People all over the world are seeking something. Everyone wants to be happy. They seek pleasure only to have it short-lived. They seek riches that will give them much pleasure and security, but at the end of the day, it’s not enough. Some seek power, but that is a quest that never gets satisfied. There is always someone trying to dethrone you when you have power. Others have the goal of loving and being loved. Many of those love deeply only to find their love betrayed. What do you want out of life and where do you go to gain it?
In John chapter 6, Jesus has been teaching about what it takes to have a true conversion experience. Many have been listening to Jesus speak. Some turn and walk away from their only hope of eternal life. They just didn’t get it. So, like many today they listen and leave. Others, who were looking to trip Him up, were trying to understand everything in a literal sense. They were not truly seeking and asking Him to explain His sayings, they also left with no change. His teachings did not fit what they thought. They murmured and talked to one another instead of asking the one who could answer the questions.
As many walked away, Jesus turns to His disciples and ask, “will you also go away?” Simon gives the answer of a true believer. “Lord, to whom shall we go?” In other words, you have what we need, and we are not quitters. We truly believe you are Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John 6:67-69 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter’s response tells us a lot in a few words. Where are we going to go? I can imagine these words going through Peter’s mind. Yes, sometimes we are frightened when we are with you. Many seek to kill you, and those who follow you. We don’t always understand you. Some things you say leave us puzzled. You offend people who we think are important, but we’ve never seen anyone do the things you do. We have seen you do miraculous things. You have met the deepest need within us and freed us from the guilt of our sins.
Next, Peter talks about another reason to stay. We have watched you. We have believed you and come to know you. We find nothing wrong in you, and we believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, the sinless one. You fulfill everything the prophets said about you. There is no one like you, therefore we have nowhere else to go.
A real Christian will feel this way about Jesus. There will be many times when we fail because of our own weakness, and there will be many, many times we don’t understand. Yet, we can’t leave. There is no one who will understand us like Jesus. There is no one who offers eternal life but Him. He is the only one who can satisfy my soul at its deepest level. The wonderful truth about knowing and living for Christ is the hope he gives. No matter what we face in this life, we know this is not all there is. If we stay true to Him, we will have a perfect life one day with Him. The hope he offers pushes me to the finish line. There is no one nor any other thing that can offer what he offers.
