After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 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." John 6:66-69 (RSV)

Jesus said to the twelve, "Will you also go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

It is easy to think of Jesus' life as being calm and quiet, with hours of solitary meditation or periods of religious conversations with his chosen Twelve. There were such times, it is true, but scarcely a day passed without some crisis erupting over things he said and did that were different from the beliefs and lifestyle of even his own people.

Today's text signals a watershed in the progress of his witness and mission. The multitudes were waiting for him wherever he went and his popularity and success were becoming a reason for jealousy, on the part of the representatives of organized religion, and for awe and wonder, among the common people. On this occasion, some thousands had followed him around the north end of the Sea of Galilee where he taught them and, when the evening came, he fed them by multiplying a meager supply of fish and bread. Immediately a wave of enthusiasm swept over the crowd; they went crazy about him and they wanted to make him their king on the spot. This was not "in the cards" for him, and he slipped away into the mountains alone. When he returned, there they were again; not really to get further teaching, rather they wanted more bread. But Jesus tripped them up by declaring, "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life." (v. 27)

That did it! They wanted bread, but he was giving them words, words, words about God and some other bread, the bread of life. When no further miracle was forthcoming, they quit, and we read, "Many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him." (v. 66) They wanted to make him their type of Messiah. However, Jesus' focus was not on a kingdom of this earth, but of heaven - the rule of God in the human heart. As A. S. Peake comments: "He threw cold water upon their Messianic enthusiasm and sent away from himself some who were his loudest followers." Then there were the Twelve - they too, in all likelihood, had subtle misgivings. "Will you also go away?" asked Jesus. Not plaintively, nor with a "poor me" attitude, but he spoke with a note of challenge, for immediately Peter seemed to take heart and said, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

Doesn't this incident sound a note of familiarity among all of us today? In the church? With its many religious organizations and agencies? Consider some of the facts. In 1985, the Presbyterian Church (USA) registered a decline of 43,000 in membership. The Roman Catholic Church anticipates the number of its diocesan priests to drop from 34,000 to 18,000 by the year 2000. Put Jesus' question to the rank and file of church members today and what will be the likely replies? We cannot understand the vocabulary of the church; all this talk about "eternal life" is beyond us. We believe in the Golden Rule, that's all; this business of faith and commitment seems unnecessary. Jesus, if he were alive, would not be "with it" today; this Kingdom of God stuff is vague and irrelevant. We take a look at the church, at the set who attend it, and none of them seems to count for anything. Look at the figure it cuts. Where is its impact? Are there really any winners there? Let Jesus ask these folk, "Will you also go away?", and imagine how they would look on him with pity. Yet, some Peter among them may still step forward and tell the world why he and his company choose to stay. "Where else can we go?" he asks courageously. You have what we desperately need - the words of eternal life.

1. Let us look at his words. What is the significance of words anyway? Words are the medium of thought, but more important, they convey the person. And the more relevant they are, the greater the impact they have or make. The deeper need of those multitudes around Jesus was to get right with God, not necessarily material bread. And Jesus' words were directed to that human problem or situation. Moreover, his words and his person were so united that, as it was said of Rudyard Kipling, "His words became alive and walked up and down in the hearts of his hearers." Jesus' words arrested attention and held people in their grip. "No man," the people said, "ever spoke like this man." (John 7:46) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall never pass away." (Matthew 24:35) Robert Menzies commented: "His words were organically related to himself. When Jesus speaks we get himself."

So far, so good; but there was more. Jesus' words were saving words. They were warm, instructive, and sometimes judgmental, but always they were the vehicle of his person, one whose human concern had the spirit of a God of love in them. Hence they were reconciling words. For those who hear and accept them, "There streams into our life an energy which enables us to live in a way which our flesh and blood could never achieve." (A. S. Peake) Peter spoke truly for these disciples: in fellowship with Jesus they had come in contact with his amazing spiritual power and, listening to his words, he became for them the living center of their life.

2. Let us look at his offer. Explore the words of Jesus and one finds, running through them, an offer having to do with fuller and more meaningful life. Listen to his striking declarations: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) "The bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:33) "I am the living bread which comes down from heaven ... he who eats this bread will live forever." (6:51, 58) And, in exchange for this gift, all he asks of men and women is to believe.

Why should anyone refuse or turn away? The offer is unparalleled in the whole story of human experience, but to maintain a sustained belief is more than many of us can do. We see it in church membership. People take vows and join the fellowship of the congregation, but soon drop out. We see it with church leaders. They are called to think through the fundamental ideas of the faith; but many of them find this too demanding, and they retreat back onto square one. We see it with evangelistic campaigns where hundreds are carried forward with the crowd, but discover, all too readily, that Jesus makes demands upon them they cannot accept. We see it with others who were in the church by tradition, but became somehow convinced it was impotent in the face of the world's general breakdown and the ravages of the home front through violence, drugs, pornography, and dog-eat-dog lifestyles. Like these, will you and I also go away? More pointedly, should the question be put: to whom can we go? Is there really anyone else we want in exchange for Jesus? Can anyone suggest someone better to whom to turn?

Jesus' offer still stands after twenty centuries. And we know from those who have stayed with him, those for whom he has been the bread of life, that there is no one they've found who can give them the kind of life he offers to those who believe. David H. C. Read once said: "I have heard, as a pastor, hundreds of reasons for quitting the church, but never has anyone said to me, I'm leaving the church because I've found someone better than Christ.' "