L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 110.
6 Idleman, 25.
7 Idleman, 24-25.
8 John Piper, “It’s the Spirit Who Give Life,” Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2014).
9 Piper, “It’s the Spirit Who Give Life.”
