TOWHOMSHALLWEGO

“TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?” (Jn 6:67-69)

June 30^th, 2002

Int. Our text implies life beyond the grave...”Thou hast the words of Eternal life.”

1. Eternal life has been limited to one person.... “‘Thou’ hast the words of eternal life.”

2. Jesus is indeed the only way to eternal life. (Jn 14:6)

3. Jesus is the exclusive way to eternal life. (Jn 14:6) “‘I’ am the way....”

a. (Acts 4:12) "Neither[1] is there salvation[2] in any other: for there[3] is none other name[4] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

I. CONSIDER WHAT PROMPTED THIS QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION. (Vr. 66)

A. MANY WOULD BE DISCIPLES CEASED TO FOLLOW JESUS. (Vr. 66)

1. Octavius Winslow said: “Many 'religious professors' backslide from 'the way' after a while. Wearied with the practice of self denial; tired of bearing the cross after Jesus; restless beneath His yoke; impatient of His burden; they slacken in the race, halt in the journey, and eventually altogether relinquish their profession.

2. “Such individuals never counted the cost of true commitment to Christ. They did not take into consideration the self denial demanded; the battle with sin involved; the crucifixion to the world required; and when these things came upon them, these half hearted pilgrims swerved from their profession, and returned to the sins they professed to have renounced, and to the world they professed to have abandoned, and walked no more with Jesus. “

B. CONSIDER THAT “MANY” CEASED TO FOLLOW HIM.

Int. Pulpit C. says:

1. These disciples returned once more to the world, with its old occupations, and to the religious guidance of the scribes and Pharisees.

2. They ceased to attend upon our Lord’s ministry, or to follow him from place to place in his errands of truth and mercy.

3. The cause of their defection was their unbelief. “There are some of you which believe not.”

(1) There are many persons who profess to be Christ’s disciples for a time, and afterwards fall away from their profession.

C. NOTICE THAT “THEY WENT BACK” (Vr. 66)

1. Even Mr. Weasley said: "So our Lord now began to purge his floor: the proud and careless were driven away, and those remained who were meet for the Master’s use."

D. NOTICE THAT THEY “WALKED NO MORE WITH HIM.” (Vr. 66)

1. J. F. & B. says: "Many a journey, it may be, they had taken with Him, but now they gave Him up finally!"

2. So today, many that professed to love the Lord walk no more with him.

E. NOTICE THE QUESTION THAT JESUS PUT TO THEM. (Vr.67).

1. Will ye go away also?

2. Pulpit C. says: "Though he has suffered from the sudden thinning of the ranks of his disciples, he yet holds open the door for the chosen twelve to follow them if they are so inclined."

3. Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening (Pg. 594) “Can you so much as dream of a better friend than he has been to you? Then change not the old and tried for new and false.”

a. Who would be foolish enough to trade “gold for dross?”

4. F. B. Meyers says this suggests a negative answer, “Ye cannot wish, can you?”

5. Pulpit C. says: "The form of the question implies that such desertion is incredible, and yet to be feared” (cf. John 7:47, 52; 18:17, 25).

6. Augustine says: "Can we look for another while we have thee?"

7. Gray & Adams: "The Dividing Point: "In the state of Ohio there is a court-house that stands in such a way that the raindrops that fall on the north side go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those that fall on the south side go into the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. Just a little puff of wind determines the destiny of a raindrop for two thousand miles. And how small apparently the influence which decides whether the current of our lives shall flow towards Christ or away from Him."

II. CONSIDER THREE REASONS PEOPLE FORSAKE THE LORD.

A. A DEFECTIVE FAITH...Examples:

1. Simon. (Acts 8:12, 18)

a. (Acts 8:12) "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

b. (Acts 8:18) “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,”

2. Judas.. (Mt. 10:4, Jn. 6:70).

a. (Mt 10:4) “Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”

b. (Jn 6:70). “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

3. Thorny soil. (Mt. 13:7, 22)

a. (Mt 13:7) “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

b. (Mt 13:22) “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

B. DIFFICULT DOCTRINE. (Jn 6:60)

1. Examples. See vr. 53

2. Stephen was stoned for calling people "Stiff-necked"

C. A DIFFERENT GOD. (Vr. 67-68)

1. They turned to Judiaism...they loved sin. (Vr. 63)

III. THEY HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT TURNING TO OTHER RELIGIONS.

A. JESUS WARNED ABOUT SADDUCEEISM (LIBERALS OF THAT DAY)

1. They denied the Resurrection.

a. (Mat 22:23) "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,"

2. They denied future punishment (They were universalist’s) Ill. Josephus

3. They denied that God could for-see anything evil .

4. They were offended at Christ for accepting the Messianic Title.

a. (Mat 21:15) "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,"

5. They sought to destroy the Son of God.

a. (Mark 11:18) "And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine."

6. They feared that a Messianic movement by Jesus might have disastrous political consequences.

a. (John 11:47) "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles."

B. JESUS WARNED ABOUT PHARISAISM ALSO.

1. They were the first to become hostile against Jesus.

2. They remained hostile even in the book of Acts

3. They had many reasons for disliking Jesus.

4. (Mat 9:2-3) "And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. {3} And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth."

5. (Luke 15:1-2) "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. {2} And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."

6. (Mat 9:14) "Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?"

7. Jesus didn’t observe the Sabbath in their strict fashion. (Mt. 12:1-8)

8. The Pharisees associated Jesus with Satan.

a. (Mat 12:24) "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."

9. They demanded that Jesus show them a sign.

a. (Mat 12:38) "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee."

10. They tried to tempt Jesus.

a. (Luke 10:25) "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

11. (Mat 19:3) "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"

12. (Mat 22:15-17) "Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. {16} And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. {17} Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?"

IV. NOTICE SIMON PETER’S QUESTION (Vr. 68)

A. SIMON OFTEN ACTED AS THEIR SPOKESMAN.

1. Barnes says: "Peter was probably one of the oldest of the apostles, and it was his character to be first and most ardent in his professions."

2. J. F. & B. says: “We cannot deny that we have been staggered as well as they, and seeing so many go away who, as we thought, might have been retained by teaching a little less hard to take in, our own endurance has been severely tried, nor have we been able to stop short of the question,

B. TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

1. Should they return to the guidance of the scribes and Pharisees, who taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and were blind leaders of the blind;

2. Should they return to the Law of Moses, by which there was neither life nor righteousness.

3. Should they return to John the Baptist who had confessed that he was not the Messiah, but who had pointed them to Christ. See (Jn 1:29; Acts 5:20).

4. Should they return to the world, which had deceived them in the first place?

5. Should they return to the broken cistersns that hold no water which Jeremiah described?

V. NOTICE THEIR ANSWER TO THEIR OWN QUESTION. (Vr. 68)

A. THOU HAST THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.

1. Clark's C. says: "Thou alone hast the words of eternal life."

a. Jesus had told them this in (Vr. 63-c) “....They are spirit and they are life. “

2. Barnes' Notes says: "That poor, lost, sinful man has nowhere else to go but to Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and if the sinner betakes himself to any other way he will wander and die."

3. This had proved to be a hard saying to those that left. (Vr. 60)

4. This had caused many to become offended at Christ.

a. Rolfe Barnard said: “"Heart-searching preaching, where it does not convince, is sure to offend. Nothing is so cutting to an unrenewed heart, especially when there is a decent outside, as to have its rottenness exposed, its refuge of lies swept away, and the pillow of forms whereon it was sleeping removed from under its head. Whosoever attempts this must expect to see the old man rise and fume."

5. This caused some to murmur. (Vr. 61)

a. In (Vr. 41) they wanted to crown him; now they were murmuring.

b. (John 7:16) "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me."

6. This caused a strife among the Jews. (Vr. 52)

7. They were pushing and shoving to get close to him one day, and now many walked no more with him.

Conclusion:

1. One cannot look to the world—the devil—the flesh- for the words of eternal life?"

2. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the one that can give Eternal Life.

3. Some go to baptism, church membership, good works, etc., but only Christ can give eternal life.