In John 6:66, though matter-of-factly written, a nonetheless devastating statement is made.  John records, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”  Fellowship was broken.  Backsliding occurred.  Apostasy resulted.  Divinity was disturbed (cf. 67).  What was so drastic about this circumstance in John six that repelled so many disciples?

JESUS’ TEACHING WAS DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT (6:60).  The Greek word, “skandalizo,” is where we get our English “scandal.”  Most versions translate “offend,” “take offense,” “stumble,” or “bother.”  Simply, they complained and bristled at His teaching.

We are prone to mold Jesus into our image.  We want Him, but on our terms.  We make His doctrine fit our preferences, traditions, and commitment level.  Accepting Jesus as He is simply seems scandalous to so many of us.  Faced with that, it can be so tempting to just go away.

JESUS’ TEACHING WAS OFFENSIVE (6:61).  His disciples grumbled at what He was saying.  His spiritual lessons rubbed them the wrong way.  He turned out to be a disappointment when measured against their materialistic and self-centered expectations.
I suspect that Jesus has offended all of us and probably more than once.  He tells us to get off the couch, the pew, and the bed, taking the gospel to the lost and retrieving erring brethren who have fallen from grace.  He tells us to deny self and follow Him, excising each cancerous thought, attitude, and deed not in harmony with His will.  We do not want anyone to tell us what to do.  Confronted with the offensive Jesus, the majority simply follow Him no more.

JESUS’ TEACHING WAS CHALLENGING (6:64).
It was challenging in its depth.  Jesus speaks figuratively and symbolically throughout this portion of scripture, saying, “the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven,” “I am the bread of life,” “the bread is my flesh,” and particularly “he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life for my flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.”  Were they disgusted? Befuddled? Hard-hearted? Unbelieving?  Which ever term describes them, they were unequal to the challenge of accepting who Jesus really was and what He wanted them to do and believe.

It was challenging in its demand.  Jesus calls belief in Him as the promised Messiah “work” (6:29).  It called for being taught His doctrine (6:45).

It was challenging in its denunciation.  Christ outrightly accuses many of them, armed with perfect knowledge of their hearts, for following Him only for what they could get from Him in this life (6:26).  He decries their unbelieving nature (6:36).

The New Testament contains many challenging concepts, principles, and commands.  It outlines an exclusive institution, the unique church of Christ.  It calls for specific things in worship, excluding any additions or subtractions done without His authority.  It demands a certain lifestyle, one of high ethics and morality, generous compassion, and unselfish commitment.  Sadly, many are not up to the challenge.

Many have physically gone away and followed Him no more.  Yet, before their bodies left, something inside of them left Jesus.  That means that there are brothers and sisters, now involved in the work of the church and filling a pew, who may be in the process of going away.  Jesus spoke of some who still have their lips moving in the assembly whose hearts are gone.  Jesus is fully aware of that.  Though inaudibly, surely Jesus still speaks to us from heaven today and asks us whenever a disciple falls away, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”  How are we answering that with our lives?

–Neal Pollard