When Following Gets Hard...

John 6:66 - From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

The words of John 6:66 strike a solemn note in the heart of any believer. How could it be that those who once followed the Lord, who witnessed His miracles and heard His teachings, would turn away? What happened to cause these disciples to abandon their walk with Christ?

To understand this, we need to look at the preceding verses in John 6, where Jesus delivers some challenging teachings. In verses 60-65, we see that many of His disciples found His words difficult to grasp and even harder to accept. They said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” (John 6:60).

Other translations read the verse as follows:

KJV – “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”

NLT - “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

However, Jesus did not dilute His message to make it more acceptable. Rather, he challenged their understanding further. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

The Context of John 6

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, and His words were not easy to digest. The crowd that followed Him was attracted with the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish. They were drawn to Jesus because He provided for their physical needs, but they failed to understand the spiritual significance behind the miracle. They sought Jesus not for Him, but for what they could get from Him.

Jesus warned them against this self-selfish mindset. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him” (John 6:26-27).

The moment Jesus shifted from performing miracles to teaching about the deeper, spiritual commitment required to follow Him, the crowd began to dwindle. When His teachings demanded a closer communion with God, a surrender of the self, and a life lived in accordance with God’s will, many could not accept it. They were willing to follow Jesus as long as it was easy and beneficial to them. But the moment it required sacrifice and a deeper spiritual understanding, they turned away.

This is not the only instance in Scripture where someone turned away from Jesus because His teachings were too hard. In Matthew 19:21-22, we read about a rich young man who came to Jesus seeking eternal life. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor, the man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Our society today is marked by self-centeredness. We are often more concerned with our own desires, wishes, and satisfaction than with the will of God. Like the crowds in John 6, we may seek God for what we can get from Him rather than for who He is. We want God to bless our plans, but are we willing to surrender our lives and follow His plans?

The rich young man in Matthew 19 came to Jesus hoping to find an easier way to get what he wanted, but he wasn't willing to let go of everything and let God change him into a better person.. Similarly, many today look to God for ways to accomplish their own goals, while God is looking for us to surrender our lives to Him so that His goals may be accomplished through us.

When the disciples in John 6 found Jesus’ teachings difficult, He did not chase after them or sugarcoat His message to retain them. He spoke the truth, knowing that those who were truly committed would stay. This is a powerful lesson for the Church today. In an effort to keep members from leaving, some churches may shy away from difficult teachings, focusing instead on grace, forgiveness, and material blessings. While these are important, they must be balanced with teachings on true commitment to Christ, seeking heavenly blessings over earthly things, and living a life that reflects our faith in action.

Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (John 6:66). This verse is a reminder that following Jesus requires more than enthusiasm for His miracles or blessings. It requires a deep commitment to His teachings, even when they are hard to understand or accept.

As believers, we are called to walk with Christ, not just when it’s easy or beneficial, but also when it’s challenging and requires us to surrender our self-centered desires. Let the church today take inspiration from those who stayed with Jesus, even when the crowd thinned, and be bold to preach the deeper truths of the gospel. Let us not forget that those who stayed were the ones who through their unwavering faith in Christ.