Until now, Jesus seemed to have been attracting more and more followers. In chapter four, we hear that he was attracting more disciples than John the Baptist and people were believing in him even in the hostile territory of Samaria. In the Galilean region in the north, he had miraculously fed thousands of people, but the next day, the mood was very different. He spoke seriously to his followers about the nature of the bread that he was offering them, calling it his flesh. They concluded: “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” (John 6:60). As a result, many of his followers turned away and deserted him.

Jesus’ question to his remaining disciples is heart-rending. “Are you also going to leave?” he asked. As he often did, Simon Peter spoke up for the others. He bluntly summarised the situation by saying that they had no desire to leave Jesus because there was nowhere else to go. Only Jesus had the words of eternal life. No other philosophies or religions were offering that.

In our society, there are so many people and organisations wanting to attract our attention and get us to sign up. They make bold claims and offer glossy publicity for their philosophies, but only Jesus makes the offer of eternal life. If we want to receive this amazing gift, there is nowhere else to turn.

When Peter made his response, he wasn’t saying he understood everything. He likely had as many questions as those who had turned away, but he was declaring that he was committed to Jesus himself and that he trusted him for the future. When we make a commitment to follow Jesus, we are not claiming that we have a full understanding of who God is and his plans for our lives. We are simply saying that we trust Jesus and know that he can be entirely relied upon.

Why are you committed to Jesus?

Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you because you have the words of eternal life. Amen